Device and method for detecting the occupation of a seat in a motor vehicle

• US 20050043875A1
• Filed: 06/27/2002
• Published: 02/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Bauer, Peter, Geyer, Manfred, Offereins, Henderikus-L, Homann, Michelle
• Granted Patent: US 7,091,873 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/45
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01122 Prevention of malfunction
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01197 Warning devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01516 using force or pressure sensing means
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 3/14 adapted for operation by a part of the human body other than the hand, e.g. by foot

Abstract

The invention relates to a device and method for detecting the occupation of a seat in a motor vehicle. Said device comprises first sensor elements (SE1), which are flatly arranged on the seat surface of a vehicle seat and are part of a first sensor seat mat (OCSM) for measuring the weight or a weight profile on the vehicle seat. The device also comprises an evaluating unit (A), which is connected down from the sensor elements and provided for evaluating the first sensor signals of the first sensor seat mat (OCSM). The inventive device comprises additional safety sensor elements (SE2), which are flatly arranged on the seat surface of the vehicle seat, likewise connected to the evaluating unit (A), and provided for testing the operability of the first sensor elements (SE1). The inventive device is used in a method for detecting the occupation of a seat in a motor vehicle during which a control unit (S) of an occupant protection system adapts the triggering behavior of an occupant protection means to the determined occupation of the seat when the safety sensor elements (SE2) confirm the weight and/or the weight distribution established by the sensor seat mat (OCSM).

Claims

1. A device for detecting whether a seat in a motor vehicle is occupied, comprising:

first sensor elements flatly arranged on a seat surface of a vehicle seat for detecting whether the seat is occupied, wherein first sensor signals from the first sensor elements are dependent on a weight force applied to the first sensor elements;

an evaluation unit downstream from the first sensor elements for evaluating the first sensor signals;

a control unit downstream from the evaluation unit for adapting triggering parameters of an occupant restraining unit depending on the evaluated first sensor signals; and

safety sensor elements flatly arranged on the seat surface of the vehicle seat and connected to the evaluation unit for checking the functionality of the first sensor elements, wherein

safety sensor signals from the safety sensor elements are dependent on the weight force applied thereto and the functionality of the device can be determined by the evaluation unit by comparing the first sensor signals with the safety sensor signals.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein a design of the first sensor elements and that of the safety sensor elements is identical.

3. A device according to claim 1, wherein

the first sensor elements are arranged inside a first sensor seat mat and the safety sensor elements are flatly arranged on the vehicle seat inside a second sensor seat mat above or beneath the first sensor seat mat.

4. A device according to claim 3, wherein

the second sensor seat mat is firmly connected to the first sensor seat mat.

5. A device according to claim 4, wherein

the second sensor seat mat is bonded to the first sensor seat mat.

6. A device according to claim 1, wherein

the safety sensor elements are integrally arranged on the first sensor seat mat.

7. A device according to claim 1, wherein

at least one safety sensor element is assigned to at least one first sensor element for checking the functionality of the at least one first sensor element.

8. A device according to claim 7, wherein precisely one safety sensor element is assigned precisely to one first sensor element to check for correct functioning of said first sensor element.

9. A method for detecting whether a seat in a motor vehicle is occupied, comprising:

converting a weight force acting on a vehicle seat which has first sensor elements of a first sensor seat mat flatly arranged thereon into first sensor signals

transmitting the first sensor signals to an evaluation unit;

converting the weight force acting on the vehicle seat detecting by safety sensor elements of a second sensor seat mat flatly arranged on the vehicle seat into safety sensor signals;

transmitting the safety sensor signals to the evaluation, where the evaluation unit evaluates the first sensor signals and detects the occupation of the seat based on the evaluation; and

adapting triggering parameters of an occupant protection unit to the detected seat occupation only if the safety sensor elements of the second sensor seat mat confirm the first sensor signals detected in the evaluation unit with safety sensor signals.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein the control unit emits a warning signal if the detected seat occupation detected by the first sensor seat mat is not confirmed by the evaluated second sensor signals of the second sensor seat mat.