Occupant detection system and occupant protection system

• US 7,719,413 B2
• Filed: 12/05/2007
• Issued: 05/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Itoh, Hiroyuki, Saitoh, Yukihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Previl; Daniel
• Application Number:
  US11/999,459
• Publication Number:
  US 20080143508A1
• Time in Patent Office: 895 Days
• Field of Search: 340/457.1, 340/573.1, 340/547, 340/667, 340435-436, 340/438, 340/545.1, 340/545.2, 340/430, 340/551, 340/941, 340/933, 340/686.2, 340/686.6, 340/686.5
• US Class Current: 340/457.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/4816 for sensing locking of buckle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/4858 for sensing pressure on seat
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/4866 Displaying or indicating arrangements thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01516 using force or pressure sensing means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/48 Control systems, alarms, or interlock systems, for the correct application of the belt or harness

Abstract

An occupant detection system includes occupant sensors on each of plural seats, first resistors in connection to each of the occupant sensors with different resistance values, a power supply line that supplies electric power to the sensors and resistors from a power source by connecting those parts and the power source, and a control unit that detects occupancy of each of the plural seats based on an electric current value of the power supply line. The occupant detection system having the above configuration detects the occupancy of each of the plural seats without increasing the number of input terminals on the control unit.

Claims

1. A seat occupant detection system comprising:

a plurality of seat occupancy sensor switches disposed on each of plural seats to detect occupancy of each of the plural seats by being conductive when each of the plural seats is occupied;

a plurality of first resistors that have respectively different resistance values in connection to each of the plurality of seat occupancy sensor switches;

a power supply line connected to the plurality of seat occupancy sensor switches and the plurality of first resistors on one end beside being connected to a power source that supplies electric power on an other end; and

a control unit that detects occupancy of each of the plural seats based on an electric current value on the power supply line, the power supply line connected to the control unit by one input terminal.

2. The seat occupant detection system of claim 1,

wherein the plurality of seat occupancy sensor switches are connected in parallel, and

each of the plurality of first resistors is connected in series in a corresponding manner to one of the plurality of seat occupancy sensor switches.

3. The seat occupant detection system of claim 1,

wherein the plurality of seat occupancy sensor switches are connected in series, and

each of the plurality of first resistors is connected in parallel in a corresponding manner to one of the plurality of seat occupancy sensor switches.

4. An occupant protection system comprising:

a plurality of seat occupancy sensor switches disposed on each of plural seats to detect occupancy of each of the plural seats by being conductive when each of the plural seats is occupied;

a plurality of first resistors that have respectively different resistance values in connection to each of the plurality of seat occupancy sensor switches;

a plurality of seat belt sensor switches disposed on each of a plurality of seat belts on the plural seats to detect wear of each of the plurality of seat belts by being conductive when each of the plurality of seat belts is worn;

a plurality of second resistors that have respectively different resistance values from each other and from the resistance values of the plurality of first resistors in connection to each of the plurality of seat belt sensor switches;

a power supply line connected to the plurality of seat occupancy sensor switches, the plurality of first resistors, the plurality of seat belt sensor switches, the plurality of second resistors on one end beside being connected to a power source that supplies electric power on an other end; and

each of the plurality of seat belt sensor switches is connected in series with each other and is connected in series to each of the plurality of seat occupancy sensor switches, and

each of the plurality of second resistors is connected in a corresponding manner in parallel with each of the seat belt sensor switches.

5. The occupant protection system of claim 4,

wherein the plurality of the seat occupancy sensor switches are connected in parallel,

each of the plurality of first resistors is connected in series in a corresponding manner to each of the plurality of seat occupancy sensor switches,

each of the plurality of seat belt sensor switches is connected in parallel with each other and is connected in parallel to each of the plurality of seat occupancy sensor switches, and

each of the plurality of second resistors is connected in a corresponding manner in series to each of the seat belt sensor switches.

6. The occupant protection system of claim 4,

wherein the plurality of the seat occupancy sensor switches are connected in series,

each of the plurality of first resistors is connected in parallel in a corresponding manner to each of the plurality of seat occupancy sensor switches, value on the power supply line, the cower supply line connected to the control unit by one input terminal.

7. The occupant protection system of claim 4,

wherein, when each of the plurality of seat belts on the plural seats is not worn, the control unit performs one of a lighting control and a blinking control of a seat belt warning lamp.

8. An occupant protection system comprising:

a plurality of seat occupancy sensor switches disposed on each of plural seats in connection in parallel to detect occupancy of each of the plural seats by being conductive when each of the plural seats is occupied;

a plurality of first resistors that have respectively different resistance values in connection in series to each of the plurality of seat occupancy sensor switches;

a plurality of seat belt sensor switches disposed on each of a plurality of seat belts on the plural seats in connection in series to detect wear of each of the plurality of seat belts by being conductive during wear of the seat belt and by being non-conductive during non-wear of the seat belt;

a power supply line connected to the plurality of seat occupancy sensor switches, the plurality of first resistors, and the plurality of seat belt sensor switches on one end beside being connected to a power source that supplies electric power on an other end; and

a control unit that detects wear of each of the plurality of seat belts on each of the plurality seats detected as occupied based on an electric current

a control unit having an input terminal, the control unit detecting wear of each of the plurality of seat belts on each of the plurality seats detected as occupied based on an electric current value on the power supply line, the power supply line connected to the control unit by the input terminal.

9. The occupant protection system of claim 8,

wherein, when each of the plurality of seat belts on the plural seats is not worn, the control unit performs one of a lighting control and a blinking control of a seat belt warning lamp.