Wireless seatbelt attaching detection device

• US 9,896,060 B2
• Filed: 10/02/2015
• Issued: 02/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai RIKA Denki Seisakusho
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai RIKA Denki Seisakusho
• Inventors: Koike, Tatsuya, Iwashita, Hiroaki
• Primary Examiner(s): GIRMA, FEKADESELASS
• Application Number:
  US15/518,354
• Publication Number:
  US 20170305388A1
• Time in Patent Office: 872 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/4816 for sensing locking of buckle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01546 using belt buckle sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/48 Control systems, alarms, or interlock systems, for the correct application of the belt or harness

Abstract

There are provided a buckle switch that detects an insertion of a tongue into a buckle of a seatbelt and an ejection of the tongue from the buckle, a signal transmitting section that wirelessly transmits a signal showing a state of the buckle switch, and an attaching detection control unit that controls the signal transmitting section such that the signal transmitting section transmits different signals that correspond to a first time lasting from the insertion of the tongue into the buckle until the ejection of the tongue from the buckle or a second time lasting from the ejection of the tongue from the buckle until the insertion of the tongue into the buckle.

Claims

1. A seat belt attaching detection device comprising:

a detecting section that detects an insertion of a tongue into a buckle of a seatbelt and an ejection of the tongue from the buckle;

a transmitting section that wirelessly transmits a signal showing detection results from the detecting section; and

a control unit that controls the transmitting section such that the transmitting section transmits different signals that correspond to at least one attaching or detaching time out of a first time lasting from the ejection until the insertion and a second time lasting from the insertion until the ejection,

wherein the control unit controls the transmitting section such that the transmitting section transmits signals whose lengths differ depending on whether the attaching or detaching time is shorter or longer than a predetermined time.

2. The seatbelt attaching detection device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the transmitting section such that, when the attaching or detaching time is shorter than a predetermined time, the transmitting section transmits a shorter signal than when the attaching/detaching time is longer than the predetermined time.

3. The seatbelt attaching detection device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the transmitting section such that, when the attaching or detaching time is equal to or greater than a predetermined time, the transmitting section transmits a normal signal that includes a long frame in which the frames that include information showing the detection results are continuous with each other, and a plurality of short frames which are shorter than the long frame, while when the attaching or detaching time is shorter than the predetermined time, the transmitting section transmits a signal that is made up of the normal signal from which the long frame has been omitted.

4. The seatbelt attaching detection device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the transmitting section such that, when the second time is equal to or greater than a predetermined time, the transmitting section transmits a normal signal that includes a long frame in which a plurality of the frames that include information showing the detection results are continuous with each other, and a plurality of short frames which are shorter than the long frame, while when the second time is shorter than the predetermined time, the transmitting section transmits a signal having fewer shorter frames than the normal signal or from which the short frames have been omitted.

5. The seatbelt attaching detection device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the transmitting section such that the transmitting section transmits a signal that is formed by a plurality of frames that include information showing the detection results, and includes frames in which the signal strength of at least one frame out of the plurality of frames is greater than the signal strength of the other frames.