Passenger detecting apparatus

• US 6,490,515 B1
• Filed: 09/26/2000
• Issued: 12/03/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Furukawa Electric Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Furukawa Electric Company Limited
• Inventors: Hashimoto, Kyosuke, Enomoto, Takayuki, Negami, Shoichi, Okamura, Hiroyo, Kuboki, Naobumi
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TAN QUANG
• Application Number:
  US09/670,935
• Time in Patent Office: 798 Days
• Field of Search: 701/49, 701/45, 280/735, 280/730.1, 280/730.2, 280/743.1, 180/273, 180/272, 340/561, 340/562, 340/666, 340/667, 702/98, 702/101, 702/94, 702/128, 702/134
• US Class Current: 701/49
• 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 2/0025 by using weight measurement
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/003 characterised by the sensor mounting location in or on the seat
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/268 detecting or alerting means responsive to the installation of the child seats in the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2210/40 Force or pressure sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01516 using force or pressure sensing means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0152 using strain gauges
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01532 using electric or capacitive field sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01554 Seat position sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/4142 for controlling activation of safety devices, e.g. airbag systems electrical circuits for triggering safety arrangements in case of vehicle accidents B60R21/015

Abstract

A passenger detecting apparatus determines the presence of a passenger or an object, such as a child seat, in a seat unit, estimates the weight of the passenger or determines the build of the passenger, thereby improving the usability of peripheral devices of a seat. The passenger detecting apparatus has a dielectric sensor (111) and a pressure-sensitive sensor (112) in a seat cushion (102) and detects the presence of a passenger or an object on a seat based on their outputs, or has a dielectric sensor and a pressure-sensitive sensor in the seat cushion and a dielectric sensor (113) in the back rest and an angle sensor (114) for detecting an angle defined by the seat cushion and the back rest and determines the build of a passenger based on their outputs.

Claims

1. A passenger detection apparatus for detecting the presence of a passenger or an object on a seat cushion, said apparatus comprising:

at least one pressure sensor having an output signal;

at least one dielectric sensor having an output signal; and

a decision unit coupled to said pressure sensor and said dielectric sensor configured to determine the presence of a passenger or an object on said seat cushion in response to said output signals, wherein if the presence of a passenger is identified, the decision unit is configured to determine a buttock position of the passenger on the seat cushion and a shoulder position of the passenger on a seat back, and wherein the decision unit is configured to use the buttock position and the shoulder position to determine the size of the upper body of the passenger.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, additionally comprising a temperature sensor.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said decision unit is configured to detect moisture on said seat cushion.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said pressure sensor comprises a matrix of a plurality of independent pressure sensor elements arranged in said seat cushion.

5. A passenger detection apparatus comprising:

a first detector having an output signal in a seat cushion for detecting passenger contact with said seat cushion;

a second detector having an output signal in a seat back for detecting passenger contact with said seat back;

an angle detector having an output signal for measuring an angle defined by the relative orientation of said seat cushion and said seat back; and

a decision unit configured to determine a buttock position of the passenger with respect to the seat cushion and a shoulder position of the passenger with respect to the seat back in response to said output signals, wherein the decision unit is configured to use the buttock position, the shoulder position, and the angle detector to determine the size of the upper body of the passenger.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said first detector comprises one or more of a dielectric sensor, a pressure sensor, and a temperature sensor.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said second detector comprises one or more of a dielectric sensor, a pressure sensor, and a temperature sensor.