Passenger determination device

• US 6,774,804 B2
• Filed: 02/19/2002
• Issued: 08/10/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Aoki, Koji, Fujimoto, Osamu, Sakai, Morio
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Daniel J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TANG, SON M
• Application Number:
  US10/076,435
• Publication Number:
  US 20020118104A1
• Time in Patent Office: 903 Days
• Field of Search: 340/665, 340/666, 340/667, 340/425.5, 340/436, 340/438, 701/45, 180/271, 180/272, 180/273
• US Class Current: 340/665
• 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 2/0031 mounted on the frame
• 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 2210/42 Strain gauges
• 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

Abstract

A passenger determination device includes a load sensor attached to a seat main body, a controller for calculating a detected load value on the basis of an outputted load value of the load sensor and for determining a passenger on the basis of a large and small relationship between the detected load value and a predetermined determination threshold value, a load variations detecting device for detecting variations of the detected load value when the large and small relationship between the detected load value and a predetermined determination threshold value changes and a prohibition device for prohibiting from changing the determination of the passenger by the change of the large and small relationship between the detected load value and a predetermined determination threshold value when the detected load variations is small.

Claims

1. A passenger determination device comprising:

a load sensor attached to a seat main body;

a controller for calculating a detected load value on the basis of an outputted load value of the load sensor and for determining a passenger on the basis of a large and small relationship between the detected load value and a predetermined determination threshold value;

a load variations detecting means for detecting variations of the detected load value when the large and small relationship between the detected load value and predetermined determination threshold value changes; and

a prohibition means for prohibiting from changing the determination of the passenger by the change of the large and small relationship between the detected load value and the predetermined determination threshold value when the detected load variations is smaller than a predetermined value.

2. A passenger determination device according to claim 1, wherein the prohibit of the changing the determination of the passenger by the prohibition means is continued until that the large and small relationship between the detected load value and the predetermined determination threshold value is changed again.

3. A passenger determination device comprising:

a plurality of load sensors attached to a seat main body;

a controller for calculating a detected load value on the basis of outputted load values of each load sensor and for determining a passenger on the basis of a large and small relationship between the detected load value and a predetermined determination threshold value;

a load variations detecting means for detecting variations of the detected load value when the large and small relationship between the detected load value and the predetermined determination threshold value changes; and

a prohibition means for prohibiting from changing the determination of the passenger by the change of the large and small relationship between the detected load value and the predetermined determination threshold value when the detected load variations is smaller than a predetermined value.

4. A passenger determination device according to claim 3, wherein the prohibit of the changing the determination of the passenger by the prohibition means is continued until that the large and small relationship between the detected load value and the predetermined determination threshold value is changed again.