Occupant determining device

• US 7,584,037 B2
• Filed: 07/17/2003
• Issued: 09/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Itoh, Daisuke, Nagae, Norihiko, Sakai, Morio, Mori, Masaki, Hasegawa, Yasunori, Izawa, Minoru
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Kim T
• Application Number:
  US10/620,594
• Publication Number:
  US 20040068356A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,238 Days
• Field of Search: 701/45
• US Class Current: 701/45
• 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: B60N 2/0021 characterised by the type of sensor or measurement
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/003 characterised by the sensor mounting location in or on the seat
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0035 characterised by the sensor data transmission, e.g. wired connections or wireless transmitters therefor; characterised by the sensor data processing, e.g. seat sensor signal amplification or electric circuits for providing seat sensor information
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2210/42 Strain gauges
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2230/30 Signal processing of sensor data
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01516 using force or pressure sensing means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0152 using strain gauges

Abstract

An occupant determining device includes a load detecting sensor provided on a seat body and a controller. The controller calculates a detected load value based on an output value of the load detecting sensor and performs occupant determination based on the detected load value. The occupant determination state is switched to an adult determination state when a certain delaying time elapses after the detected load value exceeds a determination threshold. The controller sets plural determination thresholds, and the larger each determination threshold being exceeded by the detected load value is, the shorter the delaying time is set.

Claims

1. An occupant determining device, comprising:

a load detecting sensor provided on a seat body; and

a controller calculating a detected load value based on an output value of the load detecting sensor and performing occupant determination based on the detected load value,

wherein the controller sets a first determination threshold and a second determination threshold larger than the first determination threshold,

wherein if the detected load value falls between the first and second determination thresholds and continues for a first time duration, the controller switches an occupant determination state to an adult determination state, and

wherein if the detected load value exceeds the second determination threshold and continues for a second time duration which is shorter than the first time duration, the controller switches the occupant determination state to the adult determination state.

2. An occupant determining device, comprising:

a load detecting sensor provided at a seat; and

a controller calculating a detected load value based on an output value of the load detecting sensor and performing occupant determination based on the detected load value,

wherein the controller sets a first determination threshold and a second determination threshold larger than the first determination threshold,

wherein if the detected load value falls between the first and second determination thresholds and continues for a first time duration, the controller switches an occupant determination state to an adult determination state from a child determination state, and

wherein if the detected load value exceeds the second determination threshold and continues for a second time duration which is shorter than the first time duration, the controller switches the occupant determination state to the adult determination state from the child determination state.

3. An occupant determining device, comprising:

a load detecting sensor provided on a seat body to detect a load applied by an occupant to a seat;

a controller which calculates a detected load value based on an output value of the load detecting sensor and performs occupant setting in which an occupant determination state is set based on the detected load value detected by the load detecting sensor;

the controller changing the occupant determination state to the adult determination state when the detected load value is between a first determination threshold and a second determination threshold for a first time duration, the second determination threshold being larger than the first determination threshold;

the controller changing the occupant determination state to the adult determination state when the detected load value exceeds the second determination threshold for a second time duration; and

the controller changing the occupant determination state to the adult determination state sooner when the detected load value exceeds the second determination threshold for the second time duration than when the detected load value is between the first and second determination thresholds for the first time duration.