Child restraint system with in-motion belt status monitoring

• US 7,325,870 B2
• Filed: 09/08/2005
• Issued: 02/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aptiv Technologies AG (Aptiv PLC)
• Original Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc. (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Inventors: Porter, Stephen B., Kincaid, Kevin D., Fortune, Duane D., Wallner, Edward J., Sullivan, Stuart S., Lawrence, Rodney A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nelson, Jr.; Milton
• Application Number:
  US11/222,028
• Publication Number:
  US 20060049929A1
• Time in Patent Office: 880 Days
• Field of Search: 297/217.3, 297/217.2, 297/467, 297/473, 297/483, 297/250.1, 340/457.1, 701/45, 280/801.1
• US Class Current: 297/250.1
• 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 2/0264 characterised by the type of electrical connection, e.g. wiring, plugs or USB
• 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 2/272 Buckle lock sensors for child seat safety belts
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2812 for securing the child to the child seat
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2821 having a seat and a base part
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2845 having handles
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2887 Fixation to a transversal anchorage bar, e.g. isofix
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/4808 Sensing means arrangements therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/485 for sensing belt anchor position, belt orientation, or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01556 Child-seat detection systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/48 Control systems, alarms, or interlock systems, for the correct application of the belt or harness
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6683 with built-in sensor
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2201/26 for vehicles

Abstract

A child restraint system includes a belt assembly for restraining a child occupant and a control unit for monitoring proper adjustment of the belt assembly. The belt assembly may include a belt harness affixed to the child restraint system or a vehicle belt seat. The child restraint system also includes a sensor for detecting the presence of the child occupant, a sensor for determining whether the belt assembly is properly adjusted, and a sensor for determining whether the vehicle is in motion. The control unit provides an alert signal if the child is present, the vehicle is in motion and the belt assembly is not properly adjusted.

Claims

1. A child restraint system comprising

a belt assembly for restraining a child occupant within the child restraint system;

a child presence sensor mounted on the child restraint system and providing a child present signal indicative of a presence of the child occupant within the child restraint system;

a sensor mounted on the child restraint system and providing a belt adjustment signal indicative of proper adjustment of the belt assembly;

a sensor mounted on the child restraint system and providing a vehicle motion signal in response to motion of the vehicle; and

a control unit adapted to receive the child present signal, the belt adjustment signal and the vehicle motion signal and comprising a microprocessor configured to determine whether a child occupant is present, whether the belt assembly is properly adjusted, and whether the vehicle is in motion, and further to provide an alert signal when the child occupant is present, the vehicle is in motion and the belt assembly is not properly adjusted.

2. A child restraint system in accordance with claim 1 wherein the belt assembly comprises a vehicle seat belt or a harness fixed to the child restraint system.

3. A child restraint system in accordance with claim 1 wherein the belt assembly comprises a vehicle seat belt, and the sensor mounted on the child restraint system and providing the belt adjustment signal detects the position of the vehicle seat belt.

4. A child restraint system in accordance with claim 1 wherein the belt assembly comprises a vehicle seat belt, and wherein the child restraint system comprises a guide for properly positioning the vehicle belt seat, said guide comprising the sensor for providing the belt adjustment signal indicative of proper adjustment of the belt assembly, the sensor detecting the vehicle seat belt within the guide.

5. A child restraint system in accordance with claim 1 wherein the sensor providing the vehicle motion signal comprises an accelerometer.

6. A child restraint system in accordance with claim 5 wherein the accelerometer provides a signal based upon vehicle acceleration, and wherein the microprocessor calculates an integral of the vehicle acceleration signals over time and determines vehicle motion based upon the integral.

7. A child restraint system in accordance with claim 6 wherein the control unit provides an alert signal if a child occupant is present, the belt assembly is not properly adjusted and the integral is not 0.

8. A child restraint system in accordance with claim 6 wherein the microprocessor calculates the integral by adding the value of the acceleration signal to a velocity register.

9. A method for monitoring conditions of a child restraint system of a vehicle, said child restraint system comprising a belt assembly for restraining a child occupant within the child restraint system, said method comprising

detecting a child occupant in the child restraint system;

determining whether the belt assembly is properly adjusted for restraining the child occupant;

determining whether the vehicle is in motion; and

if the vehicle is in motion and the belt assembly is not properly adjusted, issuing an alert.

10. A method in accordance with claim 9 wherein the belt assembly comprises a vehicle seat belt or a harness fixed to the child restraint system.

11. A method in accordance with claim 9 wherein the belt assembly comprises a vehicle seat belt, and wherein the method comprises detecting a position of the vehicle seat belt indicative of proper adjustment of the vehicle seat belt.

12. A method in accordance with claim 9 wherein the belt assembly comprises a vehicle seat belt, and wherein the child restraint system comprises a guide for properly positioning the vehicle seat belt, and further wherein the step of determining proper adjustment of the belt assembly is based upon detection of the vehicle seat belt within the guide.

13. A method in accordance with claim 9 wherein the step of determining the vehicle motion comprises receiving an acceleration signal from an accelerometer mounted on the child restraint system and calculating an integral of said acceleration signal over time.

14. A method in accordance with claim 13 wherein the alert is issued if the belt assembly is not properly adjusted and the integral is not 0.

15. A method in accordance with claim 13 wherein the calculating of the integral of the acceleration signal comprises receiving an acceleration signal for the accelerometer and adding the value of the acceleration signal to a velocity register.