Method and apparatus for detecting the presence of a child seat

• US 5,901,978 A
• Filed: 05/26/1998
• Issued: 05/11/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Automotive Technologies International Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Automotive Technologies International Incorporated
• Inventors: Breed, David S., Johnson, Wendell C., Duvall, Wilbur E.
• Primary Examiner(s): English, Peter C.
• Application Number:
  US09/084,641
• Time in Patent Office: 350 Days
• Field of Search: 280/735, 280/734, 180/272, 342/72, 342/70, 701/45, 701/49
• US Class Current: 280/735
• 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: B60N 2/0224 Non-manual adjustments, e.g. with electrical operation
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/02246 Electric motors therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0248 with memory of positions
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0268 using sensors or detectors for adapting the seat or seat part, e.g. to the position of an occupant
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0272 using sensors or detectors for detecting the position of seat parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0276 reaction to emergency situations, e.g. crash
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2806 for securing the child seat to the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2863 backward facing
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/829 characterised by their adjusting mechanisms, e.g. electric motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/853 characterised by their adjusting mechanisms, e.g. electric motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/888 with arrangements for protecting against abnormal g-forces, e.g. by displacement of the head-rest
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0027 Post collision measures, e.g. notifying emergency services
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/2765 comprising means to control the venting
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01536 using ultrasonic waves
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0154 in combination with seat heating
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01552 detecting position of specific human body parts, e.g. face, eyes or hands
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/25 using biometry
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/04 Systems determining presence of a target based on relative movement of target G01S13/56
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/87 Combinations of sonar systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/88 : Sonar systems specially adapted for specific applications seismic or acoustic prospecting or detecting G01V1/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/88 : Lidar systems specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/417 : involving the use of neural networks
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/539 : using analysis of echo signal for target characterisation; Target signature; Target cross-section
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/10 : Human or animal bodies, e.g. vehicle occupants or pedestrians; Body parts, e.g. hands
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 2210/1282 : Automobiles
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 2210/3219 : Geometry of the configuration

Abstract

Method and system for detecting the presence of the child seat on a seat in which information about contents of the seat is obtained and a signal is generated based on any contents of the seat, a different signal being generated for different contents of the seat when such contents are present on the seat. The signal is analyzed in order to determine whether the contents of the seat include a child seat, and in a preferred embodiment, a child seat in a rear-facing orientation. Another system within the vehicle may be affected or controlled based on the determination of whether a child seat is present on the seat. The analysis of the signal is preferably by pattern recognition techniques that can recognize and thus identify the contents of the seat.

Claims

1. In a motor vehicle having an interior passenger compartment including a seat on which a child seat may be placed, a detector system for detecting the presence of the child seat on the seat, comprising:

receiving means arranged in the vehicle for obtaining information about contents of the seat and generating a signal based on any contents of the seat, said receiving means being structured and arranged to generate a different signal for different contents of the seat when such contents are present on the seat, and

analyzing means coupled to said receiving means for analyzing the signal in order to determine whether the contents of the seat include a child seat.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said analyzing means are structured and arranged to determine whether the child seat is in a rear-facing position.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said receiving means comprise wave transmitting means for transmitting waves toward the seat, wave receiving means arranged relative to said wave transmitting means for receiving waves reflected from the seat and a processor coupled to said wave receiver means for generating the different signal for the different contents of the seat based on the received waves reflected from the seat.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein said wave transmitting means are structured and arranged to transmit ultrasonic waves.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein said wave receiving means comprise two wave receivers spaced apart from one another.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said processor is structured and arranged to process the reflected waves from each of said receivers in order to create respective signals characteristic of the contents of the seat based on the reflected waves.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein said analyzing means comprise categorization means coupled to said processor for categorizing said signals, said categorization means comprising pattern recognition means for recognizing and thus identifying the contents of the seat by processing said signals based on the reflected waves from the contents of the seat into a categorization of said signals characteristic of the contents of the seat.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein each of said signals comprises a plurality of data, all of said data being compared to data corresponding to patterns of reflected waves stored within said pattern recognition means and associated with possible contents of the seat.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein said pattern recognition means comprise a trained neural network.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein said analyzing means comprise categorization means for categorizing the signal to obtain an identification of the contents of the seat.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising

output means coupled to said analyzing means for affecting at least one other system within said vehicle based on the determination of whether a child seat is present on the seat.

12. In a motor vehicle having an interior passenger compartment including a seat on which a child seat may be placed, a method for detecting the presence of a child seat on the seat, comprising the steps of:

obtaining information about contents of the seat,

generating a signal based on the information about the contents of the seat, a different signal being generated for different contents of the seat when such contents are present on the seat, and

analyzing the signal in order to determine whether the contents of the seat include a child seat.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of analyzing the signal comprises the step of analyzing the signal to determine whether the contents of the seat include a child seat in a rear-facing position.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of obtaining information about the contents of the seat comprises the steps of transmitting waves toward the seat and receiving waves reflected from the seat, the step of generating a signal based on the information about the contents of the seat comprising the step of processing the received, reflected waves in order to generate a different signal for different received, reflected waves.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein ultrasonic waves are transmitted toward the seat.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of processing the reflected waves comprises the step of categorizing said signal to thereby obtain an identification of the contents of the seat.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein reflected waves from the seat are received at at least two spaced apart locations.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the reflected waves from each of the at least two locations are independently processed to create respective signals characteristic of the contents of the seat based on the reflected waves, each of said signals containing a pattern representative of the contents of the seat.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the step of processing the reflected waves comprises the step of categorizing said signals to thereby obtain an identification of the contents of the seat.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein each of said signals comprises a plurality of data, further comprising the step of comparing all of said data to data corresponding to patterns of reflected waves associated with possible contents of the seat.

21. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of

affecting at least one other system within said vehicle based on the determination of whether a child seat is present on the seat.