Computer controlled safety seat switch

• US 4,607,199 A
• Filed: 09/07/1984
• Issued: 08/19/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/1984
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cushman & Wakefield LLP
• Original Assignee: Outboard Marine Corporation (Bombardier Incorporated)
• Inventors: Krueger, William R., Schlageter, George A., McAuliffe, Gerald N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Roskoski, Bernard
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ro, Bentsu
• Application Number:
  US06/648,146
• Time in Patent Office: 711 Days
• Field of Search: 364/424, 364/425, 364/431.09, 200/85 R, 200/85 A, 318/139, 318/484, 307/10 SB, 340/52 R, 340/52 E, 340/64, 340/901, 180/268, 180/272, 180/273, 180/270, 180/271
• US Class Current: 318/484
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/04 responsive to presence or absence of the driver, e.g. to weight or lack thereof

Abstract

A motor driven vehicle has a safety control preventing operation of the motor if the operator is not in the drivers seat to close a seat switch for a predetermined period of time. The motor includes an electric circuit which when complete enables motor operation and which prevents motor operation when the circuit is open. A microprocessor opens the circuit when the seat switch is open and is programmed to provide a predetermined time delay before opening the circuit to stop motor operation. The computer decrements the time delay whenever the seat switch is open. The computer includes means for testing to determine whether the time delay has been reduced to 0 at periodic intervals shorter than the predetermined time delay. The decremented time delay is restored to full value if the seat switch is closed during such testing before said time delay has been decremented to 0.

Claims

1. A safety control for the motor of a motor driven vehicle of the type having a seat for an operator, which safety control disables the motor when the operator is off the seat for a given period of time, said safety control comprising circuit means for disabling motor operation in response to application of a control signal, a switch which is actuated to a first position when the operator is in the seat and which is actuated to a second position when the operator is off the seat, and a computer operatively connected to said circuit means, said computer including register means for storing a time delay having an initial value equal to the given period of time, test means for periodically ascertaining the position of said switch at intervals shorter than the given period of time, decrementing means for decreasing the time delay remaining in said register means whenever said switch is in said second position, restoring means for restoring the time delay remaining in said register means to the initial value if said switch is in said first position when the position of said switch is ascertained by said test means, and means for providing the control signal to said circuit means to disable operation of the motor when said decrementing means decrease the time delay from said initial value by an amount equal to the given period of time.

2. A safety control according to claim 1 in which said computer totals the time said switch is in said second position so long as said switch is in said second position each time the position of said switch is tested.

3. A safety control for the motor of a motor driven vehicle of the type having a seat for an operator, which safety control disables the motor when the operator is off the seat for a given period of time, said safety control comprising circuit means for disabling motor operation in response to application of a control signal, a switch which is actuated to a first position when the operator is in the seat and which is actuated to a second position when the operator is off the seat, and a computer operatively connected to said circuit means, said computer including test means for periodically ascertaining the position of said switch at intervals shorter than the given period of time, and means for applying the control signal to said circuit means to disable motor operation when the aggregate time said switch is in said second position equals the given period of time provided said switch is in said first position upon each successive test of the position of said switch.

4. In combination with a motor driven vehicle having a seat for the operator, control means preventing operation of the motor unless the operator is on said seat position, said control means including, a circuit enabling motor operation when closed and terminating motor operation when open, a switch actuated to a first position in response to the driver being on said seat, a microprocessor sensing the status of said switch and operative to cause said circuit to be opened if the operator is off said seat for a given period of time and having for such purpose a time delay register which is decremented when the operator off said seat, means for periodically determining whether the operator is off said seat during said time delay and for whether said time delay has been reduced to 0, and means operative to increase said time delay register to its original value if the operator returns to said seat before said time delay has been used up.

5. In combination with a motor driven vehicle having a seat for the driver, a computer operated control for preventing motor operation unless the driver is on the driver seat or has been off said seat less than a predetermined time, comprising, means operative to enable motor operation and actuatable to terminate motor operation, a switch which is actuated to a first position when the driver is on said seat and which is actuated to a second position when the driver is off said seat, and a microprocessor having a timing register in which said predetermined time is stored, said microprocessor being connected to monitor the status of said switch to decrement said timing register whenever said switch is in said second position, said microprocessor being programmed to test the status of said switch and said timing register whenever said switch is in said second position, said microprocessor being programmed to test the status of said switch and said timing register at intervals shorter than said predetermined time and being operative to cause actuation of said means to terminate motor operation if said register has been decremented to 0 and said switch is in said second position.

6. The combination of claim 5 in which said microprocessor is also programmed to increment said register to the full predetermined time if said switch is in said first position when the status is tested.

7. The combination of claim 6 in which said microprocessor is programmed to continue decrementing said register if said switch is in said second position and said register has not been reduced to 0 when the status is tested.

8. In combination with a motor driven vehicle having a seat for the driver, a computer controlled safety device to disable vehicle operation if said seat is unoccupied a given period of time, comprising, a circuit which enables operation of said motor when complete and disables operation when open, a seat switch which is actuated to a first position when said seat is occupied and actuated to a second position if the seat is unoccupied, computer means sensing said seat switch being in said first position and operative to cause said circuit to be opened, said computer means being programmed to provide a given time delay for said seat switch to be in said second position before opening said circuit, means reducing said time delay whenever said seat switch is in said second position, and test means operative to periodically determine the remaining period and whether said switch is open.

9. The combination of claim 8 in which the time delay is increased to said given time delay if said switch is in said first position when said test means operates.

10. A motor driven vehicle having a driver seat and a safety control to prevent operation of the motor if the operator is not in and has not been in said driver seat for a predetermined period of time, comprising, an electric circuit which when complete enables motor operation and which prevents motor operation when the circuit is open, a switch actuated to a first position by the operator being on said seat and actuated to a second position when the operator is not on said seat, computer means operative to open said circuit in response to said switch being in said second position and programmed to provide a predetermined time delay before opening said circuit to stop motor operation, said computer means including means to decrement said time delay whenever said switch is in said second position, said computer means including means for determining whether said time delay has been reduced to 0, means causing operation of said determining means periodically at intervals shorter than said predetermined time delay, and means for restoring the decremented time delay to full value if said switch is in said first position during operation of said determining means before said time delay has been decremented to 0.