Airbag system for vehicle

• US 6,007,094 A
• Filed: 01/07/1998
• Issued: 12/28/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Inventors: Hosoda, Koji
• Primary Examiner(s): Rice, Kenneth R.
• Application Number:
  US09/003,819
• Time in Patent Office: 720 Days
• Field of Search: 280/735, 280/728.1, 280/730.1
• US Class Current: 280/735
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01512 Passenger detection systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01556 Child-seat detection systems

Abstract

In an airbag system for a vehicle, a seat sensor unit determines the attached state of a child seat on the basis of the radio communication state made between a transponder equipped in the child seat and antennas in a front passenger seat, and the output state of a passenger detection sensor in the front passenger seat, and transmits the determined state to a control unit. The control unit controls the necessity of deployment of a passenger-side airbag on the basis of the incoming communication result.

Claims

1. An airbag system for a vehicle, which comprises determining means for making a predetermined communication between a seat of a vehicle and a child seat placed on the seat, and determining a direction of the child seat, and control means for, when an output from said determining means indicates the child seat facing the front direction of the vehicle, permitting an airbag, associated with the child seat placement, to deploy, and for, when the output from said determining means indicates the child seat facing the rear direction of the vehicle, inhibiting the airbag from deploying,

wherein when said control means detects that the predetermined communication is made by said determining means, and said determining means cannot determine the direction of the child seat, said control means inhibits the airbag from deploying.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein when said control means detects that the predetermined communication is made by said determining means, and said determining means cannot determine the direction of the child seat, said control means inhibits the airbag from deploying irrespective of a state of an external sensor output input to said control means.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein said determining means receives an output from a sensor used for determining the direction of the child seat, and a case in which said determining means cannot determine the direction of the child seat includes a case in which the sensor is defective.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein when said control means detects that the predetermined communication is made by said determining means, and said determining means cannot determine the direction of the child seat, said control means inhibits the airbag from deploying irrespective of a state of an external sensor output input to said control means.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein a case in which said determining means cannot determine the direction of the child seat does not include a case in which the direction of the child seat agrees with the front or rear direction of the vehicle.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein a case in which said determining means cannot determine the direction of the child seat includes a case in which an attached position of the child seat is offset from a predetermined position.

7. The system according to claim 1, further comprising warning means for, when said control means inhibits the airbag from deploying, generating a warning indicating the inhibition.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein said when an attached position of the child seat is offset from a predetermined position, said warning means generates a warning indicating the position offset.

9. An airbag system for a vehicle, which comprises determining means for making a predetermined communication between a seat of a vehicle and a child seat placed on the seat, and determining a direction of the child seat, and control means for, when an output from said determining means indicates the child seat facing the front direction of the vehicle, permitting an airbag, associated with the child seat placement, to deploy, and for, when the output from said determining means indicates the child seat facing the rear direction of the vehicle, inhibiting the airbag from deploying,

wherein when said control means detects that the predetermined communication is made by said determining means, and said determining means cannot determine the direction of the child seat, said control means inhibits the airbag from deploying irrespective of a state of an external sensor output input to said control means.

10. An airbag system for a vehicle, which comprises a determining device for making a predetermined communication between a communication unit of a seat of a vehicle and a communication unit of a child seat placed on the seat, and determining a direction of the child seat, and a CPU for, when an output from said determining device indicates the child seat facing the front direction of the vehicle, permitting an airbag, associated with the child seat placement, to deploy, and for, when the output from said determining device indicates the child seat facing the rear direction of the vehicle, inhibiting the airbag from deploying,

wherein when said CPU detects that the predetermined communication is made by said determining device, and said determining device cannot determine the direction of the child seat, said CPU inhibits the airbag from deploying.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein when said CPU detects that the predetermined communication is made by said determining device, and said determining device cannot determine the direction of the child seat, said CPU inhibits the airbag from deploying irrespective of a state of an external sensor output input to said CPU.

12. The system according to claim 10, wherein said determining device receives an output from a sensor used for determining the direction of the child seat, and a case in which said determining device cannot determine the direction of the child seat includes a case in which the sensor is defective.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein when said CPU detects that the predetermined communication is made by said determining device, and said determining device cannot determine the direction of the child seat, said CPU inhibits the airbag from deploying irrespective of a state of an external sensor output input to said CPU.

14. The system according to claim 10, wherein a case in which said determining device cannot determine the direction of the child seat does not include a case in which the direction of the child seat agrees with the front or rear direction of the vehicle.

15. The system according to claim 10, wherein a case in which said determining device cannot determine the direction of the child seat includes a case in which an attached position of the child seat is offset from a predetermined position.

16. The system according to claim 10, further comprising warning device for, when said CPU inhibits the airbag from deploying, generating a warning indicating the inhibition.

17. The system according to claim 16, wherein said when an attached position of the child seat is offset from a predetermined position, said warning device generates a warning indicating the position offset.