Seat load determining apparatus
First Claim
1. A seat load determining apparatus, comprising:
- a load sensor provided at at least one rear support portion among plural support portions which support a seat including a seat back at a rear portion thereof and detecting a load applied to the rear support portion;
a load detection portion detecting a part of a weight of a load applying body selectively provided at the seat based on an output of the load sensor and outputting a detected load value;
a vehicle start detection sensor detecting that a vehicle starts moving; and
a determining portion configured to;
(1) determine that the load applying body corresponds to that of an adult seated in the seat when;
(a) the vehicle start detection sensor detects the start motion of the vehicle, and (b) the load detection portion detects, within a predetermined time period following the detection of the start motion of the vehicle, the detected load value to be greater than a first determination value,(2) determine that the load applying body corresponds to that of a child seated in a child safety seat which is fixed to the seat when;
(a) the vehicle start detection sensor detects the start motion of the vehicle, and (b) the load detection portion detects, within a predetermined time period following the detection of the start motion of the vehicle, the detected load value that is smaller than the first determination value and greater than a second determination value which is smaller than the first determination value,(3) determine that the load applying body corresponds to the adult seated in the seat when;
(a) the load detection portion detects the detected load value to be greater than a third determination value and (b) the vehicle start detection sensor detects that the vehicle is stopped, and(4) determine that the load applying body corresponds to the child seated in the child safety seat which is fixed to the seat when;
(a) the load detection portion detects the detected load value which is smaller than the third determination value and greater than a fourth determination value that is smaller than the third determination value and (b) the vehicle start detection sensor detects that the vehicle is stopped;
wherein the first determination value is bigger than the third determination value, the second determination value is bigger than the fourth determination value; and
wherein the first determination value and the second determination value are determined considering an increment of a load by an acceleration when the vehicle starts moving.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A seat load determining apparatus, which includes a load sensor provided at least one rear support portion which support a seat and detecting a load applied to the rear support portion, a load detection portion detecting a part of a weight of a load applying body provided at the seat and outputting a detected load value, a vehicle start detection sensor detecting that a vehicle starts moving, and a determining portion determining that the load applying body corresponds to an adult when the load detection portion detects the detected load value to be greater than a first determination value within a predetermined time, the determining portion determining that the load applying body corresponds to a child when the load detection portion detects the detected load value that is smaller than the first determination value and greater than a second determination value which is smaller than the first determination value.
13 Citations
16 Claims
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1. A seat load determining apparatus, comprising:
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a load sensor provided at at least one rear support portion among plural support portions which support a seat including a seat back at a rear portion thereof and detecting a load applied to the rear support portion; a load detection portion detecting a part of a weight of a load applying body selectively provided at the seat based on an output of the load sensor and outputting a detected load value; a vehicle start detection sensor detecting that a vehicle starts moving; and a determining portion configured to; (1) determine that the load applying body corresponds to that of an adult seated in the seat when;
(a) the vehicle start detection sensor detects the start motion of the vehicle, and (b) the load detection portion detects, within a predetermined time period following the detection of the start motion of the vehicle, the detected load value to be greater than a first determination value,(2) determine that the load applying body corresponds to that of a child seated in a child safety seat which is fixed to the seat when;
(a) the vehicle start detection sensor detects the start motion of the vehicle, and (b) the load detection portion detects, within a predetermined time period following the detection of the start motion of the vehicle, the detected load value that is smaller than the first determination value and greater than a second determination value which is smaller than the first determination value,(3) determine that the load applying body corresponds to the adult seated in the seat when;
(a) the load detection portion detects the detected load value to be greater than a third determination value and (b) the vehicle start detection sensor detects that the vehicle is stopped, and(4) determine that the load applying body corresponds to the child seated in the child safety seat which is fixed to the seat when;
(a) the load detection portion detects the detected load value which is smaller than the third determination value and greater than a fourth determination value that is smaller than the third determination value and (b) the vehicle start detection sensor detects that the vehicle is stopped;wherein the first determination value is bigger than the third determination value, the second determination value is bigger than the fourth determination value; and wherein the first determination value and the second determination value are determined considering an increment of a load by an acceleration when the vehicle starts moving. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A seat load determining apparatus for a vehicle seat possessing a seat back and a rear support portion positioned at a rear of the seat, the seat load determining apparatus comprising:
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a load sensor positioned on the rear support portion and configured to output a load signal in response to a load applied to the rear support portion by a body resting on the seat; a load detection portion configured to receive the load signal, detect a portion of a weight of the body resting on the seat based on the load signal, and output a detected load value; a vehicle start detection sensor configured to detect that the vehicle starts moving after having been stopped; a determining portion configured to receive the detected load value and information about whether the vehicle has started moving, and determine whether the body is an adult sitting in the seat or a child seated in a child safety seat fixed to the seat; the determining portion being configured to determine that the adult is seated in the seat when the detected load value is greater than a first determination value within a predetermined time after the vehicle start detection sensor detects that the vehicle starts moving; the determining portion being configured to determine that the child seated in the child safety seat is fixed to the seat when the detected load value is smaller than the first determination value and greater than a second determination value within the predetermined time after the vehicle start detection sensor detects that the vehicle starts moving, wherein the second determination value is smaller than the first determination value; the determining portion being configured to determine that the adult is seated in the seat when the detected load value is greater than a third determination value and the vehicle start detection sensor detects that the vehicle is stopped; the determining portion being configured to determine that the child is seated in the child safety seat fixed to the seat when the detected load value is smaller than the third determination value and greater than a fourth determination value and the vehicle start detection sensor detects that the vehicle is stopped; wherein the first determination value is greater than the third determination value by an amount that takes into account an increase in load applied to the seat by the adult as the vehicle accelerates; and wherein the second determination value is greater than the fourth determination value by an amount that takes into account an increase in load applied to the seat by the child seated in the child safety seat fixed to the seat as the vehicle accelerates.
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Specification