Smart seatbelt control system
First Claim
1. A seatbelt safety system for detecting seatbelt usage in a vehicle by at least a vehicle occupant comprising:
- a. at least a seat sensor mounted between the seat mounting structure means and the floor means of a vehicle for identifying when an occupant is seated within the vehicle seat;
b. at least a seatbelt tension sensor means for identifying whether an occupant identified by the seat sensor has fastened the seatbelt of the seat;
c. said seatbelt tension sensor means secured to the vehicle by a fastener, a first communication device comprising at least a transmitting means arranged in the seatbelt first end, and a second communication device comprising at least a receiving means arranged in the seatbelt second end, wherein said transmitting means and said receiving means being capable of communicating to each other for establishing communication link with at least the ends of at least the first and/or the second communication device;
d. a housing means adapted to be secured by the fastener and at least a first and/or a second communication device, an anchor plate mounted on the housing means, a strain gage secured to the housing means responsive for extending communication signal through a wire harness to at least a processing means;
e. means for monitoring the signal strength of the first and second communication devices and the signal strength of the strain gage;
f. said means for monitoring signal strength further comprising means for providing signals indicative of the seatbelt either is fastened or is unfastened based on the said signal strength of at least the first signal communication device, the second signal communication device, and/or the strain gage;
g. a vehicle sensor identifying when the vehicle is in motion;
h. a spring located between the anchor plate and the strain gage;
i. a control system operatively configured with means for preventing at least an occupant of said vehicle from starting at least a vehicle engine when the seat sensor and the seatbelt sensor indicate that the occupant is seated within the seat without a fastened seatbelt;
j. said control system further comprising means for locking the seatbelt when the vehicle sensor indicates that the vehicle is operating in a predetermined manner;
k. said control system operatively configured with said occupant sensor means for determining whether to allow deployment of restraints for the occupant based on measured parameters including at least a measured seat occupant weight and/or at least a measured seatbelt tension; and
l. a sensor circuitry for characterizing at sensor output signal.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus for preventing occupant injury during accident has various features to ensure safety including a sensor (70) detecting seat belt engagement and a means for varying the tension of a seatbelt (17), depending upon the weight of the occupant (110) sits on any of the seats (17), the load cell switch (18) will close, allowing the load cell output energy to energize the control module (25). The control module (25), after receiving signal communication from any of the load cells (15), will then enable the counter (50) to count the number of closed load cell switches (18) and enables the optoisolator switch (70) to then energize the latching relay (80) to check for the seat belt latching of the occupied seats (10) with closed load cell switches (18) and to energize, the latching relay switch (85).
84 Citations
89 Claims
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1. A seatbelt safety system for detecting seatbelt usage in a vehicle by at least a vehicle occupant comprising:
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a. at least a seat sensor mounted between the seat mounting structure means and the floor means of a vehicle for identifying when an occupant is seated within the vehicle seat; b. at least a seatbelt tension sensor means for identifying whether an occupant identified by the seat sensor has fastened the seatbelt of the seat; c. said seatbelt tension sensor means secured to the vehicle by a fastener, a first communication device comprising at least a transmitting means arranged in the seatbelt first end, and a second communication device comprising at least a receiving means arranged in the seatbelt second end, wherein said transmitting means and said receiving means being capable of communicating to each other for establishing communication link with at least the ends of at least the first and/or the second communication device; d. a housing means adapted to be secured by the fastener and at least a first and/or a second communication device, an anchor plate mounted on the housing means, a strain gage secured to the housing means responsive for extending communication signal through a wire harness to at least a processing means; e. means for monitoring the signal strength of the first and second communication devices and the signal strength of the strain gage; f. said means for monitoring signal strength further comprising means for providing signals indicative of the seatbelt either is fastened or is unfastened based on the said signal strength of at least the first signal communication device, the second signal communication device, and/or the strain gage; g. a vehicle sensor identifying when the vehicle is in motion; h. a spring located between the anchor plate and the strain gage; i. a control system operatively configured with means for preventing at least an occupant of said vehicle from starting at least a vehicle engine when the seat sensor and the seatbelt sensor indicate that the occupant is seated within the seat without a fastened seatbelt; j. said control system further comprising means for locking the seatbelt when the vehicle sensor indicates that the vehicle is operating in a predetermined manner; k. said control system operatively configured with said occupant sensor means for determining whether to allow deployment of restraints for the occupant based on measured parameters including at least a measured seat occupant weight and/or at least a measured seatbelt tension; and l. a sensor circuitry for characterizing at sensor output signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A vehicle seat occupant detection system having means for controlling a restraint system of a vehicle, comprising at least a sensor means for measuring tension in at least a seatbelt associated with at least a seat, a control means for determining whether to allow deployment of at least a restraint system assigned to the occupant seat based on the measured parameters including at least a measured seatbelt tension, sensor circuitry means disposed with the sensor means for characterizing output signals, comprising:
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a. an automobile body having an engine with an ignition system and at least one seat having a seatbelt associated therewith; b. at least a seat sensor mounted between the seat mounting structure means and the floor means of a vehicle for identifying when a passenger is seated within the vehicle seat; c. said sensor means further comprising at least a seatbelt tension sensor means for identifying whether an occupant identified by the seat sensor has fastened the seatbelt of the seat; d. said seatbelt tension sensor means secured to at least a vehicle by at least a fastener, a first communication device comprising at least a transmitting means arranged in the seatbelt first end, and a second communication device comprising at least a receiving means arranged in the seatbelt second end, wherein the transmitting means and the receiving means responsive for enabling interactive communication for establishing a communication link with at least the ends of at least the first and/or the second communication device; e. a housing means adapted to be secured by the fastener and at least a first and/or a second communication device, an anchor plate mounted on the housing means, a strain gage secured to the housing means responsive for extending said interactive communication signal through wire harness to at least a processing means; f. said seat sensor further comprising means for monitoring the signal strength of the first and second communication devices and the signal strength of a strain gage; g. a spring means located between the anchor plate and the strain gage; h. said seatbelt tension sensor means further comprising means for providing signals indicative of the seatbelt either is fastened or is unfastened based on the said signal strength of at least the first signal communication device, the second signal communication device, and/or the strain gage; i. a vehicle sensor for identifying when the vehicle is in motion; j. said means for providing signals operatively configured with at least said control means communicatively connected to means for preventing at least an occupant of a vehicle from starting at least a vehicle engine when the seat sensor and the seatbelt sensor means indicate that the occupant is seated within the seat without a fastened seatbelt; k. (a) said control means further comprising means for locking the seatbelt when the vehicle sensor indicates to the control means that the vehicle is operating in a predetermined manner; l. Said seat sensor further comprising at least an occupant detection control system configured with at least a seat for determining whether to allow deployment of restraints for the occupant based on measured parameters including at least a measured seat occupant weight and/or at least a measured seatbelt tension; m. a sensor circuitry configured with said seatbelt tension sensor means for characterizing sensor output signal; and n. seatbelt restraining strap operatively connected to at least a locking mechanism for securing the restraining strap across the body of a vehicle occupant seated within the seat, wherein the locking mechanism comprising means for preventing unlocking of the mechanism under predetermined conditions. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A method for classifying vehicle occupants to enable vehicle seat occupant detection system for controlling a restraint system of a vehicle, comprising at least a sensor means for measuring tension in at least a seatbelt associated with at least a seat, and a control means for determining whether to allow deployment of at least a restraint system assigned to the occupied occupant seat based on at least a measured parameter, including at least a measured seatbelt tension and/or at least a signal from at least sensor circuitry means disposed with a sensor for characterizing output signals, comprising the steps of:
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a. mounting a plurality of sensors between the vehicle seat mounting structure means and the floor means of the vehicle to enable a detection platform; b. generating at least an electrical signal from the sensors indicative of at least an occupant measured weight on the said seat, wherein said generated electrical signal responsive to an occupant presence within the seat of the said vehicle; c. storing the said electrical signal in a rewriteable memory representing at least an identification data storage medium for the said occupant on said seat; d. correcting said data if the information at the rewriteable memory varies from the electrical signal output from the said detection platform having at least a load cell operatively configured with a strain gage; e. classifying the restraining force based on at least the original data and/or the corrected data at the rewriteable memory location. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. A vehicle seat occupant detection means and classification system for classifying detected vehicle occupants information comprising at least a predefined sensor arrangement for the vehicle seat and the seatbelt ends to enable variable restraining force control;
- comprising;
a. vehicle seat sensor mounted between a seat mounting structure means and the floor means of a vehicle, said seat sensor comprising at least a load cell operatively configured with a strain gage responsive for generating at least an electrical/electromagnetic signal containing at least a unique seat and occupant identification data; b. at least a sensing means responsive to characteristics of the vehicle seat sensor to generate at least a seat characteristic signal; c. said seat sensor comprising at least an occupant detection control means comprising means responsive to the seat characteristic signal for deriving at least a seat occupant weight and/or seatbelt tension signal, operatively configured with at least a memory means responsive for the seat identification data, wherein the memory means is comprises at least an erasable programmable read-only memory “
EPROM”
communicatively connected to the control means and operatively configured with the seat sensor;d. said control means further comprising means for generating the sensor activating signal and for receiving and/or processing at least said electrical/electromagnetic signal derived from at least an identified data in relation to at least an identified seat having at least an occupant and/or a seatbelt mechanism; e. said control means further comprising means for determining if there is at least a seat identification data at an address line configured with said EPROM; f. said means for determining seat identification data further comprising means for determining if the seat identification data from at least an electrical/electromagnetic signal matches the seat identification data from at least the last previous identified data for the said seat; g. said means for determining seat identification data further comprising means for determining if the seat identification data from at least an electrical/electromagnetic signal matches at least the previously identified data to enable increasing /decreasing at least a seatbelt tension for the said identified seat and storing said data thereon; h. said EPROM further comprising means for determining at least a seat reference location with at least an occupant weight and seatbelt tension value and enabling copying at least a seat identification data to at least an address line memory, wherein if there is at least an identified seat identification data in the address line memory, means for comparing the said identification data at the said address line location and generating at least an operating or warning signal when at least a seat identification data does not match the seat identification data at the address line memory is enabled; i. said EPROM further comprising means for extracting said identification data from at least the address line; j. said control means further comprising means for controlling the restraint system from at least the values of at least data at the address line memory; and k. said vehicle seat sensor further comprising at least a load cell having means for transforming said occupant weight into electrical energy. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47)
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48. An occupant detection means and supplemental weight responsive restraint system for controlling at least a seatbelt tensional force comprising:
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a. a means for sensing weight and generating weight signal corresponding to a weight of an occupant on the seat; b. a central processing unit responsive to a digital signal which has been amplified and converted from said weight signal for generating a tensional restraining value; c. a coil responsive to said tensional restraining value generating energy corresponding to said restraint energy value; d. a latching relay comprising a control means for verifying the locking position of a seatbelt and for enabling at least an evaluation means connectable to at least a monitoring means, responsive for confirming seatbelt connectivity signal; e. an optoisolator defining a monitoring means responsive to said latching relay;
releasing a controlled electrical energy corresponding to said occupant'"'"'s weight into said coil at a rate corresponding to said tensional restraining value;f. said coil comprising at least a rotating means for generating electrical energy, said electrical energy responsive for wheel rotation for generating a seatbelt tensional force proportionate to at least said occupant'"'"'s weight and/or the speed of the vehicle, and enabling timely empowering said coil rotation at a rate corresponding to at least said occupant'"'"' weight and/or the collision force of the vehicle; and g. said optoisolator further comprising at least a monitoring means comprising at least a sensor means structured and arranged to respond to said seatbelt latching activities by registering a binary representation of at least a “
0” and
/or “
1”
transmission indicative of further responding to at least a seatbelt latch/unlatch condition. - View Dependent Claims (49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 57, 58)
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56. An occupant detection means and supplemental weight responsive restraint system in accordance with 55, wherein said detection means further including a vehicle seat occupant detection system in communication with means for controlling a restraint system of a vehicle and said restraint system further comprising an amplifying device for amplifying signal processing devices when a collision is eminent.
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59. Weight responsive restraint system for a smart restraint having at least a vehicle seat occupant detection means for controlling at least a restraint system of a vehicle, said restraint system comprising sensors for measuring tension in at least a seatbelt associated with at least a seat, a control means for determining whether to allow deployment of at least a restraint system assigned to the occupant seat based on measured parameters including at least a measured seatbelt tension, at least a measured signal from at least a sensor circuitry means disposed with at least a sensor for characterizing output signals comprising:
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a. a seatbelt; b. said occupant detection means comprising means for sensing weight and generating a weight signal corresponding to a weight of an occupant on the seat; b. an encoder, responsive for analog to digital signals which has been amplified and converted from said weight signal, generating a tensional force value; d. a coil responsive to said tensional force value, generating electrical energy corresponding to said tensional force value; and e. means for controlling a tensional force exerted by said seatbelt upon wheel rotation empowered by the coil, so that said force is proportionate to said weight of said occupant; and
wherein said means for controlling said force of said seatbelt varies between an upper and lower threshold. - View Dependent Claims (60, 61, 62, 63)
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64. Means for controlling the seatbelt restraining force of a vehicle seat occupant, said means comprising vehicle seat occupant detection means and classification system for classifying occupant'"'"'s data to enable controlling a restraint system of a vehicle based on at least said classification data, the speed of said vehicle, and the collision force of said vehicle, wherein said classification system further comprising sensors mounted between a floor means and the seat mounting structure means for measuring the occupant'"'"'s weight and enabling tension in at least a seatbelt associated with at least said seat responsive for outputting said occupant'"'"'s data, wherein a control means is provided for determining whether to allow deployment of at least a restraint system assigned to at least the occupied occupant seat based on the measured parameters including at least any/all said three factors for enabling measured/variable seatbelt tension, and wherein said classification system further comprising sensor circuitry means disposed with the seat mounting structure means and the floor means of the vehicle for characterizing output signals of the said sensors comprising:
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a. said occupant detection means further comprising a weight sensor for determining the weight of a seating occupant and generating an output signal indicative thereof; b. said weight sensor further comprising a load cell bonded with at least one strain gage comprising said weight sensor and mounted between the seat mounting structure means and the floor means of said vehicle for generating signal when strained or under load indicative of occupant weight and said signal responsive to signal communication to a plurality of devices, c. said weight sensor comprising means for transforming said body weight signal into electrical energy corresponding to the weight of said occupant and sampling input and output signals from said at least one sensor such that the occupant applied force on the surfaces of the seat and the floor of the vehicle are measured and said seatbelt tensional restraint force is controlled in response to said weight of the seated occupant upon collision. - View Dependent Claims (65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73)
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74. A smart restraint control means for a vehicle seat occupant detection and classification system for classifying detected vehicle occupants information including at least a predefined sensor arrangement for the vehicle seat and the seatbelt ends comprising:
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a. means for precisely monitoring the initial weight of a seated occupant and the weight of a changing occupant, for controlling the tensional restraint force of a seatbelt, b. said means for monitoring the initial weight of a seated occupant comprising an address line, said address line being a reference storage memory or medium for storing actual weight at initial sitting, said memory is different from either RAM or ROM; c. said address line further comprising an EPROM, for controlling data about a changing occupant; and d. a microprocessor means, for communicating with plurality of sensors, said sensors being in circuit communication with a plurality of other signal processors and/or transistorize switches, for enabling a seatbelt tensional restraint force. - View Dependent Claims (75, 76, 77, 78, 80)
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79. A smart restraint control system as claimed in 74, wherein a switch is used for letting off occupants when the vehicle is stopped.
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81. A vehicle occupant seat detection means and weight responsive classification system for controlling the resistance of a restraint device, such that in an accident, an occupant of a vehicle impacts the device without injury, comprising:
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a. at least a sensor means operatively configured with the detection means for determining a weight value of at least a sitting occupant; b. at least a computer means comprising a control means communicatively configured with said sensor means, said computer means calculating a coil value based upon at least the weight value of the sitting occupant and/or at least a collision force value; c. at least a seatbelt device; d. at least a collision force sensor communicatively configured with at least a restraint device and operatively configured with the computer means; and e. at least a coil tensioning means operatively configured with said seat belt device, and communicatively connected to said computer means, said coil tensioning means comprises means for initiating a variable tensional force, comprising rotating a moveable coil per weight value, wherein said sensor means comprises at least a load cell comprising at least a strain gage configured with at least an electrical resistance means and operatively configured with the restraint device, the restraint device communicatively connected to said computer means comprising means for adjusting tensile speed/force if the occupant does not have the seatbelt locked; and wherein said restraint device comprises means for controlling at least the seatbelt tension, said means operatively connected to the EPROM and communicatively configured with at least a switch means, said switch means comprises at least an optoisolator comprising at least a photocell operatively configured with at least a Led, said photocell further comprises means for initiating activation of the seatbelt device and for enabling signal communication responsive to at least a latching means. - View Dependent Claims (82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89)
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Specification