Crew member detecting device

• US 6,012,006 A
• Filed: 12/06/1996
• Issued: 01/04/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kansei Company
• Original Assignee: Kansei Company
• Inventors: Ohneda, Katsushi, Taguchi, Tomonori, Demachi, Miyuki, Hashimoto, Yoichi, Horikoshi, Tadashi, Hayashi, Haruyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hernandez, Olga
• Application Number:
  US08/759,712
• Time in Patent Office: 1,124 Days
• Field of Search: 280/735, 701/45, 701/47, 180/272
• US Class Current: 701/45
• 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: B60R 21/01536 using ultrasonic waves

Abstract

In a crew member detecting device, an acoustic wave generator element mounted on a vehicle body generates a standing wave between the acoustic wave generator element and a bucket seat, and an acoustic wave receiver element is provided in the region of the standing wave, to detect the presence of a person on the bucket seat from variations in the output of the acoustic wave receiver element which are due to the movement of the person on the bucket seat.

Claims

1. A crew member detecting device for a vehicle with a bucket seat comprising:

an acoustic wave generator element mounted on a vehicle body, for generating a standing wave having a plurality of loops and nodes between said acoustic wave generator element and the bucket seat; and

an acoustic wave receiver element disposed in a region of said standing wave, for measuring the number of the loops or nodes of the standing wave and calculating a displacement value on the basis of a measurement result of the number of the loops or nodes of the standing wave to detect the presence of a person on said bucket seat from variations in the output of said acoustic wave receiver element which are due to the movement of said person on said bucket seat.

2. A crew member detecting device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a band-pass filter for extracting a signal component attributing to the displacement of the person from said acoustic wave generator element;

an absolute value circuit for obtaining a absolute value of a signal outputted from said band-pass filter;

a Schmitt circuit for converting a sinusoidal signal outputted from said absolute value circuit into a pulse signal;

a counter for counting pulse signals outputted from said Schmitt circuit;

a distance calculating circuit for calculating an amount of movement of the person from a count value outputted from said counter 20;

a pattern storing circuit for storing a predetermined pattern; and

a decision circuit for determining whether or not a person is on the bucket seat by comparing the amount of movement calculated by said distance calculating circuit with the pattern stored in said pattern storing circuit.

3. A crew member detecting device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said acoustic wave generator element and said acoustic wave receiver element are provided separately.

4. A crew member detecting device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said acoustic wave generator element and said acoustic wave receiver element are contained in a bridge circuit.