Vehicle seat with a control device

• US 6,255,790 B1
• Filed: 05/21/1999
• Issued: 07/03/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Heitzer, Günther, Popp, Peter, Lenninger, Ralf-Johannes
• Primary Examiner(s): Nappi, Robert E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SMITH, TYRONE W
• Application Number:
  US09/316,476
• Time in Patent Office: 774 Days
• Field of Search: 307/9.1, 307/10.1, 318/562, 318/563, 318/565, 318/286, 318/568, 297/344.17, 297/344.2, 297/344.23, 297/330, 340/438
• US Class Current: 318/280
• 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 2/4279 electric or electronic triggering
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/037 for occupant comfort , e.g. for automatic adjustment of appliances according to personal settings, e.g. seats, mirrors, steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01047 Architecture
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01061 between the airbag system and other vehicle electronic systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01516 using force or pressure sensing means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0154 in combination with seat heating
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01546 using belt buckle sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01548 sensing the amount of belt winded on retractor
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01554 Seat position sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01556 Child-seat detection systems

Abstract

A control device, disposed in or on a vehicle seat, which has a pickup for detecting seat occupation, a pickup for detecting a position of the vehicle seat, a common control circuit, and an energy supply for the control circuit. The pickup for detecting seat occupation and the pickup for detecting the position of the vehicle seat are connected electrically conductively with the common control circuit.

Claims

1. In combination with a vehicle seat, a control device for the vehicle seat, comprising:

a first pickup detecting when the vehicle seat is occupied;

a restraint device protecting a passenger;

a second pickup for detecting a position of the vehicle seat conductively connected to said common interface;

a common control circuit disposed in the vehicle seat electrically conductively connected to said first pickup, said second pickup, and said restraint device; and

an energy supply supplying energy to said common control circuit.

2. The control device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a seat adjuster adjusting the vehicle seat conductively connected to said common control circuit.

3. The control device according to claim 1, wherein said first pickup for detecting seat occupation has a weight sensor.

4. The control device according to claim 1, wherein said first pickup for detecting seat occupation has a device for detecting a child seat.

5. The control device according to claim 1, wherein said first pickup for detecting seat occupation has a belt lock sensor for a belt lock disposed on the vehicle seat.

6. The control device according to claim 1, wherein said first pickup for detecting seat occupation has a sensor for detecting a laid out belt length of a safety belt disposed on the vehicle seat.

7. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle seat has a vehicle seat rail slide, and said pickup for detecting the position of the vehicle seat has a pickup for detecting the position of the vehicle seat along the vehicle seat rail slide.

8. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle seat has a seat back, and said second pickup for detecting the position of the vehicle seat has a pickup for detecting an angle of inclination of the seat back.

9. The control device according to claim 1, wherein said common control device has an interface for a serial transmission of data over a data line.

10. The control device according to claim 1, wherein said common control circuit is a microprocessor.