Vehicular passenger detection system

• US 8,332,094 B2
• Filed: 12/03/2008
• Issued: 12/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Calsonic Kansei Corporation
• Original Assignee: Calsonic Kansei Corporation
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Masatoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Elchanti, Hussein
• Assistant Examiner(s): Khatib, Rami
• Application Number:
  US12/314,085
• Publication Number:
  US 20090150030A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,469 Days
• Field of Search: 701/29, 701/34, 701/45, 701/29.1, 701/29.4, 701/29.9, 701/30.8, 701/31.6, 701/31.7, 701/33.4, 280/727, 280/728.1, 280/734, 280/735
• US Class Current: 701/31.6
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01184 Fault detection or diagnostic circuits
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01516 using force or pressure sensing means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0152 using strain gauges

Abstract

A vehicular passenger detection system includes a load detection device configured to detect a load that acts upon a seat that is installed upon a vehicle, a passenger seating detection device configured to determine whether or not a passenger is seated upon the seat, in accordance with a result of a detection of the load detection device, and a fault recording device configured to record an information of a fault that has occurred upon either the load detection device or the passenger seating detection device. The fault recording device includes a fault determination device configured to determine whether or not the information of the fault is information of a fault for which a repair is required.

Claims

1. A vehicular passenger detection system, comprising:

a load detection device configured to detect a load that acts upon a seat that is installed in a vehicle;

a passenger seating detection device configured to determine whether or not an occupant is seated upon the seat, in accordance with a result of a detection of the load detection device; and

a fault recording device configured to record information of a current fault that has occurred upon either the load detection device or the passenger seating detection device;

wherein the fault recording device includes a fault determination device configured to determine whether or not the information of the current fault is information of a fault requiring a repair, the fault determination device including;

a fault recording unit configured to record a current fault; and

a baseline value compensation recording unit configured to record and store fault compensation information relating to an earlier repair performed immediately prior to a time when repair of the current fault is performed, and configured to subsequently record and store fault repair information relating to the current fault requiring repair.

2. The vehicular passenger detection system according to claim 1, wherein:

the fault recording unit includes a fault recording unit table configured to record characteristic information of a fault, including at least one of a location and a description of the fault.

3. The vehicular passenger detection system according to claim 1, wherein:

the baseline value compensation recording unit includes a baseline value compensation recording unit table configured to record fault repair information, the fault repair information relating to a repair that is performed immediately prior to performing an adjustment of a baseline value compensation of the load detection device when a maintenance or repair is performed.