Occupant monitoring and restraint status system

• US 8,005,595 B2
• Filed: 11/19/2008
• Issued: 08/23/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Joyson Safety Systems Acquisition, LLC
• Original Assignee: TK Holdings Incorporated (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Carlton, Russ, Stroik, Gary, Marriott, Brandon Scott, Messner, Thomas Wayne
• Primary Examiner(s): Ilan; Ruth
• Application Number:
  US12/292,476
• Publication Number:
  US 20090132128A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,007 Days
• Field of Search: 180/268, 180/271, 280/801.1, 340/433, 340/457.1, 701/45
• US Class Current: 701/45
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0067 Buses
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/003 for restraining detainees
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/4825 for sensing amount of belt winded on retractor
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/4858 for sensing pressure on seat
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01546 using belt buckle sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/48 Control systems, alarms, or interlock systems, for the correct application of the belt or harness

Abstract

An occupant monitoring and restraint status system is provided. The system includes an occupant boarding and de-boarding system. The occupant boarding and de-boarding system detects boarding and de-boarding of occupants. The system also includes a bench type seat that has a plurality of seat locations. Each of these seat locations includes a seat belt system which has a status sensor to detect a state of the seat belt system. Each seat location also includes an occupant sensing system. The occupant sensing system detects the presence and identity of an occupant at the seat location. The system further includes a display which includes a seat status indicator for each of the plurality of seat locations. The seat status indicators include information regarding a presence of an occupant, an occupant identity, and a state of a seat belt system.

Claims

1. An occupant monitoring and restraint status system for a vehicle, comprising:

an occupant boarding and de-boarding system configured to detect boarding and de-boarding of occupants;

a bench type seat including a plurality of seat locations, wherein each seat location includes a seat belt system including a status sensor, and each seat location includes an occupant sensing system,

wherein the status sensor of a seat belt system is configured to detect a state of the seat belt system, and

wherein the occupant sensing system is configured to detect a presence of an occupant and to detect an identity of an occupant;

a display including a seat status indicator for each of the plurality of seat locations, wherein the seat status indicator includes information regarding the presence of an occupant, the occupant identity, and the state of the seat belt system.

2. The occupant monitoring and restraint status system of claim 1, wherein the display is an LCD.

3. The occupant monitoring and restraint status system of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of seat displays corresponding to each seat location, wherein each seat display includes a seat status indicator that includes information regarding a presence of an occupant, an occupant identity, and a state of a seat belt system.

4. The occupant monitoring and restraint status system of claim 1, further comprising:

a camera to record occupants of the vehicle.

5. The occupant monitoring and restraint status system of claim 1, wherein the display further displays information regarding a number of occupants detected by the occupant boarding and de-boarding system.

6. The occupant monitoring and restraint status system of claim 1, wherein the occupant boarding and de-boarding system comprises a first tripwire and a second tripwire closest to a door of the vehicle.

7. The occupant monitoring and restraint status system of claim 1, wherein the occupant boarding and de-boarding system comprises a weight sensor of a higher step and a weight sensor of a lower step.

8. The occupant monitoring and restraint status system of claim 1, wherein the occupant boarding and de-boarding system comprises a radio frequency identification reader.

9. The occupant monitoring and restraint status system of claim 1, wherein the status sensor of the seat belt system includes a seat belt webbing payout sensor.

10. The occupant monitoring and restraint status system of claim 1, wherein the status sensor of the seat belt system includes an inductive capacitance sensor.

11. The occupant monitoring and restraint status system of claim 1, wherein the status sensor of the seat belt system includes a radio frequency identification sensor.

12. The occupant monitoring and restraint status system of claim 1, wherein the occupant sensing system includes a presence sensor within the bench type seat that is a membrane-type pressure switch.

13. The occupant monitoring and restraint status system of claim 1, wherein the occupant sensing system includes a presence sensor within the bench type seat that is a strain gauge-type displacement measurement sensor.

14. The occupant monitoring and restraint status system of claim 1, wherein the occupant sensing system includes a presence sensor that is a magnetic field sensor.

15. The occupant monitoring and restraint status system of claim 1, wherein the occupant sensing system includes an identification sensor that is a radio frequency identification reader.

16. An occupant monitoring and restraint status system, comprising:

an occupant boarding and de-boarding system configured to detect boarding and de-boarding of occupants;

a bench type seat including a plurality of seat locations, wherein each seat location includes a seat belt system including a status sensor, and each seat location includes an occupant sensing system,

wherein the status sensor of a seat belt system is configured to detect a state of the seat belt system, and

wherein the occupant sensing system is configured to detect a presence of an occupant and to detect an identity of an occupant;

a display including a seat status indicator for each of the plurality of seat locations, wherein the seat status indicator includes information regarding the presence of an occupant, the occupant identity, and the state of the seat belt system; and

a controller configured to process output from the occupant boarding and de-boarding system, the status sensor of the seat belt system of each seat location, and the occupant sensing system of each seat location, and to determine a location of an occupant within a vehicle, whether an occupant is seated in a one of the plurality of seat locations, and whether a seat belt system of a one of the plurality of seat locations where an occupant is seated is properly engaged, and to control the display.

17. The occupant monitoring and restraint status system of claim 16, wherein the controller is configured to communicate with a data logging system.

18. The occupant monitoring and restraint status system of claim 16, wherein the controller is further configured to determine whether an occupant has moved seat locations during operation of the vehicle.

19. The occupant monitoring and restraint status system of claim 16, further comprising:

a data store, wherein the controller controls the data store and stores processed and received data.

20. The occupant monitoring and restraint status system of claim 16, further comprising:

a facial recognition system connected to the controller and configured to identify an occupant of the vehicle based on images of the occupant'"'"'s face.