Smart seatbelt control system

• US 6,728,616 B1
• Filed: 10/20/2000
• Issued: 04/27/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Joseph A. Tabe
• Original Assignee: Joseph A. Tabe
• Inventors: Tabe, Joseph A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MANCHO, RONNIE M
• Application Number:
  US09/692,098
• Time in Patent Office: 1,285 Days
• Field of Search: 701/45, 701/47, 280/735, 280/732, 280/734, 280/807, 280/806, 280/808, 280/801.1, 180/273, 180/268, 180/274, 180/282, 180/270, 180/271, 340/667, 340/436, 340/438, 296/68.1, 297/216.13, 200/61.53, 200/61.45 R, 200/64.45 M, 307/10.1, 738/623.91, 738/62, 738/625.81, 738/626.8
• US Class Current: 701/45
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01211 Expansion of air bags
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01225 control of expansion volume
• 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 21/017 including arrangements for providing electric power to safety arrangements or their actuating means, e.g. to pyrotechnic fuses or electro-mechanic valves

Abstract

An apparatus for preventing occupant injury during accident has various features to ensure safety. A sensor (70), detecting seat belt engagement is provided. In addition, there is a means for varying the tension of a seatbelt (17), depending upon the weight of the occupant (110) and the speed of the vehicle carrying the occupant (110). When said occupant (110) seats on any of the seats (17), the load cell switch (18) will close, allowing the load cell output energy to energize the control module (25). The control module (25), after receiving signal communication from any of the said load cells (15), enables the counter (50) to count the number of closed load cell switches (18) before enabling the optoisolator switch (70), to then energize the latching relay (80) to check for the seat belt latching of the occupied seats (10) with closed load cell switches (18) to assure occupants safety. When the switch (18) for the occupied seat (10) is closed, the latching relay (80) circuit will also be energized so that the seat belt (17) for the occupied seat location is checked for buckling. The latching relay (80) circuit and the counter (50) circuit are closed only when an occupant (110) takes any of the seats (10). The latching relay switch (85) is only energized when the counter circuit (50) is closed.

Claims

1. An apparatus for controlling the tension in a seat belt, such that in an accident, an occupant of a vehicle impacts the seat belt without injury;

comprising;

a pressure sensing device determining a weight value of the occupant;

a computer system in signal communication with said pressure sensing device, said computer system calculating a coil value based upon the weight value of the occupant and

a collision force according to a vehicle'"'"'s speed; and

a coil tensioner in communication with said computer system, rotating a moveable coil per coil value to maintain the seatbelt in sufficient tension to keep the occupant on a seat when a collision is sensed, but is not maintained in sufficient tension to cause impact injury to the occupant.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an occupant sensing means for sounding an alarm if the occupant does not have the seatbelt locked, said means being in signal communication with said computer system.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising means for preventing unlocking of the seatbelt.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said means for preventing unlocking of the seatbelt is active when the vehicle is in motion.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said means for preventing unlocking of the seatbelt is overridden by a switch when the vehicle is not in motion.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an occupant sensing means, in communication with said computer system for adjusting air bag deployment speed if the occupant does not have the seatbelt locked.

7. The seatbelt weight responsive occupant restraint system of claim 1, further comprising:

a weight sensor for generating a signal responsive to an occupant'"'"'s presence; and

a microprocessor responsible for tracking behaviors of electromechanical devices in relation to the occupant restraint system when a collision is sensed.

8. The smart seatbelt apparatus of claim 1, wherein said apparatus enables the buckling of a plurality of seatbelt connectors, said seatbelt connectors being selectively latched when the vehicle is in motion, and selectively unlatched when the vehicle is not in motion.

9. The seatbelt weight responsive occupant restraint system of claim 1, wherein said restraint system includes an optoisolator switch with an LED connected to the output of a photocell for actuation of the seatbelt and enabling signal communication to a latching relay.

10. A supplemental restraint system comprising:

a means for sensing weight and for generating a weight signal corresponding to the weight of an occupant on a seat;

a central processing unit responsive to a digital signal which has been amplified and converted from said weight signal for generating a tensional restraining value;

a coil responding to said tensional restraining value generating energy corresponding to said tensional restraining value;

an optoisolator defining a monitoring means responding to a latching relay for releasing a controlled energy corresponding to said occupant'"'"'s weight into said coil at a rate corresponding to said tensional restraining value;

a coil rotating means generating a seatbelt tensional force proportionate to said occupant'"'"'s weight and the speed of the vehicle and timely empowering said coil rotation at a rate corresponding to said occupant'"'"'s weight and the collision force of the vehicle.

11. A smart seatbelt restraint system as claimed in claim 10, wherein said optoisolator defines a mechanism for transforming said generated weight signal into a controlled energy for variably controlling the tensional force of a seatbelt.

12. A smart seatbelt restraint system according to claim 11, wherein said controlled energy is responsible for enabling a coil rotation operation, to variably tension the seat belts.

13. A smart restraint system as claimed in claim 12 wherein said controlled energy from at least one sensor coordinates and controls a latching relay and an occupant seat counter enabling precise and accurate monitoring of the occupant'"'"'s seatbelt latching activities.

14. A smart restraint system according to claim 13, including a photocell and an LED for measuring light intensity inside the optoisolator and comparing the buckling and unbuckling activities of the seatbelt.

15. A smart restraint control system according to claim 10, further comprising a device for processing an occupant'"'"'s weight into a calculated tensional restraint value responsible for enabling a second device for generating a second energy, said second energy corresponding to the first energy generated by the load cell.

16. A smart restraint system according to claim 15, further comprising signal processing means for calculating said occupant'"'"'s tensional restraint value, said signal processing means not excluding any microprocessors for processing digital and analog data for the control of seatbelt latching.

17. A smart restraint system according to claim 16, further comprising a device for enabling said second electrical energy to controllably bias an optoisolator spring, wherein said spring controls and monitors the contacts on each of the seat belt connectors.

18. A smart restraint system as claimed in 17, further comprising an amplifying device for amplifying a signal from a processing device when a collision is eminent.

19. A smart restraint system comprising:

a seatbelt;

means for sensing weight and generating a weight signal corresponding to the weight of an occupant on a seat;

an encoder responsible for converting analog to digital signals which have been amplified and converted from said weight signal for generating a tensional force value;

a coil responsive to said tensional force value; and

means for controlling a tensional force exerted by said seatbelt empowered by said coil, so that said force exerted by said seatbelt is proportionate to said weight of said occupant between an upper and lower threshold.

20. A smart restraint system according to claim 19, further comprising a plurality of load cells, interposed between a plurality of seat mounting frames and the floor of the vehicle, generating a plurality of weight signals corresponding to the weight of one or more occupants on the seats.

21. A smart restraint system according to claim 20, further comprising a controller type thyristor electrically connected to the plurality of load cells, wherein said controller is responsive to said weight signal to selectively enable the seatbelt controlling means.

22. A smart restraint system as claimed in 21, further comprising an optoisolator including an LED and a photocell selectively engaging in signal communication with a latching relay, said latching relay responsive to latching activities for signaling thereof.

23. Means for controlling the seatbelt tensional restraint force on a vehicle occupant, said means comprising:

at least one weight sensor for determining the weight of a seated occupant and generating a body weight signal indicative thereof;

a load cell with at least one strain gauge for generating a signal when strained or under load, said signal responsive to signal communication of a plurality of devices, said at least one weight sensor including a device for transforming said body weight signal into electrical energy corresponding to the weight of said occupant and sampling input and output signals from said at least one sensor such that said weight of a seated occupant is measured and said seat belt tensional restraint force is controlled in response to said weight of a seated occupant.

24. Smart restraint control means, according to claim 23, further comprising a sensor with an incorporated software program for calculating said weight of a seated occupant to said tensional restraint force transformation.

25. Smart restraint control means, as claimed in claim 24, further comprising a sensing device responsive for transforming said weight of a seated occupant into electrical energy and enabling electromechanical devices to interface with a plurality of devices for controlling magnetic fields to enable a selected latching of the seatbelt.

26. Smart restraint control means of claim 23 further comprising means dependent on said seated occupant'"'"'s presence for measuring the crash severity and responsively enabling a single or a plurality of seatbelt tensional restraint forces for protecting said seated occupant.

27. A smart restraint control system comprising:

means for precisely monitoring the initial weight of a seated occupant and the weight of a changing occupant, for controlling the tensional restraint force of a seatbelt, comprising;

an address line, being a reference storage memory or medium for storing actual weight at initial sitting, said memory being different from either RAM or ROM;

an EPROM, for controlling data about a changing occupant at the address line;

a microprocessor means, for signal communicating with plurality of sensors, said sensors being in circuit communication with plurality of other signal processors and transistorized switches, enabling a seatbelt tensional restraint force.

28. A smart restraint system according to claim 27, including an impact collision sensor, for initiating restraint system, enabling tensioning of the occupant on the seat, with an enabling force indicative of the occupants weight, wherein said tensional force is dependent on said collision force and said speed of the vehicle.

29. A smart restraint control system according to claim 27, further comprising means for shutting-off the engine when a collision is sensed, said collision defines an accident but not limited to a roll over accident.

30. A smart restraint control system according to claim 29, further comprising means for shutting-off the engine when the vehicle is left unattended or the engine left idling.

32. A smart restraint control system according to claim 27 further comprising bypass means for not allowing the vehicle to start when the driver is not on the driver'"'"'s seat.

31. A smart restraint control system as claimed in 27, wherein a switch is used for letting off occupants when the vehicle is stopped.