Passive occupant sensing system for a watercraft

• US 6,450,845 B1
• Filed: 03/16/2001
• Issued: 09/17/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Brunswick Corporation
• Original Assignee: Brunswick Corporation
• Inventors: Staerzl, Richard E., Snyder, Richard H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sotelo, Jesus D.
• Application Number:
  US09/810,784
• Time in Patent Office: 550 Days
• Field of Search: 440/1, 280/735
• US Class Current: 440/1
• 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: B63C 9/0005 by means of alarm devices for persons falling into the water, e.g. by signalling, by controlling the propulsion or manoeuvring means of the boat alarms responsive to presence of persons in a body of water in general G08B21/08

Abstract

A tetherless occupant detector system uses an infrared sensor and a monitor circuit that provides a deactivation signal to an engine control unit or other control mechanisms in the event of an operator of the marine vessel leaving a preselected control position at its helm. The infrared sensor provides an output signal that is generally representative of the heat produced by an occupant within the control position of a marine vessel. The monitor circuit reacts to a sudden decrease in this heat magnitude and provides a deactivation signal in response to detecting this sudden decrease. The deactivation signal provided by the monitor circuit can be received by an engine control unit which then, in turn, deactivates a marine propulsion system. Alternatively, the deactivation signal itself can cause a deactivation of the marine propulsion system.

Claims

1. An occupant sensing system for a watercraft, comprising:

a marine propulsion system attached to said watercraft;

a control position where a vessel control mechanism is located for manipulation by an operator of said watercraft to control the operation of said marine propulsion system;

a sensor directed toward said control position and having an output signal which is representative of a first preselected characteristic of said control position; and

a monitor circuit connected in signal communication with said sensor for deactivating said marine propulsion system in response to a second preselected characteristic of said output signal, said monitor circuit being connected in signal communication with a neutral switch, whereby said monitor circuit only deactivates said marine propulsion system when said neutral switch is in a position signifying that said marine propulsion system is in either forward or reverse gear.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein:

said first characteristic is a heat magnitude at a preselected location within said control position.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein:

said sensor is an infrared sensor.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein:

said second preselected characteristic is a decrease in the magnitude of said output signal.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein:

said monitor circuit is connected in signal communication with a start switch of said marine propulsion system.

6.The system of claim wherein;

said monitor circuit comprises a portion that provides a time delay of a preselected duration subsequent to said marine propulsion system being started, as represented by a preselected status of said start switch, during which said monitor circuit does not deactivate said marine propulsion system in response to said second preselected characteristic of said output signal.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein:

said monitor circuit has a deactivation signal output which is representative of an occurrence of said second preselected characteristic of said output signal.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein:

said control position is a seat where said operator of said watercraft is located at during operation of said watercraft.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein:

said sensor in mounted on a dashboard of said watercraft.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein:

said sensor is mounted on a throttle control housing of said watercraft.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein:

said sensor is mounted on a steering wheel of said watercraft.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein:

said sensor is mounted under a dash board of said watercraft.

7. The system of claim 7, further comprising:

an engine control unit connected in signal communication with said monitor circuit and with a component of said marine propulsion system, whereby said electrical signal deactivates said marine propulsion system by providing said deactivation signal to said engine control unit which deactivates said marine propulsion system in response to receipt of said deactivation signal from said monitor circuit.

13. An occupant sensing system for a watercraft, comprising:

a marine propulsion system attached to said watercraft;

a control position where a vessel control mechanism is located for manipulation by an operator of said watercraft to control the operation of said marine propulsion system, said vessel control mechanism being selected from the group consisting of a steering wheel, a throttle lever, and an ignition switch;

a sensor directed toward said control position and having an output signal which is representative of a first preselected characteristic of said control position, said first characteristic being a heat magnitude at a preselected location within said control position; and

a monitor circuit connected in signal communication with said sensor for deactivating said marine propulsion system in response to a second preselected characteristic of said output signal, said monitor circuit being connected in signal communication with a neutral switch, whereby said monitor circuit only deactivates said marine propulsion system when said neutral switch is in a position signifying that said marine propulsion system is in either forward or reverse gear.

14. The system of claim 14, wherein:

said sensor is an infrared sensor, said second preselected characteristic being a decrease in the magnitude of said output signal.

15. The system of claim 15, wherein:

said monitor circuit is connected in signal communication with a start switch of said marine propulsion system, said monitor circuit comprising a portion that provides a time delay of a preselected duration subsequent to said marine propulsion system being started, as represented by a preselected status of said start switch, during which said monitor circuit does not deactivate said marine propulsion system in response to said second preselected characteristic of said output signal, said monitor circuit having a deactivation signal output which is representative of an occurrence of said second preselected characteristic of said output signal.

16. The system of claim 16, further comprising:

an engine control unit connected in signal communication with said monitor circuit and with a component of said marine propulsion system, whereby said electrical signal deactivates said marine propulsion system by providing said deactivation signal to said engine control unit which deactivates said marine propulsion system in response to receipt of said deactivation signal from said monitor circuit.

17. An occupant sensing system for a watercraft, comprising:

a marine propulsion system attached to said watercraft;

a control position where a vessel control mechanism is located for manipulation by an operator of said watercraft to control the operation of said marine propulsion system, said vessel control mechanism being selected from the group consisting of a steering wheel, a throttle lever, and an ignition switch;

an infrared sensor directed toward said control position and having an output signal which is representative of a first preselected characteristic of said control position;

a monitor circuit connected in signal communication with said infrared sensor for deactivating said marine propulsion system in response to a second preselected characteristic of said output signal, said monitor circuit being connected in signal communication with a neutral switch, whereby said monitor circuit only deactivates said marine propulsion system when said neutral switch is in a position signifying that said marine propulsion system is in either forward or reverse gear, said monitor circuit being connected in signal communication with a start switch of said marine propulsion system, said monitor circuit comprising a portion that provides a time delay of a preselected duration subsequent to said marine propulsion system being started, as represented by a preselected status of said start switch, during which said monitor circuit does not deactivate said marine propulsion system in response to said second preselected characteristic of said output signal, said monitor circuit having a deactivation signal output which is representative of an occurrence of said second preselected characteristic of said output signal; and

an engine control unit connected in signal communication with said monitor circuit and with a component of said marine propulsion system, whereby said electrical signal deactivates said marine propulsion system by providing said deactivation signal to said engine control unit which deactivates said marine propulsion system in response to receipt of said deactivation signal from said monitor circuit.

18. The system of claim 18, wherein:

said control position is a seat where said operator of said watercraft is located at during operation of said watercraft.