Occupant detecting system

• US 6,356,194 B1
• Filed: 01/08/1999
• Issued: 03/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Inoh, Takashi, Isonaga, Kazutomo, Fukui, Tsutomu, Koyota, Nobuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Lieu, Julie
• Application Number:
  US09/227,526
• Time in Patent Office: 1,159 Days
• Field of Search: 340/425.5, 340/457, 340/573.1, 340/573.7, 340/540, 340/561, 307/10.1, 180/271, 280/728.1, 280/735, 280/730.1, 280/730.2
• US Class Current: 340/561
• 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: B60R 21/01532 using electric or capacitive field sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01566 Devices for warning or indicating mode of inhibition
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/207 in vehicle seats
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/94 characterised by the way in which the control signals are generated
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/955 using a capacitive detector

Abstract

A high-frequency generating circuit is connected to six electrode fabrics embedded in a seat back of an assistant driver'"'"'s seat. Output current flowing at the time when a human body approaches the electrode fabrics is detected. It is determined whether an occupant is an adult or a child, by comparing patterns of the output current which correspond to the six electrode fabrics with a first threshold value and a second threshold value to detect the positions of the head, neck and shoulder of the occupant. When the occupant is a child having a short sitting height, the operation of an air bag device is prohibited upon collision of a vehicle, and a warning lamp is lit to move the occupant to a rear seat.

Claims

1. An occupant detecting system comprising an electric fabric embedded in a side of a seat back of a seat in an automobile, an electric field generating means for generating an electric field around said electrode fabric, a human body approach detecting means for detecting the approach of a human body to said electrode fabric based on electric current flowing from said electric field generating means to said electrode fabric, and a determining means for determining whether the body of an occupant sitting on the seat is leaning sideways, based on an output from said human body approach detecting means.

2. An occupant detecting system comprising a plurality of first electrode fabrics embedded in a central portion of a seat back of a seat in an automobile, at least one second electrode fabric embedded in a side of the seat back of the seat, an electric field generating means for generating an electric field around said first and second electrode fabrics, a human body approach detecting means for detecting the approach of a human body to said first and second electrode fabrics, based on electric current flowing from said electric field generating means to said first and second electrode fabrics, a first determining means for determining whether a sitting height of an occupant sitting on the seat is equal to or smaller than a reference value by comparing a combined pattern of outputs from said human body approach detecting means which correspond to said first electrode fabrics with a previously stored pattern, a second determining means for determining whether the body of an occupant sitting on the seat is leaning sideways, based on an output from said human body approach detecting means which corresponds to said second electrode fabric, and a signal outputting means for outputting a signal indicative of a command to prohibit the deployment of a side air bag device provided in the side of the seat back, when said first determining means determines that the sitting height of the occupant sitting on the seat is equal to or smaller than the reference value, and said second determining means determines that the body of said occupant is leaning sideways.

3. An occupant detecting system according to claim 2, wherein each of said electrode fabrics is formed into a laterally elongated band shape, and said electrode fabrics are disposed at a plurality of vertically arranged stages.

4. An occupant detecting system according to claim 2, wherein said signal outputting means outputs a warning command signal, when said first determining means determines that the sitting height of the occupant sitting on the seat is equal to or smaller than the reference value and said second determining means determines that the body of said occupant is leaning sideways.

5. An occupant detecting system comprising a weight detecting means embedded in a seat cushion of a seat in an automobile, at least one electrode fabric embedded in a side of a seat back of the seat, an electric field generating means for generating an electric field around said electrode fabric, a human body approach detecting means for detecting the approach of a human body to said electrode fabric, based on electric current flowing from said electric field generating means to said electrode fabric, a first determining means for determining whether the weight of an occupant sitting on the seat is equal to or smaller than a reference value, based on an output from said weight detecting means, a second determining means for determining whether the body of the occupant sitting on the seat is leaning sideways, based on an output from said human body approach detecting means, and a signal outputting means for outputting a signal indicative of a command to prohibit the deployment of a side air bag device provided in the side of the seat back, when the first determining means determines that the weight of the occupant sitting on the seat is equal to or smaller than the reference value and the second determining means-determines that the body of said occupant is leaning sideways.

6. An occupant detecting system according to claim 5, wherein said signal outputting means outputs a warning command signal, when said first determining means determines that the weight of the occupant sitting on the seat is equal to or smaller than the reference value and said second determining means determines that the body of said occupant is leaning sideways.

7. An occupant detecting system comprising an electrode member embedded in a side of a seat back of a seat in an automobile, an electric field generating means for generating an electric field around said electrode member, a human body approach detecting means for detecting the approach of a human body to said electrode member based on electric current flowing from said electric field generating means to said electrode member, and a determining means for determining whether the body of an occupant sitting on the seat is leaning sideways, based on an output from said human body approach detecting means.

8. An occupant detecting system comprising a plurality of first electrode members embedded in a central portion of a seat back of a seat in an automobile, at least one second electrode member embedded in a side of the seat back of the seat, an electric field generating means for generating an electric field around said first and second electrode members, a human body approach detecting means for detecting the approach of a human body to said first and second electrode members, based on electric current flowing from said electric field generating means to said first and second electrode members, a first determining means for determining whether a sitting height of an occupant sitting on the seat is equal to, or smaller than, a reference value by comparing a combined pattern of outputs from said human body approach detecting means which correspond to said first electrode members with a previously stored pattern, a second determining means for determining whether the body of an occupant sitting on the seat is leaning sideways, based on an output from said human body approach detecting means which corresponds to said second electrode member, and a signal outputting means for outputting a signal indicative of a command to prohibit the deployment of a side air bag device provided in the side of the seat back when said first determining means determines that the sitting height of the occupant sitting on the seat is equal to, or smaller than, the reference value, and said second determining means determines that the body of said occupant is leaning sideways.

9. An occupant detecting system according to claim 8, wherein each of said electrode members is formed into a laterally elongated band shape, and said electrode members are disposed at a plurality of vertically arranged stages.

10. An occupant detecting system according to claim 8, wherein said signal outputting means outputs a warning command signal when said first determining means determines that the sitting height of the occupant sitting on the seat is equal to, or smaller than, the reference value and said second determining means determines that the body of said occupant is leaning sideways.

11. An occupant detecting system comprising a weight detecting means embedded in a seat cushion of a seat in an automobile, at least one electrode member embedded in a side of a seat back of the seat, an electric field generating means for generating an electric field around said electrode member, a human body approach detecting means for detecting the approach of a human body to said electrode member, based on electric current flowing from said electric field generating means to said electrode member, a first determining means for determining whether the weight of an occupant sitting on the seat is equal to, or smaller than, a reference value, based on an output from said weight detecting means, a second determining means for determining whether the body of the occupant sitting on the seat is leaning sideways, based on an output from said human body approach detecting means, and a signal outputting means for outputting a signal indicative of a command to prohibit the deployment of a side air bag device provided in the side of the seat back when the first determining means determines that the weight of the occupant sitting on the seat is equal to or smaller than the reference value and the second determining means determines that the body of said occupant is leaning sideways.

12. An occupant detecting system according to claim 11, wherein said signal outputting means outputs a warning command signal when said first determining means determines that the weight of the occupant sitting on the seat is equal to, or smaller than, the reference value and said second determining means determines that the body of said occupant is leaning sideways.