System for measuring parameters related to automobile seat

• US 6,015,163 A
• Filed: 10/08/1997
• Issued: 01/18/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sensitron
• Original Assignee: Cesar A. Montano, David Beck, Doug Odom, Gordon B. Langford, Greg Putnam, Mr. Richard Allen, Thomas Danielson
• Inventors: Allen, Richard, Beck, David, Danielson, Thomas, Langford, Gordon B., Montano, Cesar A., Putnam, Greg, Odom, Doug
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson, Paul N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): JASMIN, LYNDA C
• Application Number:
  US08/947,001
• Time in Patent Office: 832 Days
• Field of Search: 280/735, 280/731, 280/728, 280/741, 180/273, 340/667, 340/666, 340/436, 340/457.1
• 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: B60R 21/01516 using force or pressure sensing means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01526 using piezoelectric elements

Abstract

A vehicle has a seat configured to receive a person or object. An array of flexible potentiometers is positioned in the seat to sense the mass or weight and the footprint or profile of that which is in the seat. The flexible potentiometers supply a signal through circuitry to enable or disable an air bag system in the vehicle. The air bag system operates under selected conditions such as what may be experienced in a crash of the vehicle to deploy the air bag to preclude movement of a seat occupant into vehicle structure.

Claims

1. A sensor system comprising:

a surface configured to receive and support a weight having a mass and a foot print, said surface being formed of a material which deflects in a pattern reflective of said mass and said foot print between a first position without said weight on said surface and a second position with said weight on said surface;

an array of flexible potentiometers each having an electrical resistance that predictably varies upon deflection from a first position to a second position, said array of flexible potentiometers being positioned under said surface, each of said flexible potentiometers being positioned to move from its first position to its second position to sense the deflection of said surface in said pattern between the first position of said surface and the second position of said surface and to generate deflection signals reflective of said pattern; and

a circuit means connected to receive said deflection signals reflective of said pattern and to supply a control signal to an exterior receiver, said circuit means having means to process said deflection signals reflective of said pattern and to generate said control signal.

2. An air bag control system comprising:

a vehicle seat surface configured to receive and support a weight having a mass and a foot print, said vehicle seat surface being formed of a material which deflects or deforms in a pattern reflective of said mass and said foot print upon positioning of said mass thereon;

a flexible potentiometer having an electrical resistance that predictably varies upon deflection from a first position to a second position, said flexible potentiometer being positioned proximate said vehicle seat surface to deflect to sense the deflection of said surface in said pattern and to generate a deflection signal reflective of said deflection;

a circuit means connected to receive said deflection signal reflective of said pattern and to supply a control signal, said circuit means having means to process said deflection signals and to generate said control signal; and

an air bag assembly positioned and enabled to present an air bag relative to said weight positioned on said vehicle seat surface upon receipt of a control signal from said circuit means.

3. An air bag control system comprising:

a vehicle seat surface configured to receive and support a weight having a mass and a foot print, said vehicle seat surface being formed of a material which deflects or deforms in a pattern reflective of said mass and said foot print upon positioning of said mass thereon;

a sensor means having an array of flexible potentiometers positioned proximate said vehicle seat surface to sense the deflection of said surface in said pattern and to generate a deflection signal reflective of said deflection;

a circuit means connected to receive said deflection signal and to supply a control signal, said circuit means having means to process said deflection signal and to generate said control signal; and

an air bag assembly positioned and enabled to present an air bag relative to said weight positioned on said vehicle seat surface upon receipt of a control signal from said circuit means.

4. An air bag control system comprising:

a vehicle seat surface configured to receive and support a weight having a mass and a foot print, said vehicle seat surface being formed of a material which deflects or deforms in a pattern reflective of said mass and said foot print upon positioning of said mass thereon between a first position and a second position;

a array of flexible potentiometers each positioned under said vehicle seat surface to sense the deflection of said surface in said pattern between said first position and said second position and to generate deflection signals reflective of said deflection;

a circuit means connected to receive said deflection signals and to supply a control signal, said circuit means having means to process said deflection signals and to generate said control signal; and

an air bag assembly positioned and enabled to present an air bag proximate to said weight positioned on said vehicle seat surface upon receipt of a control signal from said circuit means.

5. An air bag control system comprising:

a vehicle seat surface configured to receive and support a weight having a mass and a foot print, said vehicle seat surface being formed of a material which deflects or deforms in a pattern reflective of said mass and said foot print upon positioning of said mass thereon;

a sensor means having at least one flexible potentiometer positioned under said vehicle seat surface to deflect to sense the deflection of said surface in said pattern and to generate a deflection signal reflective of said deflection, said flexible potentiometer having an electrical resistance that predictably varies upon deflection from a first position to a second position;

a circuit means connected to receive said deflection signal and to supply a control signal, said circuit means having means to process said deflection signal and to generate said control signal; and

an air bag assembly positioned and enabled to present an air bag relative to said weight positioned on said vehicle seat surface upon receipt of a control signal from said circuit means.