Markers that can be placed on child safety seats in vehicles

Abstract

The invention relates to a marker (1) which can be arranged on a child safety seat in a carrier, by means of which an adaptive triggering of an impact cushion (3) is achieved, the marker being designed to reflect electromagnetic radiation and, depending on the reflection, marking the position and / or orientation of the child safety seat in a carrier relative to a carrier seat (4) for an imaging sensor (5) in order to trigger the impact cushion (3) depending on the position and / or orientation of the child safety seat in a carrier. The marker (1) is a quick response code, a radar reflector, a lidar reflector or an infrared reflector. The invention further relates to a child safety seat in a carrier (2), a method for determining the position and / or orientation of a child safety seat in a carrier relative to a carrier seat (4), an interior monitoring system (7), a computer program product for adaptively triggering an impact cushion (3) and a computer-readable data carrier.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to an identifier for adaptively triggering an impact cushion which can be arranged on a child safety seat of a carrier, a child safety seat of a carrier comprising such an identifier, a method for determining the position and / or orientation of a child safety seat of a carrier relative to a carrier seat, an interior monitoring system, a computer program product for adaptively triggering an impact cushion and a computer-readable data carrier. Background Art

[0002] In the event of a collision, the impact cushion (also called airbag) in the vehicle or the so-called external airbag on the outer body should usually be triggered. Safety levels such as Euro NCAP require adaptive triggering, for example. Based on the entire content of the disclosed document, this also means that if greater personal injury occurs due to the triggering, the triggering of the airbag, in particular the triggering force of the airbag or the deployment volume of the airbag should be adapted to the conditions until the triggering is suppressed. This is the case with child safety seats. For example, for a child safety seat on the front passenger seat that points opposite to the direction of travel, the airbag should be suppressed. For a child safety seat that points in the direction of travel, the airbag should be adjusted accordingly depending on the type of child safety seat.

[0003] Currently, the airbag on the passenger side can be manually suppressed. In addition, the child safety seat can be identified using a seat cushion sensor. In addition, EP 0 603 733 A1, for example, discloses a sensor for identifying a child safety seat, which is fastened to the child safety seat. DE 196 38 458 C1 discloses a sensor for identifying a child safety seat, which is arranged in or on the seat belt buckle. Summary of the invention

[0004] The object of the present invention is to improve child safety seat recognition.

[0005] The marker according to the invention can be arranged on a child safety seat in a carrier for adaptively triggering an impact cushion. The marker solves this task in that the marker is embodied to reflect electromagnetic radiation and, depending on the reflection, marks the position and / or orientation of the child safety seat in the carrier relative to the carrier seat for an imaging sensor. Depending on the position and / or orientation of the child safety seat in the carrier, the impact cushion can be triggered. According to the invention, the marker is a quick response code, a radar reflector, a lidar reflector or an infrared reflector.

[0006] In particular, as a retrofit solution, the marker can be pasted on the outside or inside of the child safety seat of the vehicle, for example. Alternatively, the marker is integrated in the child safety seat of the vehicle. The marker is correspondingly specified so that it is arranged on the child safety seat of the vehicle as inconspicuously as possible. The marker is preferably a material that reflects strongly in the respective wavelength range (in the form of a tape or other adhesive piece). The marker is therefore a passive element for identifying the child safety seat of the vehicle, and is therefore less susceptible to interference and simpler to manufacture than active elements, such as transponders, antennas or other sensors. In particular, when identifying via an interior space monitoring system already present in the vehicle, the positioning and / or orientation of the child safety seat of the vehicle is particularly stably and with less expenditure using the marker. Orientation especially includes information on whether the child safety seat of the vehicle is installed along the direction of travel or opposite thereto. Orientation usually includes information on how the child safety seat of the vehicle is oriented in the interior space of the vehicle. Using the marker, in particular, it is also possible to identify whether the child safety seat of the vehicle exists. When a carrier child safety seat is present, the identifier marks its relative orientation relative to the carrier seat. If necessary, the impact cushion is not ignited. For example, a first identifier can be arranged on the front side of the carrier child safety seat and a second identifier can be arranged on the rear side of the carrier child safety seat. If the carrier child safety seat is installed in the direction of travel, the first identifier can be recognized and thus, for example, the uppercase letter "F" for Front is used to mark the orientation of the carrier child safety seat in the direction of travel. If the carrier child safety seat is installed opposite to the direction of travel, the second identifier can be recognized and thus, for example, the uppercase letter "B" for Back is used to mark the orientation of the carrier child safety seat opposite to the direction of travel. Similarly, the identifier or multiple identifiers can mark the positioning of the carrier child safety seat.

[0007] A carrier child safety seat is a child safety seat for a carrier. A carrier is, for example, a passenger car or a specific vehicle, such as a mass transit vehicle. An aircraft or a ship is also a carrier. The carrier child safety seat can preferably be fastened to all positions in the interior space of the carrier, especially to the front passenger seat of a passenger vehicle, in the direction of travel or in the opposite direction of travel, with or without a seat lift. The carrier child safety seat can be fastened, for example, via an adult safety belt, and / or the carrier child safety seat is suitable for use with an ISOFIX system. The carrier child safety seat is implemented for different weight classes, for example, at 13kg, 9-18kg, 15-25kg, and 22-36kg. In addition, the carrier child safety seat is implemented for different heights, for example, at 60cm, 60-75cm, 75-87cm, 87-105cm, 105-125cm, and greater than 125cm. Therefore, an infant seat is also included.

[0008] The vehicle seat is, for example, a front passenger seat, a seat in the rear row of the vehicle or another passenger seat.

[0009] Impact cushions or airbags are part of an injury prevention restraint system and typically include a deployable bag that deploys inside or outside the vehicle in the event of an accident to minimize personal injury. Impact cushions are, for example, front airbags, internal or external side airbags, head airbags, curtain airbags, thorax airbags or window airbags.

[0010] Imaging sensors are part of interior monitoring systems. In particular, imaging sensors measure light, radar radiation and / or infrared radiation reflected on actual objects in order to generate an image of the object. The imaging sensor can be part of a corresponding camera, which includes a lighting unit corresponding to the respective measurement variable, with which the marker is illuminated. Alternatively, the marker is illuminated by a separate lighting unit.

[0011] As disclosed, for example, in EP 0 672 994A, a Quick Response Code (QR Code for short) is a multidimensional code consisting of different, preferably geometrically shaped elements and free spaces arranged between them with the highest possible contrast. The positioning and / or orientation of a child safety seat in a carrier is encoded, for example, in the form of a surface with a high density of useful information, and is therefore particularly stably identifiable. As additional useful information, the QR code also provides data such as the manufacturer, model or size of the child safety seat in the carrier. The QR code can be visible in the visible range of the electromagnetic spectrum. Alternatively, the QR code is arranged invisibly to humans, for example as an infrared QR code.

[0012] The use of the vehicle child safety seat and its position and / or orientation are automatically and safely identified by the marker according to the present invention. In particular, for a vehicle child safety seat installed on the front passenger seat oriented opposite to the direction of travel, the triggering of the front passenger airbag is automatically suppressed.

[0013] A further aspect of the invention is a carrier child safety seat comprising a marker according to the invention.

[0014] The method according to the invention is used to determine the position and / or orientation of a child safety seat in a carrier relative to a carrier seat. A marker according to the invention is first or already arranged on the child safety seat in the carrier. At least one interior imaging sensor identifies the position and / or orientation of the child safety seat in the carrier with the aid of the marker. This identification is provided to a control device for an impact cushion. The control device triggers the impact cushion in dependence on the position and / or orientation of the child safety seat in the carrier. This also means, in particular, that the control device does not trigger the impact cushion in dependence on the position and / or orientation of the child safety seat in the carrier.

[0015] The control device compiles the data from the sensor as input signals, processes these data with the aid of a computer, for example a computer platform, and provides logic and / or power levels as regulating or control signals. These signals are used to control an actuator, for example a gas generator, for triggering the impact cushion, which includes an activator, for example an ignition unit, in order to provide gas to fill the impact cushion. The control device is preferably integrated into the vehicle electrical system of the vehicle. Advantageously, the control device is an electronic control device for automated driving functions. This means in particular that the control device not only controls the impact cushion, but also regulates other functions, for example regulating the longitudinal and / or transverse guidance of the vehicle. The computer preferably uses artificial intelligence (for example an artificial neural network) to improve the signals of the imaging sensor.

[0016] Preferably, the method is implemented using a computer. That is, all method steps are implemented by a computer, for example a computer of a control device. Preferably, data provided via a QR code, such as the manufacturer, model or size of the child safety seat of the carrier, are taken into account in the computer-implemented method.

[0017] The interior monitoring system according to the invention comprises at least one imaging sensor and an interface to a control device of an impact cushion. The interior monitoring system implements the method according to the invention.

[0018] The interface can be wired or wireless. In particular, the interface is designed for signal transmission using radio technology.

[0019] The imaging sensor of the interior space monitoring system is preferably a 2D, 3D camera, a radar sensor and / or a lidar sensor. The 2D camera is, for example, a monocular camera. According to another embodiment of the present invention, the 2D camera is implemented as a stereo camera, and thus a 3D camera is provided. The 3D camera is preferably a time-of-flight camera (e.g., a Time-Of-Flight camera), which works in the infrared range. Radar sensors include fewer transmitting and receiving antennas than radar sensors for detecting the external environment of the vehicle, and can therefore be manufactured inexpensively as relatively small components and installed in a space-saving manner, and lidar sensors are similar. Using radar sensors and / or lidar sensors, the interior space of the vehicle is scanned by means of radar and / or light pulses to obtain a 2D or 3D display of the interior space of the vehicle. Using different sensor technologies, the various advantages of the respective sensor technologies can be used as needed, such as advantages in terms of orientation and / or time resolution, exposure time or waiting time. In addition, the records obtained using one sensor technology can be checked with the records of another sensor technology.

[0020] The computer program product according to the invention is used for adaptively triggering an impact cushion. The computer program product comprises software code segments. When the computer program is run on a control device of the impact cushion, the software code segments cause the interior monitoring system according to the invention to implement the method according to the invention.

[0021] The software code segments of the computer program product are instruction sequences, which, when the computer program is loaded, cause the control device to adaptively trigger the impact cushion, in particular including inhibiting the triggering. Therefore, the computer program product brings about a technical effect and improves the safety of using a child safety seat in a carrier.

[0022] The computer program product according to the invention is stored on a computer-readable data carrier according to the invention. For example, the control device loads and executes the data carrier in a memory module of a computer. The data carrier is, for example, a USB stick, an SD card, advantageously an SD card with integrated WLAN functionality, a CD, a DVD or a Blu-ray disc. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] Figure 1 An embodiment of the present invention is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] The vehicle child safety seat 2 is fastened to the vehicle seat 4 along the travel direction of the vehicle. The marker 1 is attached to the outer side of the vehicle child safety seat 2. The marker 2 is, for example, a radar reflector.

[0025] The vehicle comprises an interior monitoring system 7. The interior monitoring system 7 comprises an imaging sensor 5 and an interface 8 to a control device 6 of the impact cushion 3. The imaging sensor 5 is, for example, a radar sensor.

[0026] The marker 1 marks the position and orientation of the child safety seat 2 in the carrier. For example, the child safety seat 2 is positioned on the front passenger seat and oriented in the direction of travel. The imaging sensor 5 recognizes the position and orientation of the child safety seat 2 in the carrier with the aid of the marker 1 and provides a corresponding image signal. The image signal is transmitted to the interface 8. The interface 8 is, for example, a Bluetooth interface. The interface 8 is connected to the control device 6 of the impact cushion 3 in terms of signal technology. The control device 6 triggers the impact cushion 3 depending on the position and / or orientation of the child safety seat 2 in the carrier, and the control device 6 suppresses the triggering of the impact cushion 3 when necessary.

[0027] Reference numerals list

[0028] 1 Marker

[0029] 2 Carrying child safety seats

[0030] 3 Impact cushion

[0031] 4 Carrier Seats

[0032] 5 Imaging Sensor

[0033] 6 Control Equipment

[0034] 7 Internal Space Monitoring System

[0035] 8 Interfaces

Claims

1. A marker (1) for adaptively triggering an impact cushion (3) which can be arranged on a child safety seat (2) in a carrier, the marker being designed to reflect electromagnetic radiation and marking, depending on the reflection, the position and / or orientation of the child safety seat (2) relative to the carrier seat (4) for an imaging sensor (5) in order to trigger the impact cushion (3) depending on the position and / or orientation of the child safety seat (2), wherein: The identifier (1) is a quick response code in which the position and / or orientation, manufacturer, model or size of the carrier child safety seat is encoded, wherein the quick response code is arranged invisibly to a person as an infrared quick response code.

2. A carrier child safety seat (2), comprising the marker (1) according to claim 1.

3. A method for determining the position and / or orientation of a carrier child safety seat (2) relative to a carrier seat (4), wherein: An identifier (1) according to claim 1 is arranged on the child safety seat (2), at least one interior imaging sensor (5) identifies the position and / or orientation of the child safety seat (2) with the aid of the identifier (1), the identification is provided to a control device (6) of an impact cushion (3), and the control device (6) triggers the impact cushion (3) depending on the position and / or orientation of the child safety seat (2).

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein: The method is implemented by a computer.

5. An interior monitoring system (7) comprising at least one imaging sensor (5) and an interface (8) to a control device (6) of an impact cushion (3), the interior monitoring system being designed to implement the method according to claim 3.

6. The internal space monitoring system (7) according to claim 5, wherein: The imaging sensor (5) is a 2D camera, a 3D camera, a radar sensor and / or a lidar sensor.

7. A computer program product for adaptively triggering an impact cushion (3), the computer program product comprising a software code segment, which, when the computer program is run on a control device (6) of the impact cushion (3), causes the interior space monitoring system (7) according to claim 5 to implement the method according to claim 3.

8. A computer-readable data medium on which a computer program product according to claim 7 is stored.

Images