Method and apparatus for sensing seat occupancy
First Claim
1. A vehicle seat occupancy detection system comprising:
- a seat bun forming a portion of the seating cushion for an occupant'"'"'s seat, wherein said seat bun has a substantially horizontal upper surface portion and a lower portion;
a sensor device having first and second relatively movable parts being aligned for relative movement substantially perpendicular to said seat bun surfaces, said first part being mounted within said seat bun and spaced below said upper surface, said second part also being mounted within said seat bun and being spaced below said first part;
said seat bun containing a cavity in which said sensor device is mounted and said second part being mounted on a support layer abutting said lower portion of said seat bun;
said sensor device being operative to produce signals indicative of the distance between said first and second parts; and
a processor for receiving said sensor signals and interpreting the signals to produce an output to indicate the presence of an occupant in said seat.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Method and apparatus for identifying and categorizing the weight and characteristics of the occupant currently occupying a vehicle seat. The method for identifying and categorizing the occupant or object involves measuring the deflection of the upper surface of the seat cushion at one or more points due to compression of the cushion produced by the weight distribution of the occupant. The system contains multiple sensor/emitter pairs for detecting the deflection. The system also includes a sensor to measure ambient temperature, preferably for temperature compensation due to the effects extreme temperatures may have on the compression properties of the seat cushion material and sensor/emitter pairs. A system processor interprets the data acquired by the sensors, and utilizes an algorithm and training tables to output a control signal indicative of the categorization of the occupant or object.
68 Citations
29 Claims
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1. A vehicle seat occupancy detection system comprising:
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a seat bun forming a portion of the seating cushion for an occupant'"'"'s seat, wherein said seat bun has a substantially horizontal upper surface portion and a lower portion; a sensor device having first and second relatively movable parts being aligned for relative movement substantially perpendicular to said seat bun surfaces, said first part being mounted within said seat bun and spaced below said upper surface, said second part also being mounted within said seat bun and being spaced below said first part;
said seat bun containing a cavity in which said sensor device is mounted and said second part being mounted on a support layer abutting said lower portion of said seat bun;
said sensor device being operative to produce signals indicative of the distance between said first and second parts; and
a processor for receiving said sensor signals and interpreting the signals to produce an output to indicate the presence of an occupant in said seat. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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4. A vehicle seat occupancy detection system comprising:
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a seat bun forming a portion of the seating cushion for an occupant'"'"'s seat, wherein said seat bun has a substantially horizontal upper surface portion and a lower portion; a sensor device having first and second relatively movable parts being aligned for relative movement substantially perpendicular to said seat bun surfaces, said first part being mounted within said seat bun and spaced below said upper surface, said second part also being mounted within said seat bun and being spaced below said firs part;
said seat bun containing a plurality of cavities arrayed in a predetermined pattern and a plurality of sensor devices being mounted within said cavities for producing signals;
said sensor devices being operative to produce signals indicative of the distance between said first and second parts;
a processor for receiving said sensor signals and interpreting the signals to produce an output to indicate the presence of an occupant in said seat; and
said processor receiving and interpreting the signals from each sensor device to produce an output corresponding with the weight and pattern of a load applied to the upper surface portion of said seat bun. - View Dependent Claims (5)
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12. In a vehicle seat occupancy detection system that includes a seat for an occupant:
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a seating cushion for an occupant'"'"'s seat, having a substantially horizontal upper surface portion and a lower portion; a sensor device having first and second relatively movable parts being aligned for relative movement substantially perpendicular to said seat cushion surfaces, said first part being mounted within said seat cushion and spaced below said upper surface, said second part also being mounted within said seat cushion and being spaced below said first part;
said seat cushion containing a cavity in which said sensor device is mounted and said second part being mounted on a support layer abutting said lower portion of said seat cushion;
said sensor device being operative to produce signals indicative of the distance between said first and second parts; anda processor for receiving said sensor signals and interpreting the signals to produce an output to indicate the presence of an occupant in said seat. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A vehicle seat occupancy detection system that includes a seat for an occupant:
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a seating cushion for an occupant'"'"'s seat, having a substantially horizontal upper surface portion and a lower portion; a sensor device having first and second relatively movable parts being aligned for relative movement substantially perpendicular to said seat cushion surfaces, said first part being mounted within said seat cushion and spaced below said upper surface, said second part also being mounted within said seat cushion and being spaced below said first part;
said seat cushion containing a plurality of cavities arrayed in a predetermined pattern and a plurality of sensor devices mounted within said cavities for producing signals;
said sensor device being operative to produce signals indicative of the distance between said first and second parts;a processor for receiving said sensor signals and interpreting the signals to produce an output to indicate the presence of an occupant in said seat; and
said processor receiving and interpreting the signals from each sensor device to produce an output corresponding with the weight and pattern of a load applied to the upper surface portion of said seat cushion. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24)
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25. A method of detecting an occupant in a seat comprising the steps of:
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providing a seating cushion having a substantially horizontal upper surface portion function as an occupant'"'"'s seating surface and a lower portion with an outer surface in substantial opposition to said upper surface;
providing a cavity in said seat and a support layer abutting said lower portion;
providing a weight sensor device having first and second relatively movable parts aligned for relative movement substantially perpendicular to said seat cushion surfaces, wherein said sensor device is operative to produce signals indicative of the distance between said first and second parts;
mounting said first part of said sensing device internal to said seat cushion spaced below said upper surface in said cavity;mounting said second part of said sensing device below said first part on said supporting surface abutting said lower portion; and
providing a means for receiving said sensor signals and interpreting said signals to produce an output to indicate the presence of an occupant in said seat.
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26. A method of detecting an occupant in a seat comprising the steps of:
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providing a seating cushion having a substantially horizontal upper surface portion function as an occupant'"'"'s seating surface and a lower portion with an outer surface in substantial opposition to said upper surface; providing a plurality of cylindrical cavities in said seat that extend from the lower surface towards the upper surface in sufficient size to accommodate and accept a corresponding plurality of weight sensor devices, said weight sensor devices each having first and second relatively movable parts aligned for relative movement substantially perpendicular to said seat cushions surfaces;
inserting said weight sensing devices into said cavities;
providing a substrate to support said weight sensing devices and attaching said substrate to the lower surface of said seat cushion, said sensor devices being operative to produce signals indicative of the distance between said first and second parts and providing a means for receiving said sensor signals and interpreting said signals to produce an output to indicate the presence of an occupant in said seat. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29)
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Specification