Occupant position detection system

• US 6,466,849 B2
• Filed: 03/02/2001
• Issued: 10/15/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Nagai, Makoto, Kumakiri, Naotaka, Koyota, Nobuhiro, Isonaga, Kazutomo, Fukui, Tsutomu, Kamiji, Kouichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Beaulieu, Yonel
• Application Number:
  US09/796,610
• Publication Number:
  US 20010025214A1
• Time in Patent Office: 592 Days
• Field of Search: 701/45, 701/49, 307/9.1, 307/10.1, 280/734, 280/735, 280/728.1, 180/271, 180/273
• US Class Current: 701/45
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01536 using ultrasonic waves
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01554 Seat position sensors

Abstract

An occupant position detection system includes a distance sensor 4 located on a seat back 3 of a seat of a vehicle, an angle sensor 5 for sensing an inclined angle of the seat back 3, and a sliding displacement sensor 6 for sensing a sliding displacement value of the seat in fore and aft directions, wherein an occupant position is detected on the basis of sensed values of the distance sensor 4, the angle sensor 5 and the sliding displacement sensor 6.

Claims

1. An occupant position detection system comprising:

distance sensor means located on a seat back of a seat of a vehicle;

angle sensor means for sensing an inclined angle of the seat back; and

sliding displacement sensor means for sensing a displacement value of the seat in fore and aft directions;

wherein an occupant position is detected by the distance sensor means, the angle sensor means and the sliding displacement sensor means.

2. An occupant position detection system comprising:

first distance sensor means located on a seat back of a seat of a vehicle;

second distance sensor means located on an instrument panel of the vehicle;

angle sensor means for sensing an inclined angle of the seat back; and

sliding displacement sensor means for sensing a sliding displacement value of the seat in fore and aft directions

wherein a first distance is computed responsive to signals output from the first distance sensor means, the angle sensor means and the sliding displacement sensor means, and an occupant position is detected by the first distance and a second distance sensed by the second distance sensor means.

3. An occupant position detection system according to claim 2, wherein the first distance corresponds to a distance to the occupant from the instrument panel which distance is computed on the basis of a distance sensed from a rear side of the occupant, and wherein the first and second distances are compared to detect the occupant position.