Device and method for checking and/or calibrating a passenger recognition device arranged in a vehicle seat

• US 7,818,989 B2
• Filed: 06/11/2009
• Issued: 10/26/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aptiv Technologies AG
• Original Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc. (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Inventors: Fischer, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): NOLAND, THOMAS
• Application Number:
  US12/482,508
• Publication Number:
  US 20090249857A1
• Time in Patent Office: 502 Days
• Field of Search: 73 108- 111, 73/11.3, 73/11.5, 700/245, 700260-261, 701/45, 901/14
• US Class Current: 73/1.08
• 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 21/01556 Child-seat detection systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 99/001 Testing of furniture, e.g. seats or mattresses

Abstract

The invention relates to a device and a method for checking and/or calibrating a passenger recognition device arranged in a vehicle seat, in the case of which device a child'"'"'s seat can be pressed against a vehicle seat and in the case of which method a vehicle seat is loaded with a child'"'"'s seat and a corresponding reaction from the passenger recognition device in the vehicle seat is evaluated.

Claims

1. In a system comprising a child seat, a vehicle seat having a passenger recognition device, a robot for pressing the child seat against the vehicle seat, and an evaluation unit receiving a response from the passenger recognition device, a method for calibrating the passenger recognition device in the vehicle seat comprising the steps of:

actuating the robot to press the child seat against the vehicle seat while applying a predetermined combination of a force and a torque; and

evaluating a measured value from the passenger recognition device based upon the combination of the force and the torque.

2. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the predetermined combination of the force and the torque is based upon a combination of a weight of an occupant in the child seat and a tension exerted on the child seat by a vehicle seat belt used for securing the child seat to the vehicle seat.

3. The method in accordance with claim 2, wherein actuating the robot applies a plurality of combinations of force and torque.

4. The method in accordance with claim 3, further comprising storing the plurality of combinations of forces and torques in a memory unit.

5. The method in accordance with claim 3, wherein the predetermined combination of the force and the torque is based upon a child seat geometry and a vehicle seat geometry.

6. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the system has a plurality of child seats and a plurality of vehicle seats, and wherein the method further comprises actuating the robot to select a first child seat from the plurality of child seats and pressing the first child seat against a vehicle seat and thereafter to select a second child seat from the plurality of child seats and press the second child seat against the vehicle seat.