Capacitance-type sensor and occupant detection system
First Claim
1. A capacitance-type sensor for detecting a condition of an occupant on a vehicle seat, the capacitance-type sensor comprising at least one electrode located within a detection area of the vehicle seat for generating an electric field over the detection area, whereinthe vehicle seat has a cushion, which is adapted to receive thighs and buttocks of a human body, and which includes the detection area,the detection area is formed based on a surface pressure distribution of an adult body sitting on the cushion and located only in front of a hip point design point of the cushion, which corresponds to a pivot center of a torso and thigh of a human body.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A capacitance-type sensor for detecting a condition of an occupant on a vehicle seat includes an electrode. The electrode is disposed within a detection area in the vehicle seat. The electrode generates an electric field. The detection area is based on a surface pressure distribution obtained when an adult sits on the seat.
43 Citations
25 Claims
-
1. A capacitance-type sensor for detecting a condition of an occupant on a vehicle seat, the capacitance-type sensor comprising at least one electrode located within a detection area of the vehicle seat for generating an electric field over the detection area, wherein
the vehicle seat has a cushion, which is adapted to receive thighs and buttocks of a human body, and which includes the detection area, the detection area is formed based on a surface pressure distribution of an adult body sitting on the cushion and located only in front of a hip point design point of the cushion, which corresponds to a pivot center of a torso and thigh of a human body.
-
18. An occupant detection system comprising:
-
a capacitance-type sensor disposed in a detection area of a seat that is defined on the basis of a surface pressure distribution in the seat obtained when an adult is seated and disposed in front of a hip point design point of the seat, the hip point design point corresponding to a pivot center of a torso and thigh of a human body, the sensor having a plurality of electrodes disposed in the detection area; and an occupant detection ECU which determines an occupant according to outputs from the plurality of electrodes, the occupant detection ECU is configured so that; when a previous decision result is “
adult,”
the occupant detection ECU maintains the decision result on the condition that;
an entire output total value is less than an entire output threshold value, the entire output total value being a total sum of the outputs from the electrodes disposed in all of the detection area; and
one of a first and a second partial output value is less than a first and a second partial output threshold value, respectively, wherein the first partial output total value is a total sum of the outputs from the electrodes disposed in a first part of the detection area and the second partial output total value is a total sum of the outputs from the electrodes disposed in a second part of the detection area. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 25)
-
-
21. An occupant detection system comprising:
-
a capacitance-type sensor disposed in a detection area of a seat that is defined on the basis of a surface pressure distribution in a seat obtained when an adult is seated end disposed in front of a hip point design point of the seat, the hip point design point corresponding to a pivot center of a torso and thigh of a human body, the sensor having a plurality of electrodes disposed in the detection area; and an occupant detection ECU that determines an occupant according to outputs from the plurality of electrodes, the occupant detection ECU is configured so that; when a previous decision result is “
adult”
, the occupant detection ECU maintains the decision result on the condition that;
an entire output total value is less than an entire output threshold value, the entire output total value being a total sum of the outputs from the electrodes disposed in all of the detection area; and
an absolute value of a difference between a first partial output total value which is the total sum of the outputs from the electrodes disposed in a first part of the detection area, and a second partial output total value which is the total sum of the outputs from the electrodes disposed in a second part of the detection area, exceeds a difference threshold value. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24)
-
Specification