HEARTBEAT DETECTING APPARATUS

• US 20100056937A1
• Filed: 09/05/2007
• Published: 03/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Kogure, Shunsuke, Ando, Mitsuhiro, Imamura, Ayako
• Granted Patent: US 8,082,026 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/509
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0247 Pressure sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/046 in a matrix array
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0255 Recording instruments specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6887 mounted on external non-worn devices, e.g. non-medical devices
• 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: B60W 2540/22 Psychological state; Stress level or workload
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/221 Physiology, e.g. weight, heartbeat, health or special needs

Abstract

A heart beat sensor (10) comprises signal processing means (15) for performing frequency analysis of the output signal of a piezoelectric sensor (1) installed in a seat (2) and judging means (16) judges on the basis of the results of the frequency analysis that if the amplitude of the signal component in a first preset frequency range included in the output signal is in a preset amplitude range, the signal component includes a human body seating waveform indicating a person is seated in the seat (2).

Claims

1-6. -6. (canceled)

7. A heartbeat detecting apparatus comprising:

a signal processing device executing a frequency analysis separately on respective output signals of a plurality of piezoelectric sensors provided at a seat; and

a determining device determining that a signal component includes a waveform of a seated person indicating that a person is seated on the seat, based on a result of the frequency analysis of the signal processing device, when an amplitude of the signal component, included in the output signals and existing within a first predetermined frequency range, exists within a predetermined amplitude range, wherein

when each of equal to or more than two of potential heartbeat signals extracted from each of equal to or more than two of the signal components, which is included in each of the output signals of equal to or more than two of the piezoelectric sensors among the plurality of piezoelectric sensors and which exists within a second predetermined frequency range, exists during a predetermined time frame, and when each of the signal components, which is included in each of the output signals of equal to or more than two of the piezoelectric sensors and which exists within the first predetermined frequency range, is determined to include the waveform of the seated person, based on the result of the frequency analysis of the signal processing device on each of the output signals, the determining device is configured to determine that at least one of equal to or more than two of the potential heartbeat signals is the heartbeat signal of the person.

8. The heartbeat detecting apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising:

a filter portion eliminating a signal component, existing within a frequency range of a vehicle vibration, from the output signals of the piezoelectric sensors.

9. A heartbeat detecting apparatus comprising:

a signal processing device executing a frequency analysis separately on respective output signals of a plurality of piezoelectric sensors provided at a seat; and

a determining device determining that a signal component includes a waveform of a seated person indicating that a person is seated on the seat, based on a result of the frequency analysis of the signal processing device, when an amplitude of the signal component, included in the output signals and existing within a first predetermined frequency range, exists within a predetermined amplitude range, wherein

when each of equal to or more than two of potential heartbeat signals extracted from each of equal to or more than two of the signal components, which is included in each of the output signals of equal to or more than two of the piezoelectric sensors among the plurality of piezoelectric sensors and which exists within a second predetermined frequency range, exists during a predetermined time frame, and when each of the signal components, which is included in each of the output signals of equal to or more than two of the piezoelectric sensors and which exists within the first predetermined frequency range, is determined to include the waveform of the seated person, based on the result of the frequency analysis of the signal processing device on each of the output signals, the determining device is configured to determine that each of equal to or more than two of the potential heartbeat signals is the heartbeat signal of the person.

10. The heartbeat detecting apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising:

a filter portion eliminating a signal component, existing within a frequency range of a vehicle vibration, from the output signals of the piezoelectric sensors.

11. A heartbeat detecting apparatus comprising:

a signal processing device executing a frequency analysis separately on respective output signals of a plurality of piezoelectric sensors provided at a seat; and

a determining device determining that a signal component includes a waveform of a seated person indicating that a person is seated on the seat, based on a result of the frequency analysis of the signal processing device, when an amplitude of the signal component, included in the output signals and existing within a first predetermined frequency range, exists within a predetermined amplitude range, wherein

when a second potential heartbeat signal extracted from a second signal component, which is included in the output signal of a second piezoelectric sensor among the plurality of piezoelectric sensors and which exists within a second predetermined frequency range, exists during the predetermined time frame before and/or after a peak time of a first potential heartbeat signal, which is extracted from a first signal component included in the output signal of the first piezoelectric sensor among the plurality of piezoelectric sensors and existing within the second predetermined frequency range, and when the signal components, which are included in the output signals of the first and second piezoelectric sensors and which exist within the first frequency range, includes the waveform of the seated person, based on a result of the frequency analysis of the signal processing device executed on each of the output signals of the plurality of piezoelectric sensors, the determining device is configured to determine that the first potential heartbeat signal is the heartbeat signal of the human body.

12. The heartbeat detecting apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising:

a filter portion eliminating a signal component, existing within a frequency range of a vehicle vibration, from the output signals of the piezoelectric sensors.

13. A heartbeat detecting apparatus comprising:

a signal processing device executing a frequency analysis separately on respective output signals of a plurality of piezoelectric sensors provided at a seat; and

a determining device determining that a signal component includes a waveform of a seated person indicating that a person is seated on the seat, based on a result of the frequency analysis of the signal processing device, when an amplitude of the signal component, included in the output signals and existing within a first predetermined frequency range, exists within a predetermined amplitude range, wherein

when a second potential heartbeat signal extracted from a second signal component, which is included in the output signal of a second piezoelectric sensor among the plurality of piezoelectric sensors and which exists within a second predetermined frequency range, exists during the predetermined time frame before and/or after a peak time of a first potential heartbeat signal, which is extracted from a first signal component included in the output signal of the first piezoelectric sensor among the plurality of piezoelectric sensors and existing within the second predetermined frequency range, and when the signal components, which are included in the output signals of the first and second piezoelectric sensors and which exist within the first frequency range, includes the waveform of the seated person, based on a result of the frequency analysis of the signal processing device executed on each of the output signals of the plurality of piezoelectric sensors, the determining device is configured to determine that the second potential heartbeat signal is the heartbeat signal of the human body.

14. The heartbeat detecting apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising:

a filter portion eliminating a signal component, existing within a frequency range of a vehicle vibration, from the output signals of the piezoelectric sensors.

15. A heartbeat detecting apparatus comprising:

a signal processing device executing a frequency analysis separately on respective output signals of a plurality of piezoelectric sensors provided at a seat; and

a determining device determining that a signal component includes a waveform of a seated person indicating that a person is seated on the seat, based on a result of the frequency analysis of the signal processing device, when an amplitude of the signal component, included in the output signals and existing within a first predetermined frequency range, exists within a predetermined amplitude range, wherein

when each of equal to or more than two of potential heartbeat signals extracted from each of equal to or more than two of the signal components, which is included in each of output signals of equal to or more than two of the piezoelectric sensors among the plurality of piezoelectric sensors and which exists within the second predetermined frequency range, exists during a predetermined time frame, and when each of the signal components, which is included in each of the output signals of equal to or more than two of the piezoelectric sensors and which exists within the first predetermined frequency range, is determined to include the waveform of the seated person, based on the result of the frequency analysis of the signal processing device on each of the output signals, the determining device is configured to determine that each of equal to or more than two potential heartbeat signals is the heartbeat signal of the person, and wherein when the heartbeat signal detected by another piezoelectric sensor exists during a predetermined time frame before and/or after a peak time of the heartbeat signal detected by the base piezoelectric sensor, the determining device is configured to provide a point to the base piezoelectric sensor and the other piezoelectric sensor so that the point is accumulated in the piezoelectric sensors, and the determining device outputs the heartbeat signal based on the output signal of the piezoelectric sensor in which the highest score is accumulated.

16. The heartbeat detecting apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising:

a filter portion eliminating a signal component, existing within a frequency range of a vehicle vibration, from the output signals of the piezoelectric sensors.