Data processing: vehicles – navigation – and relative location – Vehicle control – guidance – operation – or indication – Vehicle subsystem or accessory control
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-10
2001-07-17
Chin, Gary (Department: 3661)
Data processing: vehicles, navigation, and relative location
Vehicle control, guidance, operation, or indication
Vehicle subsystem or accessory control
C307S009100, C280S730200, C280S735000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06263271
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a passenger detection system, and relates in particular to an improved passenger detection system that places the side airbag for the passenger, in the deployable or non-deployable state, depending on the seating conditions of the passenger (here, the term passenger also includes the driver) sitting in the driver's seat or front passenger's seat in an automobile.
This application is based on Patent Application No. Hei 10-257122, filed in Japan, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, an airbag apparatus in an automobile is aimed at protecting passenger(s) in the automobile from shocks, in the event of a collision, and is now considered to be an essential item for automotive safety, and in recent years, airbags have been provided for the front passenger's seat as well as for the driver's seat.
An example of such an airbag apparatus is shown in
FIG. 12
, and is comprised by: a driver-side squib circuit comprised by a series circuit including safety sensor SS
1
, squib SQ
1
, and a semiconductor switching device SW
1
such as a field effect transistor; a front-passenger-side squib circuit comprised by a safety sensor SS
2
, a squib SQ
2
, and a semiconductor switching device SW
2
such as a field effect transistor; an electronic accelerometer (impact sensor) GS; and a control circuit CC for judging presence/absence of an impact on the basis of output signals from the sensor GS, and supplying signals to the gate circuits of the switching devices SW
1
, SW
2
.
In this air bag apparatus, when a (substantial) head-on collision occurs for whatever reason, safety sensors SS
1
and SS
2
are closed responding to a relatively minor acceleration, and the squib circuits are placed in an operable state. And, when the control circuit CC judges that a collision has definitely taken place according to the signals from the accelerometer GS, signals are sent to the gates of switches SW
1
, SW
2
and the switches SW
1
, SW
2
are closed. As a result of a current flowing in the respective squib circuits, the driver-side and passenger-side airbags are immediately deployed because of the heating in the squibs SQ
1
and SQ
2
, and the occupants are protected from the collision impact.
There are the following types of automobile collision: the first type in which both automobiles crash into each other head-on, the second type in which one automobile crashes into the side of another automobile, the third type in which one automobile crashes into the back of another automobile, and the like. Recently, an airbag apparatus as shown in
FIG. 13
has been proposed for protecting passengers in the above second mode.
This airbag apparatus is made by adding a side airbag (apparatus) SA to the airbag apparatus shown in
FIG. 12
, and the basic structure of the airbag apparatus of
FIG. 13
is the same as that of the airbag apparatus of FIG.
12
.
That is, the side airbag apparatus SA is comprised by: a driver-side squib circuit comprised by a series circuit including safety sensor SS
3
, squib SQ
3
, and a semiconductor switching device SW
3
such as a field effect transistor; and a front-passenger-side squib circuit comprised by a safety sensor SS
4
, a squib SQ
4
, and a semiconductor switching device SW
4
such as a field effect transistor. The side airbag is typically placed at the door side near the driver's or front passenger's seat, or a side facing the door of the relevant seat.
According to the above airbag apparatus, when another automobile crashes (by any reason) into a door close to the driver's or front passenger's seat of the automobile, safety sensor SS
3
or SS
4
is closed responding to a relatively minor acceleration, and the squib circuit at the driver's or front passenger's seat is placed in an operable state. And, when the control circuit CC judges that a collision has definitely taken place according to the signals from the accelerometer GS, a signal is sent to the gate of switching device SW
3
or SW
4
and the switching device SW
3
or SW
4
is closed. As a result of a current flowing in one of the respective squib circuits, the side airbag at the driver's side or front passenger's side is immediately deployed because of the heating in the squib SQ
3
or SQ
4
, and the relevant occupant is protected from the collision impact caused by a flank collision.
Here, the seating conditions of the passengers are various, and
FIG. 14
shows examples thereof. In
FIG. 14
, seat
1
has sitting section
1
a
, backrest section
1
b
, and seat supporting section
1
c
. A passenger can be seated in any condition as shown using solid lines or dotted lines, or the condition may change from the first state as shown by the solid lines to the second state as shown by the dotted lines.
When a passenger P is seated at the center of seat
1
as shown by the solid lines in
FIG. 14
, even if a collision occurs against a side of the automobile, the deployment of the side airbag protects the passenger P from the shock caused by the collision. However, when the passenger P is seated on seat
1
leaning against the seat supporting section
1
c
at the door Dr side as shown by the dotted lines, even if a collision occurs against a side of the automobile, non-deployment of the side airbag may be very desirable.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In consideration of the above circumstances, an objective of the present invention is to provide a passenger detection system for precisely detecting the sitting condition of a passenger occupying a seat, and who leans against the seat supporting section, and for suitably controlling the deployment
on-deployment of the side airbag based on the results of the detection process.
Therefore, the present invention provides a passenger detection system, comprising:
a seat on which a passenger is seated, having a seat supporting section;
an antenna electrode provided in the seat supporting section;
voltage generation means for generating a high-frequency and low-voltage signal which induces a weak electric field around the antenna electrode;
current detection means for detecting a current which flows according to the generated weak electric field;
a control circuit for detecting a leaning condition of the passenger against the seat supporting section, based on a signal output from the current detection means; and
an airbag apparatus including a side airbag unit positioned close to a door, the apparatus having a function of deploying the side airbag unit when a collision occurs, and
wherein data representing results detected by the control circuit is sent to the airbag apparatus so as to set the side airbag unit to one of the deployable and non-deployable states.
Accordingly, a current corresponding to the leaning condition of the passenger against the seat supporting section flows in the antenna electrode. For example, when the passenger leans against the seat supporting section, the current level is higher, while when the passenger is not in contact with the seat supporting section, the current level is lower. Therefore, the suitability of the leaning condition of the passenger against the seat supporting section can be simply and easily detected based on the current level.
In addition, the side airbag unit of the airbag apparatus is set to one of the deployable and non-deployable states, based on the seating (i.e., leaning) condition of the passenger seated on the seat. Typically, if it is determined that the passenger leans against the seat supporting section heavily, the side airbag unit of the airbag apparatus is set to the non-deployable state. Therefore, even if an automobile crashes into the relevant side of the automobile having this passenger detection system, the side airbag unit does not deploy; thus, much more suitable control of the side airbag can be performed in consideration of the safety of the passenger.
The voltage generation means may comprise an oscillator f
Fukui Tsutomu
Inou Takashi
Isonaga Kazutomo
Koyota Nobuhiro
Oka Yoshitaka
Chin Gary
Foley & Lardner
NEC Corporation
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