SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR TESTING SEAT PRESSURE SENSOR

• US 20160363501A1
• Filed: 06/09/2015
• Published: 12/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Larkins, Jon, Warner, Keith Richard, Ritter, Ryan, Olsen, William Jerome
• Granted Patent: US 9,891,130 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/002 Seats provided with an occupancy detection means mounted therein or thereon detection means responsive to presence or absence of children B60N2/266
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/44 for weighing persons
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/52 Weighing apparatus combined with other objects, e.g. furniture with walking sticks A45B3/08
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/02 by hydraulic or pneumatic means
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 27/005 Apparatus for calibrating pressure sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 7/022 constructional details, e.g. mounting of elastically-deformable gauges G01L7/041, G01L7/061, G01L7/082, G01L7/102, G01L7/163, G01L7/182 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 99/008 by doing functionality tests

Abstract

A system for testing a pressure sensor of a seat includes a loading device and a processor. The loading device removably applies weight to the seat. The processor receives a measurement of a pre-installation pressure offset of a bladder of the pressure sensor measured before installation of the pressure sensing assembly into the seat. The processor is programmed to receive a weighted measurement from the pressure sensor in the seat when the loading device applies weight to the seat and an empty seat measurement from the pressure sensor in the seat when the loading device does not apply weight to the seat. The processor determines a threshold value by subtracting the empty seat measurement from the weighted measurement. The processor determines a seat pressure offset value by subtracting the pre-installation pressure offset value from the threshold value. The processor compares the seat pressure offset value to a selected range.

Claims

1. A system comprising a computing device having a processor and a memory, the memory storing instructions, the instructions comprising programming to:

receive a measurement of a pre-installation pressure offset of a bladder of a pressure sensing assembly measured before installation of the pressure sensing assembly into a seat;

receive a weighted measurement from the pressure sensing assembly in the seat when a loading device applies weight to the seat and an empty seat measurement from the pressure sensing assembly in the seat when the loading device does not apply weight to the seat;

determine a threshold value by subtracting the empty seat measurement from the weighted measurement;

determine a seat pressure offset value by subtracting the pre-installation pressure offset from the threshold value; and

compare the seat pressure offset value to a selected range.

2. The system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the instructions further comprise programming to identify the seat as being unacceptable when the seat pressure offset value is outside of the selected range and to identify the seat as being acceptable when the seat pressure offset value is inside the selected range.

3. The system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the instructions further comprise programming to choose the selected range based on the trim style of the seat.

4. The system as set forth in claim 3 wherein the instructions further comprise programming to receive an identification of the trim style of the seat.

5. The system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the instructions further comprise programming to instruct the pressure sensing assembly to record the threshold value.

6. The system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the instructions further comprise programming to receive the pre-installation pressure offset from the pressure sensing assembly.

7. The system as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a loading device configured to apply weight to the seat.

8. A method of testing a pressure sensing assembly of a plurality of seats, the method comprising:

measuring a pre-installation pressure offset of a bladder of each pressure sensing assembly before installation of the pressure sensing assembly into the respective seat;

applying weight to each seat;

measuring a weighted measurement with each pressure sensing assembly in the respective seat when the loading device applies weight to the respective seat;

measuring an empty seat measurement with each pressure sensing assembly in the respective seat when the loading device does not apply weight to the respective seat;

determining a seat pressure offset value by subtracting the pre-installation pressure offset and the empty seat measurement from the weighted measurement for each seat;

comparing the seat pressure offset value of each seat to a selected range; and

modifying each seat having the seat pressure offset value outside of the selected range.

9. The method as set forth in claim 8 further comprising identifying each seat as being unacceptable when the seat pressure offset value is outside of the selected range or acceptable when the seat pressure offset value is inside the selected range.

10. The method as set forth in claim 8 wherein the selected range is based on the trim style of the respective seat.

11. The method as set forth in claim 8 further comprising calculating a threshold value by subtracting the empty seat measurement from the weighted measurement and recording the threshold value in the respective pressure sensing assembly.

12. The method as set forth in claim 8 wherein the processor is programmed to receive the pre-installation pressure offset from the pressure sensing assembly.

13. The method as set forth in claim 8 further comprising calculating the selected range based on the seat pressure offset values calculated for previously measured seats.

14. The method as set forth in claim 8 further comprising determining the selected range for a new trim style of seats based on the seat pressure offset values calculated for previously measured seats.