MONITORING SYSTEM FOR USE WITH A VEHICLE AND METHOD OF ASSEMBLING SAME

• US 20130033382A1
• Filed: 08/01/2011
• Published: 02/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Fung, Kin, Dick, Timothy
• Granted Patent: US 8,941,499 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/573.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2503/22 Motor vehicles operators, e.g. drivers, pilots, captains
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/024 Detecting, measuring or recording pulse rate or heart rate A61B5/0205, A61B5/021 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6823 Trunk, e.g., chest, back, abdomen, hip
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6831 Straps, bands or harnesses
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6893 Cars
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7203 for noise prevention, reduction or removal
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/721 using a separate sensor to detect motion or using motion information derived from signals other than the physiological signal to be measured
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/06 responsive to incapacity of driver
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/06 indicating a condition of sleep, e.g. anti-dozing alarms

Abstract

A first sensor is coupled to a seat back surface and/or a seat belt, and a second sensor is positioned remotely from the first sensor. The first sensor is configured to generate a raw signal indicative of biological data and noise, and the second sensor is configured to generate a baseline signal indicative of noise associated with the first sensor. A computing device is programmed to determine a state of the occupant based on at least the raw signal and the baseline signal.

Claims

1. A monitoring system that may be used to determine a state of an occupant of a vehicle, said monitoring system comprising:

a seat comprising a seat back surface;

a seat belt removably coupled to said seat;

a first sensor coupled to at least one of said seat back surface and said seat belt, said first sensor configured to generate a raw signal indicative of biological data and noise;

a second sensor positioned remotely from said first sensor, said second sensor configured to generate a baseline signal indicative of noise associated with said first sensor; and

a computing device that is programmed to determine the state of the occupant based on at least the raw signal and the baseline signal.

2. A monitoring system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said first sensor is coupled to said seat back surface.

3. A monitoring system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said first sensor is fabricated from a flexible material.

4. A monitoring system in accordance with claim 3, wherein said seat belt comprises a sash belt portion, said first sensor coupled to said sash belt portion.

5. A monitoring system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said seat belt comprises a lap belt portion, said second sensor fabricated from a flexible material and coupled to said lap belt portion.

6. A monitoring system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said computing device is selectively tuned to increase a signal-to-noise ratio of the raw signal.

7. A monitoring system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said computing device is programmed to generate a desired signal based on at least the raw signal and the baseline signal, the desired signal indicative of the biological data.

8. A monitoring system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said first sensor is configured to generate an alert signal that is detectable by the occupant of the vehicle.

9. A monitoring system that may be used to determine a state of an occupant of a vehicle, said monitoring system comprising:

a seat belt that comprises a sash belt portion;

a first sensor coupled to said sash belt portion, said first sensor comprising a first piezoelectric film that is configured to generate a raw signal indicative of biological data and noise;

a second sensor positioned remotely from said first sensor, said second sensor configured to generate a baseline signal indicative of noise associated with said first sensor; and

a computing device that is programmed to determine the state of the occupant based on at least the raw signal and the baseline signal.

10. A monitoring system in accordance with claim 9, wherein said second sensor comprises a second piezoelectric film.

11. A monitoring system in accordance with claim 9, wherein said seat belt further comprises a lap belt portion, said second sensor coupled to said lap belt portion.

12. A monitoring system in accordance with claim 9, wherein said computing device is selectively tuned to increase a signal-to-noise ratio of the desired signal.

13. A monitoring system in accordance with claim 9, wherein said computing device is programmed to generate a desired signal based on at least the raw signal and the baseline signal, the desired signal indicative of the biological data.

14. A monitoring system in accordance with claim 9, wherein said first sensor is configured to generate an alert signal that is detectable by the occupant of the vehicle.

15. A method of assembling a monitoring system that may be used to determine a state of an occupant of a vehicle, said method comprising:

coupling a first sensor to at least one of a seat back surface and a seat belt, the first sensor configured to generate a raw signal indicative of biological data and noise;

positioning a second sensor remotely from the first sensor, the second sensor configured to generate a baseline signal indicative of noise associated with the first sensor; and

coupling the first sensor and the second sensor to a computing device that is programmed to determine the state of the occupant based on at least the raw signal and the baseline signal.

16. A method in accordance with claim 15, wherein coupling a first sensor further comprises coupling the first sensor to at least one of the seat back surface and a sash belt portion of the seat belt.

17. A method in accordance with claim 15, wherein positioning a second sensor further comprises coupling the second sensor to a lap belt portion of the seat belt.

18. A method in accordance with claim 15 further comprising programming the computing device to be selectively tunable to enable a signal-to-noise ratio of the desired signal to be increased.

19. A method in accordance with claim 15 further comprising programming the computing device to generate a desired signal based on at least the raw signal and the baseline signal, the desired signal indicative of the biological data.

20. A method in accordance with claim 15 further comprising programming the computing device to generate an alert signal based on the state of the occupant.