Data processing: vehicles – navigation – and relative location – Vehicle control – guidance – operation – or indication – Vehicle subsystem or accessory control
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-13
2001-06-05
Rice, Kenneth R. (Department: 3611)
Data processing: vehicles, navigation, and relative location
Vehicle control, guidance, operation, or indication
Vehicle subsystem or accessory control
C280S735000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06243634
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
It is known in the art relating to vehicle safety restraint systems to adjust the reaction of the restraint system to accommodate for the weight and position of the vehicle occupant. It is desirable to prevent injury and unnecessary deployment of the safety restraint system. Deployment of an air bag associated with an unoccupied seat location during a vehicle crash adds unnecessary expense to repair of the vehicle. Also, it is desirable to prevent deployment of the air bag when a small child, or an infant in a rear facing car seat, is occupying the seat.
To prevent such unnecessary deployment of an air bag at an unoccupied seat location, sensors are provided to detect the presence of an occupant on the vehicle seat. These sensors include pressure sensing switches located in the seat cushion or infrared or ultrasonic sensors located in the vehicle dashboard or instrument panel. A problem with the infrared or ultrasonic sensors is that if the dashboard is blocked or the seat is covered, accurate detection of a seat occupant in the seat is hindered. Also, such sensors are not cost effective. Furthermore, most prior sensing systems fail to provide an accurate weight of the seat occupant which can be used to determine and adjust the reaction of safety restraint systems.
Another device for controlling a safety restraint system is a manual override switch that may be installed to allow a driver to disable the passenger-side air bag manually. Such devices, however, become ineffective in instances where the driver or operator simply forgets to turn the switch on or off depending upon the existence of a passenger or a child in the vehicle seat.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a method and system for determining weight and/or position of a vehicle seat occupant to control the reaction of safety restraint systems, such as air bag modules and constant force retractors.
An object of the present invention is to provide a system that controls the reaction of the safety restraint system in response to the weight of the seat occupant and their position. For example, if the seat occupant is a child having a low weight, the air bag module will not be deployed.
Another object of the present invention is to modify the air bag deployment if the seat occupant is improperly seated or too close to the dashboard.
A further object of the present invention is to modify the inflation force of the air bag module in response to the weight of the seat occupant.
Another object of the present invention is to provide the seat occupant's seating position during pre-crash braking where the occupant's position changes rapidly due to high deceleration due to braking.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a more accurate weight of the seat occupant.
The method of the present invention includes sampling output signals of a plurality of spaced weight sensors disposed between a seat surface and a seat mounting surface. The output signals of the weight sensors are added together to determine the total applied weight on a vehicle seat. The center of gravity is determined from the output signals of the weight sensors. An information factor is then determined. One of the information factors determined is a seating position of the occupant. The seating position of the seat occupant is determined from the center of gravity of the occupant. Another information factor determined is a correction factor. The correction factor is used to determine an actual weight of the seat occupant. The correction factor is multiplied by the total applied weight to determine the actual weight of the seat occupant. From the weight and position of the seat occupant, the seat occupant is classified into weight and position classifications. The classifications are then sent to the safety restraint system to be used to control the reaction of the safety restraint system.
The system of the present invention includes a plurality of weight sensors disposed between a seat surface and a seat mounting surface for providing output signals indicative of an applied weight on the sensors. The sensors are spaced such that the sensors measure the applied weight on the seat back and the seating surface. Each of the sensors includes a seat surface engaging portion, a seat mounting engaging portion and a walled portion extending between the engaging portions. Each walled portion includes at least one strain gage mounted thereon for measuring wall deflection which is proportional to applied weight. A controller is in communication with the weight sensors for calculating at least one information factor such as weight or position of the seat occupant. The weight and/or position information is sent to the safety restraint system to be used to control the reaction of the safety restraint system.
These and other features and advantages of the invention will be more fully understood from the following detailed description of the invention taken together with the accompanying drawings.
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Homann Michelle
Lichtinger Harold
Morell Scott
Oestreicher Ralf
Reich Dan
Rice Kenneth R.
Siemens Automotive Corporation
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