Adaptive light seatbelt buckle

• US 20100013622A1
• Filed: 07/18/2008
• Published: 01/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: TK Holdings Incorporated (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: TK Holdings Incorporated (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Cech, Leonard Steven, Rumps, Dennis Scott
• Application Number:
  US12/219,321
• Publication Number:
  US 20100013622A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/457.100
• CPC Class Codes: A44B 11/2565 Illuminated buckles
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/4816 for sensing locking of buckle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/4866 Displaying or indicating arrangements thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/32 Devices for releasing in an emergency, e.g. after an accident ; Remote or automatic unbuckling devices unlocking devices for retractors B60R22/3416
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/48 Control systems, alarms, or interlock systems, for the correct application of the belt or harness

Abstract

An adaptive light seatbelt system is provided. The system includes a buckle housing, a light positioned in the buckle housing so that the light is visible to an occupant of a vehicle, a controller for controlling the light, and a signaler for providing an input to the controller. The system indicates a state of the buckle housing by controlling the light.

Claims

1. An adaptive light seatbelt system for a vehicle, comprising:

a buckle housing;

a light positioned in the buckle housing so that the light is visible to an occupant of a vehicle;

a controller for controlling light, wherein the controller is located in the buckle housing; and

a signaler for providing an input to the controller, wherein the signaler is located in the buckle housing.

2. The adaptive light seatbelt system of claim 1, wherein the buckle housing includes a light diffuser located between an outer edge of the buckle housing and the light.

3. The adaptive light seatbelt system of claim 1, wherein the light comprises an LED.

4. The adaptive light seatbelt system of claim 1, wherein the controller controls at least one of a duty cycle, a brightness, and a color of the light.

5. The adaptive light seatbelt system of claim 4, wherein the controller controls the duty cycle and the brightness of the light to create flashing.

6. The adaptive light seatbelt system of claim 1, wherein the signaler is a switch.

7. The adaptive light seatbelt system of claim 6, further comprising a tongue, configured to insert into the buckle housing;

wherein the switch is configured to change states when the tongue is inserted into the buckle housing.

8. The adaptive light seatbelt system of claim 7, wherein the controller controls the color of the light based on a state of the switch.

9. The adaptive light seatbelt system of claim 1, wherein the signaler is a communication system, further configured to communicate with a vehicle information system.

10. The adaptive light seatbelt system of claim 9, further comprising a release mechanism located in the buckle housing for releasing the tongue based on a communication received from the vehicle information system.

11. The adaptive light seatbelt system of claim 9, further comprising a status sensor located in the buckle housing, and wherein the communication system is configured to send status communications to the vehicle information system indicating a status of the adaptive light seatbelt system.

12. The adaptive light seatbelt system of claim 9, further comprising:

a radio frequency identification chip reader located in the buckle housing, and connected to the communication system, for reading a radio frequency identification chip and sending communications to the vehicle information system identifying the radio frequency identification chip.

13. The adaptive light seatbelt system of claim 9, wherein the communication system is a simplex communication system.

14. The adaptive light seatbelt system of claim 9, wherein the communication system is a duplex communication system.

15. A method of adaptively lighting a seatbelt buckle having a buckle housing, a light positioned in the buckle housing, a controller located in the buckle housing and connected to the light, and a signaler located in the buckle housing and connected to the controller, comprising the steps of:

receiving an input from the signaler at the controller; and

controlling the light with the controller according to the input received from the signaler.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of controlling the light comprises controlling a duty cycle and a brightness of the light to create flashing.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the signaler comprises a switch, the seatbelt buckle further comprises a tongue, configured to insert into the buckle housing, the method, further comprising the step of:

determining whether the tongue is inserted into the buckle housing by considering a state of the switch.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the step of controlling the light comprises controlling a color of the light based on the state of the switch.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the signaler is a communication system and the method further comprises the step of:

receiving a communication from a vehicle information system at the signaler and providing the input to the controller according to the communication received from the vehicle information system.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of:

sending a communication to the vehicle information system from the signaler.

21. An adaptive light seatbelt system, comprising:

a buckle housing;

a tongue, configured to insert into the buckle housing;

a release mechanism, located in the buckle housing, for releasing the tongue;

a light positioned in the buckle housing so that the light is visible to an occupant of a vehicle;

a light diffuser located between an outer edge of the buckle housing and the light;

a controller, located in the buckle housing for controlling the light; and

a signaler for providing an input to the controller, wherein the signaler is located in the buckle housing.

22. A method of adaptively lighting a seatbelt buckle, comprising the steps of:

determining whether a tongue is inserted into a buckle housing;

receiving an input; and

controlling a light according to the input.