Occupant determining device for a vehicle seat

• US 6,594,571 B2
• Filed: 09/25/2002
• Issued: 07/15/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Saitoh, Yasushi, Aoki, Koji, Sakai, Morio, Mori, Masaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Camby, Richard M.
• Application Number:
  US10/253,417
• Publication Number:
  US 20030074121A1
• Time in Patent Office: 293 Days
• Field of Search: 701/35, 701/45, 701/46, 701/47, 280/735, 280/734, 280/801.1, 307/10.1
• US Class Current: 701/45
• 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 2/0035 characterised by the sensor data transmission, e.g. wired connections or wireless transmitters therefor; characterised by the sensor data processing, e.g. seat sensor signal amplification or electric circuits for providing seat sensor information
• 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 2220/10 using a database
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2230/30 Signal processing of sensor data
• 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 21/0155 sensing belt tension
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01556 Child-seat detection systems

Abstract

An occupant determining device for a vehicle seat includes a tension detecting means for detecting a tension of a seat belt, a load detecting means for detecting a load applied to the vehicle seat, a determining means for determining an occupant on the vehicle seat and a tightened state of the seat belt based on either one or both of a detected result of the tension detecting means and the load detecting means, and a display means for displaying a determination result of the tightened state of the seat belt.

Claims

1. An occupant determining device for a vehicle seat, comprising:

a tension detecting means for detecting a tension of a seat belt;

a load detecting means for detecting a load applied to the vehicle seat;

a determining means for determining an occupant on the vehicle seat and a tightened state of the seat belt based on either one or both of a detected result of the tension detecting means and the load detecting means; and

a display means for displaying a determination result of the tightened state of the seat belt.

2. An occupant determining device for a vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein:

when a detected value of the tension detecting means is equal to or greater than a first threshold value, the determining means determines that the occupant on the vehicle seat is in a first state and the seat belt is in a first tightened state.

3. An occupant determining device for a vehicle seat according to claim 2, wherein:

when the detected value of the tension detecting means is less than the first threshold value, the determining means determines that the seat belt is in a second tightened state.

4. An occupant determining device for a vehicle seat according to claim 3, wherein:

when the determining means determines that the seat belt is in the second tightened state and a detected value of the load detecting means is equal to or greater than a second threshold value, the determining means determines that the occupant on the vehicle seat is in a second state.

5. An occupant determining device for a vehicle seat according to claim 4, wherein:

When the determining means determines that the seat belt is in the second tightened state and the detected value of the load detecting means is less than the second threshold value, the determining means determines that the occupant on the vehicle seat is in the first state.

6. An occupant determining device for a vehicle seat according to claim 2, wherein:

the first state includes the state that a child, a child restraint system or no occupant is on the vehicle seat.

7. An occupant determining device for a vehicle seat according to claim 5, wherein:

the first state includes the state that a child, a child restraint system or no occupant is on the vehicle seat.

8. An occupant determining device for a vehicle seat according to claim 4, wherein:

the second state includes the state that an adult is on the vehicle seat.

10. An occupant determining device for a vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein:

the tension detecting means includes a belt tension switch provided close to a portion where the seat belt is fixed to a vehicle floor.

11. An occupant determining device for a vehicle seat according to claim 10, wherein:

the load detecting means includes a load sensor provided at the vehicle seat.

12. An occupant determining device for a vehicle seat according to claim 11, wherein:

the determining means includes a CPU provided in a controller which is provided on an undersurface of a seat cushion.

13. An occupant determining device for a vehicle seat according to claim 12, wherein:

the display means includes an indicator provided at an upper end of a belt anchor to which the seat belt is connected.

14. An occupant determining device for a vehicle seat according to claim 12, wherein:

the load detected means includes two pairs of sensors provided at front left and front right portions of the seat cushion for detecting a load applied to a front portion of the seat cushion, and rear left and rear right portions of the seat cushion for detecting a load applied to a rear portion of the seat cushion.

15. An occupant determining device for a vehicle seat according to claim 14, wherein:

the CPU calculates a total load applied to the seat cushion by adding loads applied to the front portion and the rear portion of the seat cushion and detected by load sensors respectively.

16. An occupant determining device for a vehicle seat according to claim 15, wherein:

the CPU compares the total load with a threshold value and determines whether the total load is equal to or greater than the threshold value.

17. An occupant determining device for a vehicle according to claim 6, wherein:

the first state further includes the state that an airbag is not deployed.

18. An occupant determining device for a vehicle according to claim 7, wherein:

the first state further includes the state that an airbag is not deployed.

9. An occupant determining device for a vehicle seat, comprising:

a tension detecting means for detecting a tension of a seat belt;

a determining means for determining a tightened state of the seat belt based on a detected result of the tension detecting means; and

a display means for displaying a determination result of the tightened state of the seat belt.