METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR DETECTING SEAT POSITION

• US 20090058057A1
• Filed: 08/27/2007
• Published: 03/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lear Corporation
• Original Assignee: Lear Corporation
• Inventors: Sleboda, Pawel, Ghabra, Riad
• Granted Patent: US 7,896,391 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/733
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01088 wireless
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01546 using belt buckle sensors

Abstract

Seating positioning determining based on wireless signals. The seat positioning may include assessing seating location within a vehicle or other environment. The seat positioning may be used with various vehicle system to control their operation based on the seat positioning. The seat positioning inquiry may also include additional information, such as but not limited to seat identification information and seat safety system information.

Claims

1. A method of controlling airbag deployment of an airbag deployment system included within a vehicle, the method comprising:

broadcasting a polling signal from an antenna included within the vehicle;

receiving the polling signal with a first seat latch device included within a first seat;

only upon receipt of the polling signal, the first seat latch device broadcasting a first seat latch signal indicating whether a first seat belt latch included on the first seat is locked or unlocked; and

preventing airbag deployment if the first seat latch signal indicates the first seat latch is unlocked.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving the polling signal with a second seat latch device included within a second seat, only upon receipt of the polling signal, the second seat latch device broadcasting a second seat latch signal indicating whether a second seat belt latch included on the second seat is locked or unlocked, and preventing airbag deployment if the second seat latch signal indicates the second seat latch is unlocked.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the airbag deployment system includes at least a first airbag configured for deploying to a first area within the vehicle, the method further comprising preventing deployment of the first air bag to the first area if either of the first or second seats are determined to be positioned within the first area with the seat latch unlocked.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising determining whether the first or second seat is within the first area as a function of a signal strength of the polling signal received by the first or second seat latch devices.

5. The method of claim 3 further comprising determining whether the first or second seat is within the first area as a function of a signal strength of the broadcasted first or second seat latch signals.

6. The method of claim 3 further comprising deploying the first airbag to the first area if the first seat is located within the first area with the seat latch locked and preventing deployment of the first airbag to the first area if the second seat is located within the first area with the seat latch locked.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the airbag deployment system includes at least a second airbag configured for deploying to a second area within the vehicle, the method further comprising determining whether the first or second seat is within the second area of the vehicle and deploying the second airbag to the second area if the second seat is located within the second area with the seat latch locked and preventing deployment of the second airbag to the second area if the first seat is located within the second area with the seat latch locked.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising including identifiers within each of the first and second seat latch signals for use identifying whether the first and second seat associated with the first and second seat latch signals.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising attaching the first and second seat latch devices to the first and second seat such that the first and second seat latch devices are removable from the vehicle if the first or second seats are removed from the vehicle.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising powering the first seat latch device with non-rechargeable batteries.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising broadcasting the first signal at a higher frequency than the polling signal to conserve battery life during transmission and receiving operations performed by the first and second seat latch devices.

17. The method of claim 11 further comprising broadcasting the first and second signals without connecting the first and second devices to a vehicle based power system.

12. A method for detecting seat position within a vehicle having at least first and second seat positions, the seat positions corresponding with different areas within the vehicle, the method comprising:

broadcasting a first signal from a first device attached to a first seat;

receiving the first signal with an antenna included within the vehicle; and

determining whether the first seat is in the first or second position based on the first signal indicating signal strength of the first device relative to the antenna.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising broadcasting a second signal from a second device attached to a second seat and determining whether the second seat is in the first or second position based on the second signal indicating signal strength of the first device relative to the antenna.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising the first and second devices calculating signal strength for a polling signal broadcast from the antenna and each of the first and second devices indicating the calculated signal strength within the first and second signals broadcasted to the antenna for use in determining whether the first seat is in the first or second position.

15. The method of claim 13 further comprising locating the antenna closer to the first position than the second position such that the seat closest to the antenna has the greatest signal strength, and determining the first seat to be in the first position if the signal strength of the first signal is greater than the signal strength of the second signal and determining the second seat to be in the first position if the signal strength of the second signal is greater than the signal strength of the first signal.

16. The method of claim 14 further comprising controlling deployment of an airbag deployment system as a function of whether the first and second seats are in the first or second positions.

18. A system for detecting seat position within a vehicle having at least first and second seat positions, the seat positions corresponding with different areas within the vehicle, the system comprising:

a device attached to a seat for broadcasting a signal; and

a processor configured for determining whether the seat is in the first or second position based on the signal indicating signal strength of the device.

19. The system of claim 18 further comprising an antenna for receiving the signal, the antenna being located closer to the first position than the second position, the signal having a lower signal strength when associated with the second position than the first position, the processor determining the seat to be in the first or second position based one whether the signal indicates the lower signal strength associated with the seat broadcasting from the second position.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the device determines the signal strength as a function of a polling signal broadcasted from the antenna at a lower frequency than the device transmits the signal to the antenna in order to conserve battery life during transmission and receiving operations performed by the first and second seat latch devices.