OCCUPANCY SENSOR FOR OCCUPIABLE ITEM E.G. SEAT OR BED

• US 20150003493A1
• Filed: 12/21/2012
• Published: 01/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: IEE International Electronics & Engineering SA (Aerospace Hi-Tech Holding Group Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: IEE International Electronics & Engineering SA (Aerospace Hi-Tech Holding Group Company Limited)
• Inventors: Bieck, Werner, Schumacher, Alain, Godert, Gunter
• Application Number:
  US14/368,014
• Publication Number:
  US 20150003493A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 374/51
• 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 21/015 including means for detecting the presence or position of passengers, passenger seats or child seats , and the related safety parameters therefor, e.g. speed or timing of airbag inflation in relation to occupant position or seat belt use
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01512 Passenger detection systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01532 using electric or capacitive field sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0154 in combination with seat heating
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/414 using electronic computing means only
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 9/00 Methods of, or apparatus for, the determination of weight, not provided for in groups G01G1/00 - G01G7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 7/25 for modifying the output characteristic, e.g. linearising
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/205 using distributed sensing elements

Abstract

An occupancy sensor for detecting the occupancy state of an item occupiable by a human or animal occupant, e.g. a seat or a bed, the sensor including a thermistor, to be arranged in compression-dependent heat-conducting relationship with the occupiable item, and a control circuit operatively connected to the thermistor, where the control circuit is configured to derive an occupancy state of the occupiable item from a response of the thermistor to heat generated in or in vicinity of the thermistor.

Claims

1. An occupancy sensor for detecting the occupancy state of an item occupiable by a human or animal occupant, e.g. a seat or a bed, comprising a thermistor, said thermistor being configured as a heating element for comfort-heating of said occupiable item to be arranged in compression-dependent heat-conducting relationship with said occupiable item, and a control circuit operatively connected to said thermistor, said control circuit configured to derive an occupancy state of said occupiable item from a response of said thermistor to heat generated in or in vicinity of said thermistor.

2. The occupancy sensor as claimed in claim 1, wherein said control circuit is configured to derive said occupancy state of said occupiable item by comparing said response of said thermistor with one or more thresholds and selecting said occupancy state among at least two predefined occupancy states in accordance with an outcome of said comparison.

3. The occupancy sensor as claimed in claim 1, wherein said control circuit is configured to drive a current across said thermistor so as to generate said heat in said thermistor by resistive heating.

4. The occupancy sensor as claimed in claim 1, comprising a heating element to be arranged in compression-dependent heat-conducting relationship with said occupiable item and at least indirectly, possibly only indirectly, in compression-dependent heat-conducting relationship with said thermistor, wherein said heat is generated by said heating element.

5. Occupancy sensor as claimed in claim 4, wherein said control circuit is operatively connected to said second heating element so as to control the generation of said heat.

6. Occupancy sensor as claimed in claim 4, wherein said control circuit is operatively connected to said heating element so as be informed of the generation of said heat.

16. The occupancy sensor as claimed in claim 1, wherein said heat is a predefined or a measured quantity of heat.

17. The occupancy sensor as claimed in claim 1, wherein said response is a change of electrical resistance of said thermistor.

18. An occupiable item, preferably an upholstered occupiable item such as, e.g., a car seat, comprising an occupancy sensor as claimed in claim 1.

20. The occupancy sensor as claimed in claim 4, wherein said heating element comprises a resistive heater or a thermoelectric heater.

21. The occupancy sensor as claimed in claim 1, wherein said thermistor is a PTC thermistor.

22. The occupancy sensor as claimed in claim 1, wherein said thermistor is an NTC thermistor.

7. An occupancy sensor for detecting the occupancy state of an item occupiable by a human or animal occupant, comprising a thermistor, said thermistor being configured as a heating element for comfort-heating of said occupiable item, a heat sink or source and a control circuit, said thermistor arranged in compression-dependent heat-conducting relationship with said heat sink or source, said control circuit operatively connected to said thermistor and configured to derive an occupancy state of said occupiable item from a response of said thermistor to heat generated in said thermistor and/or to heat generated or absorbed in said heat source or sink, respectively.

23. The occupancy sensor as claimed in claim 7, wherein said heat is a predefined or a measured quantity of heat.

24. The occupancy sensor as claimed in claim 7, wherein said response is a change of electrical resistance of said thermistor.

10. (canceled)

8. Occupancy sensor as claimed in claim 10, wherein said heat sink or source comprises a heating element.

9. The occupancy sensor as claimed in claim 11, wherein said heating element comprises a resistive heater or a thermoelectric heater.

11. The occupancy sensor as claimed in claim 10, wherein said heat sink or source comprises a cooling element, e.g. a thermoelectric cooler.

12. The occupancy sensor as claimed in claim 10, wherein said occupiable item is a seat and wherein said heat sink or source is arranged in heat-conducting contact with said seat, e.g. with a seating surface or a seat frame of said seat.

13. The occupancy sensor as claimed in claim 10, wherein said thermistor is a PTC thermistor.

14. The occupancy sensor as claimed in claim 10, wherein said thermistor is an NTC thermistor.

15. (canceled)

19. (canceled)