Vehicle passenger detecting device

• US 7,478,699 B2
• Filed: 02/06/2006
• Issued: 01/20/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Calsonic Kansei Corporation
• Original Assignee: Calsonic Kansei Corporation
• Inventors: Yagi, Toshinori, Kawakami, Takahiro, Kobayashi, Masatoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Ellis; Christopher
• Assistant Examiner(s): ROCCA, JOSEPH M
• Application Number:
  US11/347,365
• Publication Number:
  US 20060180376A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,079 Days
• Field of Search: 180/273, 180/271, 180/268, 180/282, 280/735, 701/45
• US Class Current: 180/273
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01516 using force or pressure sensing means

Abstract

A vehicle passenger detecting device includes a judging circuit (6), which judges whether a passenger seated on a seat (1) is a child or not based on a load acting on each of areas of a seat portion (1a) of the seat for a vehicle, and the judging circuit (6), with a fastened sate of a seat belt (5a), judges whether or not a total load acting on the entire area of the seat portion is within a predetermined range, and when the total load is within the predetermined range, if a front outer load acting on a front outer area is a first threshold or more and the ratio of the front outer load to a front inner load acting on a front inner area is a second threshold or more, or the ratio of both outer loads acting on both of outer areas to both inner loads acting on both of inner areas is a third threshold or more, the judging circuit judges (6) that a seated passenger is a child.

Claims

1. A vehicle passenger detecting device comprising:

a judging circuit, which judges whether a passenger seated on a seat is a child or not, based on a load acting on each of areas of a front inner area, a front outer area, a rear inner area and a rear outer area of a seat portion of the seat for a vehicle,

wherein a vehicle exterior side of the seat is disposed with a anchor, which connects a seat belt provided with a tongue plate to a body of the vehicle, and a vehicle interior side of the seat is disposed with a buckle in which the tongue plate is releasably locked,

wherein the front inner area of the seat portion is provided with a front inner area sensor which detects the load acting on the front inner area, the front outer area of the seat portion is provided with a front outer area sensor which detects the load acting on the front outer area, the rear inner area of the seat portion is provided with a rear inner area sensor which detects the load acting on the rear inner area, and the rear outer area of the seat portion is provided with a rear outer area sensor which detects the load acting on the rear outer area,

wherein the judging circuit, with a fastened state of the seat belt, is configured to compare a total load value obtained by the area sensors of an entire area with critical values, which prescribe a predetermined range, and to judge whether or not the total load value is within the predetermined range, and when the total load value is within the predetermined range, the judging circuit is configured to compare a front outer load value obtained by the front outer area sensor with a first threshold, and compare a ratio of the front outer load value obtained by the front outer area sensor to a front inner load value obtained by the front inner area sensor with a second threshold, wherein if the front outer load value is the first threshold or more and the ratio of the front outer load value to the front inner load value is the second threshold or more, the judging circuit is configured to judge that a seated passenger is a child, or the judging circuit is configured to compare the ratio of both outer load values obtained by both of the outer area sensors to both inner load values obtained by both of the inner area sensors with a third threshold, wherein if the ratio of both outer load values to both inner load values is the third threshold or more, the judging circuit is configured to judge that a seated passenger is a child.

2. The vehicle passenger detecting device according to claim 1, wherein an upper critical value, which prescribes an upper limit of the predetermined range, is obtained by a sum of a weight of a heaviest child restraint system in child restraint systems prescribed by a regulation, a maximum fastening force of a child restraint system by a seat belt prescribed by a regulation, and a maximum weight of a child using a child restraint system prescribed by a regulation.

3. The vehicle passenger detecting device according to claim 1, wherein the first threshold is set to a minimum value of the front outer load value obtained by the front outer area sensor when fastening of the child restraint system by the seat belt.

4. The vehicle passenger detecting device according to claim 3, wherein the first threshold is set to about 3 kg.

5. The vehicle passenger detecting device according to claim 1, wherein the second threshold is set to about 1.9.

6. The vehicle passenger detecting device according to claim 1, wherein the third threshold is set to about 2.0.

7. A vehicle passenger detecting device comprising;

a judging circuit, which judges whether a passenger seated on a seat is a child or not based on a load acting on each of areas of a front inner area, a front outer area, a rear inner area and a rear outer area of a seat portion of the seat for a vehicle,

wherein a vehicle exterior side of the seat is disposed with a anchor, which connects a seat belt provided with a tongue plate to a body of the vehicle, and a vehicle interior side of the seat is disposed with a buckle in which the tongue plate is releasably locked,

wherein the front inner area of the seat portion is provided with a front inner area sensor which detects the load acting on the front inner area, the front outer area of the seat portion is provided with a front outer area sensor which detects the load acting on the front outer area, the rear inner area of the seat portion is provided with a rear inner area sensor which detects the load acting on the rear inner area, and the rear outer area of the seat portion is provided with a rear outer area sensor which detects the load acting on the rear outer area,

wherein the judging circuit, with a fastened state of the seat belt, is configured to compare a total load value obtained by the area sensors of an entire area with critical values, which prescribe a predetermined range, and to judge whether the total load value is within a predetermined range or not, and when the total load value is within the predetermined range, the judging circuit is configured to compare a ratio of the load values of both outer areas obtained by both of the outer area sensors of the total load value with a predetermined threshold, and to judge a seated passenger is a child if the ratio of the load values of both outer areas of the total load is the predetermined threshold or more, and the judging circuit is configured to change the threshold depending on a size of the total load value.

8. A vehicle passenger detecting device comprising:

a judging circuit, which judges whether a passenger seated on a seat is a child or not based on a load acting on each of areas of a front inner area, a front outer area, a rear inner area and a rear outer area of a seat portion of the seat for a vehicle,

wherein the front inner area of the seat portion is provided with a front inner area sensor which detects the load acting on the front inner area, the front outer area of the seat portion is provided with a front outer area sensor which detects the load acting on the front outer area, the rear inner area of the seat portion is provided with a rear inner area sensor which detects the load acting on the rear inner area, and the rear outer area of the seat portion is provided with a rear outer area sensor which detects the load acting on the rear outer area,

wherein the judging circuit is configured to compare a total load value obtained by the area sensors of an entire area with critical values, which prescribe a predetermined range, and to judge whether or not the total load value is within the predetermined range, and when the total load value is within the predetermined range, the judging circuit is configured to compare a front outer load value obtained by the front outer area sensor with a first threshold, and compare a ratio of the front outer load value obtained by the front outer area sensor to a front inner load value obtained by the front inner area sensor with a second threshold, wherein if the front outer load value is the first threshold or more and the ratio of the front outer load value to the front inner load value is the second threshold or more, the judging circuit is configured to compare the ratio of both outer load values obtained by both of the outer area sensors to both inner load values obtained by both of the inner area sensors with a third threshold, wherein if the ratio of both outer load values to both inner load values is the third threshold or more, the judging circuit is configured to judge that seated passenger is a child.