Locking system for a motor vehicle and method for controlling such a locking system

• US 7,434,650 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2005
• Issued: 10/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Stielow, Arnd, Hofbeck, Klaus, Rosel, Birgit, Wagner, Roland, Pfau, Lorenz
• Primary Examiner(s): Fleming; Faye M.
• Application Number:
  US11/214,579
• Publication Number:
  US 20060044124A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,141 Days
• Field of Search: 180/281, 180/271, 180/273, 340/438
• US Class Current: 180/281
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01512 Passenger detection systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01534 using electromagneticwaves, e.g. infrared
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01536 using ultrasonic waves
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/20 Means to switch the anti-theft system on or off

Abstract

A classifying seat occupancy detection device is used to classify whether a particular seat is occupied by an adult, an infant or not at all. Depending on the classification the door lock assigned to the seat is automatically switched either to a childproof mode or to a non-childproof mode, without the vehicle driver having to do anything.

Claims

1. A locking system for a motor vehicle, the locking system comprising:

at least one door lock disposed on a vehicle door and associated with at least one seat, said at least one door lock being switchable between a first mode in which said at least one door lock cannot be unlocked from inside the vehicle and a second mode in which said at least one door lock can be unlocked from inside the vehicle;

at least one classifying seat occupancy detection device for detecting a seat occupancy of the at least one seat and for classifying a person sitting on the at least one seat; and

a central control device having a data link connected to said at least one classifying seat occupancy detection device and said at least one door lock, and in dependence on a classification of the person sitting on the at least one seat automatically switches said at least one door lock to said first mode or said second mode.

2. The locking system according to claim 1, wherein said classifying seat occupancy detection device classifies whether the person sitting on said at least one seat is an adult or an infant.

3. The locking system according to claim 1, wherein said at least one door lock is assigned to a rear vehicle door.

4. The locking system according to claim 1, wherein said central control device switches said at least one door lock of the vehicle door assigned to the at least one seat to said second mode only if said classifying seat occupancy detection device classifies an adult on the at least one seat.

5. The locking system according to claim 1, wherein said central control device switches all door locks of rear vehicle doors to said first mode if said classifying seat occupancy detection device classifies an infant on the at least one seat.

6. The locking system according to claim 1, wherein said central control device switches said at least one door lock of the vehicle door assigned to the at least one seat to said first mode if said classifying seat occupancy detection device detects no seat occupancy of the at least one seat.

7. The locking system according to claim 1, wherein said at least one classifying seat occupancy detection device includes a transmit/receive device transmitting a frequency modulated signal and at least one reflector reflecting the signal back to said transmit/receive device.

8. A method for controlling a locking system of a motor vehicle, which comprises the steps of:

detecting a seat occupancy of at least one seat and classifying a person sitting on the at least one seat using at least one classifying seat occupancy detection device; and

switching at least one door lock, which is provided on a vehicle door associated with the at least one seat, to a first mode or to a second mode in dependence on a classification of the person sitting on the at least one seat using a central control device having a data link connected to the classifying seat occupancy detection device and to the at least one door lock;

the first mode being a mode in which the at least one door lock cannot be unlocked from inside the vehicle and the second mode being a mode in which the at least one door lock can be unlocked from inside the vehicle.

9. The method according to claim 8, which further comprises classifying, via the classifying seat occupancy detection device, whether the person sitting on the at least one seat is an adult or an infant.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein the central control device performs the step of switching the at least one door lock of the vehicle door assigned to the at least one seat to the second mode only if the classifying seat occupancy detection device classifies an adult on the at least one seat.

11. The method according to claim 8, wherein the central control device performs the step of switching all door locks of rear vehicle doors to the first mode if the classifying seat occupancy detection device classifies an infant on the at least one seat.

12. The method according to claim 8, wherein the central control device performs the step of switching the at least one door lock of the vehicle door assigned to the at least one seat to the first mode if the classifying seat occupancy detection device does not detect any seat occupancy of the at least one seat.