Seat weight measuring apparatus which determines the weight value based on a value other than the adder output when sensor output exceeds a predetermined value

• US 6,689,960 B2
• Filed: 03/07/2002
• Issued: 02/10/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Joyson Safety Systems Japan K.K.
• Original Assignee: Takata Corporation (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Aoki, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Martin, David
• Application Number:
  US10/091,450
• Publication Number:
  US 20020125051A1
• Time in Patent Office: 705 Days
• Field of Search: 180/273, 280/735, 701/45, 177/25.13, 177/25.19, 177/136, 177/144, 177/199, 177/200, 177/210.R, 177/185
• US Class Current: 177/25.13
• 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: B60R 21/01516 using force or pressure sensing means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0152 using strain gauges
• 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 seat load measuring apparatus that can provide an accurate load output even when one or more sensors are exerted with a load in excess of its measurable load is provided. In a first instance, the output of each load sensor is read at Step S11. Subsequently, at step S12, whether or not there is any sensor whereof the output is in excess of the predetermined value is determined. If no output of these sensors is in excess of the predetermined value, it is regarded as normal, and the seat weight is obtained by summation of the outputs of the sensors at Step S13. When the output of any sensor exceeds the predetermined value, it is determined that an offset load is exerted thereon and thus the output of the sensor in question cannot be trusted. Therefore, the seat weight obtained immediately before the output of any of the sensors exceeds the predetermined value is regarded as the seat weight.

Claims

1. A seat weight measuring apparatus for passenger cars comprising:

a plurality of load sensors for supporting the seat and measuring the load of the seat, each sensor being adapted to produce an output; and

an adder for summing the outputs of said load sensors to obtain the weight of the seat;

a mechanism for obtaining the seat weight based on a value other than the output of the adder when at least one of the outputs of the load sensors exceeds a predetermined value.

2. The seat weight measuring apparatus of claim 1, wherein the mechanism for obtaining the seat weight based on the value other than the output of the adder employs the seat weight obtained immediately before at least one of outputs of the load sensors exceeds the predetermined value.

3. The seat weight measuring apparatus of claim 1, wherein the mechanism for obtaining the seat weight based on the value other than the output of the adder employs the larger seat weight between the seat weight obtained immediately before at least one of the outputs of the load sensors exceeds the predetermined value and a present value of the seat weight.

4. The seat weight measuring apparatus of claim 1, wherein the mechanism for obtaining the seat weight based on the value other than the output of the adder employs an average of the seat weights obtained during a predetermined period immediately before at least one of the outputs of the load sensors exceeds the predetermined value.

5. The seat weight measuring apparatus of claim 1, wherein the mechanism for obtaining the seat weight based on the value other than the output of the adder obtains the seat weight by reducing the absolute value of the output of the load sensor which detected a negative load and then adding the outputs of the respective load sensors.

6. A seat weight measuring apparatus for vehicles, comprising:

a plurality of load sensors for supporting the seat and measuring the load of the seat, each sensor being adapted to providing an output; and

an adder for summing the outputs of the load sensors to obtain the weight of the seat;

a mechanism for regarding a value other than the output of the sensor in question as the value of the load sensor to be supplied to the adder when at least one of the outputs of the load sensors exceeds the predetermined value is provided.

7. The seat weight measuring apparatus of claim 6, wherein the mechanism for regarding the value other than the output of the sensor in question as the value of the load sensor to be supplied to the adder is configured to replace the value of the load sensor in question with the value obtained immediately before the output of the sensor in question exceeds the predetermined value.

8. The seat weight measuring apparatus of claim 6, wherein the mechanism for regarding the value other than the output of the sensor in question as the value of the load sensor to be supplied to the adder is configured to regard the larger of the value of the load sensor obtained immediately before the output of the sensor in question exceeds the prescribed value and the value of the output of the sensor at that moment as the value of the load sensor in question.

9. The seat weight measuring apparatus of claim 6, wherein the mechanism for regarding the value other than the output of the sensor in question as the value of the load sensor to be supplied to the adder is configured to regard the average of the outputs of the sensor in question during a predetermined period immediately before the output of the sensor in question exceeds the predetermined value as the value of the load sensor in question.

10. A method for determining seat weight comprising the steps of:

providing a plurality of load sensors for sensing the load of the seat, each load sensor producing an output;

summing the outputs of the load sensors to obtain the weight of the seat;

determining the seat weight based on a value other than the output of the adder when at least one of the outputs of the load sensors exceeds a predetermined value.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of determining the seat weight based on the value other than the output of the adder includes using the seat weight obtained immediately before at least one of outputs of the load sensors exceeds the predetermined value.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of determining the seat weight based on the value other than the output of the adder includes using the larger seat weight between the seat weight obtained immediately before at least one of the outputs of the load sensors exceeds the predetermined value and a present value of the seat weight.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of determining the seat weight based on the value other than the output of the adder includes using an average of the seat weights obtained during a predetermined period immediately before at least one of the outputs of the load sensors exceeds the predetermined value.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of determining the seat weight based on the value other than the output of the adder includes reducing the absolute value of the output of the load sensor which detected a negative load and then adding the outputs of the respective load sensors.

15. A method for determining seat weight comprising the steps of:

providing a plurality of load sensors for sensing the load of the seat, each load sensor producing an output;

summing the outputs of the load sensors to obtain the weight of the seat;

regarding a value other than the output of one of the load sensors as the value of the load sensor to be supplied to the adder when at least one of the outputs of the load sensors exceeds the predetermined value is provided.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of replacing the value of one of the load sensors the value obtained immediately before the output of the sensor in question exceeds the predetermined value.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of regarding the larger of the value of the load sensor obtained immediately before the output of the sensor in question exceeds the prescribed value and the value of the output of the sensor at that moment as the value of the load sensor.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of regarding the average of the outputs of a first one of the load sensors during a predetermined period immediately before the output of the first sensor exceeds the predetermined value as the value of the first one of the load sensors.