Communications: electrical – Condition responsive indicating system – Specific condition
Patent
1997-01-13
1998-08-04
Hofsass, Jeffery A.
Communications: electrical
Condition responsive indicating system
Specific condition
340573, 34082554, 29721611, 280735, 180273, G08B 1314
Patent
active
057900310
ABSTRACT:
An apparatus (52) senses the presence of a rearward facing child restraint seat (34) in a vehicle. Signal generating components (80, 84 and 90) of a driver/receiver circuit (64) provide an electrical transmit signal, at a first frequency, which is applied to an antenna (60) and the antenna transmits an electromagnetic (EM) signal (62) at the first frequency during a first time period. During a second time period, a component (84) of the driver/receiver circuit (64) provides a signal at a second, different frequency. An identification tag (54) is securable to the child restraint seat (34) and provides an EM return signal (68) in response to the EM transmit signal (62). The antenna (60) receives the EM return signal (68) and provides an electrical return signal in response to the EM return signal. A mixer (122) is coupled to receive both the second frequency signal and the electrical return signal in the second time period, and provides a beat frequency signal. The presence and duration of the beat frequency signal may be indicative of the presence of the identification tag (54). An output signal from the driver/receiver circuit (64) is a function of the beat frequency signal and contains information. A processor (70) processes the information in the output signal and determines: (i) presence of the identification tag (54) and (ii) whether the information is unreliable thus affecting the determination of presence of the identification tag.
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U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 08/147,682 to Blackburn, et al. filed Nov. 3, 1993 for Method and Apapratus Fors Sensing a Rearward Facing Child Seat, Status: Allowed (copy not enclosed).
U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 08/719,267 to LeMense filed Sep. 24, 1996 for Apparatus and Method for Sensing a Rearward Facing Child Seat (copy not enclosed).
U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 08/730,674 to LeMense filed Oct. 11, 1996 for Apparatus and Method for Sensing a Rearward Facing Child Seat Using Beat Frequency Detection (copy not enclosed).
LeMense Thomas John
Shelton Dennis James
Hofsass Jeffery A.
TRW Inc.
Wu Daniel J.
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