Occupant detecting apparatus capable of improving detection accuracy

• US 6,684,973 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2001
• Issued: 02/03/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Honda Elesys Co., Ltd. (Nidec Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Honda Elesys Co., Ltd. (Nidec Corporation)
• Inventors: Saito, Naoki, Saito, Takashi, Baba, Satoshi, Oikawa, Hiroshi, Masuda, Yoshinori, Nagai, Shingo, Jinno, Kazunori
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson, Paul N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ilan, Ruth
• Application Number:
  US09/962,356
• Publication Number:
  US 20020038947A1
• Time in Patent Office: 860 Days
• Field of Search: 280/735, 701/45, 180/271-273, 340/436, 340/438, 340/457.1, 340/561-564
• US Class Current: 180/273
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01068 between different sensors and airbag control unit
• 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 21/01556 Child-seat detection systems

Abstract

In an occupant detecting apparatus for detecting an occupant seated on a passenger seat of a vehicle with an airbag for the occupant, a load sensor is provided in a bottom part of the seat. A plurality of first electric field sensors are provided in the bottom part of the seat, and a plurality of second electric field sensors are provided in a rear part of the seat. An airbag inflating permission control unit permits inflation of the airbag in accordance with output signals of the load sensor and the first and second electric field sensors.

Claims

1. An occupant detecting apparatus for detecting an occupant seated on a passenger seat of a vehicle with an airbag for said occupant, comprising:

a load sensor provided in a bottom part of said seat;

a plurality of first electric field sensors provided in the bottom part of said seat;

a plurality of second electric field sensors provided in a rear part of said seat; and

an airbag inflating permission control unit, connected to said load sensor and said first and second electric field sensors, for permitting inflation of said airbag in accordance with output signals of said load sensor and said first and second electric field sensors,

wherein said airbag inflating permission control unit compares an output signal of said load sensor with first and second load reference values, compares an average value of output signals of said first electric field sensors with first and second electric field reference values, and compares an average value of output signals of said second electric field sensors with third and fourth electric field reference values,

said first load reference value being higher than said second load reference value,

said first electric field reference value being higher than said second electric field reference value,

said third electric field reference value being higher than said fourth electric field reference value.

2. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein when the output signal of said load signal is higher than said first load reference value, an average value of the output signals of said first electric field sensors is higher than said first electric field reference value and an average value of the output signals of said second electric field sensors is higher than said third electric field reference value, said airbag inflating permission control unit determines that an adult is surely seated on said seat to permit the inflation of said airbag.

3. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein when the output signal of said load signal is higher than said first load reference value, an average value of the output signals of said first electric field sensors is higher than said first electric field reference value and an average value of the output signals of said second electric field sensors is lower than said fourth electric field reference value, said airbag inflating permission control unit determines that a bowed adult is seated on said seat to permit the inflation of said airbag.

4. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein when the output signal of said load signal is higher than said first load reference value, an average value of the output signals of said first electric field sensors is lower than said second electric field reference value and an average value of the output signals of said second electric field sensors is lower than said fourth electric field reference value, said airbag inflating permission control unit determines that a large luggage is seated on said seat not to permit the inflation of said airbag.

5. The apparatus as set forth in claim, 1 wherein when the output signal of said load signal is between said first and second load reference values, an average value of the output signals of said first electric field sensors is between said first and second electric field reference values and an average value of the output signals of said second electric field sensors is higher than said third electric field reference value, said airbag inflating permission control unit determines that an infant with an infant seat is seated in a forward facing manner on said seat to permit the inflation of said airbag.

6. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein when the output signal of said load signal is between said first and second load reference values, an average value of the output signals of said first electric field sensors is between said first and second electric field reference values and an average value of the output signals of said second electric field sensors is between said third and fourth electric field reference values, said airbag inflating permission control unit determines that a child is surely seated on said seat not to permit the inflation of said airbag.

7. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein when the output signal of said load signal is between said first and second load reference values, an average value of the output signals of said first electric field sensors is between said first and second electric field reference value and an average value of the output signals of said second electric field sensors is lower than said fourth electric field reference value, said airbag inflating permission control unit determines that an infant with an infant seat is seated in a backward facing manner on said seat not to permit the inflation of said airbag.

8. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein when the output signal of said load signal is between said first and second load reference value, an average value of the output signals of said first electric field sensors is lower than said second electric field reference value and an average value of the output signals of said second electric field sensors is higher than said third electric field reference value, said airbag inflating permission control unit determines that a child is standing on said seat to permit the inflation of said airbag.

9. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein when the output signal of said load signal is lower than said second load reference value, said airbag inflating permission control unit determines that no occupant is seated on said seat not to permit the inflation of said airbag, regardless of whether said seat is wet or dry.

10. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said airbag inflating permission control unit corrects said second load reference value and said second and fourth reference values when no object is seated on said seat.

11. An occupant detecting apparatus for detecting an occupant seated on a passenger seat of a vehicle with an airbag for said occupant, comprising:

a load sensor provided in a bottom part of said seat;

a plurality of first electric field sensors provided in the bottom part of said seat;

a plurality of second electric field sensors provided in a rear part of said seat; and

an airbag inflating permission control unit, connected to said load sensor and said first and second electric field sensors, for permitting inflation of said airbag in accordance with output signals of said load sensor and said first and second electric field sensors,

wherein antenna electrodes of said first and second electric field sensors are alternately arranged on front and back surfaces, respectively, of a base cloth, each of said antenna electrodes on the front surface of said base cloth having a first extension on a side of said base cloth and a second extension on the back surface of said base cloth.

12. An occupant detecting apparatus for detecting an occupant seated on a passenger seat of a vehicle with an airbag for said occupant, comprising:

a plurality of first electric field sensors provided in the bottom part of said seat;

a second electric field sensor provided in a rear part of said seat; and

an airbag inflating permission control unit, connected to said first and second electric field sensors, for permitting inflation of said airbag in accordance with output signals of said first and second electric field sensors,

wherein said airbag inflating permission control unit compares an average value of output signals of said first electric field sensors with first and second reference values, and compares an output signal of said second electric field sensor with a third reference value,

said first reference value being higher than said second reference value.

13. The apparatus as set forth in claim 12, wherein when an average value of the output signals of said first electric field sensors is higher than said first reference value and the output signal of said second electric field sensor is higher than said third reference value, said airbag inflating permission control unit determines that an adult is surely seated on said to permit the inflation of said airbag.

14. The apparatus as set forth in claim 12, wherein when an average value of the output signals of said first electric field sensors is between said first and second reference values and the output signal of said second electric field sensor is higher than said third reference value, said airbag inflating permission control unit determines that an adult with a cushion is surely seated on said seat to permit the inflation of said airbag.

15. The apparatus as set forth in claim 12, wherein when an average value of the output signals of said first electric field sensors is between said first and second reference values and the output signal of said second electric field sensor is lower than said third reference value, said airbag inflating permission control unit determines that a child is surely seated on said seat not to permit the inflation of said airbag.

16. The apparatus as set forth in claim 12, wherein when an average value of the output signals of said first electric field sensors is lower than said second reference value and the output signal of said second electric field sensor is lower than said third reference value, said airbag inflating permission control unit determines that a child with a cushion is surely seated on said seat not to permit the inflation of said airbag.

17. The apparatus as set forth in claim 12, wherein said airbag inflating permission control unit corrects said second and third reference values when no object is seated on said seat.

18. An occupant detecting apparatus for detecting an occupant seated on a passenger seat of a vehicle with an airbag for said occupant, comprising:

a load sensor provided in a bottom part of said seat;

a plurality of first electric field sensors provided in the bottom part of said seat;

a plurality of second electric field sensors provided in a rear part of said seat; and

an airbag inflating permission control unit, connected to said load sensor and said first and second electric field sensors, for permitting inflation of said airbag in accordance with output signals of said load sensor and said first and second electric field sensors,

wherein antenna electrodes of said first electric field sensors are alternately arranged on front and back surfaces, respectively, of a base cloth, each of said antenna electrodes on the front surface of said base cloth having a first extension on a side of said base cloth and a second extension on the back surface of said base cloth.