Occupant Classification and Airbag Deployment Suppression Based on Weight
First Claim
1. A method for obtaining information about an occupant of a motor vehicle for the purpose of controlling a component of the vehicle based on the obtained information, comprising:
- arranging a sensor in connection with a seat upon which the occupant is situated;
determining weight of the occupant via the sensor when the occupant occupies the seat; and
classifying the occupant based on the determined weight, the classification of the occupant being used in the control of the component of the vehicle.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Method for obtaining information about an occupant of a vehicle for the purpose of controlling a component of the vehicle including arranging a sensor in connection with a seat upon which the occupant is situated, determining weight of the occupant via the sensor when the occupant occupies the seat, and classifying the occupant based on the determined weight, i.e., it may be based on other characteristics of the occupant or seat in addition to the determined weight. Classification of the occupant is used in the control of the component. Method for controlling deployment of an airbag of a vehicle includes arranging a sensor in connection with a seat upon which the occupant to be protected upon deployment of the airbag is situated, determining weight of the occupant via the sensor when the occupant occupies the seat, and suppressing deployment of the airbag based on the determined weight.
78 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A method for obtaining information about an occupant of a motor vehicle for the purpose of controlling a component of the vehicle based on the obtained information, comprising:
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arranging a sensor in connection with a seat upon which the occupant is situated;
determining weight of the occupant via the sensor when the occupant occupies the seat; and
classifying the occupant based on the determined weight, the classification of the occupant being used in the control of the component of the vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method for controlling deployment of an airbag of a vehicle, comprising:
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arranging a sensor in connection with a seat upon which the occupant to be protected upon deployment of the airbag is situated;
determining weight of the occupant via the sensor when the occupant occupies the seat; and
suppressing deployment of the airbag based in part on the determined weight. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. An apparatus for mounting a seat on a substrate in a vehicle, comprising
a support structure comprising at least one elongate slide mechanism adapted to be mounted on the substrate and at least one support member for coupling the seat to said at least one slide mechanism, each of said at least one support member comprising an angled structure for connecting a side of the seat to a respective one of said at least one slide mechanism, at least one strain gage transducer arranged on each of said at least one support member and arranged to provide a measurement of the strain of said at least one support member at the location at which said strain gage transducer is mounted, and a control system coupled to said at least one strain gage transducer for determining the weight of the occupying item of the seat based on the strain of said at least one support member measured by said at least one strain gage transducer.
Specification