Seatbelt Use Promotion System And Method

• US 20110186374A1
• Filed: 02/02/2010
• Published: 08/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: McCoy, Robert William
• Granted Patent: US 8,220,579 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/268
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/4816 for sensing locking of buckle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/00 Arrangements or fittings on vehicles for protecting or preventing injuries to occupants or pedestrians in case of accidents or other traffic risks safety belts or body harnesses in vehicles B60R22/00; seats constructed to protect the occupant from the effect of abnormal g-forces, e.g. crash or safety seats, B60N2/42; energy-absorbing arrangements for hand wheels for steering vehicles B62D1/11; energy-absorbing arrangements for vehicle steering columns B62D1/19
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/48 Control systems, alarms, or interlock systems, for the correct application of the belt or harness

Abstract

Seatbelt use is promoted by determining whether a seat is occupied and then determining whether the seatbelt associated with the seat is buckled. When the seat is occupied and unbuckled, user control of an entertainment system associated with the seat is overridden. In video-equipped entertainment systems, a video encouraging seatbelt use can be played, such as an informational video. When the seatbelt is latched, a reward audio or video clip may be played prior to allowing user control of the entertainment system.

Claims

1. A method to encourage seatbelt use, the method comprising:

determining whether a first seat is occupied;

determining whether a first seatbelt associated with the first seat is buckled;

determining whether a second seat is occupied;

determining whether a second seatbelt associated with the second seat is buckled; and

overriding user-controlled operation of an entertainment system associated with the first and second seats based at least one of;

the first seat being occupied and the first seatbelt being unbuckled; and

the second seat being occupied and the second seatbelt being unbuckled.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein overriding comprises disabling the entertainment system.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the entertainment system comprises an audio/visual output device and overriding further comprises playing a selected video on the audio/visual output device.

4. A method to encourage seatbelt use, the method comprising:

determining whether a seat is occupied;

determining whether a seatbelt associated with the seat is buckled; and

overriding user-controlled operation of an entertainment system associated with the seat when the seat is occupied and the seatbelt is unbuckled.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the overriding user-controlled operation comprises disabling operation of the entertainment system.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the seat is coupled to an automotive vehicle and the overriding operation of the entertainment system is further based on the automotive vehicle traveling above a predetermined threshold speed.

7. The method of claim 4 wherein the seat is coupled to an automotive vehicle and the overriding operation of the entertainment system is further based on an ignition of the automotive vehicle being in an on position.

8. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

allowing user control of the entertainment system when it has been determined that seatbelts in occupied seats associated with the entertainment system are buckled.

9. The method of claim 4, wherein the seat has an occupancy sensor;

further comprising;

estimating a weight of an occupant of the seat based on a signal from the occupancy sensor;

providing a rewarding output on the entertainment system when it has been determined that the seatbelt is buckled, wherein the rewarding output provided is based on the weight of the occupant; and

allowing user control of the entertainment system when it has been determined that the seatbelt is buckled.

10. The method of claim 4 wherein the seat, seatbelt, and the entertainment system are integrated into an automotive vehicle.

11. The method of claim 4 wherein:

the entertainment system is integrated into a vehicle and comprises a video display and input ports, with the input ports adapted to couple with a portable, user-provided electronic device; and

the overriding comprises disallowing output from the portable, user-provided electronic device from displaying on the video display.

12. The method of claim 4 wherein the seat is a first seat and the seatbelt is a first seatbelt, the method further comprising:

determining whether a second seat is occupied, the second seat also being associated with the entertainment system; and

determining whether a second seatbelt associated with the second seat is buckled, wherein the overriding user-controlled operation of an entertainment system is based on one of;

the first seat being occupied and the first seatbelt being unbuckled; and

the second seat being occupied and the second seatbelt being unbuckled.

13. The method of claim 4 wherein the entertainment system is deemed to be associated with the seat when a person occupying the seat is able to benefit from the entertainment system.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the entertainment system includes a video display and the person occupying the seat is in a position to view the video display.

15. A seatbelt use promotion system in a vehicle, the system comprising:

a seat having an associated seatbelt and an associated occupancy sensor;

an entertainment device coupled to the vehicle and associated with the seat; and

an electronic control unit (ECU) electronically coupled to the sensor, the seatbelt, and the entertainment device, the ECU disabling the entertainment device when the ECU determines that an occupant is in the seat and the seatbelt is unbuckled.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the seatbelt is coupled to the vehicle, the seatbelt has a spring-loaded retraction system, the ECU bases the determination that the seat is occupied based on a signal from the occupancy sensor and based on the determination that the seatbelt is unbuckled based on an amount of payout of a belt portion of the seatbelt with respect to the spring-loaded retraction system.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein the entertainment system comprises a video display integrated with the vehicle and the ECU commands a seatbelt use promotion video to be played on the video display.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the ECU determines an approximate weight of the occupant based on the signal from the occupancy sensor and the seatbelt use promotion video that is played is one of a number of seatbelt use promotion video alternatives and the ECU selects the one seatbelt use promotion video alternative based on the approximate weight of the occupant.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the seatbelt use promotion video comprises an instructional video on buckling the seatbelt.

20. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

a vehicle speed sensor electronically coupled to the ECU wherein the ECU further bases the disallowing user control of the entertainment device when the ECU also determines that the vehicle speed is greater than a predetermined threshold speed.