Vehicle occupant presence and position sensing system
DCFirst Claim
1. In a vehicle having occupant protection means for protecting an occupant of said vehicle and decision making means for controlling said occupant protection means, the improvement comprising:
- a vehicle seat comprising capacitor electrodes,seat occupant classifying means responsive to capacitance between said capacitor electrodes by classifying an occupant of said seat into one of a set of classes, said set comprising a class comprising adult humans and a class comprising infant humans in infant seats, andmeans for enabling said decision making means to consider said class when said controlling said occupant protection means.
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Abstract
Sensors in a vehicle seat provide data for classifying occupants. Information from the sensors may be used to determine the position of an occupant relative to the seat and relative to the vehicle, the weight of the occupant, whether the seat belt is latched, and the position of the occupant relative to an airbag before and during a crash. Situations wherein airbag deployment is not desired are identified. A particularly inexpensive system meets the occupant classification needs of a system comprising a low risk deployment passenger airbag.
26 Citations
20 Claims
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1. In a vehicle having occupant protection means for protecting an occupant of said vehicle and decision making means for controlling said occupant protection means, the improvement comprising:
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a vehicle seat comprising capacitor electrodes, seat occupant classifying means responsive to capacitance between said capacitor electrodes by classifying an occupant of said seat into one of a set of classes, said set comprising a class comprising adult humans and a class comprising infant humans in infant seats, and means for enabling said decision making means to consider said class when said controlling said occupant protection means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. In a vehicle having a seat and means for protecting an occupant of said seat, the improvement comprising a module in said seat comprising plastic film formed into a sealed cavity containing:
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a multiplicity of capacitor electrodes, and means responsive to capacitance between said capacitor electrodes by providing a signal enabling said means for protecting an occupant of said seat to be responsive to capacitance between said capacitor electrodes when said protecting said occupant of said seat, whereby low cost seat occupant classification is achieved.
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15. In a vehicle comprising:
- a seat upholstered with upholstering material, occupant protection means for protecting an occupant of said vehicle, and decision making means for controlling said occupant protection means, the improvement comprising;
capacitor electrodes extending in close proximity to said upholstering material, and means responsive to capacitance between said capacitor electrodes by transmitting information to said decision making means, and wherein said decision making means is responsive to said information when said controlling said occupant protection means. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
- a seat upholstered with upholstering material, occupant protection means for protecting an occupant of said vehicle, and decision making means for controlling said occupant protection means, the improvement comprising;
Specification