SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SEATBELT USE MONITORING

• US 20150251618A1
• Filed: 03/10/2014
• Published: 09/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Ghannam, Mahmoud Yousef, Phillip, Abraham G., Hage, Kam
• Granted Patent: US 9,676,356 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2028/003 inhibiting the starter motor, e.g. by controlling ignition or park lock circuits
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/02 responsive to conditions relating to the driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/4808 Sensing means arrangements therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/4816 for sensing locking of buckle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/4825 for sensing amount of belt winded on retractor
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/485 for sensing belt anchor position, belt orientation, or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01544 detecting seat belt parameters, e.g. length, tension or height-adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/48 Control systems, alarms, or interlock systems, for the correct application of the belt or harness

Abstract

A monitoring system for a vehicle having a seat and a restraint with seatbelt webbing includes a webbing length sensor coupled with the restraint, a position sensor, and a processor. The processor is in communication with the webbing length sensor and the position sensor and is programmed to output a signal based on a determination that an extended webbing length is outside an acceptable range of webbing length for an occupant size category assigned using the position sensor.

Claims

1. A monitoring system for a vehicle including a seat and a restraint including seatbelt webbing, comprising:

a webbing length sensor coupled with the restraint;

a position sensor; and

a processor in communication with the webbing length sensor and the position sensor and programmed to output a signal based on a determination that an extended webbing length is outside an acceptable range of webbing length for an occupant size category assigned using the position sensor.

2. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the webbing length sensor is a spool-out sensor coupled with a supply spool for the seatbelt webbing of the vehicle restraint, and wherein the processor is programmed to determine the extended webbing length using information from the spool-out sensor.

3. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further programmed to:

determine a webbing position using the position sensor;

assign the occupant size category based on a comparison of the determined webbing position and a set of the occupant size categories corresponding to predetermined webbing positions;

assign a webbing length category based on a comparison of the extended webbing length and a set of webbing length categories corresponding to predetermined extended webbing lengths; and

determine whether the extended webbing length is outside the acceptable range of webbing length for the occupant size category by comparing the webbing length category and the occupant size category.

4. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the signal output by the processor is a warning signal relating to a determined improper use of the restraint by an occupant.

5. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the signal output by the processor directs a vehicle control system to disable an ignition of the vehicle.

6. The monitoring system of claim 1, further including a buckle sensor coupled with a buckle mechanism of the restraint, and wherein the processor is further programmed to output the signal further based on a determination that the restraint is in a buckled state using information received from the buckle sensor.

7. The monitoring system of claim 1, further including an occupant weight sensor coupled with the seat, and wherein the processor is further programmed to determine an occupant weight using the occupant weight sensor and to confirm the determined occupant size category based on a comparison with the determined occupant weight.

8. The monitoring system of claim 1, further including a first marker associated with the seatbelt, and wherein the processor is programmed to assign the occupant size category based on a sensed position of the first marker by the position sensor.

9. The monitoring system of claim 8, wherein the first marker is the seatbelt webbing.

10. The monitoring system of claim 8, further including a second marker associated with the vehicle seat, wherein the processor is programmed to further assign the occupant size category based on a sensed position of the second marker.

11. The monitoring system of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to output information related to the sensed positions of the first and second markers to a safety system within the vehicle.

12. A vehicle, comprising:

a restraint including a seatbelt webbing and a first marker associated with the webbing;

at least one adjustable safety device;

a position sensor;

an occupant position monitor in communication with the position sensor and programmed to assign an occupant size category and determine an occupant position using information regarding a sensed position of the first marker; and

a control system in communication with the occupant position monitor and programmed to perform an adjustment of the safety device based on the occupant position and size category received form the occupant position monitor.

13. The vehicle of claim 12, wherein the adjustable safety device is an airbag system having a variable deployment characteristic, and wherein the control system is programmed to perform the adjustment of the variable deployment characteristic of the airbag system based on at least one of the occupant position and the occupant size category.

14. The vehicle of claim 12:

further including a webbing length sensor coupled with the restraint;

wherein the occupant position monitor is further programmed to output a signal based on a determination that an extended webbing length is outside an acceptable range of webbing length for the assigned occupant size category.

15. The vehicle of claim 12, further including:

a seat; and

a second marker associated with the seat;

wherein the occupant position monitor is programmed to further assign the occupant size category and to determine the occupant position using a sensed position of the second marker.

16. A method for determining proper seatbelt use by an occupant of a vehicle seat, comprising:

determining an extended length of a webbing of the seatbelt;

assigning a size category of the occupant using information received from a position sensor within the vehicle;

accessing data from memory including a corresponding range of extended webbing lengths for the assigned size category; and

determining whether the extended length of the webbing is within the corresponding range.

17. The method of claim 16, further including outputting an improper use signal if the extended length of the webbing is outside the corresponding range.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein:

the data including the corresponding range of extended webbing lengths is in the form of webbing length categories;

the method further includes assigning a webbing length category based on the determined extended length of webbing; and

determining whether the extended length of the webbing is within the corresponding range includes comparing the assigned webbing length category with the occupant size category.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the occupant size category is assigned by measuring a distance to a first marker associated with the seatbelt using the position sensor and by comparing the measured distance to the first marker with a set of stored data relating to a number of occupant size categories.

20. The method of claim 19, further including:

sensing a position of a second marker associated with the vehicle seat;

determining a distance between the first marker and the second marker; and

confirming the occupant size category based on corresponding ranges of values for the distance between the first marker and the second marker.