Occupant sensor and method for seat belt or other monitoring
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A sensor system for seat belt monitoring or occupant detection, the sensor system comprising:
- a first antenna positioned adjacent to an occupant space;
a first circuit connected with the first antenna, the first circuit operable to sense with the first antenna;
a processor operable to determine an occupant state as a function of first information output by the first circuit; and
a communications path connected with the first circuit and the processor and operable to carry the first information from the first circuit to the processor, the processor spaced from the first circuit and the processor in a separate housing than the first circuit;
wherein the first circuit comprises a comparator operable to compare a voltage of the first antenna with a reference voltage; and
a resistor network operable to generate the reference voltage, wherein at least one resistor is switchably grounded, connected to a high voltage, or connected to a high impedance.
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Abstract
The change in voltage or current of the antenna is measured by the time to reach a particular voltage level. Using either charging and/or discharging, the times to reach two or more different levels of the total charge are measured. By providing sensor electronics with each sensor or antenna, a more versatile system may be provided. The sensors and associated electronics communicate using a bus or other communication path to a processor. The processor determines an occupant state based on the received sensor information. Different numbers of sensors may be used with the same system.
39 Citations
26 Claims
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1. A sensor system for seat belt monitoring or occupant detection, the sensor system comprising:
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a first antenna positioned adjacent to an occupant space; a first circuit connected with the first antenna, the first circuit operable to sense with the first antenna; a processor operable to determine an occupant state as a function of first information output by the first circuit; and a communications path connected with the first circuit and the processor and operable to carry the first information from the first circuit to the processor, the processor spaced from the first circuit and the processor in a separate housing than the first circuit; wherein the first circuit comprises a comparator operable to compare a voltage of the first antenna with a reference voltage; and a resistor network operable to generate the reference voltage, wherein at least one resistor is switchably grounded, connected to a high voltage, or connected to a high impedance. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method for seat belt monitoring or occupant detection, the method comprising:
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providing one or more sensor modules, each sensor module comprising at least one antenna and at least one measurement circuit, each sensor module operable to detect responsive to any occupant in a vehicle; providing for a common processor operable to determine an occupancy state as a function of the detections from the sensor modules; and arranging for communications from each of the sensor modules to the common processor, the common processor operable with different numbers of the sensor modules, and arranging for information from the common processor to the sensor modules. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12)
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13. A sensor system for seat belt monitoring or occupant detection, the sensor system comprising:
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a first antenna positioned adjacent to an occupant space; and a first circuit connected with the first antenna, the first circuit operable to change a voltage or current applied to the first antenna and operable to detect timing of a response of the first antenna to the change, the response being a discharge or charge over time where a rate of the response lags a rate of the change in the applied voltage or current, the lag between the rate of the response and the rate of the change being a function of a capacitance in the occupant space, and the timing corresponding to a time for the discharge or charge to occur, the timing detected during a transition from a first applied voltage to a second applied voltage. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method for seat belt monitoring or occupant detection, the method comprising:
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charging or discharging an antenna adjacent to an occupant space; timing the charging or discharging of the antenna relative to a reference level, the timing being an amount of time from a beginning of the charging or discharging determined as a function of a measurement made during a transition from a first level to a second level of voltage or current on the antenna, a rate of the transition being a function of capacitance in the occupant space; and determining an occupant state of the occupant space as a function of the timing. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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Specification