Occupant detecting apparatus capable of improving detection accuracy

• US 20040075259A1
• Filed: 10/14/2003
• Published: 04/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Elesys Co., Ltd. (Nidec Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Honda Elesys Co., Ltd. (Nidec Corporation)
• Inventors: Saito, Naoki, Saito, Takashi, Baba, Satoshi, Oikawa, Hiroshi, Masuda, Yoshinori, Nagai, Shingo, Jinno, Kazunori
• Granted Patent: US 6,966,577 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/735
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01068 between different sensors and airbag control unit
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01516 using force or pressure sensing means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0152 using strain gauges
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01532 using electric or capacitive field sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01556 Child-seat detection systems

Abstract

In an occupant detecting apparatus for detecting an occupant seated on a passenger seat of a vehicle with an airbag for the occupant, a load sensor is provided in a bottom part of the seat. A plurality of first electric field sensors are provided in the bottom part of the seat, and a plurality of second electric field sensors are provided in a rear part of the seat. An airbag inflating permission control unit permits inflation of the airbag in accordance with output signals of the load sensor and the first and second electric field sensors.

Claims

1. An occupant detecting apparatus for detecting an occupant seated on a passenger seat of a vehicle with a side-airbag for said occupant, comprising:

a load sensor provided in a bottom part of said seat;

an electric field sensor provided in a rear part of said seat on a side of said side-airbag; and

an airbag inflating permission control unit, connected to said load sensor and said electric field sensor, for permitting inflation of said side-airbag in accordance with output signals of said load sensor and said electric field sensor.

2. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said airbag inflating permission control unit compares an output signal of said load sensor with first and second load reference value, and compares the output signal of said electric field sensor with first and second electric field reference values,

said first load reference value being higher than said second load reference value,

said first electric field reference value being higher than said second electric field reference value.

3. The apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein when the output signal of said load signal is between said first and second load reference values, and the output signal of said electric field sensor is higher than said first electric field reference value, said airbag inflating permission control unit determines that a child is seated on said seat and leans to said electric field sensor not to permit the inflation of said airbag.

4. The apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein when the output signal of said load signal is between said first and second load reference values, and the output signal of said electric field sensor is between said first and second electric field reference values, said airbag inflating permission control unit determines that a child is surely seated on said seat to permit the inflation of said airbag.

5. The apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein when the output signal of said load signal is between said first and secondoad reference values, and the output signal of said electric field sensor is lower than said second electric field reference value, said airbag inflating permission control unit determines that a child is seated on said seat and leans to an opposite side of said electric field sensor to permit the inflation of said airbag.

6. An occupant detecting apparatus for detecting an occupant seated on a passenger seat of a vehicle with an airbag for said occupant, comprising:

a plurality of first electric field sensors provided in the bottom part of said seat;

a second electric field sensor provided in a rear part of said seat; and

an airbag inflating permission control unit, connected to said first and second electric field sensors, for permitting inflation of said airbag in accordance with output signals of said first and second electric field sensors.

7. The apparatus as set forth in claim 6, wherein said airbag inflating permission control unit corrects said second load reference value and said second electric field reference value when no object is seated on said seat.