APPARATUS FOR CLASSIFYING PASSENGERS

• US 20090071265A1
• Filed: 02/27/2008
• Published: 03/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Mobis Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Mobis Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: KIM, Byeong Yeol, HWANG, Jae Ho
• Granted Patent: US 7,730,794 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/862.530
• 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: B60R 21/01508 detecting forces or pressure in bags or modules

Abstract

An apparatus for classifying passengers includes a plurality of load sensors disposed in a passenger seat of an automobile to measure a load applied to the passenger seat, the load sensors classifying the passengers by comparing a sum with a reference value, and the sum being obtained by summing the respective values, which are obtained by multiplying respective load values measured from the plurality of load sensors by weighed load values of the respective load sensors.

Claims

1. An apparatus for classifying passengers, comprising a plurality of load sensors disposed in a passenger seat of an automobile to measure a load applied to the passenger seat, the load sensors classifying the passengers by comparing a sum with a reference value, the sum being obtained by summing the respective values, which are obtained by multiplying of respective load values measured from the plurality of load sensors weighed load values of the respective load sensors.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising at least one dummy sensor having no load sensing function.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the plurality of load sensors and the dummy sensor are disposed on edge regions of a bottom portion of the passenger seat.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the plurality of load sensors and the dummy sensor are disposed on corner regions of a bottom portion of the passenger seat.

5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein a bottom portion of the passenger seat has four corner regions, and the load sensors are installed at three of the four corner regions, and the dummy sensor is installed at the other one of the four corner regions.

6. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the weighed load values are set such that a classification margin can be the highest.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the weighed load values are determined such that differences between a lowest adult test measurement weight value and a highest infant test measurement weight value can be the largest, the lowest adult test measurement weight value being the lowest of adult test measurement weight values measured when an adult dummy is seated on the passenger seat under a predetermined condition, and the highest infant test measurement weight value being the highest of infant test measurement weight values measured when an infant dummy is seated on the passenger seat under a predetermined condition.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the weighed load values are determined, under a first condition that the differences have the largest value, such that both of second and third conditions are satisfied, a second condition that the sum and the adult test measurement weight values are equal, and the sum is obtained by summing the values, which are obtained by multiplying respective load values measured from the plurality of load sensors when the adult dummy is seated on the passenger seat, by the respective weighed load values of the load sensor which measured the load value, and a third condition that the sum and the infant test measurement weight values are equal, and the sum is obtained by summing the values, which are obtained by multiplying respective load values measured from the plurality of load sensors when the infant dummy is seated on the passenger seat, by the respective weighed load values of the load sensor.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the weighed load values are determined so as to satisfy a fourth condition that the sum of the weighted load values is equal to a predetermined limit value.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the load sensors comprise three load sensors, and the weighed load values of the three respective load sensors are determined so as to satisfy all of [Equation 1], [Equation 2], and [Equation 3] under a condition that [Equation 4] is satisfied:

A_i=X_1i*S_1i+X_2i*S_2i+X_3i*S_3i  

 

[Equation 1]

wherein A_i is an adult test measurement weight value measured in advance under a predetermined condition (i), X_ki is a weighed load value of a k-th eight load sensor under the predetermined condition (i), and S_ki is a load value measured by the k-th load sensor when an adult dummy is seated on the passenger seat,

C_i=X_1i*S_1i+X_2i*S_2i+X_3i*S_3i  

 

[Equation 2]

wherein C_i is an infant test measurement weight value measured in advance under the predetermined condition (i), X_ki is a weighed load value of a k-th weight load sensor under the predetermined condition (i), and S_ki is a load value measured by the k-th load sensor when an infant dummy is seated on the passenger seat,

X_1i+X_2i+X_3i=T  

 

[Equation 3]

wherein X_ki is a weighed load value of a k-th weight load sensor under the predetermined condition (i), and T is a specific limit value,

MAX[MIN(A_i)−

MAX(C_i)] 

 

[Equation 4]

wherein A_i is an adult test measurement weight value measured in advance under a predetermined condition (i), and C_i is an infant test measurement weight value measured in advance under the predetermined condition (i).

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the reference value is the average value of a lowest value of adult test measurement weight values measured in advance and a highest value of infant test measurement weight values measured in advance.

12. A method for classifying passengers of a passenger classifying apparatus, the passenger classifying apparatus comprising a plurality of load sensors disposed in a passenger seat of an automobile to measure a load applied to the passenger seat, to classify the passengers by comparing a sum with a reference value, the sum being obtained by summing the respective values, which are obtained by multiplying of respective load values measured from the plurality of load sensors by weighed load values of the respective load sensors.