Occupant determining device

• US 20040135697A1
• Filed: 07/22/2003
• Published: 07/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Enomoto, Takaaki, Aoki, Koji, Sakai, Morio, Mori, Masaki, Hasegawa, Yasunori, Izawa, Minoru
• Granted Patent: US 6,876,299 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/667
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/002 Seats provided with an occupancy detection means mounted therein or thereon detection means responsive to presence or absence of children B60N2/266
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0025 by using weight measurement
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0031 mounted on the frame
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0035 characterised by the sensor data transmission, e.g. wired connections or wireless transmitters therefor; characterised by the sensor data processing, e.g. seat sensor signal amplification or electric circuits for providing seat sensor information
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2210/42 Strain gauges
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2230/30 Signal processing of sensor data
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01516 using force or pressure sensing means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0152 using strain gauges

Abstract

An occupant determining device includes a load detecting sensor provided on a seat body and a controller. The controller calculates a detected load value based on an output value of the load detecting sensor and performs occupant determination based on the detected load value. The occupant determination state is switched to an adult determination state when a certain delaying time elapses after the detected load value exceeds a first determination threshold. The controller sets the delaying time shorter when the detected load value exceeds the first determination threshold within a predetermined time after the detected load value exceeds a second determination threshold.

Claims

1. An occupant determining device, comprising:

a load detecting sensor provided on a seat body; and

a controller calculating a detected load value based on an output value of the load detecting sensor and performing occupant determination based on the detected load value, wherein the occupant determination state is switched to an adult determination state when a certain delaying time elapses after the detected load value exceeds a first determination threshold, wherein the controller sets the delaying time shorter when the detected load value exceeds the first determination threshold within a predetermined time after the detected load value exceeds a second determination threshold.

2. An occupant determining device, according to claim 1, wherein a first delaying time and a second delaying time being shorter than the first delaying time are provided as the delaying time, the controller sets the first delaying time as the delaying time when the detected load value exceeds the first determination threshold after elapsing of the predetermined time under the detected load value exceeding the second determination threshold, and the controller sets the second delaying time as the delaying time when the detected load value exceeds the first determination threshold within the predetermined time after the detected load value exceeds the second determination threshold.

3. An occupant determining device, comprising:

a load detecting sensor provided on a seat body; and

a controller calculating a detected load value based on an output value of the load detecting sensor and performing occupant determination based on the detected load value, wherein the occupant determination state is switched to an adult determination state when a certain delaying time elapses after the detected load value exceeds a first determination threshold, wherein the occupant determination state is switched to an occupant-being determination state by the controller during within a predetermined time when the detected load value exceeds a second determination threshold, and the controller sets the delaying time shorter when the detected load value exceeds the first determination threshold under the occupant-being determination state.

4. An occupant determining device, according to claim 3, wherein the occupant determination state is switched to a child determination state by the controller when the detected load value does not exceed the first determination threshold under the occupant-being determination state.