Seat belt controlling system and method of controlling seat belt

• US 20070021892A1
• Filed: 07/18/2006
• Published: 01/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Takemura, Noriaki
• Application Number:
  US11/488,007
• Publication Number:
  US 20070021892A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/45
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01311 monitoring the braking system, e.g. ABS
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/446 with external control means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/44 with means for reducing belt tension during use under normal conditions not included in the retractor B60R22/19; B60R22/3405 takes precedence

Abstract

A seat belt controlling system, includes: an outputting system outputting a signal showing a rotary state of each of wheels of a vehicle; a determinant determining whether or not a restraining of a seat occupant of the vehicle is necessary, based on the signals which are from the outputting system and correspond to the respective wheels; and a seat belt controller implementing the following windings of a seat belt: a first winding implemented when the determinant determines that two or more of the wheels are in a state necessary for the restraining of the seat occupant, and a second winding implemented when the determinant determines that one of the wheels is in a state necessary for the restraining of the seat occupant. The second winding is weaker than the first winding in winding force. The first winding is implemented after a continuation of a certain time of the second winding.

Claims

1. A seat belt controlling system, comprising:

1) an outputting system for outputting a signal showing a rotary state of each of wheels of a vehicle;

2) a determinant for determining whether or not a restraining of a seat occupant of the vehicle is necessary, based on the signals which are outputted from the outputting system and correspond to the respective wheels; and

3) a seat belt controller for implementing the following windings of a seat belt;

a) a first winding implemented when the determinant determines that two or more of the wheels are in a state necessary for the restraining of the seat occupant, and

b) a second winding implemented when the determinant determines that one of the wheels is in a state necessary for the restraining of the seat occupant, the second winding being weaker than the first winding in winding force, the first winding being implemented after a continuation of a certain time of the second winding.

2. The seat belt controlling system as claimed in claim 1 wherein, the signal is outputted from an anti-lock brake system, each of the signalsshowing the rotary state of one of the wheels.

3. The seat belt controlling system as claimed in claim 1 wherein, the certain time of the second winding is 1 second.

4. The seat belt controlling system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a vehicle state sensor for sensing a state around the vehicle,

wherein

based on the state around the vehicle sensed with the vehicle state sensor, the higher the necessity for restraining the seat occupant is, the shorter the certain time is set by the seat belt controller.

5. The seat belt controlling system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the vehicle state sensor is a navigator.

6. The seat belt controlling system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the seat belt controller sets the certain time shorter after sensing that the one of the wheels is in the state necessary for the restraining of the seat occupant.

7. A method of controlling a seat belt, comprising:

1) outputting a signal showing a rotary state of each of wheels of a vehicle;

2) determining whether or not a restraining of a seat occupant of the vehicle is necessary, based on the signals which are outputted by the outputting operation and correspond to the respective wheels; and

3) implementing the following windings of a seat belt;

a) a first winding implemented when the determining operation determines that two or more of the wheels are in a state necessary for the restraining of the seat occupant, and

b) a second winding implemented when the determining operation determines that one of the wheels is in a state necessary for the restraining of the seat occupant, the second winding being weaker than the first winding in winding force, the first winding being implemented after a continuation of a certain time of the second winding.

8. A seat belt controlling system, comprising:

1) means for outputting a signal showing a rotary state of each of wheels of a vehicle;

2) means for determining whether or not a restraining of a seat occupant of the vehicle is necessary, based on the signals which are outputted from the outputting means and correspond to the respective wheels; and

3) means for implementing the following windings of a seat belt;

a) a first winding implemented when the determining means determines that two or more of the wheels are in a state necessary for the restraining of the seat occupant, and

b) a second winding implemented when the determining means determines that one of the wheels is in a state necessary for the restraining of the seat occupant, the second winding being weaker than the first winding in winding force, the first winding being implemented after a continuation of a certain time of the second winding.