Optical seat occupation sensor network

• US 7,162,111 B2
• Filed: 06/10/2002
• Issued: 01/09/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Chemtron Research LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Daimler Chrysler Company LLC (Stellantis NV)
• Inventors: Baur, Richard, Huber, Hans-Peter, Zeeb, Eberhard
• Primary Examiner(s): Healy; Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): PENG, CHARLIE YU
• Application Number:
  US10/482,422
• Publication Number:
  US 20040240776A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,674 Days
• Field of Search: 385/12, 385/13
• US Class Current: 385/13
• 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 2021/01095 optical
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0153 using field detection presence sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01538 for image processing, e.g. cameras or sensor arrays

Abstract

The invention relates to a sensor arrangement for seat occupation detection, comprising a fiber-optic sensor network consisting of at least two sensors. The sensor network detest for example local damping modifications in a fiber network that are caused by microbends or modifications of the Bragg wavelength of fiber-optic Bragg grating sensors (FBGS) distributed in the fiber network that are ceased by loads. The optical sensor network is resistant to electromagnetic parasitic inductions. Due to the nature of the optical lass or polymer optical fibers it is for example possible to integrate the network into the textile cover of the seat or into a cushion.

Claims

1. A sensor arrangement for detecting seat occupancy of a seat having a top seating surface area, wherein

a fiber-optic sensor network including at least two sensors distributed in a fiber network in the top seating surface area, and

wherein an analysis of seat load distribution can be made on the basis of changes in sensor signals.

2. The sensor arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the fiber-optic sensor network is integrated in the seat.

3. The sensor arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the sensors detect micro-curvatures and changes in damping caused thereby.

4. The sensor arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the sensors are Bragg grating sensors, which are operated either in reflection or transmission mode.

5. The sensor arrangement according to claim 1,

wherein the optical sensor network is comprised of sensors (S1 through SN),

wherein for each sensor a fiber line (F) in the fiber network leads to an individual detector in a detector plane (E),

wherein light from one or more light sources (L) is coupled in to the various sensor fiber lines, and

wherein a classifying or reading-out unit resolves the load distribution over the seating surface area by separately reading-out the individual sensor branches.

6. The sensor arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the sensors are arranged in a cascade arrangement and wherein the load distribution over the top seating surface area is determined by the cascading of individual sensors.

7. The sensor arrangement according to claim 1, wherein wherein the sensor network is woven into the cover of the seat.

8. The sensor arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the sensor network is integrated in a seat pillow.

9. The sensor arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the load distribution enables a determination of the position of a person seated on the seat.

10. A vehicle occupant active restraint system comprising:

a vehicle airbag passenger restraint system adapted to deploy in the event of a collision;

a sensor arrangement for detecting seat occupancy of a seat having a top seating surface area, the sensor arrangement having a fiber-optic sensor network including at least two sensors distributed in a fiber network in the top seating surface area;

an analysis module for determining seat load distribution on the basis of changes in sensor signals; and

an airbag deployment module receiving signals from said analysis module and sending signals to one or more airbag to deploy said one or more airbag with a forcefulness correlated to the seat load distribution determined by said analysis module.

11. The vehicle occupant active restraint system as in claim 10,

wherein said airbag passenger restraint system comprises two or more air bags associated with different areas of at least one vehicle seat, wherein each of said airbags is independently of the other adapted to deploy with a variable force according to a signal received by the airbag deployment module;

and

wherein said airbag deployment module deploy each of said airbags with a force depending upon signals corresponding to the seat load distribution as determined by said analysis module.