Vehicle occupant restraint with seat pressure sensor
DCFirst Claim
1. In a vehicle occupant restraint system sensitive to the occupancy of a vehicle seat by an adult and an occupied infant seat and to the position of an infant seat including pressure sensors strategically located in the vehicle seat for response to the adult occupants and of infant seats, the method of controlling air bag deployment comprising the steps of:
- measuring a pressure response of each sensor;
calculating a total occupant weight;
calculating a weight distribution parameter;
distinguishing between adult and occupied infant seat presence on the basis of total occupant weight;
distinguishing between forward facing and rear facing infant seats on the basis of the weight distribution parameter; and
determining whether to inhibit deployment on the basis of adult presence, and on presence and position of an infant seat.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An air bag restraint system is equipped with seat occupant sensing apparatus for a passenger seat which detects both infant seats and adults and distinguishes between rear and forward facing infant seats. Air bag deployment is inhibited when an occupied rear facing infant seat is present. The sensing apparatus comprises eight variable resistance pressure sensor in the seat cushion. The response of each sensor to occupant pressure is monitored by a microprocessor which calculated total weight and weight distribution. The weight is used to discriminate between an occupied infant seat, an adult and no occupant. The weight distribution is used to distinguish between forward and rear facing infant seats. Another embodiment uses the occupant sensing along with seat belt fastening detection to indicate when a seat is occupied and the belt is not fastened.
308 Citations
11 Claims
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1. In a vehicle occupant restraint system sensitive to the occupancy of a vehicle seat by an adult and an occupied infant seat and to the position of an infant seat including pressure sensors strategically located in the vehicle seat for response to the adult occupants and of infant seats, the method of controlling air bag deployment comprising the steps of:
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measuring a pressure response of each sensor; calculating a total occupant weight; calculating a weight distribution parameter; distinguishing between adult and occupied infant seat presence on the basis of total occupant weight; distinguishing between forward facing and rear facing infant seats on the basis of the weight distribution parameter; and determining whether to inhibit deployment on the basis of adult presence, and on presence and position of an infant seat. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. In a vehicle occupant restraint system sensitive to the occupancy of a vehicle seat by an adult and an occupied infant seat including pressure sensors strategically located in the vehicle seat for response to adult occupants and to infant seats, the method of detecting infant and adult presence comprising the steps of:
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establishing a maximum response threshold and a minimum response threshold for occupied infant seats; measuring a pressure response of each sensor; calculating an occupant weight parameter from measured pressure responses; distinguishing between adult presence and an occupied infant seat on the basis of the occupant weight parameter and the maximum response threshold; and distinguishing between an occupied infant seat and no occupant on the basis of the occupant weight parameter and the minimum response threshold. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8)
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9. A vehicle occupant restraint system sensitive to the occupancy of a vehicle seat by an adult and an occupied infant seat including:
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an array of pressure sensors located on a vehicle seat to respond to the weight of an adult occupant and of an occupied infant seat; means for sampling each sensor to determine a plurality of weight parameters; and means for comparing aggregate weight parameters to first and second thresholds to determine adult presence, occupied infant seat presence, and no occupant. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11)
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Specification