OCCUPANT CLASSIFYING DEVICE FOR VEHICLE SEAT

• US 20080054690A1
• Filed: 08/21/2007
• Published: 03/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: INAYOSHI, Muneto, Fujii, Hiroyuki
• Granted Patent: US 7,866,691 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 297/216.1
• 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 21/01556 Child-seat detection systems

Abstract

An occupant classifying device for a vehicle seat includes an occupant classifying apparatus for classifying an occupant type on the basis of a seating load applied to the vehicle seat, a first load sensor provided at a rear portion of the vehicle seat in order to measure a rear load that is a part of the seating load, a second load sensor provided at a front portion of the vehicle seat in order to measure a front load that is a part of the seating load, a rear load ratio calculating apparatus for calculating a rear load ratio indicating a ratio of the rear load in the seating load on the basis of the measured rear and front loads and a securing determining apparatus determining whether or not a child restraint system is secured to the vehicle seat on the basis of the calculated rear load ratio.

Claims

1. An occupant classifying device for a vehicle seat comprising:

an occupant classifying means for classifying an occupant type on the basis of a seating load applied to the vehicle seat;

a first load sensor provided at a rear portion of the vehicle seat in order to measure a rear load that is a part of the seating load;

a second load sensor provided at a front portion of the vehicle seat in order to measure a front load that is a part of the seating load;

a rear load ratio calculating means for calculating a rear load ratio indicating a ratio of the rear load in the seating load on the basis of the measured rear and front loads; and

a securing determining means determining whether or not a child restraint system is secured to the vehicle seat on the basis of the calculated rear load ratio.

2. The occupant classifying device for the vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein two first load sensors are provided at the rear portion of the vehicle seat, one of the first load sensors being provided at a first side of the vehicle seat and the other of the first load sensors being provided at a second side of the vehicle seat, and two second load sensors are provided at the front portion of the vehicle seat, one of the second load sensors being provided at the first side of the vehicle seat and the other of the second load sensors being provided at the second side of the vehicle seat.

3. The occupant classifying device for the vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the occupant classifying means:

classifies an occupant type to an adult when the rear load is larger than a first load threshold;

classifies the occupant type to a child when the rear load is smaller than a second load threshold being set so as to be smaller than the first load threshold; and

classifies the occupant type on the basis of a result determined by the securing determining means when the rear load is equal to or smaller than the first load threshold and is equal to or larger than the second load threshold, and

the securing determining means determines that the child restraint system is secured to the vehicle seat when the rear load ratio is larger than a first ratio threshold.

4. The occupant classifying device for the vehicle seat according to claim 2, wherein the occupant classifying means:

classifies an occupant type to an adult when the rear load is larger than a first load threshold;

classifies the occupant type to a child when the rear load is smaller than a second load threshold being set so as to be smaller than the first load threshold; and

classifies the occupant type on the basis of a result determined by the securing determining means when the rear load is equal to or smaller than the first load threshold and is equal to or larger than the second load threshold, and

the securing determining means determines that the child restraint system is secured to the vehicle seat when the rear load ratio is larger than a first ratio threshold.

5. The occupant classifying device for the vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the securing determining means:

determines that the vehicle seat is in a first securing state, in which there is a possibility where the child restraint system is firmly secured to the vehicle seat, when the rear load ratio is larger than a first ratio threshold;

determines that the vehicle seat is in a second securing state, in which there is a possibility where the child restraint system is secured to the vehicle seat less firmly than the first securing state, when the rear load ratio is equal to or smaller than the first ratio threshold and is larger than a second ratio threshold being set so as to be smaller than the first ratio threshold;

and determines that the vehicle seat is in a third securing state, in which the child restraint system is not secured to the vehicle seat, when the rear load ratio is equal to or smaller than the second ratio threshold, and

the occupant classifying means;

classifies the occupant type to an adult not depending on the rear load when the vehicle seat is in the third securing state;

classifies the occupant type to a child when the rear load is smaller than a first load threshold when the vehicle seat is in the first securing state; and

classifies the occupant type to a child when the rear load is smaller than a second load threshold being set so as to be smaller than the first load threshold when the vehicle seat is in the second securing state.

6. The occupant classifying device for the vehicle seat according to claim 2, wherein the securing determining means:

determines that the vehicle seat is in a first securing state, in which there is a possibility where the child restraint system is firmly secured to the vehicle seat, when the rear load ratio is larger than a first ratio threshold;

determines that the vehicle seat is in a second securing state, in which there is a possibility where the child restraint system is secured to the vehicle seat less firmly than the first securing state, when the rear load ratio is equal to or smaller than the first ratio threshold and is larger than a second ratio threshold being set so as to be smaller than the first ratio threshold;

and determines that the vehicle seat is in a third securing state, in which the child restraint system is not secured to the vehicle seat, when the rear load ratio is equal to or smaller than the second ratio threshold, and

the occupant classifying means;

classifies the occupant type to an adult not depending on the rear load when the vehicle seat is in the third securing state;

classifies the occupant type to a child when the rear load is smaller than a first load threshold when the vehicle seat is in the first securing state; and

classifies the occupant type to a child when the rear load is smaller than a second load threshold being set so as to be smaller than the first load threshold when the vehicle seat is in the second securing state.

7. The occupant classifying device for the vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the securing determining means determines whether or not the child restraint system is secured to the vehicle seat on the basis of a correlation threshold indicating a correlation between the rear load and the rear load ratio by a linear function.

8. The occupant classifying device for the vehicle seat according to claim 2, wherein the securing determining means determines whether or not the child restraint system is secured to the vehicle seat on the basis of a correlation threshold indicating a correlation between the rear load and the rear load ratio by a linear function.

9. The occupant classifying device for the vehicle seat according to claim 1, in which a result determined by the occupant classifying means is used for controlling the supplemental restraint system wherein the occupant classifying means:

classifies the occupant type to a first type, in which a first control is executed for the supplemental restraint system, when the rear load is larger than the first load threshold;

classifies the occupant type to a second type, in which a second control is executed for the supplemental restraint system, when the rear load is smaller than the second load threshold being set so as to be smaller than the first load threshold; and

classifies the occupant type on the basis of a result determined by the securing determining means when the rear load is equal to or smaller than the first load threshold and is equal to or larger than the second load threshold, and

the securing determining means determines that the child restraint system is secured to the vehicle seat when the rear load ratio is larger than the first ratio threshold.

10. The occupant classifying device for the vehicle seat according to claim 2, in which a result determined by the occupant classifying means is used for controlling the supplemental restraint system, wherein the occupant classifying means:

classifies the occupant type to a first type, in which a first control is executed for the supplemental restraint system, when the rear load is larger than the first load threshold;

classifies the occupant type to a second type, in which a second control is executed for the supplemental restraint system, when the rear load is smaller than the second load threshold being set so as to be smaller than the first load threshold; and

classifies the occupant type on the basis of a result determined by the securing determining means when the rear load is equal to or smaller than the first load threshold and is equal to or larger than the second load threshold, and

the securing determining means determines that the child restraint system is secured to the vehicle seat when the rear load ratio is larger than the first ratio threshold.

11. The occupant classifying device for the vehicle seat according to claim 9, wherein the occupant classifying means:

classifies the occupant type to the first type when the rear load ratio is larger than the first ratio threshold, and the rear load is larger than the first load threshold;

classifies the occupant type to the second type when the rear load ratio is equal to or smaller than the first ratio threshold, the rear load ratio is larger than the second ratio threshold being set so as to be smaller than the first ratio threshold, and the rear load is smaller than the second load threshold being set so as to be smaller than the first load threshold; and

classifies the occupant type to the first type when the rear load ratio is equal to or less than the second ratio threshold.

12. The occupant classifying device for the vehicle seat according to claim 10, wherein the occupant classifying means:

classifies the occupant type to the first type when the rear load ratio is larger than the first ratio threshold, and the rear load is larger than the first load threshold;

classifies the occupant type to the second type when the rear load ratio is equal to or smaller than the first ratio threshold, the rear load ratio is larger than the second ratio threshold being set so as to be smaller than the first ratio threshold, and the rear load is smaller than the second load threshold being set so as to be smaller than the first load threshold; and

classifies the occupant type to the first type when the rear load ratio is equal to or less than the second ratio threshold.

13. The occupant classifying device for the vehicle seat according to claim 1, in which a result determined by the occupant classifying means is used for controlling the supplemental restraint system, wherein

the securing determining means:

determines that the vehicle seat is in a first securing state, in which there is a possibility where the child restraint system is secured to the vehicle seat more firmly than a predetermined level, when the rear load ratio is larger than a first ratio threshold;

determines that the vehicle seat is in a second securing state, in which there is a possibility where the child restraint system is secured to the vehicle seat less firmly than the first securing state, when the rear load ratio is equal to or smaller than the first ratio threshold and is larger than a second ratio threshold being set so as to be smaller than the first ratio threshold;

and determines that the vehicle seat is in a third securing state, in which the child restraint system is not secured to the vehicle seat, when the rear load ratio is equal to or smaller than the second ratio threshold, and

the occupant classifying means;

classifies, in the third securing state, the occupant type to a first type, in which the first control is executed for the supplemental restraint system not depending on the rear load;

classifies, in the first securing state, the occupant type to a second type, in which the second control is executed for the supplemental restraint system, when the rear load is smaller than a first load threshold; and

classifies, in the second securing state, the occupant type to the second type when the rear load is smaller than a second load threshold being set so as to be smaller than the first load threshold.

14. The occupant classifying device for the vehicle seat according to claim 2, in which a result determined by the occupant classifying means is used for controlling the supplemental restraint system, wherein

the securing determining means:

determines that the vehicle seat is in a first securing state, in which there is a possibility where the child restraint system is secured to the vehicle seat more firmly than a predetermined level, when the rear load ratio is larger than a first ratio threshold;

determines that the vehicle seat is in a second securing state, in which there is a possibility where the child restraint system is secured to the vehicle seat less firmly than the first securing state, when the rear load ratio is equal to or smaller than the first ratio threshold and is larger than a second ratio threshold being set so as to be smaller than the first ratio threshold;

and determines that the vehicle seat is in a third securing state, in which the child restraint system is not secured to the vehicle seat, when the rear load ratio is equal to or smaller than the second ratio threshold, and

the occupant classifying means;

classifies, in the third securing state, the occupant type to a first type, in which the first control is executed for the supplemental restraint system, not depending on the rear load;

classifies, in the first securing state, the occupant type to a second type, in which the second control is executed for the supplemental restraint system, when the rear load is smaller than a first load threshold; and

classifies, in the second securing state, the occupant type to the second type when the rear load is smaller than a second load threshold being set so as to be smaller than the first load threshold.