Smart seatbelt control system

• US 20040068354A1
• Filed: 10/18/2001
• Published: 04/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Joseph A. Tabe
• Original Assignee: Joseph A. Tabe
• Inventors: Tabe, Joseph A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,426,429 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/45
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/4685 with means to adjust or regulate the tensioning force in relation to external parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/4816 for sensing locking of buckle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/48 Control systems, alarms, or interlock systems, for the correct application of the belt or harness

Abstract

An apparatus for preventing occupant injury during accident has various features to ensure safety. A sensor (70), detecting seat belt engagement is provided. In addition, there is a means for varying the tension of a seatbelt (17), depending upon the weight of the occupant (110) and the speed of the vehicle carrying the occupant (110). When said occupant (110) seats on any of the seats (17), the load cell switch (18) will close, allowing the load cell output energy to energize the control module (25). The control module (25), after receiving signal communication from any of the said load cells (15), enables the counter (50) to count the number of closed load cell switches (18) before enabling the optoisolator switch (70) to then energize the latching relay (80) to check for the seat belt latching of the occupied seats (10) with closed load cell switches (18), to assure occupants safety. When the switch (18) for the occupied seat (10) is closed, the latching relay (80) circuit will also be energized so that the seat belt (17) for the occupied seat location is checked for buckling. The latching relay (80) circuit and the counter (50) circuit are closed only when an occupant (110) takes any of the seats (10). The latching relay switch (85) is only energized when the counter circuit (50) is closed.

Claims

1. An apparatus for controlling the resistance of a seat belt, such that in an accident, an occupant of a vehicle impacts the seat belt without injury;

comprising;

a pressure sensing device, determining a weight value of the occupant;

a computer system, in signal communication with said pressure sensing device, said computer system calculating a coil value based upon the weight value of the occupant; and

a collision force according to a vehicle'"'"'s speed; and

a coil tensioner, in communication with said computer system, rotating a moveable coil per coil value;

wherein the seatbelt is rendered of sufficient tension to keep the occupant on a seat when a collision is sensed, but is not rendered of sufficient tension to cause impact injury to the occupant.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an occupant sensing means, said means being in signal communication with said computer system, wherein said occupant sensing means sounds an alarm if the occupant does not have the seatbelt locked.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising means for preventing unlocking of the seatbelt.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said means for preventing unlocking of the seatbelt is active when the vehicle is in motion.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said means for preventing unlocking of the seatbelt is overridden by a switch when the vehicle is inactive.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an occupant sensing means, in communication with said computer system, wherein said occupant sensing means adjusts an air bag deployment speed if the occupant does not have the seatbelt locked

8. A smart seatbelt mechanism of claim 1, wherein said mechanism manages and controls energy, said energy enables the buckling of the seatbelt connectors, wherein said connectors are made permanent when the vehicle is in motion.

9. A seat belt weight responsive occupant restraint device of claim 1, wherein said restraint having an optoisolator switch, with a LED, connected to the output of the photocell, for suggesting activation of the seatbelt and enabling signal communication to the latching relay.

20. A smart restraint system according to either of claims 1 or 19, further comprising plurality load cell, interposed between plurality seat mounting frames and the floor of the vehicle, generating plurality weight signals corresponding to plurality weight of plurality occupant on plurality seat.

7. A seatbelt weight responsive occupant restraint system, comprising:

a weight sensor responsive for occupants present signal communication;

a microprocessor responsive for tracking behaviors of electromechanical devices in relation to occupant restraint when a collision is sensed;

10. A supplemental restraint system comprising:

a means for sensing weight, generating weight signal corresponding to a weight of an occupant on the seat;

a central processing unit, responsive to a digital signal, which has been amplified and converted from, said weight signal, generating a tensional restraining value;

a coil, responsive to said tensional restraining value, generating electrical energy corresponding to said restraint energy value;

an optoisolator, defining a monitoring means, responsive to said latching relay, releasing a controlled electrical energy corresponding to said occupant'"'"'s weight, into said coil, at a rate corresponding to said tensional restraining value,

a coil rotating means, generating electrical energy, said electrical energy responsive to wheels rotations, generating a seatbelt tensional force proportionate to said occupant'"'"'s weight and the speed of the vehicle, and timely empowering said coil rotation at a rate corresponding to said occupant'"'"'weight and the collision force of the vehicle.

12. A smart seatbelt restraint system according to either of claims 10 or 11, wherein said controlled energy is responsive to enabling a coil rotation operation, and engaging said wheels into rotations for the control of variably tensioning of the seat belts.

14. A smart restraint system according to either of claims 12 or 13, including a photocell and a LED for measuring light intensity inside the optoisolator, for comparing the buckling and unbuckling activities of the seatbelt.

15. A smart restraint control system according to claim 10, further comprising a device, for processing occupant'"'"'s weight into calculated tensional restraint value, responsive to, but not limited to enabling a second device, generating a second electrical energy, said second energy corresponding to the first generated by the load cell.

16. A smart restraint system according to either of claims 10 or 15, further comprising a CPU, for calculating said occupant'"'"'s tensional restraint value, being in signal communication with signal processing means, said means not excluding any of microprocessors, for processing digital and analog data for the control of seatbelt latching.

17. A smart restraint system according to either of claims 15 or 16, further comprising a device for enabling said second electrical energy on an optoisolator spring, wherein said spring controls and monitors the contacts of each seat belt connectors.

11. A smart seatbelt restraint system as claimed in 10, wherein said optoisolator defines a mechanism for transforming said generated weight into a controlled energy for variably controlling the tensional force of a seatbelt.

13. A smart restraint system as claimed in 12, wherein said controlled energy from at least a sensor, coordinates and controls the latching relay, and the occupant seat counter, enabling precise and accurate monitoring of occupants seatbelt latching activities.

18. A smart restraint system as claimed in 17, further comprising an amplifying device for amplifying signal processing devices when a collision is eminent.

19. A smart restraint system comprising:

a seatbelt;

means for sensing weight, generating a weight signal corresponding to a weight of an occupant on the seat;

an encoder, responsive for analog to digital signals which has been amplified and converted from said weight signal, generating a tensional force value;

a coil, responsive to said tensional force value, generating electrical energy corresponding to said tensional force value; and

means for controlling a tensional force exerted by said seatbelt upon wheel rotation empowered by the coil, so that said force is proportionate to said weight of said occupant;

wherein said means for controlling said force of said seatbelt varies between an upper and lower threshold.

21. A smart restraint system according to either of claims 19 or 20, further comprising a controller of type thyristor, but not limited to type silicon control module, electrically connected to plurality load cells, distinguishing between plurality weights;

wherein said controller further enables the seatbelt monitoring means, responsive to said weight signal, and said controller enabling plurality seatbelts, responsive to said weight signal.

22. A smart restraint system as claimed in 21, not limited to optoisolator, wherein said optoisolator includes a LED and a photocell, selectively engaging in signal communication with latching relay, said relay responsive to latching activities, said activities generating electrical energy or pulses for signaling thereof.

23. Means for controlling the seatbelt restraining force of a vehicle occupant, said means comprising;

a weight sensor for determining the weight of a seating occupant and generating an output signal indicative thereof; and

said weight sensor, including a device for transforming body weight signals into electrical energy, corresponding to the weight of said occupant, sampling input and output signals to plurality of sensors, such that the occupant applied force on the surfaces of the seat and the floor of the vehicle are measured and responsive to the tensional force upon collision.

25. Smart restraint control means, for controlling tensional force of a safety restraint system according to either of claims 23 or 24, further include, but not limited to capacitance pressure sensor.

27. Smart restraint control means, according to either of claims 25 or 26, further comprising a sensor with incorporated software program inside its housing, for calculating occupant'"'"'s weight to tensional restraint force transformation.

24. Smart restraint control means, for controlling the tensional force of a safety restraint system as claimed in 23, comprising an optoisolator controller, wherein at least one of the plurality sensors is either of resistance pressure sensor or inductance pressure sensor.

26. Smart restraint control means as claimed in 25, further comprising a load cell with strain gages bonded inside, generating electrical energy when strained and or under load, said energy responsive to signal communication of plurality devices.

28. Smart restraint control means, as claimed in 27, further comprising a sensing device for housing electrical resistance devices, responsive for transforming occupant'"'"'s body weight into electrical energy, enabling electromechanical devices to interface with plurality devices, for controlling magnetic fields to enable a permanent latching of the seatbelt.

29. A controller for a smart restraint system, wherein said controller comprising;

means, such that said means is dependent on an occupant'"'"'s presence, for measuring the crash severity and the speed of the vehicle, for enabling single or plurality of seatbelt tensional restraint force for protecting the occupant thereof.

30. A controller for a smart restraint control system as claimed in 29, wherein said controller enables seatbelt tensional restraint force, such that said force is indicative of the speed of the vehicle and the severity of the crash.

31. A smart restraint control system comprising;

means for precisely monitoring the initial weight of a seated occupant and the weight of a changing occupant, for controlling the tensional restraint force of a seatbelt, comprising;

an address line, being a reference storage memory or medium for storing actual weight at initial sitting, said memory is different from either RAM or ROM;

an EPROM, for controlling data about a changing occupant at the address line;

a microprocessor means, for signal communicating with plurality of sensors, said sensors being in circuit communication with plurality of other signal processors and transistorize switches, enabling a seatbelt tensional restraint force.

32. A smart restraint system according to claim 31, including an impact collision sensor, for initiating restraint system, enabling tensioning of the occupant on the seat, with an enabling force indicative of the occupants weight, wherein said tensional force is dependent on said collision force and said speed of the vehicle.

34. A smart restraint control system according to claim 31, further comprising means for shutting-off the engine when a collision is sensed, said collision defines an accident but not limited to roll over accident.

35. A smart restraint control system according to claim 34, further comprising means for shutting-off the engine, wherein at least either the vehicle is left unattended or the engine left idling.

37. A smart restraint control system according to claim 31 further comprising bypass means, wherein said means not allowing the vehicle to start when the driver is not on the driver'"'"'s seat.

33. A smart restraint system for a seatbelt, comprising a voltage suppressor for filtering out transient phenomenon, said phenomenon is excluded from adoption into the seatbelt circuitry.

36. A smart restraint control system as claimed in 31, wherein a switch is used for letting off occupants when the vehicle is stopped.