Method for child seat recognition in a vehicle

• US 6,982,629 B2
• Filed: 10/07/2002
• Issued: 01/03/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Giesel, A. Ruediger
• Primary Examiner(s): Horabik, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): JENKINS, KIMBERLY YVETTE
• Application Number:
  US10/265,841
• Publication Number:
  US 20030090379A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,184 Days
• Field of Search: 29725612-25616, 340/10.42, 340/425.5, 340/572.1, 701/45, 701/49, 280735-739, 180271-273
• US Class Current: 340/10.42
• 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 2/268 detecting or alerting means responsive to the installation of the child seats in the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/28 Seats readily mountable on, and dismountable from, existing seats or other parts of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2210/16 Electromagnetic waves
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01536 using ultrasonic waves
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01556 Child-seat detection systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0008 General problems related to the reading of electronic memory record carriers, independent of its reading method, e.g. power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/12 Frequency diversity

Abstract

A method and device for child seat recognition in a vehicle involving use of radio signals to recognize a child seat. The child seat includes a passive transponder. The radio signal is sent back by the child seat and is then sampled by a device in the vehicle, the computing time between the sampled values is used for the management of other tasks. After the termination of the sampling, the evaluation occurs. This is controlled using interrupts.

Claims

1. A method for recognizing a child seat in a vehicle, the method comprising:

receiving a radio signal at the child seat, the radio signal being transmitted through a transceiver station in the vehicle;

modifying the radio signal at the child seat, to provide a modified radio signal;

transmitting the modified radio signal to the transceiver station;

sampling the modified radio signal using a processor to provide a sampled radio signal, a time of the processor being made available for other tasks between a plurality of individual times of the sampling; and

evaluating the sampled radio signal after the sampling is complete;

wherein radio signals having different frequencies are used in succession, and the transmitting, the receiving, and the sampling of the radio signal are controlled by a respective interrupt.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the sampling of the radio signal is performed up to a predetermined value, a flag is used to query whether the sampling is terminated, and the evaluating occurs after the sampling.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the different frequencies is a maximum of six different frequencies.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein, dependent on the evaluating, a frequency is selected with which the radio signal is again transmitted to the child seat, and, when the modified radio signal is transmitted by the child seat, recognition of the child seat is performed based on the modified radio signal.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein recognition of the child seat is repeated at a plurality of predetermined time intervals using the radio signal at the selected frequency.

6. A device for recognizing a child seat in a vehicle, comprising:

a transceiver station in the vehicle;

a control arrangement including a processor that is connected to the transceiver station, the processor being configured for interrupt controlling, the control arrangement being operable to recognize the child seat by;

transmitting a radio signal through the transceiver station;

receiving the radio signal by the child seat;

modifying the radio signal by the child seat;

transmitting the radio signal after modification by the child seat to the transceiver station;

sampling the radio signal after modification using the processor, a time of the processor being made available for other tasks between a plurality of individual times of the sampling; and

evaluating the radio signal after the sampling is complete;

wherein the radio signal has different frequencies that are used in succession, and the transmitting, the receiving, and the sampling of the radio signal are controlled by a respective interrupt.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the control device is connected with an occupant recognition arrangement.