Occupant determination device

• US 7,023,355 B2
• Filed: 12/01/2003
• Issued: 04/04/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Sakai, Morio, Mori, Masaki, Sakamoto, Kazunori, Hasegawa, Yasunori, Izawa, Minoru
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass, Jeffery
• Assistant Examiner(s): Blount, Eric
• Application Number:
  US10/724,048
• Publication Number:
  US 20040173398A1
• Time in Patent Office: 855 Days
• Field of Search: 340/667, 180/273, 280/735, 701/45
• US Class Current: 340/667
• 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 2/28 Seats readily mountable on, and dismountable from, existing seats or other parts of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01516 using force or pressure sensing means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0152 using strain gauges

Abstract

An occupant determination device for a vehicle seat includes a load sensor provided at a seat body, a controller for calculating a detection load value based on a load value output from the load sensor and for determining whether an occupant seated on the vehicle seat is adult or a child, wherein a hysteresis is provided for changing the occupant determination from either a child or an adult to an adult or a child.

Claims

1. An occupant determination device for a vehicle seat comprising:

a load sensor provided at a seat body;

a controller for calculating a detection load value based on a load value output from the load sensor and determining whether an occupant seated on the vehicle seat is adult or a child based on the detected load value,

wherein a hysteresis is provided for changing the occupant determination from either a child or an adult to an adult or a child.

2. An occupant determination device for a vehicle seat comprising:

a load sensor provided at a seat body;

a controller for calculating a detection load value based on a load value output from the load sensor, the controller changing the occupant determination from a child to an adult when the detection load value exceeds a first determination threshold value while the occupant determination being a child and changing the occupant determination from an adult to a child when the detection load value becomes smaller than a second determination threshold value which is smaller than the first determination threshold value while the occupant determination being an adult.

3. An occupant determination device according to claim 2, wherein the second determination threshold value is set based on the adult posture frequently made while seating on the vehicle seat.

4. An occupant determination device according to claim 2, wherein a delay time is set for changing from either a child or an adult occupant determination to an adult or a child occupant determination.

5. An occupant determination device according to claim 3, wherein a delay time is set for changing from either a child or an adult occupant determination to an adult or a child occupant determination.

6. An occupant determination device for a vehicle seat comprising:

a plurality of load sensors provided at a seat body;

a controller for calculating a detection load value based on the total load value outputs from the load sensors and for determining whether an occupant seated on the vehicle seat is adult or a child based on the detection load value, wherein a hysteresis is provided for changing the occupant determination from either a child or an adult to an adult or a child.

7. An occupant determination device according to claim 6, wherein, the controller changes the occupant determination from a child to an adult when the detection load value exceeds a first determination threshold value while the occupant determination being a child and changes the occupant determination from an adult to a child when the detection load value becomes smaller than a second determination threshold value which is smaller than the first determination threshold value while the occupant determination being an adult.