Occupant detection system in a motor vehicle
First Claim
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1. An occupant detection system for a motor vehicle, comprising:
- a first occupant detection device which is arranged in a vehicle seat; and
a second occupant detection device;
whereinthe second occupant detection device comprises a first electrode arranged in the vehicle seat and a second electrode arranged in a foot well associated with the vehicle seat;
an electrical coupling variable associated with the two electrodes is determined by means of an electrical field applied between the electrodes; and
the electrical coupling variable and a variable which is determined by the first occupant detection device are used to determine whether the vehicle occupant is a child, whose legs do not extend to the vehicle floor, or whether the vehicle occupant is an occupant whose legs extend to a vehicle floor in said foot well.
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Abstract
An occupant detection system for a motor vehicle includes at least two occupant detection devices. A first occupant detection device is, for example, a seat occupancy or weight detection device arranged in the vehicle seat. The second occupant detection device comprises a first electrode arranged in the seat, and a second electrode arranged in the adjoining foot well. An electrical coupling variable is detected, and is used to determine a variable which characterizes an occupant, by means of an electrical field which is applied between the two electrodes.
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Citations
17 Claims
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1. An occupant detection system for a motor vehicle, comprising:
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a first occupant detection device which is arranged in a vehicle seat; and a second occupant detection device;
whereinthe second occupant detection device comprises a first electrode arranged in the vehicle seat and a second electrode arranged in a foot well associated with the vehicle seat; an electrical coupling variable associated with the two electrodes is determined by means of an electrical field applied between the electrodes; and the electrical coupling variable and a variable which is determined by the first occupant detection device are used to determine whether the vehicle occupant is a child, whose legs do not extend to the vehicle floor, or whether the vehicle occupant is an occupant whose legs extend to a vehicle floor in said foot well. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A method for determining whether a vehicle occupant is a child whose legs do not extend to the floor of the vehicle, said method comprising:
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providing a first occupant detection device arranged in a seat of said vehicle; providing a second occupant detection device comprising a first electrode arranged in the vehicle seat and a second electrode arranged in a foot well associated with the vehicle seat; applying an electric field between the two electrodes of the second occupant detection device; determining a coupling variable associated with the two electrodes by sensing the electric field; using the electric coupling variable and a variable determined by the first occupant detection device to determine the size of an occupant of the vehicle seat. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. An occupant detection system for a vehicle, comprising:
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a first occupant detection device arranged in a vehicle seat; a second occupant detection device comprising a first electrode arranged in the vehicle seat and a second electrode arranged in a floor well associated with the vehicle seat; an evaluation device, including means for generating an electric field between said first and second electrodes, and means for detecting an interaction between said electric field and a body of an occupant of said seat, by determining a value of an electric coupling variable that is indicative of electric coupling between said first and second electrodes, which electric coupling variable characterizes said body based on said interaction; wherein, the electric coupling variable is used with a variable determined by said first occupant detection device, to determine whether the vehicle occupant'"'"'s legs extend to a floor of the vehicle in said foot well. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14)
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15. An occupant detection system for a motor vehicle, comprising:
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a first electrode arranged in the vehicle seat; a second electrode arranged in a foot well associated with the vehicle seat;
wherein,an electrical coupling variable associated with the two electrodes is determined by means of an electrical field applied between the electrodes; and the electrical coupling variable is used to determine whether an occupant of the vehicle seat is an occupant whose legs do not extend to a vehicle floor in said foot well, or whether the vehicle occupant is an occupant whose legs do extend to the vehicle floor in said foot well. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17)
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Specification