Removable Seat Sensing System

• US 20080100980A1
• Filed: 10/31/2006
• Published: 05/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lear Corporation
• Original Assignee: Lear Corporation
• Inventors: Garcia-Briz, Alberto, Jacas-Miret, Josep
• Granted Patent: US 7,560,827 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/113
• 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 2/015 Attaching seats directly to vehicle chassis
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01088 wireless
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01252 Devices other than bags
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01 Electrical circuits for triggering passive safety arrangements, e.g. airbags, safety belt tighteners, in case of vehicle accidents or impending vehicle accidents electrical circuits for transmission of signals between steering wheel and the vehicle itself B60R16/027; for electrically actuating belt retractor locking means B60R22/343
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01546 using belt buckle sensors

Abstract

The present invention relates to removable seating systems of the type wherein all or part of a seat may be removed or otherwise disengaged from a secure connection location, such as but not limited to vehicle seats that me be removed or disengage for folding from a vehicle mounted seat frame assembly. The system may include coupling circuits to facilitate assess states of a switch included on the removable seat.

Claims

1. A removable vehicle seating system for wirelessly sensing activation of a switch included on a removable seat, the system comprising:

a first coupling circuit on the removable seat configured for resonating as a function of switch activation;

a second coupling circuit wirelessly coupled with the first coupling circuit; and

a voltage unit in communication with the second coupling circuit for assessing switch activation as a function of a voltage variation of the second coupling circuit resulting from resonance of the first coupling circuit.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the voltage unit assess switch activation solely as a function of the voltage variation and without assessing a resonance frequency of the first or second coupling circuits.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the activation of the switch includes an inactive state and an active state, and wherein the first coupling circuit resonates for one but not both of the states.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the voltage variation only occurs if the first coupling circuit is resonating.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the voltage variation of the second coupling circuit relates to a voltage drop.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the first coupling circuit resonates only when activation of the switch is associated with an active state of the switch such that the voltage drop indicates the switch being in the active state.

7. The system of claim 5 wherein the first coupling circuit resonates only when activation of the switch is associated with an inactive state of the switch such that that the voltage drop indicates the switch being in the inactive state.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the first coupling circuit includes an inductor connected in series with a capacitor and the seat switch such that the first coupling circuit only resonates when the seat switch is closed.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the first coupling circuit includes an inductor connected in parallel with a capacitor and in series with the seat switch such that the first coupling circuit only resonates when the seat switch is open.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the switch is associated with a seat belt lock and the activation of the switch indicates whether the seat belt is unlocked or lock.

11. The system of claim 10 further comprising an airbag control module in communication with the voltage sensing unit for controlling air bag deployment as a function of whether the seat belt is locked or unlocked.

14. The method of claim 2 further comprising determining the activation state as a function of the first coupling circuit resonating for one but not both of the states.

12. A method for wirelessly sensing activation of a switch included on a removable seat, the method comprising:

monitoring a voltage variation of a second coupling circuit wirelessly coupled to a first coupling circuit included on the removable seat, the voltage variation being associated with resonance of the first coupling circuit, wherein the resonance of the first coupling circuit is depend on an activation state of the switch; and

determining the activation state of the switch to corresponding with the switch being inactive or active based on the voltage variation.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising determining the activation state of the switch solely as a function of the voltage variation and without determining a resonance frequency of the first or second coupling circuits.

15. The method of claim 12 further comprising determining the activation state of the switch based on the voltage variation only occurring when the first coupling circuit is resonating.

16. A vehicle seating system comprising:

a first coupling circuit on a removable seat having a seat switch having only an active or inactive state, the first coupling circuit configured to resonate as a function of one but not both of the states;

a second coupling circuit in wireless coupled with the first coupling circuit; and

a unit in communication with the second coupling circuit for assessing switch activation as a function of a voltage variation of the second coupling circuit resulting from resonance of the first coupling circuit.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the unit assess switch activation solely as a function of the voltage variation and without assessing a resonance frequency of the first or second coupling circuits.

18. The system of claim 16 wherein the voltage variation only occurs if the first coupling circuit is resonating.

19. The system of claim 16 wherein the switch is associated with a seat belt lock and the activation of the switch indicates whether the seat belt is unlocked or lock.

20. The system of claim 19 further comprising an airbag control module in communication with the voltage sensing unit for controlling air bag deployment as a function of whether the seat belt is locked or unlocked.