Fiber optic occupant or object classification system

• US 20040247228A1
• Filed: 06/09/2003
• Published: 12/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Key Safety Systems, Inc. (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Breed Automotive Technology, Inc. (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Gosk, Randal, Murad, Mohannad F., Kempf, Peter C., Hossam, Almasri
• Granted Patent: US 6,920,256 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 385/12
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01095 optical
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01516 using force or pressure sensing means

Abstract

An occupant classification system comprising: a seat upon which an occupant may sit or on which an object may be placed, the seat having one of a seat cushion and a seat back; at least one optical fiber having a measurable optical characteristic, arranged in a specific pattern, the optical characteristics of the fiber changeable when a force is applied to the fiber; and a processor responsive to an output signal from each fiber for generating a control signal determinative of a physical characteristic of an object or occupant on the seat.

Claims

1. An occupant classification system comprising:

a seat upon which an occupant may sit or on which an object may be placed, the seat having one of a seat cushion and a seat back;

at least one optical fiber having a measurable optical characteristic, arranged in a specific pattern, the optical characteristics of the fiber changeable when a force is applied to the fiber;

a processor responsive to an output signal from each fiber for generating a control signal determinative of a physical characteristic of an object or occupant on the seat.

2. The system as defined in claim 1 wherein the at least one optical fiber is arranged in one of the seat cushion and seat back.

3. The system as defined in claim 1 wherein each optical fiber has a first (input) end connected to a transmitter and a second (output) end connected to a receiver.

4. The system as defined in claim 1 wherein the at least one optical fiber is configured in a set of optical fibers, wherein a first set of optical fibers includes individual fibers arranged parallel to one another.

5. The system as defined in claim 4 including a second set of optical fibers arranged at a predetermined angle relative to the first set of optical fibers.

6. The system as defined in claim 5 wherein the predetermined angle is 90 degrees.

7. The system as defined in claim 5 wherein each fiber of the second set of optical fibers includes a curved portion.

8. The system as defined in claim 5 including a third set of optical fibers, wherein a particular optical fiber of the third set of fibers extends from a transmitter associated with the first set of optical fibers to a receiver associated with the second set of optical fibers.

9. The system as defined in claim 5 in the third set of optical fibers can be subdivided into two generally equal subsets (300, 310).

10. The system as defined in claim 5 including a fourth set of optical fibers wherein a portion of the fibers of the fourth set of optical fibers connects a specified input end of certain fibers of the first set of fibers to the input end of certain fibers of the second set of fibers.

11. The system as defined in claim 10 wherein a portion of the fourth set of optical fibers connects a specified output end of certain fibers of the first set of fibers to the output end of certain fibers of the second set of fibers.

12. The system as defined in claim 5 wherein one transmitter is associated with each set of optical cables.

13. The system as defined in claim 5 wherein a plurality of optical transmitters is associated with a like set of optical fibers.

14. The system as defined in claim 5 wherein the first and second sets of fibers are configured into a Cartesian coordinate system.

15. The system as defined in claim 5 wherein the first and second sets of fibers are configured into a polar coordinate system.