VEHICLE AND METHOD OF IDENTIFYING PASSENGER OF THE SAME

• US 20110270492A1
• Filed: 08/06/2010
• Published: 11/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Mobis Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Mobis Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Hwang, Jae Ho, Kim, Byung Yeol, Hwang, Young Soo, Park, Byung Hyuk
• Granted Patent: US 8,788,151 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/45
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/4816 for sensing locking of buckle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01516 using force or pressure sensing means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0152 using strain gauges
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01544 detecting seat belt parameters, e.g. length, tension or height-adjustment

Abstract

A vehicle according to the present invention includes: a weight sensor disposed in a seat to sense the weight of a passenger sitting in the seat; a weight-keeping-exerted time measurer measuring how long the weight of the passenger sensed by the weight sensor is exerted; a vehicle speed sensor sensing the traveling speed; and a passenger identification unit setting the class of the seat by using the passenger'"'"'s weight sensed by the weight sensor and the weight-keeping-exerted time measured by the weight-keeping-exerted time measurer and finally fixing the set class, when the traveling speed sensed by the vehicle speed sensor is a fixed reference speed or more.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

a weight sensor disposed in a seat and sensed the weight of a passenger sitting in the seat;

a weight-keeping-exerted time measurer measuring how long the weight of the passenger sensed by the weight sensor is exerted;

a vehicle speed sensor sensing the traveling speed; and

a passenger identification unit setting the class of the seat by using the passenger'"'"'s weight sensed by the weight sensor and the weight-keeping-exerted time measured by the weight-keeping-exerted time measurer and finally fixing the set class, when the traveling speed sensed by the vehicle speed sensor is a fixed reference speed or more.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the fixed reference speed is speed where it is sensed that the vehicle is traveling on a road.

3. The vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising an airbag that is developed in a collision in accordance with the class finally fixed by the passenger identification unit.

4. The vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising:

a door opening/closing sensor that senses whether the door is open or closed; and

a door-keeping-closed time measurer that measures the time that the door has been closed, when it is sensed that the door was closed,

wherein the passenger identification unit fixes the set class, when the time that the door has been closed, which is measured by the door-keeping-closed time measurer is a reference closing time or more.

5. The vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising a seat belt-fastening sensor that senses whether the seat belt is fastened,

wherein the passenger identification unit changes a critical value for setting the class, when the seat belt-fastening sensor senses that the seat belt was fastened.

6. The vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising:

a seat belt-fastening sensor that senses whether the seat belt is fastened; and

a seat belt-keeping-fastened time measurer that measures the time that the seat belt has been fastened, when the seat belt was fastened,

wherein passenger identification unit fixes the set class, when the time that the seat belt has been fastened, which is measured by the seat belt-keeping-fastened time measurer is a reference fastening time or more.

7. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the class includes:

class 0 that recognizes that the seat is vacant;

class 1 that recognizes that the passenger in the seat is a child; and

class 2 that recognizes that the passenger in the seat is an adult.

8. A method of identifying a passenger, comprising:

a first step of sensing the weight of a passenger in a seat and measuring how long the sensed passenger'"'"'s weight is exerted;

a second step of setting the class of the seat by using the sensed weight of the passenger and the measured weight continuance time; and

a third step of finally fixing the class set in the second step, when the traveling speed of the vehicle is higher than a fixed reference speed.

9. The method of identifying a passenger according to claim 8, wherein the fixed reference speed in the third step is speed where it is sensed that the vehicle is traveling on a road.

10. The method of identifying a passenger according to claim 8, further comprising a step of controlling an airbag that is developed in a collision, by using the class finally fixed in the third step.

11. The method of identifying a passenger according to claim 8, wherein the class set in the second step includes:

class 0 that recognizes that the seat is vacant;

class 1 that recognizes that the passenger in the seat is a child; and

class 2 that recognizes that the passenger in the seat is an adult.

12. The method of identifying a passenger according to claim 11, further comprising a critical value that is the reference for setting the class,

wherein the class includes a first critical value for discriminating class 0 from class 1 and a second critical value for discriminating class 1 from class 2.

13. The method of identifying a passenger according to claim 8, further comprising a step of sensing whether a passenger sits in the seat.

14. The method of identifying a passenger according to claim 8, further comprising a step of sensing whether the door of the vehicle is open or closed.

15. The method of identifying a passenger according to claim 14, comprising a step of measuring the time the door has been closed, when it is sensed that the door was closed.

16. The method of identifying a passenger according to claim 15, further comprising a step of fixing the set class, when the time that the door has been closed is a reference closing time or more.

17. The method of identifying a passenger according to claim 14, comprising a step of sensing whether the seat is vacant, when it is sensed that the door was opened.

18. The method of identifying a passenger according to claim 8, further comprising a step of sensing whether the seat belt in the vehicle is fastened.

19. The method of identifying a passenger according to claim 18, wherein the critical value for setting the class in the second step is changed, when the seat belt was fastened.

20. The method of identifying a passenger according to claim 18, comprising a step of measuring the time that the seat belt has been fastened, when the seat belt was fastened.

21. The method of identifying a passenger according to claim 20, further comprising a step of fixing the set class, when the time that the seat belt has been fastened is a reference fastening time or more.