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Hardware independent mapping of multiple sensor configurations for classification of persons

  • US 7,460,938 B2
  • Filed: 11/12/2004
  • Issued: 12/02/2008
  • Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2000
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A method for classifying vehicle occupants by measuring seat occupant weight comprising the steps of:

  • (a) mounting a plurality of sensors within a seat structure such that the plurality of sensors are mounted in a predetermined sensor configuration having a plurality of discrete sensor locations;

    (b) generating a plurality of occupant weight signals from the plurality of sensors in response to a weight force applied to the seat structure including generating a weight signal from each discrete sensor location;

    (c) mapping the plurality of occupant weight signals from the plurality of sensors into a virtual matrix wherein the virtual matrix comprises a theoretical sensor configuration having a plurality of virtual sensor positions and wherein the virtual matrix includes a greater number of virtual sensor positions than discrete sensor locations, and including mapping the plurality of occupant weight signals into the plurality of virtual sensor positions including mapping each weight signal into one of the plurality of virtual sensor positions, and determining which virtual sensor positions do not have corresponding mapped weight signals and assigning a value for each of the remaining virtual sensor positions based on weight signal data from discrete sensor locations surrounding each of the remaining virtual sensor positions; and

    (d) determining seat occupant weight based on output from the virtual matrix.

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