Capacitive sensor for morphological discrimination of a motor vehicle seat occupant

• US 8,033,182 B2
• Filed: 07/21/2006
• Issued: 10/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Computer Products (Europe) SAS (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Computer Products (Europe) SAS (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Voisin, Florent, Launay, Claude, Da Silva, Joaquim
• Primary Examiner(s): Caputo; Lisa
• Assistant Examiner(s): DAVIS, OCTAVIA L
• Application Number:
  US11/996,960
• Publication Number:
  US 20080211213A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,908 Days
• Field of Search: 737/80, 738/626.25, 738/623.91, 738/62, 736/25, 177/210.C, 280/734, 280/735, 340/666, 340/667
• US Class Current: 73/780
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/2405 by varying dielectric

Abstract

A detection assembly for detecting a morphology of a person is provided. The assembly includes a sensor and a processing unit. The sensor includes (i) first and second main linear electrodes covering different zones of a plane, and (ii) a third auxiliary linear electrode having substantially at least an open loop shape and almost entirely surrounding the first and second main electrodes in said plane. The processing unit is connected to the electrodes and is for (i) powering the electrodes at controlled voltage levels, (ii) making use of signals taken from the electrodes in the form of ratios between two of the signals, and (iii) delivering binary signals representing a percentage by which a main electrode is covered by comparison of a signal taken from the main electrodes with a predetermined threshold, and analog signals representing a percentage of covering of at least one electrode.

Claims

1. A detection assembly for detecting a morphology of a person, comprising:

a sensor that comprises (i) first and second main linear electrodes covering different zones of a plane, and (ii) a third auxiliary linear electrode having substantially at least an open loop shape and almost entirely surrounding the first and second main electrodes in said plane, and

a processing unit connected to the electrodes, wherein the processing unit is for;

(i) powering the electrodes at controlled voltage levels,

(ii) making use of signals taken from the electrodes in a form of ratios between two of the signals, and

(iii) delivering binary signals representing a percentage by which a main electrode is covered by comparison of a signal taken from the main electrodes with a predetermined threshold, and analog signals representing a percentage of covering of at least one electrode.

2. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the first and second main electrodes comprise main elements that extend in opposite directions in relation to a general plane of symmetry.

3. The assembly according to claim 2, wherein each of the main electrodes is “

L”

shaped, and the auxiliary electrode is “

T”

shaped with an upright and a head formed from an open loop that surrounds the main elements of the main electrodes.

4. The assembly according to claim 2, wherein each of the main electrodes is “

L”

shaped, and the auxiliary electrode is “

T”

shaped with an upright and a head formed from two open loops that respectively surround the main elements of the main electrodes.

5. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the main electrodes comprise main elements that are rectilinear and aligned with each other.

6. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the main electrodes comprise main elements that are non-rectilinear.

7. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the electrodes are positioned on a flexible support.

8. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the electrodes are positioned on a support made from any thermoplastic material.

9. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the electrodes are positioned on a support made from a material that is stable with temperature and humidity.

10. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the electrodes are positioned on a support exhibiting a dielectric constant of ∈

<

4.

11. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the sensor is coated with a waterproof film, that is stable with temperature and humidity and of low permittivity.

12. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the processing unit is for applying an electric field to one or more of the electrodes, by applying a ground potential or a voltage at a controlled level, typically equal to that of an electrode to be measured, on one or more other of the electrodes, and then measuring a charge on the electrode to be measured.

13. The assembly according to claim 12, wherein the assembly comprises several sensors and the processing unit is for reiterating a measurement sequence successively on each sensor by bringing the other sensors to a measurement potential.

14. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the processing unit is for obtaining:

a first signal from a first pixel by applying an electric field between the first main electrode and the auxiliary electrode, and by measuring an electric charge on the first main electrode in relation to the auxiliary electrode, with a pixel of the second main electrode connected to a ground,

a second signal from the second pixel by applying an electric field between the second main electrode and the auxiliary electrode, and by measuring an electric charge on the second main electrode in relation to the auxiliary electrode, with a pixel of the first main electrode connected to the ground,

a first analog signal by applying an electric field to the auxiliary electrode, in relation to the main electrodes, connected to the ground, and by measuring an electric charge on the auxiliary electrode,

a first pixel signal by applying an electric field between the first main electrode and the auxiliary electrode, and by measuring the electric charge on the first main electrode in relation to the auxiliary electrode, with the second main electrode connected to the electric field in order to neutralize its influence,

a second pixel signal by applying an electric field between the second main electrode and the auxiliary electrode, and by measuring the electric charge on the second main electrode in relation to the auxiliary electrode, with the first main electrode connected to the electric field in order to neutralize its influence,

a second analog signal by applying an electric field to the auxiliary electrode, in relation to the first main electrode, and by measuring the electric charge on the auxiliary electrode, with the second main electrode connected to the electric field in order to neutralize its influence,

a third analog signal by applying an electric field to the auxiliary electrode, in relation to the second main electrode, and by measuring the electric charge on the auxiliary electrode, with the first main electrode connected to the electric field in order to neutralize its influence,

a fourth analog signal by applying an electric field to the main and auxiliary electrodes, and by measuring the electric charge on the auxiliary electrode.

15. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the processing unit is for carrying out an addition of first and second pixel signals.

16. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the processing unit is for conducting measurements of pixelation by using main electrodes that are generally rectilinear.

17. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the processing unit is designed to perform analog measurements by using the auxiliary electrode.

18. A sensor for a detection assembly for detecting a morphology of a person, the sensor comprising:

(i) first and second main linear electrodes covering different zones of a plane, and

(ii) a third auxiliary linear electrode having substantially at least an open loop shape and almost entirely surrounding the first and second main electrodes in said plane,

wherein the assembly further comprises a processing unit connected to the electrodes, wherein the processing unit is for;

(i) powering the electrodes at controlled voltage levels,

(ii) making use of signals taken from the electrodes in a form of ratios between two of the signals, and

(iii) delivering binary signals representing a percentage by which a main electrode is covered by comparison of a signal taken from the main electrodes with a predetermined threshold, and analog signals representing a percentage of covering of at least one electrode.

19. A motor vehicle seat that comprises at least one detection assembly for detecting a morphology of a person, comprising:

a sensor that comprises (i) first and second main linear electrodes covering different zones of a plane, and (ii) a third auxiliary linear electrode having substantially at least an open loop shape and almost entirely surrounding the first and second main electrodes in said plane, and

a processing unit connected to the electrodes, wherein the processing unit is for;

(i) powering the electrodes at controlled voltage levels,

(ii) making use of signals taken from the electrodes in a form of ratios between two of the signals, and

(iii) delivering binary signals representing a percentage by which a main electrode is covered by comparison of a signal taken from the main electrodes with a predetermined threshold, and analog signals representing a percentage of covering of at least one electrode.

20. The seat according to claim 19, wherein the at least one detection assembly comprises several sensors.

21. The seat according to claim 20, wherein the sensors are connected to common processing unit.

22. The seat according to claim 19, wherein the seat comprises sensors on a seat bottom.

23. The seat according to claim 19, wherein the seat comprises sensors on a seat back.

24. The seat according to claim 19, wherein the seat comprises sensors on lateral parts of at least one of a seat bottom and a seat back.

25. The seat according to claim 24, wherein the seat comprises sensors on a central part of at least one of the seat bottom and the seat back.

26. The seat according to claim 19, wherein a seat bottom comprises:

a first set of sensors, on each of two lateral parts of the seat bottom, perpendicular to stitches of the seat bottom and on a median axis of the seat bottom between a front and a rear of the seat bottom,

a second set of sensors, placed in a central part of the seat bottom, on an other side of the stitches, toward a center of the seat bottom, with the second set of sensors offset toward the front of the seat bottom, respectively in relation to the first set of sensors,

a first sensor whose length is equal to a width of the central part between the stitches, positioned toward the rear of the seat bottom, at ⅔

of a length between the front and the rear, and

a second sensor whose length is equal to the width of the central part between the stitches, positioned toward the front of the seat bottom at ⅓

of the length between the front and the rear.

27. The seat according to claim 19, wherein a seat back comprises:

a first set of sensors, on each of two lateral parts of the seat back, perpendicular to stitches of the seat back, and at substantially ⅔

of the seat back upwards,

a second set of sensors, positioned on a central part of the seat back, on an other side of the stitches, toward a center of the seat back, with the second set of sensors offset downwards respectively in relation to the first set of sensors, substantially on a median axis of a height of the seat back,

a first sensor whose length is equal to a width of the central part of the seat back between the stitches, positioned toward a bottom of the seat back, substantially at ⅓

the height of the seat back, and

a second sensor whose length is equal to the width of the central part of the seat back between the stitches, positioned toward a top of the seat back and substantially at ⅔

the height of the seat back.

28. The seat according to claim 19, wherein the seat comprises sensors positioned to measure a width of thighs and buttocks of a passenger.

29. The seat according to claim 19, wherein the seat comprises sensors positioned to measure a width of shoulders and a buttock-shoulder distance of a passenger.