System and method for determining whether belt buckle extender is used with belt

Abstract

A system includes a first webbing pull-out sensor configured to detect a first webbing pull-out of a seat belt associated with a vehicle seat, the first webbing pull-out being a length of webbing extending from a retractor of the seat belt; a vehicle includes a first webbing pull-out sensor configured to pull out a vehicle seat, an occupant detection module configured to identify a state of the vehicle seat, the occupant detection module identifying an occupied state when an occupant is seated on the vehicle seat and an unoccupied state when no occupant is seated on the vehicle seat, and a seat belt wear condition module in communication with the first webbing pull-out sensor and the occupant detection module, the processor is coupled to the vehicle seat and configured to identify whether the seat belt latch extender is used with the seat belt based on the first webbing pull-out and the state of the vehicle seat identified by the occupant detection module.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The information provided in this disclosure is intended to provide a general introduction to the context of the present disclosure. To the extent described in this section, the work of the currently named inventors and aspects of the description that may not qualify as prior art at the time of filing are neither explicitly nor implicitly admitted as prior art against the present disclosure.

[0002] The present invention relates to a system and method for determining whether a seat belt buckle extender is used in conjunction with a seat belt assembly. Background Art

[0003] Restraint systems are used in modern vehicles to restrain occupants during vehicle use. Such systems may include one or more airbags located near each seat in the vehicle, working in conjunction with a seat belt assembly designed for a specific seating position.

[0004] Conventional seat belt assemblies typically include a seat belt webbing, a tongue or latch plate, a seat belt buckle, a retractor, a lower anchor, and a seat belt guide or D-ring that receives the seat belt webbing and properly positions the seat belt webbing relative to the occupant during use. The seat belt webbing is typically anchored to the vehicle structure at a first end by the lower anchor and extends upward from the vehicle structure in a direction toward the vehicle seat. The seat belt webbing continues to extend in a direction toward the guide ring or D-ring, where the seat belt webbing passes through the guide ring or D-ring before being received by the retractor. The retractor is typically mounted on the vehicle structure or seat and allows the belt to be pulled out when the occupant applies a force on the seat belt webbing to pull out the desired length of the seat belt webbing from the retractor. The seat belt webbing slidably receives the tongue or latch plate along the length of the seat belt webbing. The tongue or latch plate can be selectively connected to the seat belt buckle on the side of the vehicle seat opposite the lower anchor to restrain the occupant in the vehicle seat during use. The seat belt retractor is also used to automatically retract / pull the seat belt webbing into the retractor when the tongue or latch plate is disengaged from the seat belt buckle, thereby returning the seat belt webbing to the stowed state.

[0005] In operation, a user may sit in a vehicle seat and apply a force to the seat belt webbing and / or tongue or latch plate to pull a desired length of the seat belt webbing from the retractor. In response to the force applied to the seat belt webbing and / or tongue or latch plate, the retractor allows a length of the seat belt webbing to be pulled out of the retractor, thereby increasing the effective length of the seat belt webbing between the retractor and the lower anchor. Once the desired length of the seat belt webbing is reached, the passenger aligns the tongue or latch plate with the seat belt buckle and inserts the tongue or latch plate into the seat belt buckle, thereby fixing the relative position of the tongue or latch plate to the seat belt buckle. At this point, when the seat belt is properly worn, the seat belt webbing extends from the D-ring or retractor through the upper torso of the occupant to the tongue or latch plate, and from the tongue or latch plate through the occupant's knees between the tongue or latch plate and the lower anchor. Once the tongue or latch plate is attached to the seat belt buckle, the retractor limits further withdrawal of the seat belt webbing to restrain the occupant in the vehicle seat during a collision. Under normal use conditions, the retractor slightly pulls on the seat belt to remove any slack as the seat belt is passed around the occupant.

[0006] When the passenger wishes to leave the vehicle seat, a force is applied to the button of the seat belt buckle to release the tongue or latch plate from the seat belt buckle. At this time, the retractor automatically reels the seat belt webbing, thereby reducing the effective length of the seat belt webbing between the retractor and the lower anchor. Once the predetermined length of the seat belt webbing is retracted into the retractor, the seat belt returns to the retracted state.

[0007] Although conventional seat belt assemblies secure an occupant to a vehicle seat when in use, some occupants require the use of a seat belt buckle extender to allow the seat belt webbing to properly fit the occupant's upper torso and lap. For example, a larger occupant may require a longer than conventional length of seat belt webbing to properly position the seat belt webbing over the larger occupant's upper torso and thighs, or to allow the occupant to move while buckled without triggering the retractor ratchet mechanism that engages when a child restraint seat is installed via the seat belt system. In such cases, a seat belt buckle extender may be used and positioned between the seat belt webbing and the seat belt buckle to effectively increase the length of the seat belt webbing. For example, a seat belt buckle extender may include a length of seat belt webbing that extends between a tongue or latch plate at one end and a seat belt buckle at an opposite end.

[0008] In operation, a tongue or latch plate associated with the buckle extender can be inserted into the buckle, while a tongue or latch plate associated with the seat belt webbing can be inserted into the buckle of the buckle extender. In this way, the buckle extender effectively moves the attachment point of the tongue or latch plate associated with the seat belt webbing closer to the D-ring or retractor, thereby reducing the length of the seat webbing that must extend from the retractor to properly fit over the upper body and thighs of a vehicle occupant.

[0009] While conventional seat belt buckle extenders allow larger occupants to properly position the seat belt webbing of a seat belt assembly on the occupant's upper torso and thighs, such seat belt buckle extenders may be difficult to detect by a monitoring system associated with the seat belt assembly. For example, a monitoring system associated with the seat belt assembly may infer that a tongue or latch plate of the seat belt assembly is attached to the seat belt buckle when, in fact, a tongue or latch plate of the seat belt buckle extender is attached to the seat belt buckle. Therefore, it is necessary to distinguish when a seat belt assembly is used with a seat belt buckle extender and when it is not used with the seat belt buckle extender to allow a monitoring system associated with the seat belt assembly to properly monitor and diagnose the use and routing of the seat belt assembly. Summary of the invention

[0010] In one configuration, a system includes a first webbing pull-out sensor configured to detect a first webbing pull-out of a seat belt associated with a vehicle seat, the first webbing pull-out being a length of the seat belt webbing extending from a seat belt retractor, an occupant detection module configured to identify a state of the vehicle seat, the occupant detection module identifying an occupied state when an occupant is seated on the vehicle seat and an unoccupied state when no occupant is on the vehicle seat, and a belt wearing condition module in communication with the first webbing pull-out sensor and the occupant detection module and configured to identify whether a seat belt buckle extender is used with the seat belt based on the first webbing pull-out and the state of the vehicle seat identified by the occupant detection module.

[0011] The system may include one or more of the following optional features. For example, the occupant detection module may communicate with at least one sensor configured to determine the presence of an occupant on a vehicle seat. The at least one sensor may include at least one of a pressure sensor, a weight sensor, and a capacitive sensor located in the vehicle seat, and a remote sensor including at least one of a camera, a radar, and a lidar having a field of view surrounding the vehicle seat. Additionally or alternatively, the first webbing pull-out sensor may be located at the retractor.

[0012] The buckle sensor may communicate with the seat belt wearing status module, the buckle sensor being configured to detect a buckled state when the latch plate is secured to the buckle of the seat belt and an unbuckled state when the buckle is separated from the latch plate. The seat belt wearing status module may be configured to determine the use of the seat belt buckle extender based on the buckle sensor identifying the buckled state, the occupant detection module identifying the unoccupied state when buckled, and the pull-out of the webbing. The pull-out of the webbing may be less than a predetermined threshold when buckled, indicating that the seat belt is in a stowed state when buckled. Alternatively, the pull-out of the webbing may be greater than a predetermined threshold, indicating that the seat belt is worn.

[0013] In one configuration, the belt wearing condition module may be configured to determine the use of the seat belt buckle extender in response to the buckle sensor identifying an unbuckled state, the occupant detection module identifying an unoccupied state, and the first webbing pullout being greater than the stowed webbing length.

[0014] In another configuration, a system includes a first webbing pull-out sensor configured to detect a first webbing pull-out of a seat belt associated with a vehicle seat, the first webbing pull-out being a length of webbing extending from a retractor of the seat belt, a buckle sensor configured to detect a buckled state when a latch plate is fixed to a buckle of the seat belt and an unbuckled state when the buckle is separated from the latch plate, and a seat belt wearing status module communicating with the first webbing pull-out sensor and the buckle sensor, the seat belt wearing status module being configured to identify whether a seat belt buckle extender is used with the seat belt based on the first webbing pull-out and the buckled state identified by the buckle sensor.

[0015] The system may include one or more of the following optional features. For example, the occupant detection module may be configured to identify a state of a vehicle seat, the occupant detection module identifying an occupied state when an occupant is sitting on the vehicle seat and an unoccupied state when no occupant is on the vehicle seat. The passenger detection module may communicate with at least one sensor configured to determine the presence of an occupant on the vehicle seat. The at least one sensor may include at least one of a pressure sensor, a weight sensor, and a capacitive sensor located in the vehicle seat, and a remote sensor including at least one of a camera, a radar, and a lidar having a field of view surrounding the vehicle seat.

[0016] The seat belt wearing condition module may be configured to determine the use of the seat belt buckle extender based on a buckle sensor identifying a buckled state, an occupant detection module identifying an unoccupied state when buckled, and a webbing pull-out. The webbing pull-out may be less than a predetermined threshold when buckled, indicating that the seat belt is in a stowed state when buckled. Alternatively, the webbing pull-out may be greater than a predetermined threshold, indicating that the seat belt is worn.

[0017] In one configuration, the seat belt wearing condition module may be configured to determine the use of the seat belt buckle extender in response to the buckle sensor identifying the unfastened state, the occupant detection module identifying the unoccupied state, and the first webbing extension being greater than the stowed webbing length. In another configuration, the seat belt wearing condition module may be configured to determine the use of the seat belt buckle extender in response to the buckle sensor identifying the unfastened state, the occupant detection module identifying the unoccupied state, and the first webbing extension being greater than the stowed webbing length. In another configuration, the seat belt wearing condition module may be configured to determine the use of the seat belt buckle extender in response to the buckle sensor identifying the fastened state, (ii) the occupant detection module identifying the occupied state when fastened, (iii) the first webbing extension sensor determining that the webbing extension from the retractor is less than a first predetermined threshold when fastened, indicating that the seat belt is in the stowed state when fastened, and (iv) the first webbing extension sensor determining that the webbing extension from the retractor is greater than a second predetermined threshold after the seat belt is fastened, indicating that the seat belt is in the worn state.

[0018] In another configuration, the system may include a first webbing pull-out sensor configured to detect a first webbing pull-out of a seat belt associated with a vehicle seat, the first webbing pull-out being a length of webbing extending from a seat belt retractor, an occupant detection module configured to identify a state of the vehicle seat, the occupant detection module identifying an occupied state when an occupant is seated on the vehicle seat and an unoccupied state when the vehicle seat is not occupied; a buckle sensor configured to detect a buckled state when a latch plate is secured to a buckle of the seat belt and an unbuckled state when the buckle is separated from the latch plate; and a slack belt condition that communicates with the first webbing pull-out sensor, the buckle sensor, and the occupant detection module and is configured to identify a slack belt condition in response to the buckle sensor identifying the unbuckled state, the occupant detection module identifying the unoccupied state, and the first webbing pull-out being greater than the stowed webbing length.

[0019] The system may include one or more of the following optional features. For example, when a slack seat belt condition is identified, the seat belt wearing condition module may identify the use of a seat belt buckle extender in combination with the seat belt.

[0020] In one configuration, the seat belt wearing condition module may communicate with a user interface device configured to display the seat belt status. The user interface device may include a display, and the slack belt condition is communicated via the display. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] The drawings described herein are for illustration of selected configurations only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a vehicle system according to the principles of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 2 is a functional block diagram of an exemplary control system according to the principles of the present invention for use with Figure 1 Used in conjunction with vehicle systems;

[0024] Figure 3 is a front view of an occupant using a seat belt assembly without a seat belt buckle extender;

[0025] Figure 4 is a front view of an occupant using a seat belt assembly with a seat belt buckle extender;

[0026] Figure 4A is a perspective view of a seat belt buckle retractor for use with a seat belt assembly;

[0027] Figure 5-7 is a flow chart illustrating an example method for determining whether a seat belt buckle extender is used with a seat belt assembly;

[0028] Figure 8 Flowchart of a method for determining the static minimum safety belt routing length; and

[0029] Fig. 9 is a flow chart illustrating a method for determining whether a seat belt buckle extender remains attached to a tongue or latch plate of a seat belt assembly after deployment of the seat belt assembly.

[0030] Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] The example configurations will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. The example configurations are provided so that the present disclosure will be thorough and will fully convey the scope of the present disclosure to those of ordinary skill in the art. Specific details, such as examples of specific components, devices, and methods, are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the configurations of the present disclosure. It will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that specific details need not be employed, that the example configurations may be implemented in many different forms, and that the specific details and example configurations should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present disclosure.

[0032] The terms used herein are only used to describe specific exemplary configurations and are not intended to be limited. As used herein, the singular articles "one", "an" and "the" may also be intended to include plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The terms "comprise", "include", "include" and "have" are inclusive, and therefore specify the presence of features, steps, operations, elements and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, components and / or combinations thereof. The method steps, processes and operations described herein should not be interpreted as necessarily requiring them to be performed in the specific order discussed or shown, unless specifically identified as an execution order. Additional or alternative steps may be adopted.

[0033] When an element or layer is referred to as being "located on," "engaged to," "connected to," "attached to," or "coupled to" another element or layer, it may be directly located on, engaged, connected, attached to, or coupled to the other element or layer, or there may be intervening elements or layers. Conversely, when an element is referred to as being "directly on," "directly engaged to," "directly connected to," "directly attached to," or "directly coupled to" another element or layer, there may be no intervening elements or layers. Other words used to describe the relationship between elements should be interpreted in a similar manner (e.g., "between" versus "directly between," "adjacent" versus "directly adjacent," etc.). As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0034] The terms first, second, third, etc. can be used here to describe various elements, components, regions, layers and / or parts. These elements, components, regions, layers and / or parts should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish an element, component, region, layer or part from another region, layer or part. Terms such as "first", "second" and other numerical terms do not imply order or sequence unless the context clearly indicates. Therefore, the first element, component, region, layer or part discussed below can be referred to as the second element, component, region, layer or part, without departing from the teaching of the example configuration.

[0035] In this application, including the following definitions, the term "module" may be replaced by the term "circuit". The term "module" may refer to, be part of, or include an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC); a digital, analog, or mixed analog / digital discrete circuit; a digital, analog, or mixed analog / digital integrated circuit; a combinational logic circuit; a field programmable gate array (FPGA); a processor (shared, dedicated, or group) that executes code; a memory (shared, dedicated, or group) that stores code executed by the processor; other suitable hardware components that provide the functionality; or a combination of some or all of the above, such as in a system on a chip.

[0036] The term "code" used above may include software, firmware and / or microcode, and may refer to programs, routines, functions, classes and / or objects. The term shared processor includes a single processor that executes some or all of the code from multiple modules. The term group processor includes a processor that, in combination with an additional processor, executes some or all of the code from one or more modules. The term shared memory includes a single memory that stores some or all of the code from multiple modules. The term group memory includes a memory that stores some or all of the code from one or more modules in combination with additional memory. The term memory may be a subset of the term computer-readable medium. The term computer-readable medium does not include transient electrical signals and electromagnetic signals that propagate through the medium, and therefore can be considered to be tangible and non-transient memory. Non-limiting examples of non-temporary memory include tangible computer-readable media, including non-volatile memory, magnetic storage, and optical storage.

[0037] The apparatus and methods described in this application may be implemented in part or in whole by one or more computer programs executed by one or more processors. The computer program includes processor executable instructions stored on at least one non-transitory tangible computer readable medium. The computer program may also include and / or rely on stored data.

[0038] A software application (i.e., software resource) may refer to computer software that enables a computing device to perform tasks. In some examples, a software application may be referred to as an "application," "app," or "program." Example applications include, but are not limited to, system diagnostic applications, system management applications, system maintenance applications, word processing applications, spreadsheet applications, messaging applications, media streaming applications, social networking applications, and gaming applications.

[0039] Non-transitory memory may be a physical device for temporarily or permanently storing programs (such as instruction sequences) or data (such as program state information) for use by a computing device. Non-transitory memory may be volatile and / or non-volatile addressable semiconductor memory. Examples of non-volatile memory include, but are not limited to, flash memory and read-only memory (ROM) / programmable read-only memory (PROM) / erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM) / electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM) (e.g., commonly used for firmware, such as bootloaders). Examples of volatile memory include, but are not limited to, random access memory (RAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), static random access memory (SRAM), phase change memory (PCM), and disk or tape.

[0040] These computer programs (also referred to as programs, software, software applications or code) include machine instructions for programmable processors and may be implemented in high-level procedural and / or object-oriented programming languages ​​and / or assembly / machine languages. As used herein, the terms "machine-readable medium" and "computer-readable medium" refer to any computer program product, non-transitory computer-readable medium, apparatus and / or device (e.g., disk, optical disk, memory, programmable logic device (PLD)) for providing machine instructions and / or data to a programmable processor, including machine-readable media that receive machine instructions as machine-readable signals. The term "machine-readable signal" refers to any signal for providing machine instructions and / or data to a programmable processor.

[0041] Various implementations of the systems and techniques described herein can be realized in digital electronic and / or optical circuits, integrated circuits, specially designed ASICs (application specific integrated circuits), computer hardware, firmware, software, and / or combinations thereof. These various implementations can include implementations in one or more computer programs executable and / or interpretable on a programmable system, the programmable system comprising at least one programmable processor, which can be special purpose or general purpose, coupled to receive data and instructions from a storage system, and to send data and instructions to the storage system.

[0042] The processes and logic flows described in this specification can be performed by one or more programmable processors, also known as data processing hardware, executing one or more computer programs, performing functions by operating on input data and generating outputs. These processes and logic flows can also be performed by dedicated logic circuits, such as FPGAs (field programmable gate arrays) or ASICs (application-specific integrated circuits). For example, processors suitable for executing computer programs include general-purpose and special-purpose microprocessors, and any one or more processors of any kind of digital computer. Typically, the processor will receive instructions and data from a read-only memory or a random access memory or both. The basic elements of a computer are a processor for executing instructions and one or more storage devices for storing instructions and data. Typically, a computer will also include or be operably coupled to one or more mass storage devices for storing data, such as magnetic disks, magneto-optical disks, or optical disks, to receive data from the mass storage device or to transmit data to it, or both. However, a computer does not need to have such a device. Computer-readable media suitable for storing computer program instructions and data include all forms of non-volatile memory, media and storage devices, including, for example, semiconductor memory devices, such as EPROM, EEPROM and flash memory devices; magnetic disks, such as internal hard disks or removable disks; magneto-optical disks; and CD ROM and DVD-ROM disks. The processor and memory may be supplemented by or incorporated in special purpose logic circuitry.

[0043] To provide interaction with a user, one or more aspects of the present invention may be implemented on a computer having a display device for displaying information to the user, such as a CRT (cathode ray tube), LCD (liquid crystal display) monitor, or touch screen, and optionally a keyboard and pointing device, such as a mouse or trackball, through which the user can provide input to the computer. Other types of devices may also be used to provide interaction with the user; for example, feedback provided to the user may be any form of sensory feedback, such as visual feedback, auditory feedback, or tactile feedback; and input from the user may be received in any form, including sound, voice, or tactile input. In addition, the computer may interact with the user by sending documents to and receiving documents from a device used by the user; for example, by sending a web page to a web browser on a user's client device in response to a request received from the web browser.

[0044] A system and method can utilize the outputs of a seat belt extension sensor, an occupant detection sensor, and a seat belt buckle sensor to determine whether a vehicle occupant is properly wearing a seat belt of a seat belt assembly. The seat belt extension sensor is associated with a seat belt retractor and measures the extension or length of a seat belt extending from the seat belt retractor. The occupant detection sensor determines whether a seat is occupied by an occupant. The seat belt buckle sensor is associated with a seat belt buckle and detects whether a tongue or latch plate associated with a seat belt of the seat belt assembly is inserted and secured within the seat belt buckle.

[0045] The system and method may be used with a seat belt assembly to determine whether a seat belt buckle extender is being used with the seat belt assembly. That is, the system and method may utilize information from a seat belt pull-out sensor and a buckle sensor in conjunction with an occupant detection sensor to determine whether a seat belt buckle extender is currently in use and, if so, whether a seat belt of the seat belt assembly is being properly worn.

[0046] In one example, the occupant detection module may cooperate with the seat belt wearing status module to determine whether the occupant is seated in the vehicle seat, and based on information from the seat belt pull-out sensor and the seat belt buckle sensor, may determine whether the seat belt buckle extender is in use. For example, if the seat belt buckle sensor determines that the tongue or latch plate is inserted into the seat belt buckle, and the seat belt pull-out sensor determines that the seat belt is in the stowed position, the system and method may determine that the seat belt buckle extender is inserted and secured to the seat belt buckle instead of the tongue or latch plate associated with the seat belt of the seat belt assembly. In other words, if the seat belt buckle sensor recognizes the presence of the tongue or latch plate, but the seat belt pull-out sensor does not detect that the seat belt webbing is pulled out of the seat belt retractor, the system and method may determine that the tongue or latch plate associated with the seat belt buckle extender is inserted and received by the seat belt buckle instead of the tongue or latch plate associated with the seat belt.

[0047] The foregoing information may be used in conjunction with information from an occupant detection module that determines whether an occupant is seated in a vehicle seat. For example, if the seatbelt buckle detects the presence of a tongue or latch plate, but the occupant detection module does not detect an occupant, the system and method may determine that a seatbelt buckle extender is inserted into and connected to the seatbelt buckle, rather than a tongue or latch plate associated with the seatbelt assembly. If information from a seatbelt pullout sensor indicates that the seatbelt is in a stowed position, such a conclusion may be verified using information from the seatbelt pullout sensor. As will be described in more detail below, based on information from the seat pullout sensor, the seatbelt buckle sensor, and the occupant detection module, the seatbelt wearing condition module may determine whether a seatbelt buckle extender is currently in use with the seatbelt assembly, and if so, whether the seatbelt is properly positioned relative to the vehicle occupant.

[0048] As another example, the occupant detection module may cooperate with the seat belt wearing condition module to determine whether the seat belt buckle extender is in use when the extender is engaged in the system after the occupant is seated in the seat. If the occupant detection sensor indicates occupant occupancy, the seat belt buckle sensor determines that the tongue or latch plate is inserted into the seat belt buckle, and the seat belt extension sensor determines that the seat belt is in the stowed position, and then the seat belt extension sensor determines that the seat belt is in the wearing state length, then the method can determine that the seat belt buckle extender is in use.

[0049] The aforementioned information regarding whether the seat belt buckle extender is in use and / or whether the seat belt is properly positioned relative to the vehicle occupant may be displayed on an internal user interface device (UID). For example, the UID may include a display disposed within the vehicle cabin for alerting vehicle occupants whether the seat belt buckle extender is in use, whether the seat belt is properly worn, and / or whether the seat belt buckle extender remains connected to a tongue or latch plate of a seat belt assembly. The information displayed by the UID disposed within the vehicle cabin may additionally or alternatively be displayed on an external UID. For example, information determined by a seat belt wearing status module may be sent to a UID control module for transmitting the information determined by the seat belt wearing status module to the internal UID as well as the external UID. In one configuration, the external UID may include a smartphone or tablet registered to the owner and / or user of the vehicle to alert the owner and / or user of the vehicle regarding the status of the seat belt assembly regarding the use of the seat belt buckle extender.

[0050] refer to Figure 1 , a vehicle system 10 is provided, which includes a cabin 12, in which a seat 14 and a seat belt assembly 16 are arranged. The seat belt assembly 16 includes a seat belt webbing 18, a retractor 20 (located at Figure 1 The seat belt webbing 18 extends between a first end connected to the retractor 20 and a second end connected to the anchor 26.

[0051] In one configuration, the retractor 20 is physically connected to a vehicle structure, such as a B-pillar or a C-pillar (neither shown). The seat belt webbing 18 is housed within the body of the retractor 20 and is wound around a spool (not shown) of the retractor 20. The retractor 20 may include a belt pull-out sensor 28 that detects the length of the belt webbing 18 extending and retracting from the retractor 20. The belt pull-out sensor 28 may be a Hall effect sensor or a rotary encoder that determines the number of rotations of the spool of the retractor 20 and, in doing so, can detect the length of the seat belt webbing 18 extending from and / or retracting into the retractor 20. Alternatively, the belt pull-out sensor 28 may be an optical sensor that is capable of determining the number of rotations of the spool of the retractor 20 and, likewise, is capable of determining the length of the seat belt webbing 18 extending from and / or retracting into the retractor 20.

[0052] The anchor 26 may be mounted to a vehicle structure or seat 14, such as a chassis (not shown) of the vehicle or a seat-to-chassis bracket (not shown). In this way, the anchor 26 is secured to move with the cabin 12. The anchor 26 may receive a first end of the seat belt webbing 18 to also secure the first end of the seat belt webbing 18 relative to the cabin 12. The end of the seat belt webbing 18 received by the anchor 26 and connected to the vehicle is disposed at an end of the seat belt webbing 18 opposite the retractor 20.

[0053] As described above, the seat belt webbing 18 extends from the anchor 26 at one end of the seat belt webbing 18 to the retractor 20 at the other end of the seat belt webbing 18. In operation, a user can apply force to the seat belt webbing 18 to pull a length of the seat belt webbing 18 out of the retractor 20. The length of the seat belt webbing 18 pulled out from the retractor 20 includes the cross-body segment 30 and the knee segment 32. Figure 1 As shown, the cross-body segment 30 extends substantially across the torso of the occupant, while the lap segment 32 extends from the seat belt buckle 22, across the occupant's lap to the anchor 26. Thus, when a force is applied to the seat belt webbing 18 such that a length of the seat belt webbing 18 extends from the retractor 20, the cross-body segment 30 and the lap segment 32 cooperate to define the length of the seat belt webbing 18 extending from the retractor 20 to the seat belt buckle 22 and from the seat belt buckle 22 to the anchor 26 above the vehicle occupant.

[0054] Although the seat belt assembly 16 will be described below and shown in the drawings as including a single retractor 20 used in conjunction with an anchor 26, the seat belt assembly 16 may include a second retractor in place of the anchor 26. In such a system, the cross-body segment 30 would be entirely comprised of Figure 1 The illustrated retractor 20 is provided, and the knee section 32 would extend from the retractor 20 in place of the anchor 26. If the seat belt assembly 16 includes a retractor in place of the anchor 26, the retractor 20 may include a seat belt pull-out sensor 28 in the same manner as the seat belt pull-out sensor 28 associated with the retractor 20.

[0055] The tongue or latch plate 24 includes a slot 34 and a projection 36 extending from the slot 34. The slot 34 slidably receives the seat belt webbing 18 to allow the tongue or latch plate 24 to move relative to and along the seat belt webbing 18. The projection 36 extends from the slot 34 and is selectively received by the seat belt buckle 22.

[0056] The seat belt buckle 22 is disposed on the side of the seat 14 opposite the anchor 26 and includes a slot 38 that selectively receives the projection 36 of the tongue or latch plate 24. The seat belt buckle 22 may be fixed to move with the seat 14, or alternatively, fixed to a vehicle structure, such as a floor of the vehicle. In operation, when an occupant applies a force on the seat belt webbing 18 such that a length of the seat belt webbing 18 is released from the retractor 20, the tongue or latch plate 24 may be positioned relative to the seat belt buckle 22 such that its projection 36 is opposite to and received by the slot 38. Once the projection 36 is fully inserted into the seat belt buckle 22 through the slot 38, a locking mechanism (not shown) of the seat belt buckle 22 engages the projection 36 of the tongue or latch plate 24, thereby securing the tongue or latch plate 24 to the seat belt buckle 22.

[0057] When the user applies force to the seat belt webbing 18 to pull a section of the seat belt webbing 18 out of the retractor 20, the tongue or latch plate 24 can move along and relative to the seat belt webbing 18 through the slot 34. Once the protrusion 36 of the tongue or latch plate 24 is secured within the slot 38 of the seat belt buckle 22, the retractor 20 can apply force on the seat belt webbing 18 to retract a section of the seat belt webbing 18 back into the retractor 20. In this way, the retractor 20 ensures that the seat belt webbing 18 fits correctly and snugly around the passenger's knees and torso during use.

[0058] At this point, the length of the belt webbing 18 across the body section 30 and the knee section 32 is generally determined. It will be appreciated that the relative position between the tongue or latch plate 24 and the belt webbing 18 will vary depending on the size of the occupant seated in the seat 14. For example, when a larger occupant is seated in the seat 14, a longer length of the belt webbing 18 must be extended from the retractor 20 to accommodate the larger occupant, compared to, for example, a smaller occupant who would require a shorter length of the belt webbing 18. Thus, the tongue or latch plate 24 will be positioned at different locations along the belt webbing 18 for different vehicle occupants because the length of the belt webbing 18 that needs to be extended from the retractor 20 will vary depending on the size of the occupant. Likewise, the vehicle seat position will affect the length of the belt webbing 18 that extends from the retractor 20. For example, for a person in a fully forward seat position, the belt webbing 18 may extend from the retractor 20 for a longer length than if the person were seated in a fully rearward seat position.

[0059] The buckle sensor 40 associated with the seat belt buckle 22 can detect the engagement of the protruding portion 36 of the tongue or latch plate 24 with the seat belt buckle 22 regardless of the size of the occupant seated in the seat 14, the position of the seat 14, and the length of the seat belt webbing 18 extending from the retractor 20. The buckle sensor 24 detects the presence of the protruding portion 36 disposed within the seat belt buckle 22 and, therefore, generates a signal indicating the presence of the protruding portion 36 within the seat belt buckle 22. Detecting the protruding portion 36 within the seat belt buckle 22 allows the buckle sensor 40 to identify when the tongue or latch plate 24 is securely engaged with the locking mechanism of the seat belt buckle 22.

[0060] When an occupant sits on the seat 14 and extends a portion of the seat belt webbing 18 from the retractor 20 a sufficient distance in the direction of the seat belt buckle 22, the protrusion 36 of the tongue or latch plate 24 is received in the groove 38. When the protrusion 36 is fully inserted into the seat belt buckle 22, the buckle sensor 40 can detect the presence of the protrusion 36 and generate a signal indicating that the protrusion 36 is engaged with the locking mechanism of the seat belt buckle 22.

[0061] Continue to refer Figure 1 , the vehicle system 10 also includes an occupant detection device (ODD) 42, a remote sensor 44, and an internal user interface device (UID) 46. The ODD 42 may include a weight pad (not shown) disposed within a seat bottom 48 of the seat 14. The weight pad is positioned relative to the seat bottom 48 so that when the passenger sits on the seat 14, the weight pad is able to detect the presence of the seated passenger. Although the seat bottom 48 is described as including a weight pad to detect the presence of an occupant, the seat bottom 48 may additionally or alternatively include one or more pressure sensors, ohmmeters, capacitive sensors, resistive sensors, electric field proximity sensors, biometric sensors, and / or other types of sensors capable of detecting the presence of an occupant sitting on the seat bottom 48.

[0062] The remote sensor 44 may be located within the cabin 12 such that the remote sensor 44 has a field of view that captures the seat 14. Thus, the remote sensor 44 may be used to detect the presence of an occupant seated on the vehicle seat 14. Additionally or alternatively, the remote sensor 44 may be used to determine whether the seat belt webbing 18 is extended from the retractor 20, and further may be used to determine and / or verify the length of the seat belt webbing 18 extending from the retractor 20. The foregoing information detected by the remote sensor 44 may be used in conjunction with data provided by the ODD 42 to verify the presence of a vehicle occupant seated on the seat 14. Different types of remote sensors may be used, such as cameras, radars, or lidars.

[0063] The internal UID 46 may be located within the cabin 12 and may include a display 50. The display 50 may be used to convey information related to the use of the seat belt assembly 16 to the passengers in the cab 12. That is, the internal UID 46 may display information on the display 50 regarding whether the passenger is sitting on the seat 14, whether the seat belt assembly 16 is buckled, and / or whether the seat belt assembly 16 is properly positioned relative to the passenger. In addition, the internal UID 46 may control an auditory information system 47 and a tactile information system 49, which may be used to convey information regarding whether the passenger is sitting on the seat 14, whether the seat belt is fastened, and / or whether the seat belt assembly 16 is properly positioned relative to the passenger.

[0064] Continue to refer Figure 1 , the outputs of the seat belt pull-out sensor 28, the buckle sensor 40, the ODD 42, and the remote sensor 44 are provided to a body control module (BCM) 52. Thus, the BCM 52 receives data from the seat belt pull-out sensor 28 related to the length of the seat belt webbing 18 extending from the retractor 20, data from the buckle sensor 40 whether the tongue or latch plate 24 projection 36 is securely connected to the locking mechanism of the seat belt buckle 22, data from the ODD 42 related to whether an occupant is seated on the seat 14, and data from the remote sensor 44 related to the presence of an occupant on the vehicle seat 14 and / or the length of the seat belt webbing 18 extending from the retractor 20. As described above, the seat belt assembly 16 will be described and shown hereinafter as including a single retractor 20 associated with the seat 14. However, the anchor 26 may be replaced with additional retractors 20 and associated belt pull-out sensors 28. If the seat belt assembly 16 includes a retractor 20 in place of the anchor 26, the length of the seat belt webbing 18 extending from the lower retractor 20 as detected by the associated seat belt extension sensor 28 will similarly be provided to the BCM 52 for use by the BCM 52 in determining whether the seat belt assembly 16 is being properly used.

[0065] The output of the seat belt extension sensor 28 is Figure 14 and 5. The output from the buckle sensor 42 to the BCM 52 is identified along communication line RS1. The output from the ODD 42 is identified by communication line ODD, while the output from the remote sensor 44 is identified along communication line C. Finally, if the seat belt assembly 16 includes a second retractor 20 and an associated seat belt pull-out sensor 28 in place of the anchor 26, the output from the seat belt pull-out sensor 28 associated with the lower retractor 20 is shown extending along communication line RS2. As will be described in more detail below, the BCM 52 receives various sensor inputs RS1, RS2, BS, ODD, C for use by the BCM 52 in monitoring and diagnosing the use of the seat belt assembly 16.

[0066] Specific reference Figure 2 , the body control module 52 shown includes a seat belt wearing status module 54, an occupant detection module 56, and a UID control module 58. As shown, the seat belt wearing status module 54 communicates with the seat belt extension sensor 28 and the buckle sensor 40. The seat belt wearing status module 54 receives information about the length of the seat belt webbing 18 extending from the retractor 20 from the seat belt extension sensor 28 via the communication line RS1 and possibly via RS2, and receives information about whether the tongue or latch plate 24 is engaged with the locking mechanism of the seat belt buckle 22 from the buckle sensor 40 via the communication line BS.

[0067] The occupant detection module 56 communicates with the seat belt wearing status module 54 and receives information from the ODD 44 and the remote sensor 44. The occupant detection module 56 receives information from the ODD 42 via the communication line ODD regarding whether the ODD 42 detects the presence of an occupant sitting on the seat 14. The remote sensor 44 may provide the occupant detection module 56 with information regarding whether an occupant is detected sitting on the seat 14 and / or regarding the length of the seat belt webbing 18 extending from the retractor 20 via the communication line C.

[0068] As referenced below Figure 5-7As described above, the seat belt wearing status module 54 monitors the state of the seat belt assembly 16, and can be used in particular to determine whether there is a seat belt buckle extender. The seat belt wearing status module 54 communicates with the UID control module 58 to provide the UID control module 58 with information about the state of the seat belt assembly 16. For example, the seat belt wearing status module 54 can provide the UID control module 58 with information that a passenger is sitting on the seat 14, and further provide information that the passenger is properly fastened with the seat belt. Alternatively, the seat belt wearing status module 54 can determine that there is no passenger on the seat 14, but when the seat belt is pulled out below a threshold indicating a stowed state, the tongue or latch plate 24 associated with the seat belt buckle extender is received by the seat belt buckle 22. In this case, the seat belt wearing status module 54 can determine that the seat belt buckle extender is engaged with the seat belt buckle 22. As yet another alternative, the seat belt wearing condition module 54 may determine that the occupant is on the seat 14 when the tongue or latch plate 24 associated with the seat belt buckle extender is received by the seat belt buckle 22 and the pullout of the seat belt webbing 18 from the retractor 20 is at the stowed length and the seat belt webbing 18 is later moved to the wearing length while the occupant is on the seat 14. In this case, the seat belt wearing condition module 54 may also determine that the seat belt buckle extender is engaged with the seat belt buckle 22. The seat belt wearing condition module 54 may communicate the foregoing information to the UID control module 58 for delivery via the internal UID 46 on the display 50 and / or via the audible message system 47 and / or the tactile message system 49. Additionally or alternatively, the information from the UID control module 58 may be sent directly to the external UID 60 and / or the satellite communication network 62.

[0069] Information related to the status of the seat belt assembly 16 may be displayed on the external UID 60. For example, the external UID 60 may be a smartphone or tablet associated with a vehicle owner or passenger. Information related to the seat belt assembly 16 may be displayed by the external UID 60 on such a smartphone or tablet. Finally, the UID control module 58 may transmit information about the status of the seat belt assembly 16 from the seat belt wearing status module 54 to a satellite communication network 62, which may communicate with one or both of the internal UID 46 and the external UID 60. As with direct communications between the UID control module 58 and the internal UID 46 and the external UID 60, the satellite communication network 62 may provide information about the status of the seat belt assembly 16 from the UID control module 58 to one or both of the internal UID 46 and the external UID 60.

[0070] Special References Figure 3 and Figure 4, the figure shows that the passenger is sitting on the seat 14. Figure 3 In FIG. 1 , an occupant is seated in the seat 14 and the seat belt assembly 16 is shown worn across the occupant's torso and knees. Figure 3 The seat belt assembly 16 shown includes a tongue or latch plate 24 of the seat belt assembly 16 that engages the seat belt buckle 22 to restrain the occupant on the seat 14. Specifically, as described above, the protruding portion 36 of the tongue or latch plate 24 is received by the slot 38 of the seat belt buckle 22 and is secured within the seat belt buckle 22 by the locking mechanism of the seat belt buckle 22. Figure 3 In the illustration shown, the retractor 20 is shown as being located near the seat bottom 48 and within the external vehicle structure. In this arrangement, the seat belt webbing 18 extends from the retractor 20 in a direction away from the seat bottom 48 and is received by a routing guide or D-ring 64 located near the occupant's shoulder once the occupant is seated on the seat 14.

[0071] The routing guide 64 slidably receives the seat belt webbing 18 to allow the seat belt webbing 18 to move relative to and within the routing guide 64. When the seat belt assembly 16 is used and the tongue or latch plate 24 is secured to the seat belt buckle 22, the routing guide 64 helps to properly position the seat belt webbing 18 on the torso of the occupant. If the retractor 20 is alternatively located near the shoulder of the occupant, the routing guide 64 is not required. Specifically, if the retractor 20 is located near the shoulder of the occupant, the seat belt webbing 18 can extend directly from the retractor 20 across the torso of the occupant during wear. Alternatively, if the seat belt retractor 20 is located near the shoulder of the occupant, the seat belt webbing 18 can still be passed through the routing guide or D-ring 64 to allow adjustment of the height of the seat belt webbing 18 relative to the seat 14. Specifically, the routing guide 64 can be attached to an adjustment mechanism (not shown) that allows vertical adjustment of the routing guide 64, and therefore allows vertical adjustment of the seat belt webbing 18 relative to the seat 14. Specifically, the routing guide 64 can be moved in a direction toward the seat bottom 48 for smaller passengers and in a direction away from the seat bottom 48 for larger passengers. Adjusting the height of the routing guide 64 can adjust the effective starting position of the seat belt webbing 18 across the body segment 30 to accommodate users of different heights and sizes.

[0072] As described above, the routing guide 64 is vertically adjustable relative to the seat 14 to accommodate passengers of different sizes. However, when the routing guide 64 is moved to the maximum vertical distance away from the seat bottom 48 while a larger passenger is seated in the seat 14, the length of the seat belt webbing 18 may not be sufficient to extend over the passenger's torso and knees, and thus will not allow the tongue or latch plate 24 to properly engage the seat belt buckle 22. In this case, the buckle extender 66 may be required to allow the belt webbing 18 to properly restrain the occupant in the seat 14.

[0073] refer to Figure 4 and 4A , a seat belt buckle extender 66 is shown connected to the seat belt assembly 16 and includes an extender buckle 68, an extender webbing 70, and an extender tongue or latch plate 72. The buckle 68 may be similar to the seat belt buckle 22 associated with the seat belt assembly 16 and may similarly include a locking mechanism (not shown) that selectively attaches the tongue or latch plate 24 of the seat belt assembly 16 to the seat belt buckle extender 66. The extender tongue or latch plate 72 is disposed at an end of the seat belt buckle extender 66 opposite the buckle 68 and may be identical to the tongue or latch plate 24 of the seat belt assembly 16. Thus, the extender tongue or latch plate 72 may include a projection 74 that is selectively received by the seat belt buckle 22 to secure the extender tongue or latch plate 72 to the buckle 22.

[0074] The extender webbing 70 may be identical to the seat belt webbing 18 and extends between the extender buckle 68 and the extender tongue or latch plate 72. Specifically, the extender webbing 70 includes a first end fixedly connected to the extender buckle 68 and a second end fixedly connected to the extender tongue or latch plate 72. Alternatively, the extender webbing 70 may be replaced with a generally inflexible structural rod (not shown) to render the seat belt extender 66 generally inflexible.

[0075] In operation, an occupant may insert the projection 74 of the buckle extender 66 into the slot 38 of the buckle 22 to secure the extender tongue or latch plate 72 to the buckle 22 of the seat belt assembly 16. Securing the extender tongue or latch plate 72 to the buckle 22 also secures the extender buckle 68 and the extender webbing 72 to the buckle 22.

[0076] Once the extender tongue or latch plate 72 is secured to the seat belt buckle 22, the tongue or latch plate 24 of the seat belt assembly 16 may be secured to the extender buckle 68. Specifically, the protrusion 36 of the tongue or latch plate 24 may be inserted into the extender buckle 68 to secure the tongue or latch plate 24 of the seat belt assembly 16 to the extender buckle. Alternatively, the installation sequence may be reversed, with the buckle extender 66 being attached to the tongue or latch plate 24 before it is attached to the seat belt buckle 22. Once the tongue or latch plate 24 of the seat belt assembly 16 is secured to the extender buckle, the tongue or latch plate 24 of the seat belt assembly 16 is effectively secured to the seat belt buckle 22 via the seat belt buckle extender 66. In effect, the buckle extender 66 moves the attachment location of the tongue or latch plate 24 closer to the retractor 20 or routing guide 64 (if present) to reduce the length of the belt webbing 18 required to restrain the occupant to the seat 14. In doing so, the required length across the torso section 30 and the lap section 32 is reduced, thereby allowing a conventional seat belt assembly 16 to be used to secure larger occupants to the seat 14.

[0077] While the buckle extender 66 helps secure a larger occupant to the seat 14 with the seat belt assembly 16, it is difficult to distinguish between the use of the tongue or latch plate 24 of the seat belt assembly 16 and the buckle extender 66 because the buckle sensor 40 registers the presence of either the tongue or latch plate 24 of the seat belt assembly 16 or the tongue or latch plate 72 of the buckle extender 66, but cannot distinguish between the two. That is, when the extender tongue or latch plate 72 is received and secured by the seat belt buckle 22, the buckle sensor 40 can detect the presence of the extender tongue or latch plate 72 and notify the BCM 52 that the tongue or latch plate 24 is secured to the seat belt buckle 22. For example, the occupant may first sit in the seat 14, insert the extender tongue or latch plate 72 into the seat belt buckle 22, and then insert the tongue or latch plate 24 of the seat belt assembly 16 into the extender buckle 68. In another scenario, the occupant may insert the extender tongue or latch plate 72 into the seat safety buckle 22 of the seat belt assembly 16 before sitting in the seat 14. Once seated, the occupant may insert the tongue or latch plate 24 of the seat belt assembly 16 into the extender buckle 68. Finally, in either scenario, the occupant may leave the buckle extender 66 on the tongue or latch plate 24 of the belt assembly 16 when exiting the cabin 12. Alternatively, in either of the foregoing scenarios, the occupant may leave the buckle extender 66 connected to the belt buckle 22.

[0078] In each of the above situations, the BCM 52 will recognize when the seat belt buckle extender 66 is used with the seat belt assembly 16 and will distinguish between a properly buckled occupant, an improperly buckled occupant, and an unbuckled occupant. The BCM 52 will make the foregoing determination based on information received from one or more of the seat belt pull-out sensor 28, the buckle sensor 40, the occupant detection device 42, and the remote sensor 44, as described below.

[0079] Special reference Figure 5-7 , a method of determining that the seat belt buckle extender 66 is used in conjunction with the seat belt assembly 16 will be described in detail. The method may be performed by the seat belt wearing status module 54 of the BCM 52 in conjunction with inputs from the various sensors 28, 40, 42, 44 and the occupant detection module 56. The module 54 will also distinguish between properly buckled passengers, improperly buckled passengers, and unbuckled passengers, and transmit the status of the seat belt assembly 16 to the UID control module 58 for communication to one or more of the internal UID 46, the external UID 60, and the satellite communication network 62.

[0080] The seat belt wearing condition module 54 at 76 ( Figure 5 ) at 78. The detection mode may be initiated when a door (not shown) of the vehicle system 10 is opened, a remote interior sensor such as the remote sensor 44 detects something in the vehicle cabin 12, the vehicle is started, a start ride button (not shown) is pressed, a vehicle door is closed, or the vehicle is placed in a drive mode. At this point, at 78, the seat belt wearing condition module 54 may initially determine whether the seat belt assembly 16 is in a buckled state based on information received from the buckle sensor 40. If the seat belt assembly 16 is not identified as being buckled by the buckle sensor 40, then at 80, the seat belt wearing condition module 54 determines whether occupancy is detected. If occupancy is detected at 80, then at 82, the seat 14 is identified as being occupied and the seat belt is identified as not being worn. If occupancy is not detected at 80, then at 84, the seat belt wearing condition module 54 determines whether the current length of the seat belt webbing 18 pulled out from the retractor 20 is greater than a stowed seat belt length threshold of the seat belt webbing 18.

[0081] The stowed seat belt length threshold is set to a belt length between the stowed belt length (i.e., when the belt webbing 18 is wound within the retractor 20 and in the stowed state) and the worn belt length (i.e., the length of the belt webbing 18 pulled out from the retractor 20). The worn seat belt length may be set to a length for a predetermined occupant size seated in the seat 14. For example, in one configuration, the worn seat belt length threshold may be set to a length at which a ten-year-old wearing a seat belt would be detected as wearing the seat belt. For such a ten-year-old, the length of the seat belt webbing 18 extending from the retractor 20 would be stored in the seat belt wearing condition module 54 as the wearing threshold seat belt webbing length.

[0082] The current seat belt length (i.e., the length of the seat belt webbing 18 extending from the retractor 20) is detected by the seat belt pull-out sensor 28 associated with the retractor 20. The seat belt pull-out sensor 28 can detect the length of the seat belt webbing 18 extending from the retractor 20, and can provide this information to the seat belt wearing condition module 54 via the communication line RS1. As described above, if the seat belt assembly 16 includes a lower retractor 20, the lower retractor 20 will similarly include a seat belt pull-out sensor 28 that provides information related to the length of the seat belt webbing 18 extending from the lower retractor 20 to the seat belt wearing condition module 54. Figure 1 and 2 As shown, this information is communicated from the seat belt withdrawal sensor 28 associated with the lower retractor 20 to the seat belt wearing status module 54 via communication line RS2.

[0083] If the current belt length is greater than the stored belt length threshold, then the belt wearing condition 52 may determine at 86 that the belt webbing 18 is in a "slack" state. In this regard, the seat belt wearing condition module 54 may determine that the seat belt buckle extender 66 remains attached to the tongue or latch plate 24 of the seat belt assembly 16 even though the extender tongue or latch plate 72 of the seat belt buckle extender 66 is disengaged from the seat belt buckle 22. The belt webbing 18 may be determined to be "slack" due to the weight of the buckle extender 66 attached to the tongue or latch plate 24 of the belt assembly 16. In other words, when the extender 66 remains engaged with the tongue or latch plate 24, the retractor 20 will not fully retract the belt webbing 18 into the housing of the retractor 20 due to the weight of the buckle extender 66. Therefore, due to the weight of the seat belt buckle extender 66, the seat belt webbing 18 will not return completely to the retracted state. In this case, the seat belt wearing condition module 54 can transmit to the UID control module 58 that the seat belt assembly 16 is in the lazy seat belt condition (i.e., in Figure 5 86 in ), transmitted to one or more of the internal UID 46, the external UID and the satellite communication network 62.

[0084] If the current belt length of the belt webbing 18 is not greater than the stowed belt length threshold, then at 88, the belt wearing condition module determines that the seat 14 is unoccupied and the belt is not being worn. After each of steps 82, 86, and 88, at 90, the seat belt wearing condition module 54 determines whether occupancy is detected. Occupancy may be detected based on information received from the occupant detection module 56. Specifically, the occupant detection module 56 may rely on information from the ODD 42 and / or the remote sensor 44 to determine whether an occupant is seated in the seat 14. Information from the ODD 42 and / or the remote sensor 44 may be provided to the occupant detection module 56 via communication lines ODD, C, respectively, as shown. Figure 2 If the seat belt wearing condition module 54 determines at 90 that an occupant is in the seat 14, the seat belt wearing condition module 54 returns to step 78 to determine whether the seat belt is buckled. If the seat belt wearing condition module 54 does not determine at 90 that an occupant is in the seat 14, the seat belt wearing condition module 54 stops at 92.

[0085] Returning to step 78, if it is determined that the seat belt assembly 16 is in the buckled state, then at 94 ( Figure 6), the seat belt wearing status module 54 determines whether a passenger is present at the time of buckling. As with step 90, the seat belt wearing status module 54 can determine whether a passenger is present in the vehicle compartment 12 based on information from the passenger detection module 56. Specifically, information from the ODD 42 and / or the remote sensor 44 provided to the passenger detection module 56 via the communication lines ODD, C, respectively, provides the seat belt wearing status module 54 with an indication of whether a passenger is present in the vehicle compartment 12.

[0086] If the seatbelt wearing status module 54 determines at 94 that the occupant is not in the vehicle cabin 12, then at 96 the seatbelt wearing status module 54 determines that the seat 14 is not occupied when buckled ( Figure 7 On the other hand, if the seatbelt wearing condition module 54 determines at 94 that an occupant is present in the vehicle cabin 12 when the seatbelt is buckled, then at 98 the seatbelt wearing condition module 54 determines if no occupancy is detected when the seatbelt is buckled.

[0087] If occupancy is detected at 98, then at 101, the seat belt wearing condition module 54 determines whether the current length of the seat belt webbing 18 extending from the retractor 20 is greater than the stowed seat belt length threshold when the seat is occupied. If the current length of the seat belt webbing 18 extending from the retractor 20 is greater, the method proceeds to 100. If at 101, the current length of the seat belt webbing 18 extending from the retractor 20 is not greater than the stowed seat belt length threshold, then at 103, the seat belt wearing condition module 54 determines whether the current length of the seat belt webbing 18 extending from the retractor 20 is greater than the worn seat belt length threshold. If at 103, the current length of the seat belt webbing 18 extending from the retractor 20 is not greater than the worn seat belt length threshold when the seat 14 is occupied, then at 107, the seat belt usage condition module 54 determines that the seat 14 is occupied and the seat belt is not properly worn. In this case, the seat belt can be pulled out of the retractor 20 and held / wound around an object without a dummy latch plate or other latch plate being engaged in the buckle 22 to restrain the occupant. Thereafter, at 106, the seat belt wearing status module 54 determines whether the seat belt is not fastened. As previously described, if it is determined at 106 that the seat belt is not fastened, the seat belt wearing status module 54 returns to step 80 ( Figure 5) to determine if occupancy is detected. If at 106 the seatbelt wearing condition module 54 determines that the seatbelt is buckled (i.e., by the buckle sensor 40 associated with the seatbelt buckle 22), then at 108 the seatbelt wearing condition module 54 determines if the system is still in detection mode. If at 108 the seatbelt wearing condition module 54 determines that the system is still in detection mode, then the seatbelt wearing condition module 54 returns to step 98 to determine if occupancy is not detected when the seatbelt is buckled. If at 108 the seatbelt wearing condition module 54 determines that the system is no longer in detection mode, then the seatbelt wearing condition module 54 stops at 110.

[0088] If the current length of the seat belt webbing 18 extending from the retractor 20 is greater than the worn seat belt length threshold when the seat 14 is occupied at 103, then at 105, the seat belt wearing condition module 54 determines that the seat 14 is occupied and the seat belt is properly worn. In this case, the seat 14 is occupied, the seat belt is properly worn, and the seat belt buckle extender 66 is used and buckled in the buckle 22 after the passenger sits in the seat 14. Thereafter, at 106, the seat belt wearing condition module 54 determines whether the seat belt is not fastened. As previously described, if it is determined at 106 that the seat belt is not fastened, the seat belt wearing condition module 54 returns to step 80 ( Figure 5 ) to determine if occupancy is detected. If at 106 the seatbelt wearing condition module 54 determines that the seatbelt is buckled (i.e., by the buckle sensor 40 associated with the seatbelt buckle 22), then at 108 the seatbelt wearing condition module 54 determines if the system is still in detection mode. If at 108 the seatbelt wearing condition module 54 determines that the system is still in detection mode, then the seatbelt wearing condition module 54 returns to step 98 to determine if occupancy is not detected when the seatbelt is buckled. If at 108 the seatbelt wearing condition module 54 determines that the system is no longer in detection mode, then the seatbelt wearing condition module 54 stops at 110.

[0089] If occupancy is not detected when buckled at 98, then at 100, the seat belt wearing condition module 54 determines whether the current length of the seat belt webbing 18 is greater than the wearing and not wearing threshold. Again, the current length of the seat belt webbing 18 is the length of the seat belt webbing 18 extending from the retractor 20 as measured by the seat belt pull-out sensor 28 associated with the retractor 20.

[0090] The wearing and not wearing threshold may be set to a length at which a person of ten years old wearing the seat belt will be detected as wearing, and a person of a slightly younger age wearing the seat belt will be detected as not wearing. At step 100, the current length of the seat belt webbing 18 extending from the retractor 20 is compared to the wearing and not wearing threshold. If the seat belt wearing condition module 54 determines that the current length of the seat belt webbing 18 extending from the retractor 20 is not greater than the wearing and not wearing threshold, the seat belt wearing condition module 54 determines at 102 that the seat is occupied and the seat belt is not worn correctly. In this case, the seat belt may be worn incorrectly because the occupant is buckling the seat belt behind the occupant, or because the child is too young to sit in the seat 14 without using a child restraint seat. At this point, the seat belt wearing condition module 54 may issue a warning through the UID control module 58 to transmit the warning to one or more of the internal UID 46, the external UID 60, and the satellite communication network 62. In such a case, the interior UID 46 may display a warning, for example, on a display 50 within the vehicle cabin 12 , to alert the driver and / or other passengers that the seat 14 is occupied and the seat belt associated with the seat 14 is not being properly worn.

[0091] If at 100, the current length of the seat belt webbing 18 extending from the retractor 20 is identified by the seat belt wearing condition module 54 as being greater than the wearing and not wearing threshold, then at 104, the seat belt wearing condition module 54 determines that the seat is occupied and the seat belt is properly worn. After step 102 or 104, at 106, the seat belt wearing condition module 54 determines whether the seat belt is not fastened. As previously described, if it is determined at 106 that the seat belt is not fastened, the seat belt wearing condition module 54 returns to step 80 ( Figure 5 ) to determine if occupancy is detected. If at 106 the seatbelt wearing condition module 54 determines that the seatbelt is buckled (i.e., by the buckle sensor 40 associated with the seatbelt buckle 22), then at 108 the seatbelt wearing condition module 54 determines if the system is still in detection mode. If at 108 the seatbelt wearing condition module 54 determines that the system is still in detection mode, then the seatbelt wearing condition module 54 returns to step 98 to determine if occupancy is not detected when the seatbelt is buckled. If at 108 the seatbelt wearing condition module 54 determines that the system is no longer in detection mode, then the seatbelt wearing condition module 54 stops at 110.

[0092] As described above, if the seat belt wearing condition module 54 determines at 94 ( Figure 6 ) If there is no passenger when the seat belt is fastened, then at 96 ( Figure 7 ) When the seat belt is fastened, it is determined that the seat 14 is not occupied. At this time, at 112 ( Figure 7 ), the seatbelt wearing status module 54 determines whether occupancy is detected when the seatbelt is buckled. If the seatbelt wearing status module 54 determines that occupancy is not detected when the seatbelt is buckled, the seatbelt wearing status module 54 determines at 114 that the seat 14 is not occupied, and further determines that the seatbelt is buckled. Specifically, the seatbelt wearing status module 54 can determine that the seat 14 is not occupied based on information received from the occupant detection module 56, and can determine that the seatbelt is buckled based on information received from the buckle sensor 40 associated with the seatbelt buckle 22. If the seat 14 is identified as unoccupied by the seatbelt wearing status module 54, and the seatbelt is determined to be buckled at 114, the seatbelt wearing status module 54 determines at 116 whether the seatbelt is not fastened, and if so, returns to step 80 ( Figure 5 ) to determine if occupancy is detected. If the seat belt is determined to be unfastened at 116, the seat belt wearing condition module 54 determines if the system is still in detection mode at 118, and if so, returns to step 112 to determine if occupancy is detected when buckled. If the system is no longer in detection mode at 118, the seat belt wearing condition module 54 stops at 120.

[0093] At 112, if the seatbelt wearing condition module 54 determines that there is an occupant in the seat 14 when buckled, then at 122, the seatbelt wearing condition module 54 determines whether the seatbelt length (i.e., the current length of the seatbelt webbing 18 extending from the retractor as determined by the seatbelt pull-out sensor 28) is greater than the stowed seatbelt length threshold when buckled. If at 122, the current length of the seatbelt webbing 18 is greater than the stowed seatbelt length threshold, then at 124, the seatbelt wearing condition module 54 determines that the seat 14 is occupied and the seatbelt is not properly worn. For example, an unrestrained occupant may be sitting in the buckled seatbelt. At this point, at 116, the seatbelt wearing condition module 54 then determines whether the seatbelt is unfastened, and if so, returns to step 80 ( Figure 5 ), if not, proceed to step 118 to determine whether the system is still in the detection mode. If so, the seat belt wearing status module 54 moves to step 112 ( Figure 7 ), if not, stop at 120.

[0094] If it is determined at 122 that the length of the seat belt webbing is less than the stowed seat belt length threshold when engaged, then at 126, the seat belt wearing condition module 54 determines whether the current length of the seat belt webbing 18 extending from the retractor 20 when the seat is occupied is greater than the stowed seat belt length threshold. If the current length of the seat belt webbing 18 extending from the retractor 20 when the seat 14 is occupied is not greater than the stowed seat belt length threshold at 126, then at 128, the seat belt wearing condition module 54 determines that the seat 14 is occupied and the seat belt is not worn correctly. For example, an adjacent seat belt (i.e., not a designated seat belt) may be buckled into the buckle 22 of the seat 14. At this point, the seat belt wearing condition module 54 may communicate to the UID control module 58 via the internal UID 46, the external UID 60, and / or the satellite communication network 62 that the seat belt is not worn correctly to warn the driver and other passengers. For example, the warning may be displayed on the display 50 of the internal UID 46.

[0095] If it is determined at 128 that the seat 14 is occupied and the seat belt is not properly worn, then at 116, the seat belt wearing condition module 54 determines whether the seat belt is not fastened. If so, the seat belt wearing condition module 54 returns to step 80 ( Figure 5 ) to determine if occupancy is detected. If the seat belt is not unfastened at 116, the seat belt wearing status module 54 moves to step 118 to determine if the system is still in detection mode, and if so, moves to step 112 ( Figure 7 If not, the seat belt wearing status module 54 stops at 120 .

[0096] If the current length of the seat webbing 18 extending from the retractor 20 is greater than the stowed seat belt length threshold when the seat 14 is occupied at 126, the seat belt wearing condition module 54 determines whether the current seat belt length is greater than the seat occupied wear and unwear threshold at 130. If the seat belt wearing condition module 54 determines that the current seat belt length is greater than the wear and unwear threshold when the seat 14 is occupied at 130, the seat belt wearing condition module 54 determines that the seat 14 is occupied and the seat belt is properly worn at 132. In this case, the seat 14 is occupied, the seat belt is properly worn, and the seat belt buckle extender 66 is used and engaged in the buckle 22 before the passenger sits in the seat 14.

[0097] If at 130 the current seat belt length is determined to be less than the wearing and not wearing threshold when the seat 14 is occupied, then at 134 the seat belt wearing condition module 54 determines that the seat 14 is occupied and the seat belt is not properly worn. In this case, the seat belt can be pulled out of the retractor 20 and held / wound around an object without a dummy latch plate or other latch plate engaged in the buckle 22 to restrain the occupant. At this point, the seat belt wearing condition module 54 then returns to step 116 to determine if the seat belt is not fastened. If so, the seat belt wearing condition module 54 returns to step 80 ( Figure 5 ) to determine if occupancy is detected. If it is determined at step 116 that the seat belt is buckled, then at step 118, the seat belt wearing condition module 54 determines if the system is still in detection mode, and if so, returns to step 112 to determine if occupancy is detected when the seat belt is buckled. If at 118 the system is no longer in detection mode, the seat belt wearing condition module 54 stops at 120.

[0098] Figure 5-7 The foregoing method described in allows the seat belt wearing status module 54 to determine whether the seat safety buckle extender 66 is used with the seat belt assembly 16. In addition, the foregoing method allows the seat belt wearing status module 54 to determine whether the seat 14 is occupied, and further determine whether the seat belt assembly 16 is properly or improperly worn. As previously described, if the seat belt wearing status module 54 determines that the seat belt assembly 16 is not properly worn or is not worn, the seat belt wearing status module 54 can warn one or more passengers through the UID control module 58.

[0099] refer to Figure 8 , the calculation of the static minimum seat belt alignment length will be described. The static minimum seat belt alignment length is initially determined when the seat belt is buckled. The static minimum seat belt alignment length is the minimum seat belt length a) after buckling within a predetermined time range, which is set by a time threshold duration after buckling, or b) before the time threshold duration after buckling expires, before the seat belt length increases by more than a length threshold increment value above the minimum seat belt length. The static minimum seat belt alignment length is the minimum seat belt length after buckling and generally represents the seat belt length when the seat belt is properly fastened to the occupant's body. The static minimum seat belt alignment length can be used in other seat belt alignment detection logic. In Figure 8, the seat belt wearing condition module 54 can determine and recalculate the static minimum seat belt routing length after the seat belt buckle extender 66 is used. For example, when the seat belt wearing condition module 54 detects that the seat belt buckle extender 66 is used when the seat belt assembly 16 is buckled (with or without occupation), and the seat belt has a seat belt extension length indicating that it is stowed, followed by a seat occupation and a greater extension length, the seat belt wearing condition module 54 will determine and recalculate the static minimum seat belt routing length based on the seat belt buckle extender 66. Figure 8 The flowchart shown recalculates the static minimum seat belt routing length. That is, at 136, the seat belt wearing condition module 54 will determine whether the tongue or latch plate 24 is secured in the seat belt buckle 22 with a minimum routing length that is less than the stowed seat belt length threshold, will determine whether the occupant is seated in the seat 14 after the tongue or latch plate 24 is secured in the seat belt buckle 22, and will determine whether the current seat belt length is greater than the wearing and not wearing threshold. If at 136, the seat belt wearing condition module 54 determines that the aforementioned parameters are not met, then at 138, the static seat belt routing length is set based on the static minimum seat belt routing length associated with the seat belt assembly 16 when used without the seat belt buckle extender 66.

[0100] On the other hand, if at 136 the seatbelt wearing condition module 54 determines that the seatbelt route length is below the stowed seatbelt length threshold when the seatbelt is buckled, the seat 14 is occupied after being buckled, and the current seatbelt length is greater than the worn and unworn thresholds, then the seatbelt wearing condition module 54 moves to step 140 to recalculate the static minimum seatbelt route length. That is, the seatbelt wearing condition module 54 recalculates the static minimum seatbelt route length to a) the minimum seatbelt length after occupancy within a predetermined time range, which is set by the time threshold duration after occupancy, or b) the minimum seatbelt length before the seatbelt length increases by more than a length threshold increment value above the minimum seatbelt length before the time threshold duration after occupancy expires. Reference Fig. 9 , the seat belt wearing status module 54 can determine whether the seat belt buckle extender 66 is still engaged with the tongue or latch plate 24 of the seat belt assembly 16 after the seat belt is unbuckled and the occupant is no longer detected in the vehicle seat 14. For example, if in step 90 ( Figure 5) detects occupancy, then at step 144, the seat belt wearing status module 54 can determine whether the seat belt is buckled, whether the seat 14 is occupied, and whether the current length of the seat belt webbing 18 extending from the retractor 20 exceeds the stowed seat belt length. If at 144 the seat belt is not buckled, the seat 14 is not occupied, or the current seat belt length does not exceed the stowed seat belt length threshold, then at 146 the seat belt wearing status module 54 will determine whether the system is in detection mode, and if so, return to step 78 ( Figure 5 If not, the seat belt wearing status module 54 will stop at 148 .

[0101] If at 144, the seat belt wearing status module 54 determines that the seat belt is buckled, the seat 14 is occupied, and the current length of the seat belt webbing 18 extending from the retractor 20 exceeds the stowed seat belt length threshold, then at 150, the seat belt wearing status module 54 will determine if the seat belt is buckled, if the seat 14 is unoccupied, and after the post-occupancy time threshold has passed, the current length of the seat belt webbing 18 extending from the retractor 20 is less than the stowed seat belt length threshold. If the result of step 150 is negative, the seat belt wearing status module 54 will stop at 152. On the other hand, if the result of step 150 is affirmative, indicating that the seat belt is buckled, the seat 14 is unoccupied and the current length of the seat belt webbing 18 is less than the stowed seat belt length threshold, the seat belt wearing status module 54 can communicate a warning message through the UID control module 58 to warn the vehicle occupant that the seat belt buckle extender 66 remains engaged with the tongue and latch plate 24 of the seat belt assembly 16 and, therefore, the seat belt assembly 16 remains in the "slack" state.

[0102] As described above, the seat belt wearing status module 54 works with the occupant detection module 56 and the UID control module 58 to alert the vehicle driver and occupants of the status of the seat belt assembly 16 used with the seat 14. Specifically, the seat belt wearing status module 54 can warn the driver and other occupants of the vehicle cabin 12 whether the seat belt assembly 16 is not worn, worn incorrectly, or worn correctly, regardless of whether the seat belt buckle extender 66 is used in conjunction with the seat belt assembly 16. In addition, the seat belt wearing status module 54 can determine whether the seat belt buckle extender 66 is used in conjunction with the seat belt assembly 16, and if so, the tongue or latch plate 24 ( 24 ) that remains connected to the seat belt assembly 16 after use. Fig. 9 ).

[0103] A variety of implementations have been described. However, it should be understood that various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, other implementations are also within the scope of the following claims.

[0104] The foregoing description is provided for the purpose of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the present disclosure. Individual elements or features of a particular configuration are generally not limited to that particular configuration, but where applicable, they are interchangeable and can be used in a selected configuration even if not specifically shown or described. This can also be varied in a variety of ways. Such variations should not be considered as a departure from the present disclosure, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A system comprising: a first webbing pull-out sensor configured to detect a first webbing pull-out of a seat belt associated with a vehicle seat, the first webbing pull-out being a length of webbing extending from a retractor of the seat belt; an occupant detection module configured to identify a state of a vehicle seat, the occupant detection module identifying an occupied state when an occupant is seated on the vehicle seat and an unoccupied state when no occupant is seated on the vehicle seat; and a seat belt wearing condition module in communication with the first webbing withdrawal sensor and the occupant detection module and configured to identify whether a seat belt buckle extender is used with the seat belt based on the first webbing withdrawal and the state of the vehicle seat identified by the occupant detection module.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein: The occupant detection module communicates with at least one sensor configured to determine the presence of an occupant in a vehicle seat, the at least one sensor including at least one of a pressure sensor, a weight sensor, a resistance sensor, and a capacitance sensor located in the vehicle seat, and a remote sensor including at least one of a camera, a radar, and a lidar having a field of view surrounding the vehicle seat.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein: The first webbing pull-out sensor is located at the retractor.

4. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a buckle sensor in communication with the seat belt wearing status module, the buckle sensor being configured to detect a buckled state when a latch plate is secured to a buckle of the seat belt, and to detect a non-buckled state when the buckle is separated from the latch plate.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein: The seat belt wearing condition module is configured to determine use of a seat belt buckle extender based on a buckle sensor identifying a buckled state, an occupant detection module identifying an unoccupied state when buckled, and a pullout of the webbing.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein: The seat belt wearing condition module is configured to determine the use of the seat belt buckle extender based on (i) a buckle sensor that identifies a buckled state, (ii) an occupant detection module that identifies an occupancy state when buckled, (iii) a first webbing pull-out sensor that determines that the webbing pull-out from the retractor is less than a first predetermined threshold when buckled, indicating that the seat belt is in a stowed state when buckled, and (iv) the first webbing pull-out sensor that determines that the webbing pull-out from the retractor is greater than a second predetermined threshold after buckling, indicating that the seat belt is in a worn state.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein: The seatbelt wearing condition module is configured to determine a new value for a static minimum seatbelt route length.

8. The system according to claim 4, wherein: The seat belt wearing condition module is configured to determine use of a seat belt buckle extender in response to the buckle sensor identifying an unbuckled state, the occupant detection module identifying an unoccupied state, and the first webbing extension being greater than the stowed webbing length.

9. The system according to claim 4, wherein: The seat belt wearing condition module is configured to determine use of a seat belt buckle extender in response to the buckle sensor identifying the buckled state, the occupant detection module identifying the unoccupied state, and the first webbing pullout being less than a stowed webbing length.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein: The seatbelt wearing status module is in communication with a user interface device configured to communicate a status of a seatbelt.

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