OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM WITH SEAT BACK SENSOR

• US 20140197942A1
• Filed: 01/10/2014
• Published: 07/17/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Joyson Safety Systems Acquisition, LLC
• Original Assignee: TK Holdings Incorporated (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: TABACZYNSKI, Michael Robert, BENNETT, Jeffrey Scott, MAGUIRE, Phillip B.
• Granted Patent: US 9,120,396 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/457.1
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01532 using electric or capacitive field sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0154 in combination with seat heating

Abstract

A classification system for determining the occupancy state of a seat of a vehicle. The classification system includes a first sensing electrode located in a back portion of the seat and a a second sensing electrode located in a base portion of the seat. The system includes a measurement circuit configured to measure a first property associated with the first sensing electrode and a second property associated with the second electrode. A controller is configured to send an occupancy signal indicative of the occupancy state of the seat based on the measured properties associated with the first and second sensing electrodes. The controller may be configured to send the occupancy signal to a Seat Belt Reminder (SBR) system.

Claims

1. A classification system, for determining the occupancy state of a seat of a vehicle, the system comprising:

a first sensing electrode located in a back portion of the seat;

a second sensing electrode located in a base portion of the seat;

a measurement circuit configured to measure a first property associated with the first sensing electrode and a second property associated with the second electrode;

a controller configured to send an occupancy signal indicative of the occupancy state of the seat based on the measured properties associated with the first and second sensing electrodes.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to send the occupancy signal to a Seat Belt Reminder (SBR) system.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller and the measurement circuit are located in the same electronic control unit.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the measurement circuit provides a first measured signal to the controller and wherein the first measured signal is indicative of the first property.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the measurement circuit provides a second measured signal to the controller and wherein the second measured signal is indicative of the second property.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the controller is configured to make a determination of the occupancy state of the seat based on the first and second measured signals.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the controller is configured to determine that the seat is occupied if both the first measured signal and the second measured signal indicate that the seat is occupied.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the controller is configured to determine that the seat is not occupied if the second measured signal indicates that the seat is not occupied.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the controller is configured to determine that the seat is not occupied if the first measured signal indicates the seat is not occupied and the second measured signal indicates that the seat is occupied.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the determination of the controller is provided to a Seat Belt Reminder (SBR) system in the form of the occupancy signal.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the measurement circuit is configured to measure in-phase and quadrature components of a first current carried by the first sensing electrode and to measure in-phase and quadrature components of a second current carried by the second sensing electrode.

12. The system of claim 1, further comprising a heating element located in the seat bottom.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the heating element is integrated into the second conductor.

14. A classification system, for determining the occupancy state of a seat of a vehicle, the system comprising:

a first electrode located in a back portion of the seat;

a second electrode located in a base portion of the seat;

a control unit configured to send a voltage signal to each of the first and second electrodes;

a measurement circuit configured to measure a property of the voltage signals provided to the first and second electrodes;

a controller configured to send an occupancy signal indicative of the occupancy state of the seat based on the detected change in the voltage signals, wherein the controller is configured to determine that the seat is occupied if both the measured property of the voltage signal to the first electrode and the measured property of the voltage signal to the second electrode indicate that the seat is occupied; and

wherein the controller is configured to send the occupancy signal to a Seat Belt Reminder (SBR) system.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the second electrode is configured to function as a heating element.

17. The system of claim 14, further comprising a separate heating element located in the seat back.

16. The system of clam 14, wherein the control unit comprises the measurement circuit and the controller.