Passenger detection apparatus

• US 7,476,861 B2
• Filed: 01/26/2006
• Issued: 01/13/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Global Micronics Corporation
• Original Assignee: Matsuda Micronics Corporation
• Inventors: Yajima, Hiroyuki, Ito, Mitsuyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Porta; David P
• Assistant Examiner(s): Green; Yara B
• Application Number:
  US11/339,828
• Publication Number:
  US 20060180764A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,083 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 250/338.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01534 using electromagneticwaves, e.g. infrared
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0154 in combination with seat heating
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 250/01 Passive intrusion detectors

Abstract

A passenger detection device that determines whether a passenger sits in a passenger seat or backseat, and if YES, determines whether the passenger is an adult or a child, and whether the passenger is sitting in a normal attitude. A pair of thermopile sensors 13 and 14 are disposed on a dashboard 11 at a predetermined distance from each other in a horizontal direction. The pair of thermopile sensors 13 and 14 are disposed such that they monitor a predetermined same position P on a surface of the passenger seat 12 when a passenger 15 does not sit in a passenger seat 12. Output signal which are output from the pair of thermopile sensors 13 and 14 are subtracted by a subtraction circuit 25, an output difference signal of the pair of thermopile sensors 13 and 14 is taken out, and it is detected whether a passenger sits in the seat by this signal.

Claims

1. A passenger detection apparatus for detecting whether a passenger sits in a seat of a vehicle, comprising a pair of thermopile sensors disposed in a horizontal direction at a predetermined distance from each other, and a subtraction means for taking out an output difference of detection voltages which are output from the pair of thermopile sensors, wherein the pair of thermopile sensors are disposed such that the thermopile sensors monitor a predetermined same position of the seat or around the seat when the passenger does not sit in the seat.

2. The passenger detection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pair of thermopile sensors comprise a plurality of thermopile devices arranged in an array consisting a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns.

3. The passenger detection apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a monitoring region of the thermopile devices of one of the thermopile sensors and a monitoring region of the thermopile devices of the other thermopile sensor are the same or overlapped on each other in a position of a background object.

4. The passenger detection apparatus according to claim 2, wherein it is distinguished whether the passenger is an adult or a child, and the passenger and a baggage are distinguished by means of the output difference of the columns in array of the thermopile devices.

5. The passenger detection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the passenger and the baggage are distinguished depending on fluctuation in output of the pair of thermopile sensors.

6. The passenger detection apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the passenger and the baggage are distinguished depending on fluctuation in output of the pair of thermopile sensors.

7. The passenger detection apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the passenger and the baggage are distinguished depending on fluctuation in output of the pair of thermopile sensors.