Process for Adjusting an Occupant Protection and/or Comfort Enhancing System, and Occupant Protection and/or Comfort Enhancing System.

• US 20080306656A1
• Filed: 04/22/2006
• Published: 12/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Daimler AG (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Original Assignee: Daimler AG (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Inventors: Justen, Rainer, Baumann, Karl-Heinz, Lorenz, Carsten, Lanzerath, Martin
• Application Number:
  US11/913,608
• Publication Number:
  US 20080306656A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/45
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0248 with memory of positions
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01552 detecting position of specific human body parts, e.g. face, eyes or hands

Abstract

The invention relates to a vehicle occupant protection and/or comfort system (1) for a vehicle (10), comprising a plurality of adaptive protection system and comfort components (8.1, 8.2) which are each assigned to a sitting place (SP1 to SPn) and can be adjusted by means of a safety and/or comfort profile (PS, PK) which is related to a vehicle occupant who is occupying the respective sitting place (SP1 to SPn) and can be activated by means of an authentication system (2). The authentication system (2) here comprises a plurality of person identification devices (4.1 to 4.n) which are each assigned to a sitting place (SP1 to SPn) and have the purpose of sensing biometric identification features (IM) of body parts of a vehicle occupant, wherein the vehicle occupant can be identified by means of the sensed biometric identification features (IM) and can be assigned to a sitting place (SP1 to SPn), and wherein a safety and/or comfort profile (PS, PK) which is associated with the vehicle occupant can be activated on a sitting-place-related basis by means of biometric data (BD) which is associated with the identified vehicle occupant.

Claims

1-16. -16. (canceled)

17. A method for adjusting at least one of a vehicle occupant protection system and a vehicle occupant comfort system of a vehicle having a plurality of adaptive protection system and comfort components that are each assigned to a sitting place, adjusted by way of at least one of a safety profile and a comfort profile related to a vehicle occupant who is occupying the respective sitting place, and activated by way of an authentication system, comprising:

sensing biometric identification features of body parts of a vehicle occupant on a sitting-place-related basis by way of the authentication system,

using the biometric identification features to identify the vehicle occupant and assigning the features to the sitting place,

calling biometric data associated with the vehicle occupant by way of the biometric identification features, and

using the biometric data for activating, on a sitting-place-related basis, at least one of a safety profile and a comfort profile associated with the vehicle occupant.

18. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the biometric identification features are sensed by way of a person identification device and supplied to a memory system, and wherein the biometric data are called automatically by way of the biometric identification features and transmitted if appropriate.

19. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the at least one of the safety and comfort profiles related to the vehicle occupant is activated automatically on a sitting-place-related basis by way of the biometric data associated with the vehicle occupant acquired.

20. The method as claimed in claim 18, wherein the at least one of the safety and comfort profiles related to the vehicle occupant is activated automatically on a sitting-place-related basis by way of the biometric data associated with the vehicle occupant acquired.

21. A system providing an occupant of a vehicle with at least one of protection and comfort, comprising:

a plurality of adaptive protection system and comfort components,

sitting places, each of said components assigned to one of the sitting places and adjustable by way of a safety profile, a comfort profile, or both a safety profile and a comfort profile related to the vehicle occupant occupying the one of the sitting places, and

an authentication system by which the components are activatable,

wherein the authentication system comprises a plurality of person identification devices, each of which is assigned to one of the sitting places and is adapted to sense biometric identification features of body parts of the vehicle occupant,

wherein the vehicle occupant can be identified by the sensed biometric identification features and assigned to a sitting place, and

wherein at least one of the safety and comfort profiles associated with the vehicle occupant can be activated on a sitting-location-related basis by biometric data associated with the identified vehicle occupant.

22. The system as claimed in claim 21, wherein at least one of the person identification devices is embodied as a fingerprint reader.

23. The system as claimed in claim 21, wherein at least one of the person identification devices is embodied as a face scanner, an iris scanner, or both a face and an iris scanner.

24. The system as claimed in claim 21, wherein at least one of the person identification devices is embodied as a voice communications device.

25. The system as claimed in claim 21, wherein the authentication system comprises a memory system that can be used to call the biometric data associated with the vehicle occupant by way of the sensed biometric identification features of said vehicle occupant.

26. The system as claimed in claim 25, wherein the memory system is embodied as a mobile transponder.

27. The system as claimed in claim 25, wherein the memory system is embodied as a memory that is fixed to the vehicle.

28. The system as claimed in claim 21, wherein the biometric data can be transmitted via at least one of a radio link and a databus link.

29. The system as claimed in claim 21, wherein the biometric data is used for activating a vehicle-occupant-specific safety profile, comfort profile, or safety and comfort profile on a sitting-place-related basis.

30. A person identification device for a system according to claim 21, wherein a sitting-place-related arrangement is disposed in a region of manually operated elements of a vehicle occupant in the vehicle for sensing biometric identification features of body parts of the vehicle occupant.

31. The person identification device as claimed in claim 30, wherein a depression-shaped recess for receiving at least one fingertip is provided in the region of manually operated elements.

32. The person identification device as claimed in claim 30, wherein at least one fingerprint reader is arranged in the depression-shaped recess.

33. The person identification device as claimed in claim 31, wherein the recess is provided in the seatbelt lock.

34. The person identification device as claimed in claim 31, wherein the recess is provided in the seatbelt tongue.

35. The person identification device as claimed in claim 31, wherein the recess is provided in the door handle.

36. A transponder for a system as claimed in claim 21, wherein the biometric data of a vehicle occupant can be called automatically by way of received biometric identification features of the vehicle occupant, can be transmitted, and can be used to activate a vehicle-occupant-specific safety profile, comfort profile, or safety and comfort profile on a sitting-place-related basis.