Carrier system and method thereof

• US 9,403,501 B2
• Filed: 11/10/2014
• Issued: 08/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MAGNA Electronics Solutions GmbH (Magna International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: MAGNA Electronics Solutions GmbH (Magna International Incorporated)
• Inventors: Chen, Jiun-Shiung, Teng, Chih-Wei
• Primary Examiner(s): VERLEY, NICOLE T
• Application Number:
  US14/537,365
• Publication Number:
  US 20150129343A1
• Time in Patent Office: 631 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 2021/01088 wireless
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01534 using electromagneticwaves, e.g. infrared

Abstract

A carrier system includes at least one seat and a radio wave detection device. The radio wave detection device is configured to emit a detection wave towards at least one seat of the carrier. A reflected wave reflected in response to the detection wave is received by the radio wave detection device. A position of an occupied seat and a type of an occupant on the occupied seat are determined in response to the received reflected wave. A safety mechanism is activated in response to the position of the occupied seat and the type of the occupants.

Claims

1. A carrier including a carrier system, comprising:

at least one seat;

a radio wave detection device configured to emit a detection wave towards the at least one seat and receive a reflected wave reflected in response to the detection wave, and determine a position of an occupied seat and a type of an occupant on the occupied seat in response to the reflected wave, and activate a safety mechanism in response to the position of the occupied seat and the type of the occupants;

wherein the radio wave detection device includes at least one radio wave transceiver facing toward the at least one seat, and the radio wave transceiver is configured to emit the detection wave towards a pre-determined position of the at least one seat and receive the reflected wave reflected by the pre-determined position of the at least one seat; and

wherein the at least one radio wave transceiver moves in a rotational manner to detect the at least one seat.

2. The carrier of claim 1, wherein the safety mechanism is configured to deliver an alert message or activate at least one airbag when an accident occurs.

3. The carrier of claim 1, wherein the radio wave detection device comprises a processor configured to determine whether the reflected wave includes a characteristic frequency in response to heart beating or breathing of the occupant.

4. The carrier of claim 3, wherein the processor configured to obtain a detection distance by calculating a time of flight (TOF) between the detection wave and the reflected wave, and map the detection distance with a pre-determined distance between the radio wave detection device and the occupied seat.

5. The carrier of claim 1, wherein the at least one radio wave transceiver is disposed in response to different reception beam angles.

6. The carrier of claim 1, wherein the radio wave detection device is disposed above the at least one seat.

7. The carrier of claim 1, wherein the radio wave detection device is disposed in front of the at least one seat.

8. A carrier including a carrier system, comprising:

at least one seat;

a radio wave detection device having a radio wave transceiver configured to emit a detection wave towards the at least one seat and receive a reflected wave reflected in response to the detection wave, the radio wave detection device configured to determine a position of an occupied seat and a type of an occupant on the occupied seat in response to the reflected wave, and activate a safety mechanism in response to the position of the occupied seat and the type of the occupants;

wherein the at least one radio wave transceiver is disposed in response to different reception beam angles; and

wherein the at least one radio wave transceiver moves in a rotational manner to detect different positions, along a vertical direction, of the at least one seat.

9. The carrier of claim 8, wherein the radio wave transceiver is configured to emit the detection wave towards a pre-determined position of the at least one seat and to receive the reflected wave reflected by the pre-determined position of the at least one seat.

10. The carrier of claim 9, wherein the at least one radio wave transceiver moves in a rotational manner to detect the at least one seat.

11. The carrier of claim 8, wherein the safety mechanism is configured to deliver an alert message or activate at least one airbag when an accident occurs.

12. The carrier of claim 8, wherein the radio wave detection device comprises a processor configured to determine whether the reflected wave includes a characteristic frequency in response to heart beating or breathing of the occupant.

13. The carrier of claim 8, wherein the processor configured to obtain a detection distance by calculating a time of flight (TOF) between the detection wave and the reflected wave, and map the detection distance with a pre-determined distance between the radio wave detection device and the occupied seat.

14. The carrier of claim 8, wherein the radio wave detection device is disposed above the at least one seat.

15. The carrier of claim 8, wherein the radio wave detection device is disposed in front of the at least one seat.