AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLE WITH OCCUPANT DETECTION SYSTEM

• US 20100295695A1
• Filed: 04/10/2008
• Published: 11/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IEE International Electronics & Engineering SA (Aerospace Hi-Tech Holding Group Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: IEE International Electronics & Engineering SA (Aerospace Hi-Tech Holding Group Company Limited)
• Inventors: Scheckenbach, Ingrid, Kedenburg, Claus-Christian, Fuks, Stephen, Wendt, Christoph
• Granted Patent: US 9,539,915 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/667
• 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: B60N 2/0025 by using weight measurement
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0035 characterised by the sensor data transmission, e.g. wired connections or wireless transmitters therefor; characterised by the sensor data processing, e.g. seat sensor signal amplification or electric circuits for providing seat sensor information
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2210/12 Capacitive; Electric field
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01532 using electric or capacitive field sensors

Abstract

An automotive vehicle has arranged therein a vehicle seat and is equipped with an occupant detection system for detecting whether an occupant is present on the vehicle seat, the system including a first antenna electrode arranged in the seat and a sensing circuit associated with the seat where the sensing circuit includes an oscillation circuit connected to the first antenna electrode for applying to the first antenna electrode a first oscillating signal and a current detection circuit also connected to the first antenna electrode for determining a first current flowing in the first antenna electrode in response to the first oscillating signal being applied, the first current indicating whether an occupant is present on the vehicle seat, where the vehicle is further equipped with an appliance including an appliance control device arranged in the vehicle compartment at a location where it can be operated by an occupant of the seat and the occupant detection system is configured for detecting whether the occupant attempts to interact with the appliance control device, in particular, the occupant detection system includes a second antenna electrode arranged together with the appliance control device, and an oscillator is operatively connected to the second antenna electrode for applying a second oscillating signal to the second antenna electrode and the current detection circuit is configured for determining a second current flowing in the first antenna electrode in response to the second oscillating signal being applied to the second antenna electrode where the second current thus indicates whether an occupant of the vehicle seat has a part of their body proximate to the appliance control device.

Claims

1-8. -8. (canceled)

9. An automotive vehicle comprising

a vehicle seat,

an occupant detection system to detect whether an occupant is present on said vehicle seat, said occupant detection system including a first antenna electrode arranged in said seat and a sensing circuit associated with said seat, said sensing circuit comprising an oscillation circuit operatively connected to said first antenna electrode for applying to said first antenna electrode a first oscillating signal and a current detection circuit connected to said first antenna electrode for determining a first current flowing in said first antenna electrode in response to said first oscillating signal being applied, said first current being indicative of whether an occupant is present on said vehicle seat;

and

an appliance including an appliance control device;

wherein said occupant detection system includes a second antenna electrode arranged with said appliance control device and an oscillator operatively connected to said second antenna electrode for applying a second oscillating signal to said second antenna electrode and wherein said current detection circuit is configured to determine a second current flowing in said first antenna electrode in response to said second oscillating signal being applied to said second antenna electrode, said second current being indicative of whether an occupant of said vehicle seat has a part of their body proximate to said appliance control device.

10. The automotive vehicle according to claim 9, wherein said occupant detection system is configured to operate in a first mode of operation and in a second mode of operation, said first mode of operation being associated with detecting whether an occupant is present on said vehicle seat, said second mode of operation being associated with detecting whether said occupant attempts to interact with said appliance control device.

11. The automotive vehicle according to claim 10, wherein said occupant detection system operates only in said first mode of operation as long as no occupant is detected on said vehicle seat and wherein said occupant detection system alternately operates in said first and second modes of operation if an occupant is detected on said vehicle seat.

12. The automotive vehicle according to claim 9, wherein said occupant detection system is configured to simultaneously detect whether an occupant is present on said vehicle seat and whether said occupant attempts to interact with said appliance control device.

13. The automotive vehicle according to claim 9, wherein said oscillator circuit comprises an oscillator connected with said first antenna electrode, wherein said first and second signals are of different frequencies, and wherein said current detection circuit comprises a first frequency-selective current meter sensitive at the frequency of said first signal and a second frequency-selective current meter sensitive at the frequency of said second signal.

14. The automotive vehicle according to claim 9, wherein the oscillator operatively connected to said second antenna electrode is part of said oscillation circuit.

15. The automotive vehicle according to claim 14, wherein said oscillator circuit comprises a switch to alternatively connect said oscillator to said first antenna electrode or said second antenna electrode.

16. The automotive vehicle according to claim 9, wherein the oscillator connected to said second antenna electrode is arranged with said appliance control device.

17. An automotive vehicle comprising

a vehicle seat,

an occupant detection system to detect whether an occupant is present on said vehicle seat, said occupant detection system including a first antenna electrode arranged in said seat and a sensing circuit associated with said seat, said sensing circuit comprising an oscillation circuit operatively connected to said first antenna electrode for applying to said first antenna electrode a first oscillating signal and a current detection circuit connected to said first antenna electrode for determining a first current flowing in said first antenna electrode in response to said first oscillating signal being applied, said first current being indicative of whether an occupant is present on said vehicle seat;

and

an appliance including an appliance control device;

wherein said occupant detection system includes a second antenna electrode arranged with said appliance control device and an oscillator operatively connected to said second antenna electrode for applying a second oscillating signal to said second antenna electrode;

wherein said current detection circuit is configured to determine a second current flowing in said first antenna electrode in response to said second oscillating signal being applied to said second antenna electrode, said second current being indicative of whether an occupant of said vehicle seat has a part of their body proximate to said appliance control device;

wherein said occupant detection system is configured to simultaneously detect whether an occupant is present on said vehicle seat and whether said occupant attempts to interact with said appliance control device;

wherein said oscillator circuit comprises an oscillator connected with said first antenna electrode, wherein said first and second signals are of different frequencies, and wherein said current detection circuit comprises a first frequency-selective current meter sensitive at the frequency of said first signal and a second frequency-selective current meter sensitive at the frequency of said second signal.

18. The automotive vehicle according to claim 17, wherein the oscillator operatively connected to said second antenna electrode is part of said oscillation circuit.

19. The automotive vehicle according to claim 18, wherein said oscillator circuit comprises a switch to alternatively connect said oscillator to said first antenna electrode or said second antenna electrode.

20. The automotive vehicle according to claim 17, wherein the oscillator connected to said second antenna electrode is arranged with said appliance control device.