Occupant detecting apparatus capable of improving detection accuracy

• US 6,966,577 B2
• Filed: 10/14/2003
• Issued: 11/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honda Elesys Co., Ltd. (Nidec Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Honda Elesys Co., Ltd. (Nidec Corporation)
• Inventors: Saito, Naoki, Oikawa, Hiroshi, Masuda, Yoshinori, Nagai, Shingo, Jinno, Kazunori, Saito, Takashi, Baba, Satoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Ilan, Ruth
• Application Number:
  US10/682,991
• Publication Number:
  US 20040075259A1
• Time in Patent Office: 770 Days
• Field of Search: 280/735, 701/45, 180271-273, 340/436, 340/438, 340/457.1, 340561-564
• US Class Current: 280/735
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01068 between different sensors and airbag control unit
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01516 using force or pressure sensing means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0152 using strain gauges
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01532 using electric or capacitive field sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01556 Child-seat detection systems

Abstract

In an occupant detecting apparatus for detecting an occupant seated on a passenger seat of a vehicle with an airbag for the occupant, a load sensor is provided in a bottom part of the seat. A plurality of first electric field sensors are provided in the bottom part of the seat, and a plurality of second electric field sensors are provided in a rear part of the seat. An airbag inflating permission control unit permits inflation of the airbag in accordance with output signals of the load sensor and the first and second electric field sensors.

Claims

1. An occupant detecting apparatus for detecting an occupant seated on a passenger seat of a vehicle with a side-airbag for said occupant, comprising:

a load sensor provided in a bottom part of said seat;

an electric field sensor provided in a rear part of said seat on a side of the rear part of said seat; and

an airbag inflating permission control unit, connected to said load sensor and said electric field sensor, for permitting inflation of said side-airbag in accordance with output signals of said load sensor and said electric field sensor;

wherein said airbag inflating permission control unit compares an output signal of said load sensor with first and second load reference value, and compares the output signal of said electric field sensor with first and second electric field reference values,

said first load reference value being higher than said second load reference value,

said first electric field reference value being higher than said second electric field reference value.

2. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein when the output signal of said load signal is between said first and second load reference values, and the output signal of said electric field sensor is higher than said first electric field reference value, said airbag inflating permission control unit determines that a child is seated on said seat and is leaning toward said electric field sensor and the control unit does not permit the inflation of said airbag.

3. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein when the output signal of said load signal is between said first and second load reference values, and the output signal of said electric field sensor is between said first and second electric field reference values, said airbag inflating permission control unit determines that a child is surely seated on said seat to permit the inflation of said airbag.

4. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein when the output signal of said load signal is between said first and second reference values, and the output signal of said electric field sensor is lower than said second electric field reference value, said airbag inflating permission control unit determines that a child is seated on said seat and is leaning to a side of the seat that is opposite to the electric field sensor to permit the inflation of said airbag.