Occupancy detecting method and system

• US 7,808,395 B2
• Filed: 11/09/2007
• Issued: 10/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Emfit Oy
• Original Assignee: Emfit Oy
• Inventors: Virtanen, Tomi, Raisanen, Heikki
• Primary Examiner(s): Goins; Davetta W
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nwugo; Ojiako
• Application Number:
  US11/937,600
• Publication Number:
  US 20090121854A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,061 Days
• Field of Search: 340665-667, 340511-513, 324/207.11, 702 41- 43, 702 69- 76, 381/86, 381/302, 381/71.4, 381/389
• US Class Current: 340/667
• 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: B60R 21/01516 using force or pressure sensing means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01526 using piezoelectric elements
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01532 using electric or capacitive field sensors

Abstract

A method of and a system for detecting a person occupying a vehicle seat or a corresponding underlay whereby the underlay is provided with a single dynamic sensor and whereby the measurement signal is compared with a reference signal in comparing means, wherein the system comprises first measuring means for measuring a first measurement signal in a first frequency band representing a signal for human presence, and second measuring means for measuring the reference signal as a second measurement signal in a second frequency band representing a signal for background noise, comparing means for indicating an occupancy, wherein the signal strength in the first measurement signal in the first frequency band of human presence signal domination is compared to the signal strength in the reference signal in the second frequency band where essentially only background noise exists.

Claims

1. A method of detecting occupancy of a vehicle, the method comprising:

(a) filtering an initial signal in a first and a second band pass filter to result in a respective first and second frequency band;

(b) measuring in a first measuring means a first measurement signal in the first frequency band representing a first signal indicative of a human occupancy;

(c) measuring in a second measuring means a reference signal as a second measurement signal in the second frequency band representing a second signal indicative of background noise;

(d) comparing a first signal strength of the first measurement signal to a second signal strength of the second measurement signal in a comparing means; and

(e) detecting occupancy so that when the first signal strength is different from the second signal strength the occupancy has been detected; and

wherein the first and measuring means are directly connected to the respective first and second band pass filter.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein step (d) is performed by ratiometrically comparing the first and second signal strength.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein step (d) is performed comparing in a spectral analysis means the first and second signal strength for comparing the first frequency band to the second frequency band using spectral content analysis.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first frequency band comprises the signal indicative of human occupancy in the range of 2 to 18 Hz and wherein the second frequency band comprises the signal indicative of background noise in the range of 30 to 80 Hz.

5. An occupancy detection system for a vehicle, the system comprising:

an underlay comprising a single dynamic sensor for detecting an initial signal;

a first and a second band pass filter, each band pass filter arranged to filter a respective first and second frequency band from the initial signal;

a first measuring means for measuring a first measurement signal of the first frequency band representing a signal indicative of a human occupancy;

a second measuring means for measuring a reference signal as a second measurement signal of the second frequency band representing a signal indicative of background noise;

a comparing means for comparing a first signal strength of the first measurement signal to a second signal strength of the second measurement signal;

wherein when the first signal strength is different from the second signal strength the occupancy has been detected; and

wherein the first and measuring means are directly connected to the respective first and second band pass filter.

6. The system of claim 5, further comprising an amplifying means for amplifying the first and the second measurement signal.

7. The system of claim 5, further comprising a spectral analysis means for comparing the first frequency band to the second frequency band using spectral content analysis.

8. The system of claim 5, further comprising an spectral analysis means for comparing the first frequency band to the second frequency band using spectral content analysis.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the first frequency band comprises the signal indicative of human occupancy in the range of 2 to 18 Hz.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the second frequency band comprises the signal indicative of background noise in the range of 30 to 80 Hz.

11. The system of claim 5, further comprising a first and a second band pass power meter, each power meter arranged to the respective frequency band for metering a respective first and second RMS power, the first and second RMS power comprising the respective first and second measurement signal.

12. An occupancy detection system for a vehicle, the system comprising:

an underlay comprising a single dynamic sensor for detecting an initial signal;

a first and a second band pass filter, each band pass filter arranged to filter a respective first and second frequency band from the initial signal;

a first measuring means for measuring a first measurement signal in the first frequency band representing a signal indicative of a human occupancy;

a second measuring means for measuring a reference signal as a second measurement signal in the second frequency band representing a signal indicative of background noise;

a first and a second band pass power meter, each power meter arranged to the respective frequency band for metering a respective first and second RMS power;

wherein when the first RMS power is different than the second RMS power the occupancy has been detected; and

wherein the first and measuring means are directly connected to the respective first and second band pass filter.