Vehicle-occupant's status detecting device

• US 7,482,938 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2006
• Issued: 01/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Suzuki, Takeyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Bugg; George A
• Assistant Examiner(s): LAU, HOI CHING
• Application Number:
  US11/367,545
• Publication Number:
  US 20060219459A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,058 Days
• Field of Search: 340/576, 340/575, 340/539.12, 340/539.15, 340/573.1
• US Class Current: 340/576
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/002 Seats provided with an occupancy detection means mounted therein or thereon detection means responsive to presence or absence of children B60N2/266
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/06 indicating a condition of sleep, e.g. anti-dozing alarms

Abstract

A vehicle-occupant'"'"'s status detecting device is provided in a vehicle and includes a running-supporting device for supporting driving operations of a vehicle-occupant in the vehicle while the vehicle is moving. The vehicle-occupant'"'"'s status detecting device includes a biological data detecting device having a vibration-detecting sensor which detects biological data of the vehicle-occupant; and a detection-permitting device which permits, only when the running-supporting device is in operation while the vehicle is moving, the biological data detecting device to detect the biological data.

Claims

1. A vehicle-occupant'"'"'s status detecting device provided in a vehicle having a running-supporting device for actively assisting driving operations of a vehicle-occupant in the vehicle while the vehicle is moving, the vehicle-occupant'"'"'s status detecting device comprising:

a biological data detecting device having a vibration-detecting sensor which detects biological data of the vehicle-occupant; and

a detection-permitting device which permits the biological data detecting device to detect the biological data of the vehicle occupant, only the running-supporting device is activated and in operation while the vehicle is moving, and detection of a decrease of at least one of a pedal operation, a steering operation, and a shifting operation while the vehicle is moving; and

an output device which displays results detected by the biological data detecting device or issues an alarm when an abnormality is detected in the results detected by the biological data detecting device.

2. The vehicle-occupant'"'"'s status detecting device according to claim 1, wherein the detection-permitting device permits the biological data detecting device to detect the biological data after a predetermined time from a beginning of an operation of the running-supporting device.

3. The vehicle-occupant'"'"'s status detecting device according to claim 1, wherein the biological data detecting device detects the biological data for every predetermined time.

4. The vehicle-occupant'"'"'s status detecting device according to claim 1, further comprising

a noise-cancelling device which cancels a noise by generating a spatial vibration in opposition to noises inside of the vehicle and outside of the vehicle.

5. The vehicle-occupant'"'"'s status detecting device according to claim 1, further comprising

a noise-cancelling device which cancels a noise signal by generating a signal corresponding to a spatial vibration in opposition to noises inside of the vehicle and outside of the vehicle.

6. The vehicle-occupant'"'"'s status detecting device according to claim 1, wherein the running-supporting device is at least one of a cruise control device, an inter-vehicle distance control device, and a lane-tracking device.