Apparatus and method for determining seat occupancy

• US 8,504,235 B2
• Filed: 06/11/2010
• Issued: 08/06/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Inayoshi, Muneto, Enomoto, Akira, Fujii, Hiroyuki, Nakanishi, Ryota
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Anwari, Maceeh
• Application Number:
  US12/813,900
• Publication Number:
  US 20110010038A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,152 Days
• Field of Search: 701/29
• US Class Current: 701/29.1
• 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: B60N 2/0025 by using weight measurement
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0026 for distinguishing between humans, animals or objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0031 mounted on the frame
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0035 characterised by the sensor data transmission, e.g. wired connections or wireless transmitters therefor; characterised by the sensor data processing, e.g. seat sensor signal amplification or electric circuits for providing seat sensor information
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/268 detecting or alerting means responsive to the installation of the child seats in the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2210/42 Strain gauges
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2230/30 Signal processing of sensor data
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01516 using force or pressure sensing means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0152 using strain gauges
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01546 using belt buckle sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01556 Child-seat detection systems

Abstract

An apparatus for determining a seat occupancy includes a load detecting portion attached to a seat portion of a seat for a vehicle and detecting a seat occupancy load, a seatbelt buckling detecting portion detecting an engagement of a buckle of a seatbelt, and a seat occupancy determining portion determining the seat occupancy on the basis of detection signals from the seatbelt buckling detecting portion and the load detecting portion. The seat occupancy determining portion determines a mounted state of a child seat, in which the child seat is placed on the seat and is fixed thereto by means of the seatbelt, in a case where the seat occupancy load changes so as to be increased at a predetermined speed or faster and subsequently so as to be decreased at a predetermined speed or faster, within a time period proximate to a time point when the buckle is engaged.

Claims

1. An apparatus for determining a seat occupancy comprising:

a load detecting portion attached to a seat portion of a vehicle seat to detect a seat occupancy load applied to the seat portion;

a seatbelt buckling detecting portion detecting an engagement of a buckle of a seatbelt provided for the vehicle seat; and

a seat occupancy determining portion determining the seat occupancy of the vehicle seat on the basis of detection signals from the seatbelt buckling detecting portion and the load detecting portion,

the seat occupancy determining portion determining a mounted state of a child seat, in which the child seat is placed on the vehicle seat and is fixed to the vehicle seat by the seatbelt, when the seat occupancy load increases at a predetermined speed or faster in a predetermined continuous time period, which predetermined continuous time period includes a first constant time period set before the buckle is engaged and a second constant time period after the buckle is engaged, and decreases at a predetermined speed or faster in a constant time set after the seat occupancy load reaches a maximum load.

2. The apparatus for determining the seat occupancy according to claim 1, wherein the seat occupancy determining portion determines the mounted state of the child seat in a case where the seat occupancy load is increased to a predetermined value or larger and is decreased to a predetermined decreasing load or smaller and subsequently continues to be the decreasing load or smaller for a first predetermined time frame or longer within a second predetermined time frame after the seat occupancy load reaches a maximum load in a predetermined continuous time period set to include the time point when the buckle is engaged.

3. The apparatus for determining the seat occupancy according to claim 1, wherein the seat occupancy determining portion determines whether or not the child seat is in the mounted state only in a case where an ignition switch of the vehicle is being ON at the time point when the buckle is engaged.

4. The apparatus for determining the seat occupancy according to claim 2, wherein the seat occupancy determining portion determines whether or not the child seat is in the mounted state only in a case where an ignition switch of the vehicle is being ON at the time point when the buckle is engaged.

5. The apparatus for determining the seat occupancy according to claim 1, wherein the seat occupancy determining portion determines that the seat occupancy load is increased at the predetermined speed or faster in a case where the seat occupancy determining portion detects a predetermined differential value or larger within a time period proximate to the time point when the buckle is engaged.

6. The apparatus for determining the seat occupancy according to claim 3, wherein the seat occupancy determining portion determines that the seat occupancy load is increased at the predetermined speed or faster in a case where the seat occupancy determining portion detects a predetermined differential value or larger within a time period proximate to the time point when the buckle is engaged.

7. The apparatus for determining the seat occupancy according to claim 1, wherein the load detecting portion includes at least two load detecting portions, attached to left and right portions of the seat portion, respectively.

8. The apparatus for determining the seat occupancy according to claim 2, wherein the load detecting portion includes at least two load detecting portions, attached to left and right portions of the seat portion, respectively.

9. The apparatus for determining the seat occupancy according to claim 3, wherein the load detecting portion includes at least two load detecting portions, attached to left and right portions of the seat portion, respectively.

10. The apparatus for determining the seat occupancy according to claim 5, wherein the load detecting portion includes at least two load detecting portions, attached to left and right portions of the seat portion, respectively.

11. The apparatus for determining the seat occupancy according to claim 7, wherein the seat occupancy determining portion calculates an added load, in which loads, detected by the load detecting portions, are added and sets the added load to be the seat occupancy load.

12. The apparatus for determining the seat occupancy according to claim 8, wherein the seat occupancy determining portion calculates an added load, in which loads, detected by the load detecting portions, are added and sets the added load to be the seat occupancy load.

13. The apparatus for determining the seat occupancy according to claim 9, wherein the seat occupancy determining portion calculates an added load, in which loads, detected by the load detecting portions, are added and sets the added load to be the seat occupancy load.

14. The apparatus for determining the seat occupancy according to claim 10, wherein the seat occupancy determining portion calculates an added load, in which loads, detected by the load detecting portions, are added and sets the added load to be the seat occupancy load.

15. The apparatus for determining the seat occupancy according to claim 7, wherein the load detecting portions are attached to a rear portion of the seat portion.

16. The apparatus for determining the seat occupancy according to claim 8, wherein the load detecting portions are attached to a rear portion of the seat portion.

17. The apparatus for determining the seat occupancy according to claim 11, wherein the load detecting portions are attached to a rear portion of the seat portion.

18. The apparatus for determining the seat occupancy according to claim 12, wherein the load detecting portions are attached to a rear portion of the seat portion.

20. The apparatus for determining the seat according to claim 1, wherein the first constant time period is set to be the same as the second constant time period.

19. A method for determining a seat occupancy within a vehicle comprising:

detecting a load applied to a seat portion of a vehicle seat;

detecting, via a controller of the vehicle, an engagement state or a disengaged state of a buckle of a seatbelt of the vehicle seat; and

determining a mounted state of a child seat, in which the child seat is placed on the vehicle seat and is fixed to the vehicle seat by the seatbelt, when the load increases at a predetermined speed or faster in a predetermined continuous time period, which predetermined continuous time period includes a first constant time period before the buckle is engaged and a second constant time period after the buckle is engaged, and

decreases at a predetermined speed or faster in a constant time set after the seat occupancy load reaches a maximum load.