Method and installation for detecting certain parameters concerning an auxiliary child seat with a view to controlling the operation of the airbags of a vehicle
First Claim
1. A method for detecting certain parameters concerning an auxiliary child seat placed on a passenger seat of a motor vehicle equipped with an airbag protection system, said parameters being used to adapt the deployment of the airbag protection system associated with said passenger seat to specific circumstances determined by these parameters, said method using at least one electromagnetic induction emitter circuit and at least one electromagnetic induction receiver circuit, said at least one electromagnetic induction emitter circuit and said at least one electromagnetic induction receiver circuit being incorporated into the passenger seat of the vehicle which is protected by the airbag protection system, and at least one resonant circuit incorporated into a base of said child seat, provided that there are used at least two electromagnetic induction emitter circuits or at least two electromagnetic induction receiver circuits or at least two resonant circuits, said method comprising the steps of;
- detecting presence of the child seat irrespective of orientation by detecting an influence on an electromagnetic coupling between said at least one electromagnetic induction emitter circuit and said at least one electromagnetic induction receiver circuit, said coupling being influenced by said at least one resonant circuit, anddetecting orientation of the child seat when the child seat is present by analyzing the influence of said at least one resonant circuit on the electromagnetic coupling between said at least one electromagnetic induction emitter circuit and said at least one electromagnetic induction receiver circuit.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system to detect certain parameters concerning an auxiliary child seat placed on a passenger seat of a motor vehicle equipped with an airbag protection system. The system uses inductive electromagnetic emitter, inductive electromagnetic receiver, and resonant circuits to detect various parameters concerning the child seat. Some of the parameters include the presence of a child seat, the orientation of the child seat, and the type of child seat present. These parameters are transmitted to an airbag control unit for adapting the deployment of the airbag to the specific circumstances as indicated by the inductive and resonant circuits. The transmitted information allows the airbag control unit to disable the airbag in certain situations where it is not needed.
58 Citations
63 Claims
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1. A method for detecting certain parameters concerning an auxiliary child seat placed on a passenger seat of a motor vehicle equipped with an airbag protection system, said parameters being used to adapt the deployment of the airbag protection system associated with said passenger seat to specific circumstances determined by these parameters, said method using at least one electromagnetic induction emitter circuit and at least one electromagnetic induction receiver circuit, said at least one electromagnetic induction emitter circuit and said at least one electromagnetic induction receiver circuit being incorporated into the passenger seat of the vehicle which is protected by the airbag protection system, and at least one resonant circuit incorporated into a base of said child seat, provided that there are used at least two electromagnetic induction emitter circuits or at least two electromagnetic induction receiver circuits or at least two resonant circuits, said method comprising the steps of;
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detecting presence of the child seat irrespective of orientation by detecting an influence on an electromagnetic coupling between said at least one electromagnetic induction emitter circuit and said at least one electromagnetic induction receiver circuit, said coupling being influenced by said at least one resonant circuit, and detecting orientation of the child seat when the child seat is present by analyzing the influence of said at least one resonant circuit on the electromagnetic coupling between said at least one electromagnetic induction emitter circuit and said at least one electromagnetic induction receiver circuit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A system for detecting certain parameters concerning an auxiliary child seat placed on a passenger seat of a motor vehicle equipped with an airbag protection system, said parameters being used to adapt the deployment of the airbag protection system associated with said passenger seat to specific circumstances determined by these parameters, comprising:
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at least one electromagnetic induction emitter circuit and at least one electromagnetic induction receiver circuit, said at least one electromagnetic induction emitter circuit and said at least one electromagnetic induction receiver circuit being incorporated into the passenger seat of the vehicle which is protected by the airbag protection system; at least one resonant circuit incorporated into a base of said child seat and positioned, when the child seat is placed on the passenger seat, to influence an electromagnetic coupling between said at least one electromagnetic induction emitter circuit and said at least one electromagnetic induction receiver circuit so as to cause said at least one electromagnetic induction receiver circuit to deliver a signal representing at least one of the parameters; wherein the system comprises at least two electromagnetic induction emitter circuits or at least two electromagnetic induction receiver circuits or at least two resonant circuits, the arrangement of said at least one electromagnetic induction emitter circuit and said at least one electromagnetic induction receiver circuit in the passenger seat and the arrangement of said at least one resonant circuit in the child seat being in such a way that; presence of the child seat is detectable irrespective of orientation, and orientation of the child seat is detectable when the child seat is present. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A system for detecting certain parameters concerning an auxiliary child seat placed on a passenger seat of a motor vehicle equipped with an airbag protection system, said parameters being used to adapt the deployment of the airbag protection system associated with said passenger seat to specific circumstances determined by these parameters, comprising:
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at least one electromagnetic induction emitter circuit and at least one electromagnetic induction receiver circuit, wherein the system comprises at least two electromagnetic emitter circuits if only one receiver circuit is present and at least two receiver circuits if only one emitter circuit is present, said at least one electromagnetic induction emitter circuit and said at least one electromagnetic induction receiver circuit being incorporated into the passenger seat of the vehicle which is protected by the airbag protection system; and at least one resonant circuit incorporated into a base of said child seat and positioned, when the child seat is placed on the passenger seat, to influence an electromagnetic coupling between said at least one electromagnetic induction emitter circuit and said at least one electromagnetic induction receiver circuit so as to cause said at least one electromagnetic induction receiver circuit to deliver a signal providing means for determining the location of the resonant circuit with respect to said at least one electromagnetic induction emitter circuit and said at least one electromagnetic induction receiver circuit. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 38, 39)
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37. A system for detecting certain parameters concerning an auxiliary child seat placed on a passenger seat of a motor vehicle equipped with an airbag protection system so that the parameters are used to adapt the deployment of the airbag protection system associated with the seat supporting said auxiliary seat according to the parameters detected, comprising:
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at least one electromagnetic induction emitter circuit and at least one electromagnetic induction receiver circuit, said at least one electromagnetic induction emitter circuit and said at least one electromagnetic induction receiver circuit being incorporated into the passenger seat of the vehicle which is protected by the airbag protection system; at least two resonant circuits incorporated into a base of the child seat and positioned, when the child seat is placed on the passenger seat, to influence an electromagnetic coupling between said at least one electromagnetic induction emitter circuit and said at least one electromagnetic induction receiver circuit so as to cause said at least one electromagnetic induction receiver circuit to deliver a signal representing at least one of the parameters; wherein each resonant circuit is associated with electronic modulation circuit means for modulating the electromagnetic coupling with a distinct modulation, the distinct modulation of each resonant circuit providing means for distinguishing between the respective resonant circuits, said at least one electromagnetic induction emitter circuit incorporating an oscillator operating at a given frequency and each resonant circuit in the child seat modulating the resonant frequency with a subcarrier frequency synchronous with the oscillator. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41)
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42. A system for detecting certain parameters concerning an auxiliary child seat placed on a passenger seat of a motor vehicle equipped with an airbag protection system so that the parameters are used to adapt the deployment of the airbag protection system associated with the seat supporting said auxiliary seat according to the parameters detected, comprising:
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at least one electromagnetic induction emitter circuit and at least one electromagnetic induction receiver circuit, said at least one electromagnetic induction emitter circuit and said at least one electromagnetic induction receiver circuit being incorporated into the passenger seat of the vehicle which is protected by the airbag protection system; at least two resonant circuits incorporated into a base of the child seat and positioned, when the child seat is placed on the passenger seat, to influence an electromagnetic coupling between said at least one electromagnetic induction emitter circuit and said at least one electromagnetic induction receiver circuit so as to cause said at least one electromagnetic induction receiver circuit to deliver a signal representing at least one of the parameters; wherein each resonant circuit is associated with electronic modulation circuit means for modulating the electromagnetic coupling with a distinct modulation, the distinct modulation of each resonant circuit providing means for distinguishing between the respective resonant circuits, and means is provided for modulating an inductive coupling of the resonant circuits using a pseudo-random binary sequence imposed on the resonant circuits.
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- 43. An auxiliary child seat for installing on a passenger seat of a motor vehicle, the passenger seat having at least one electromagnetic induction emitter circuit and at least one electromagnetic induction receiver circuit, the child seat comprising at least two resonant circuits incorporated therein and arranged for cooperating with said at least one electromagnetic induction emitter circuit and said at least one electromagnetic induction receiver circuit in order to determine certain parameters concerning said auxiliary child seat.
- 52. A resonant circuit adapted for installation in an auxiliary child seat installed on a passenger seat of a vehicle, the passenger seat having at least one electromagnetic induction emitter circuit and at least one electromagnetic induction receiver circuit, the passenger seat having at least two emitter circuits if only one receiver circuit is present and at least two receiver circuits if only one emitter circuit is present, the resonant circuit comprising means adapted for influencing an electromagnetic coupling between said at least one electromagnetic induction emitter circuit and said at least one electromagnetic induction receiver circuit.
- 59. A pair of resonant circuits for incorporating in an auxiliary child seat for installing on a passenger seat of a motor vehicle, the passenger seat having at least one electromagnetic induction emitter circuit and at least one electromagnetic induction receiver circuit, an electromagnetic coupling existing between said at least one electromagnetic induction emitter circuit and said at least one electromagnetic induction receiver circuit, said pair of resonant circuits adapted for influencing the electromagnetic coupling between said at least one electromagnetic induction emitter circuit and said at least one electromagnetic induction receiver circuit, wherein the resonant circuits of said pair of resonant circuits have different resonant frequencies.
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60. A pair of resonant circuits according to claim each resonant circuit being associated with electronic modulation circuit means adapted for modulating the electromagnetic coupling with a characteristic modulation, the different resonant circuits of said pair of resonant circuits providing for different characteristic modulations.
Specification