Secondary seat belt warning system

• US 6,278,358 B1
• Filed: 01/20/2000
• Issued: 08/21/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: King, Daniel M., Spoto, Thomas Anthony, Nakhieh, Rouaa, McQuade, Thomas Michael, Cuddihy, Mark Anthony
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass, Jeffery
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HUNG T
• Application Number:
  US09/488,352
• Time in Patent Office: 579 Days
• Field of Search: 340/425.5, 340/457.1, 340/457, 340/438, 340/459, 340/660
• US Class Current: 340/425.5
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/4816 for sensing locking of buckle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/4866 Displaying or indicating arrangements thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/48 Control systems, alarms, or interlock systems, for the correct application of the belt or harness

Abstract

A secondary seat belt warning system for alerting a vehicle occupant when a seat belt is unbuckled. The secondary seat belt warning system includes an ignition switch for generating a signal indicating an ignition in an on position, a seat belt sensor for generating a signal indicating that the seat belt is unbuckled, and a seat belt indicator for producing an audible and visible indicator to the vehicle occupant. The secondary seat belt warning system also includes a control module to activate the seat belt indicator in response to the input from the ignition switch and seat belt sensor. The secondary seat belt warning system further includes a vehicle speed sensor to activate the secondary seat belt warning system when the control module receives a signal above a predetermined threshold from the speed sensor indicative of the vehicle speed.

Claims

1. A secondary warning system for alerting a vehicle occupant when a seat belt is unbuckled comprising:

a control module for activating at least one output warning signal in response to receiving a plurality of predetermined control feedback input signals;

an ignition switch connected to said control module for producing an input signal to said control module indicative of a state of a vehicle ignition between an off position and an on position;

a seat belt sensor connected to said control module for producing an input signal to said control module indicative of a state of a vehicle seat belt between a buckled and unbuckled condition;

a vehicle speed sensor connected to said control module for producing an input signal to said control module in response to said vehicle speed sensor measuring a predetermined threshold speed of the vehicle; and

a seat belt indicator system connected to said control module for producing an output signal for triggering a primary seat belt indicator when the state of the vehicle ignition is in the on position and said seat belt sensor in said unbuckled condition for a first predetermined period of time and producing an output signal for triggering a secondary seat belt indicator in response to said control module receiving an input signal from said seat belt sensor in said unbuckled condition and an input signal from said vehicle speed sensor above said predetermined threshold after expiration of the first prcdetermined period of time, whereby the output signal triggers at least one of an audible and visible indicator to alert the occupant of the vehicle of said unbuckled condition of said vehicle seat belt.

2. A secondary warning system as set forth in claim 1 including a headlamp switch connected to said control module for producing an input signal to said control module indicative of a state of vehicle headlamps between an on and off condition.

3. A secondary warning system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said audible indicator includes a loudspeaker and said visible indicator includes a seat belt warning light.

4. A secondary warning system as set forth in claim 3 wherein said audible indicator is mounted within a dash cluster of the vehicle.

5. A secondary warning system as set forth in claim 1 including a power supply for providing electrical power to said secondary warning system.

6. A method of producing a seat belt indicator signal indicative of an unbuckled condition of a vehicle seat belt comprising the steps of:

detecting a state of a vehicle ignition between an off position and an on position;

detecting a speed of the vehicle;

detecting a state of the vehicle seat belt between a buckled and unbuckled condition;

producing an output signal and triggering a primary seat belt indicator when the ignition run condition is detected and the seat belt unbuckled condition is detected for a first predetermined period of time; and

producing an output signal and triggering a seat belt indicator when the ignition run condition is detected, the seat belt unbuckled condition is detected and the detected vehicle speed is above a predetermined threshold after expiration of the first predetermined period of time.

7. A method as set forth in claim 6 wherein said step of triggering of the seat belt indicator includes producing an audible signal.

8. A method as set forth in claim 6 wherein said step of triggering of the seat belt indicator includes producing a visible signal.

9. A method as set forth in claim 6 wherein said step of triggering of the seat belt indicator includes simultaneously producing an audible and visible signal.

10. A method as set forth in claim 6 including the step of terminating the seat belt indicator after a predetermined period of time has been detected.

11. A method as set forth in claim 6 including the step of terminating the seat belt indicator when the ignition off position is detected.

12. A method as set forth in claim 6 including the step of terminating the seat belt indicator when the seat belt buckled condition is detected.

13. A method of producing a seat belt indicator signal indicative of an unbuckled condition of a vehicle seat belt comprising the steps of:

detecting a state of a vehicle ignition between an off position and an on position;

detecting a first state of the vehicle seat belt between a buckled and unbuckled condition;

producing an output signal and triggering a primary warning system for producing one of an audible and visible indicator of the seat belt in the unbuckled condition in response to detecting the first state of the seat belt in the unbuckled condition and the vehicle ignition in the on position for a first predetermined period of time;

disarming the triggering of the primary warning system after expiration of the first predetermined period of time;

detecting a second state of the vehicle seat belt between a buckled and unbuckled condition;

producing an output signal and triggering a secondary warning system for producing one of an audible and visible indicator of the seat belt in the unbuckled condition in response to detecting the second state of the seat belt in the unbuckled condition and the vehicle ignition in the on position; and

disarming the triggering of the secondary warning system in response to detecting a predetermined condition.

14. A method as set forth in claim 13 including disarming the triggering of the secondary warning system in response to detecting the second state of the seat belt in the buckled condition.

15. A method as set forth in claim 13 including disarming the triggering of the secondary warning system in response to detecting the vehicle ignition in the off position.

16. A method as set forth in claim 13 including disarming the triggering of the secondary warning system after detecting a second predetermined period of time.

17. A method as set forth in claim 13 including detecting a speed of the vehicle after detecting the second state of the seat belt in the unbuckled condition.

18. A method as set forth in claim 17 including producing an output signal and triggering the secondary warning system for producing one of an audible and visible indicator of the seat belt in the unbuckled condition in response to detecting the second state of the seat belt in the unbuckled condition, the vehicle ignition in the on position, and the detected vehicle speed is above a predetermined threshold.

19. A method of programming a secondary warning system between an enabled status for alerting a vehicle occupant when a seat belt is unbuckled and a disabled status wherein the vehicle includes a seat belt and the secondary warning system includes a control module connected to an ignition switch, a headlamp switch and a visible indicator, said method including the steps of:

initializing the secondary warning system by positioning the ignition switch in an off position and the seat belt in an unbuckled condition;

activating the ignition switch from the initialized off position to an on position;

manipulating the seat belt a predetermined number of cycles between a buckled condition and the unbuckled condition;

activating the headlamp switch between a selective on position and an off position;

manipulating the seat belt a predetermined number of cycles between the buckled condition and the unbuckled condition;

confirming activation of the visible indicator between a selective illuminated state and an off condition;

manipulating the seat belt a final predetermined number of cycles between the buckled condition and the unbuckled condition; and

checking the secondary warning system for confirmation of the state of the system between the enabled and disable status.

20. A method as set forth in claim 19 further including manipulating the seat belt between the buckled and unbuckled condition within a predetermined period of time after activating the ignition switch from the initialized off position to the on position.