Device for detecting vehicle seat occupancy

• US 8,013,727 B2
• Filed: 06/02/2008
• Issued: 09/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Key Safety Systems, Inc. (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Key Safety Systems, Inc. (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Specht, Martin, Kilian, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): La; Anh V
• Application Number:
  US12/131,146
• Publication Number:
  US 20090015394A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,191 Days
• Field of Search: 340/457.1, 340/438, 340/439, 340/458, 340/459, 340/461, 340/469, 340/425.5, 340/457, 180/267, 180/268, 280/735
• 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 2022/4891 preventing use of the vehicle when the seatbelt is not fastened
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01532 using electric or capacitive field sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01546 using belt buckle sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/48 Control systems, alarms, or interlock systems, for the correct application of the belt or harness

Abstract

A device for detecting the occupancy status of a vehicle seat with an electrical capacity sensor device that is arranged in a seat belt buckle assigned to the vehicle seat and whose electrical capacity is altered relative to a reference potential (mass, ground) by the presence of a person occupying the vehicle seat and which, as a result, emits an electrical seat occupant presence output signal.

Claims

1. A device for detecting the occupancy status of a seat of a vehicle comprising a sensor device for detecting the presence of a person on the seat and an analysis unit analyzing the sensor signal, with the sensor device being arranged in the seat belt buckle assigned to the seat, the sensor device being an electrical capacity sensor device whose electrical capacity is altered by the presence of a person occupying the seat and which, as a result, emits an electrical seat occupant presence output signal.

2. The device according to claim 1 wherein the seat belt buckle includes a buckle locking detector that detects the locking of a buckle tongue in the seat belt buckle and emits an electrical buckle locking signal.

3. The device according to claim 2 wherein the outputs of the electrical capacity sensor device and the buckle locking detector are connected to a logic circuit.

4. The device according to claim 3, characterized in that, in the case of a positive seat occupant presence output signal, an airbag device assigned to the occupied seat is prepared for deployment.

5. The device according to claim 3 wherein, in the case of a positive seat occupant presence output signal and a lack of a buckle locking signal, a signal device is activated by the logic circuit to initiate a “

fasten seat belt”

signal.

6. The device according to claim 3 wherein, in the case of a positive seat occupant presence output signal and a lack of a belt locking signal, a vehicle'"'"'s engine starting device is actuated by the logic circuit to block the vehicle'"'"'s engine from starting.

7. The device according to claim 1 wherein the capacity of an oscillating circuit located in an analysis circuit of the electrical capacity sensor device may be altered by the capacity between sensor electrodes of the electrical capacity sensor device detecting the presence of a person occupying the seat.

8. The device according to claim 1 wherein the electrical capacity sensor device may be activated by opening a vehicle door.

9. The device according to claim 1 wherein the capacity device may be deactivated by locking a vehicle door.

10. The device according to claim 2 wherein the buckle tongue has a transponder fixed thereto that carries a code assigned to the buckle tongue that is detected by a detector provided on the seat belt buckle.

11. The device according to claim 10 wherein the buckle locking detector detects the code.

12. A device for detecting the occupancy status of a seat of a vehicle comprising a sensor device for detecting the presence of a person on the seat and an analysis unit analyzing the sensor signal, with the sensor device being arranged in the seat belt buckle assigned to the seat, the sensor device being an electrical capacity sensor device whose electrical capacity is altered by the presence of a person occupying the seat and which, as a result, emits an electrical seat occupant presence output signal, and the seat belt buckle includes a buckle locking detector that detects the locking of a buckle tongue in the seat belt buckle and emits an electrical buckle locking signal, the outputs of the electrical capacity sensor device and the buckle locking detector being connected to a logic circuit, the buckle tongue having a transponder fixed thereto that carries a code assigned to the buckle tongue that is detected by a detector provided on the seat belt buckle.