HEATING SYSTEM

• US 20130134745A1
• Filed: 07/27/2011
• Published: 05/30/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Joyson Safety Systems Japan K.K.
• Original Assignee: Takata Corporation (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Aoki, Hiroshi
• Granted Patent: US 9,067,518 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 297/180.12
• 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 2/5685 Resistance

Abstract

A seat heater has heater electrodes in a film shape and a sensor electrode in a film shape. When detecting an occupant through the sensor electrode, the heater electrodes are disconnected from a heater unit to cause those electrodes to be substantially insulated from a vehicle. This makes it possible to detect the occupant seated on a seat without being affected by the heater electrodes. According to such a structure, it becomes possible to warm the occupant and to precisely detect the occupant.

Claims

1. A heating system for warming an occupant seated on a seat of a vehicle, the heating system comprising:

a heating element disposed in the seat;

heater electrodes connected to the heating element;

a sensor electrode disposed in the seat;

a supply unit that supplies power to the heating element;

a connection unit that intermittently connects the supply unit with the heater electrodes;

a measurement unit that measures an impedance between the sensor electrode and the vehicle when the supply unit is not connected to the heater electrodes; and

a detection unit that detects the occupant seated on the seat based on the impedance measured by the measurement unit.

2. The heating system according to claim 1, wherein the heater electrodes overlap the heating element or the heater electrodes.

3. The heating system according to claim 1, wherein the measurement unit measures, as an impedance correlation value, capacitance between the sensor electrode and the vehicle from an AC voltage applied between the sensor electrode and the vehicle and a current or a voltage input into the sensor electrode in accordance with a change in the impedance.

4. The heating system according to claim 3, wherein the measurement unit measures, as the capacitance that is the impedance correlation value, a quadrarure component of the current to the AC voltage.

5. The heating system according to claim 4, wherein

the measurement unit measures an in-phase component of the current to the AC voltage, and

the detection unit detects the occupant seated on the seat based on a comparison result between a threshold defined based on a relationship between the in-phase component and the quadrarure component and the capacitance.

6. The heating system according to claim 1, further comprising a temperature detecting sensor that detects a temperature of the seat near the heating element,

wherein the detection unit detects the occupant based on a temperature of the seat detected by the temperature detecting sensor and a comparison result between the threshold and the capacitance.

7. The heating system according to claim 1, wherein the connection unit alternately connects the heater electrodes with the supply unit and a power source that applies a voltage to the heater electrodes.

8. The heating system according to claim 7, wherein the power source applies a voltage with a same phase as a phase of a voltage applied to the sensor electrode.

9. The heating system according to claim 7, wherein the power source applies a voltage with a different phase from a phase of a voltage applied to the sensor electrode.

10. The heating system according to claim 2, wherein the measurement means unit measures, as an impedance correlation value, capacitance between the sensor electrode and the vehicle from an AC voltage applied between the sensor electrode and the vehicle and a current or a voltage input into the sensor electrode in accordance with a change in the impedance.

11. The heating system according to claim 10, wherein the measurement unit measures, as the capacitance that is the impedance correlation value, a quadrarure component of the current to the AC voltage.

12. The heating system according to claim 11, wherein

the measurement unit measures an in-phase component of the current to the AC voltage, and

the detection unit detects the occupant seated on the seat based on a comparison result between a threshold defined based on a relationship between the in-phase component and the quadrarure component and the capacitance.