SEAT LOAD DETERMINATION DEVICE

• US 20120312604A1
• Filed: 06/12/2012
• Published: 12/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: FUJII, Hiroyuki
• Application Number:
  US13/494,205
• Publication Number:
  US 20120312604A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 177/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/4142 for controlling activation of safety devices, e.g. airbag systems electrical circuits for triggering safety arrangements in case of vehicle accidents B60R21/015

Abstract

A seat load determination device includes a load sensor, which is provided at at least one of plural support portions supporting a seat, mounted to the support portion provided at one of right hand side and left hand side at the seat, and detecting a load applied to the support portion, a lateral acceleration correlation information determination portion detecting an information value having a positive correlation with a lateral acceleration which corresponds to an acceleration in a vehicle width direction as a lateral acceleration correlation information value, and determining whether an absolute value of the lateral acceleration correlation information value is equal to or less than a predetermined value, and a determination portion determining a seat load based on the load detected by the load sensor when the absolute value of the lateral acceleration correlation information value is equal to or less than the predetermined value.

Claims

1. A seat load determination device, comprising:

a load sensor provided at at least one of plural support portions supporting a seat for a vehicle, the load sensor mounted to the support portion provided at one of right hand side and left hand side at the seat among the plural support portions, the load sensor detecting a load applied to the support portion;

a lateral acceleration correlation information determination portion detecting an information value having a positive correlation with a lateral acceleration which corresponds to an acceleration in a vehicle width direction as a lateral acceleration correlation information value, and determining whether an absolute value of the lateral acceleration correlation information value is equal to or less than a predetermined value; and

a determination portion determining whether an adult passenger is seated in the seat or whether a child safety seat is fixed to the seat based on the load detected by the load sensor when the absolute value of the lateral acceleration correlation information value is equal to or less than the predetermined value.

2. The seat load determination device according to claim 1, wherein the load sensor is provided at each of two of the plural support portions which are spaced apart from each other in a front-rear direction at one of the right hand side and left hand side of the seat.

3. The seat load determination device according to claim 1, wherein the lateral acceleration correlation information determination portion includes a lateral acceleration detection portion detecting the lateral acceleration of the vehicle, and the lateral acceleration correlation information value corresponds to the lateral acceleration detected by the lateral acceleration detection portion.

4. The seat load determination device according to claim 1, wherein the lateral acceleration correlation information determination portion includes a vehicle speed detection portion detecting a vehicle speed of the vehicle and a yaw rate detection portion detecting a yaw rate of the vehicle, and the lateral acceleration correlation information value corresponds to a centrifugal acceleration calculated as a product of the vehicle speed and the yaw rate.

5. The seat load determination device according to claim 1, wherein the lateral acceleration correlation information determination portion includes a yaw rate detection portion detecting a yaw rate of the vehicle, and the lateral acceleration correlation information value corresponds to the yaw rate detected by the yaw rate detection portion.

6. The seat load determination device according to claim 1, wherein the lateral acceleration correlation information determination portion includes a steering angle detection portion detecting a steering angle of the vehicle, and the lateral acceleration correlation information value corresponds to the steering angle detected by the steering angle detection portion during the vehicle is in motion.

7. The seat load determination device according to claim 1, wherein the lateral acceleration correlation information determination portion includes a vehicle speed detection portion detecting a vehicle speed of the vehicle and a steering angle detection portion detecting a steering angle of the vehicle, and the lateral acceleration correlation information value corresponds to a product of the vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed detection portion and the steering angle detected by the steering angle detection portion.

8. The seat load determination device according to claim 1, wherein equal to or more than two of selections including the lateral acceleration detected by a lateral acceleration detection portion, a centrifugal acceleration calculated as a product of a vehicle speed detected by a vehicle speed detection portion and a yaw rate detected by a yaw rate detection portion, a yaw rate detected by a yaw rate detection portion, a steering angle detected by a steering angle detection portion during a vehicle is in motion, and a product of a vehicle speed detected by a vehicle speed detection portion during a vehicle is in motion and a steering angle detected by a steering angle detection portion are selected as the lateral acceleration correlation information value.

9. The seat load determination device according to claim 1 further comprising:

a vehicle motion detection portion detecting whether the vehicle is in motion;

wherein the determination portion confirms the determination result when the determination result is the same for a predetermined time in a case where the vehicle motion detection portion detects that the vehicle is in motion.

10. A method for a seat load determination, comprising steps of:

detecting an information value having a positive correlation with lateral acceleration which corresponds to acceleration in a vehicle width direction as a lateral acceleration correlation information value;

determining whether an absolute value of the lateral acceleration correlation information value is equal to or less than a predetermined value; and

determining whether an adult passenger is seated in a seat or whether a child safety seat is fixed to the seat on the basis of a load detected by a load sensor, which is provided at at least one of plural support portions supporting the seat for a vehicle, mounted to the support portion provided at one of right hand side or left hand side at the seat among the plural support portions, and detects a load applied to the support portion, when the absolute value of the lateral acceleration correlation information value is equal to or less than the predetermined value.