Method for determining the weight of at least one occupant of a vehicle

• US 8,991,545 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2012
• Issued: 03/31/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Original Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Inventors: Frst, Franz
• Primary Examiner(s): FRISBY, KEITH J
• Application Number:
  US13/722,024
• Publication Number:
  US 20130161110A1
• Time in Patent Office: 831 Days
• Field of Search: 280/735, 280/728.1, 280/801.1, 280/748, 180/273, 180/268, 180/271, 180/290, 701/45, 701/46, 702/174, 702/175, 340/667, 340/666
• US Class Current: 180/290
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 31/126 for chairs
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/61 Load distribution
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/015 including means for detecting the presence or position of passengers, passenger seats or child seats , and the related safety parameters therefor, e.g. speed or timing of airbag inflation in relation to occupant position or seat belt use
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01526 using piezoelectric elements
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/08 for incorporation in vehicles

Abstract

A method for detecting a weight of at least one occupant of a motor vehicle includes the steps of detecting a first load which acts on a chassis of the motor vehicle as first weight value at a time point prior to entering of the at least one occupant into the motor vehicle, detecting a second load which acts on the chassis as second weight value at a second time point after entering of the at least one occupant into the motor vehicle; and determining the weight of the at least one occupant by forming a difference between the first and second weight values.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle, comprising:

a chassis;

a vehicle body constructed on the chassis and resting on the chassis;

at least one sensor for detecting a first load which acts on the chassis as a first weight value at a first time point prior to entering of at least one occupant into the motor vehicle and for detecting a second load which acts on the chassis as a second weight value at a second time point after entering of the at least one occupant into the motor vehicle, wherein the at least one sensor is constructed for detecting a dynamic load acting on the vehicle body during a drive of the motor vehicle said dynamic load defining a vibration behavior of the vehicle body; and

an analysis unit operatively connected with the at least one sensor, for determining the weight of the at least one occupant as a difference between the first and second weight values, wherein the analysis unit is configured for determining a distribution of the weight of the at least one occupant in the motor vehicle as a function of the vibration behavior of the vehicle body.

2. The motor vehicle of claim 1, further comprising at least one further sensor for detecting the entering of the at least one occupant into the motor vehicle.

3. The motor vehicle of claim 2, further comprising multiple of said at least one further sensor, wherein at least one of the multiple sensors has a detection range which corresponds to a vicinity of the motor vehicle and is constructed for detecting a signal of a portable control unit or the presence of a portable identification unit within the detection range, for determining at least one of the first and the second time point.

4. The motor vehicle of claim 2, further comprising multiple of said at least one further sensor, wherein at least one of the multiple sensors is constructed for verifying at least one of an opening state of at least one door of the motor vehicle and a state of at least one locking means assigned to the at least one door, for detecting the first and second time points.

5. The motor vehicle of claim 2, further comprising multiple of said at least one further sensor, wherein at least one of the multiple sensors is constructed as an optical detection device which optically detects an interior of the motor vehicle.

6. The motor vehicle of claim 1, further comprising seat occupation sensors operatively connected with the analysis unit for detecting a seat occupation in the motor vehicle.

7. The motor vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a memory unit for storing at least one of driving parameters and occupant related parameters, wherein the analysis unit is connected with the memory unit.

8. The motor vehicle of claim 7, wherein the driving parameters include a value for a dynamic load detected during a drive of the motor vehicle, and wherein the occupant related parameters include a value for the weight of the at least one occupant detected during the drive.

9. The motor vehicle of claim 1, wherein the analysis unit is connected with a control unit of a reversible or irreversible occupant protection means for controlling the occupant protection means as a function of the determined weight of the at least one occupant.