Passenger detecting apparatus for vehicle

• US 6,937,143 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2003
• Issued: 08/30/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fuji Heavy Industries Limited (Subaru Corp.)
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation, Fuji Heavy Industries Limited (Subaru Corp.)
• Inventors: Ohtaka, Koji
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass, Jeffery
• Assistant Examiner(s): Previl, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US10/673,338
• Publication Number:
  US 20040075569A1
• Time in Patent Office: 700 Days
• Field of Search: 340/438, 340/457.1, 340/425.5, 340/667, 701/45, 180/273, 324/207.12, 280/735, 73/10.1, 73/10.8, 738/62
• US Class Current: 340/438
• 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 21/01546 using belt buckle sensors

Abstract

The present invention relates to a vehicle passenger detecting apparatus capable of detecting an unoccupied-seat state through the use of existing signals in a vehicle and correcting an unoccupied-seat reference value with a simple configuration. In a case in which an ignition key switch and a buckle switch are in off conditions and a load detecting value, which is the sum of measurement data from load sensors in these conditions, falls below a predetermined unoccupied-seat load value, an occupied-seat reference value serving as a load measurement standard for detection of a state of a vehicle passenger is corrected using the load detection value. This eliminates the influence of vibrations stemming from engine revolutions and electrical noises and enables the reference value to be corrected using a stabler load detection value.

Claims

1. A vehicle passenger detecting apparatus in which a load sensor is provided to detect a load acting on a vehicle seat on the basis of a distortion of a seat adjuster portion in a vehicle so that a load detection value taken when said vehicle seat is in an unoccupied state is stored as an unoccupied-seat reference value in advance and a state of a seated passenger on said vehicle seat is detected on the basis of a relative value between a load detection value from said load sensor and said unoccupied-seat reference value, said apparatus comprising reference correcting means for, in a case in which an ignition key switch and a buckle switch are in off conditions and a load detection value from said load sensor in said off conditions falls below an unoccupied-seat load value set in advance, correcting said unoccupied-seat reference value through the use of said load detection value from said load sensor.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said unoccupied-seat reference value is stored in a rewritable-type non-volatile memory.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said reference correcting means does not correct said unoccupied-seat reference value in a case in which said load detection value from said load sensor when both said ignition key switch and said buckle switch are in the off conditions exceeds a predetermined threshold.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising abnormality history storing means for storing abnormality history information indicative of a detection of an abnormal value in a case in which said load detection value from said load sensor when both said ignition key switch and said buckle switch are in the off conditions exceeds a predetermined threshold so that said reference correcting means does not correct said unoccupied-seat reference value when said abnormality history information is stored in said abnormality history storing means.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said reference correcting means automatically corrects said unoccupied-seat reference value on a predetermined cycle.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said reference correcting means is operated in a low power consumption mode, which suppresses power consumption, during a waiting period in the case of said unoccupied-seat reference value being automatically corrected on said predetermined cycle.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said reference correcting means is operable through the use of a battery mounted in said vehicle.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said load detection value from said load sensor is stored in time series, and said reference correcting means corrects said unoccupied-seat reference value through the use of a plurality of load detection values taken in time series.

13. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said reference correcting means automatically corrects said unoccupied-seat reference value on a predetermined cycle.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said reference correcting means is operated in a low power consumption mode, which suppresses power consumption, during a waiting period in the case of said unoccupied-seat reference value being automatically corrected on said predetermined cycle.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said reference correcting means is operable through the use of a battery mounted in said vehicle.

9. A vehicle passenger detecting apparatus comprising:

a seat track interposed between a floor of a vehicle and a seat cushion frame of said vehicle to make said seat cushion frame movable in longitudinal directions of said vehicle with respect to said floor; and

a load sensor for detecting a load acting on said seat cushion frame on the basis of a displacement of said seat cushion frame with respect to an upper rail of said seat track, with a load detection value taken when a vehicle seat is in an unoccupied state being stored as an unoccupied-seat reference value in advance and a state of a seated passenger on said vehicle seat being detected on the basis of a relative value between a load detection value from said load sensor and said unoccupied-seat reference value,

said apparatus including reference correcting means for, in a case in which an ignition key switch and a buckle switch are in off conditions and a load detection value from said load sensor in said off conditions falls below an unoccupied-seat load value set in advance, correcting said unoccupied-seat reference value through the use of said load detection value from said load sensor.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said unoccupied-seat reference value is stored in a rewritable-type non-volatile memory.

11. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said reference correcting means does not correct said unoccupied-seat reference value in a case in which said load detection value from said load sensor when both said ignition key switch and said buckle switch are in the off conditions exceeds a predetermined threshold.

12. The apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising abnormality history storing means for storing abnormality history information indicative of a detection of an abnormal value in a case in which said load detection value from said load sensor when both said ignition key switch and said buckle switch are in the off conditions exceeds a predetermined threshold so that said reference correcting means does not correct said unoccupied-seat reference value when said abnormality history information is stored in said abnormality history storing means.

16. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said load detection value from said load sensor is stored in time series, and said reference correcting means corrects said unoccupied-seat reference value through the use of a plurality of load detection values taken in time series.