Airbag and restraint system control using seat pressure data

Abstract

A vehicle airbag and restraint system includes a vehicle seat positioned in a vehicle. At least one pressure sensor is included in the vehicle seat to detect when a user is in contact with the vehicle seat. The at least one airbag opens in response to a vehicle collision event. The controller determines when the user is seated on the vehicle seat in a position different from the normal upright position, defining that the user is not in place, and generates a signal applied by the controller to modify the order of opening of the at least one airbag when the user is not in place.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to airbag and restraint control systems for vehicles. Background Art

[0002] If a vehicle is involved in a crash event, the vehicle air bag and restraint control system typically initiates operation of the vehicle air bag and restraint system. If deployment of an air bag / restraint system, such as a seat belt retractor, knee air bag, side curtain air bag, etc., occurs when the seat occupant is not in position, such as when the user's legs are off the vehicle floor and / or up to the instrument panel, or when the occupant is leaning excessively forward or to the side, the air bag may make ineffective or harmful contact with the occupant.

[0003] Therefore, while current systems and methods for initiating air bag and restraint system operation achieve their intended purposes, a new and improved system and method is needed for controlling the operation of air bag and restraint systems when a user is not in place. Summary of the invention

[0004] According to various aspects, a vehicle airbag and restraint system includes a vehicle seat positioned in a vehicle. The vehicle seat includes at least one pressure sensor to detect when a user is in contact with the vehicle seat. At least one airbag is deployed in response to a vehicle crash event. A controller determines when the user is seated in the vehicle seat in a position different from a normal upright position, thereby defining that the user is out of position, and when the user is out of position, the controller generates a signal to modify a deployment sequence of the at least one airbag.

[0005] In another aspect of the present disclosure, a vehicle seat includes a seat base and a seat back that rotates relative to the seat base; and at least one pressure sensor is disposed in at least one of the seat base and the seat back.

[0006] In another aspect of the present disclosure, the at least one pressure sensor includes a front pressure sensor and a rear pressure sensor located in the seat base, the rear pressure sensor being located behind the front pressure sensor, and a lower pressure sensor and an upper pressure sensor located in the seat back, the upper pressure sensor being located above the lower pressure sensor.

[0007] In another aspect of the present invention, when a user is located on the seat base and applies pressure to one or both of the front pressure sensor and the rear pressure sensor, the front pressure sensor and the rear pressure sensor independently generate pressure signals. When a user contacts the seat back and applies pressure to one or both of the lower pressure sensor and the upper pressure sensor, the lower pressure sensor and the upper pressure sensor independently generate pressure signals.

[0008] In another aspect of the present disclosure, the at least one pressure sensor is defined as a plurality of pressure sensors arranged in a matrix and disposed in the seat cushion.

[0009] In another aspect of the present disclosure, when a user is seated in a vehicle seat and positioned against a seat back, and when the seat back is in a normally upright position, the user is in a direct path of at least one air bag when the at least one air bag deploys during a vehicle crash event.

[0010] In another aspect of the present disclosure, at least one pressure sensor generates a pressure signal defining a pressure profile of a user.

[0011] In another aspect of the present disclosure, a user alert is generated if the user is not in the proper location.

[0012] In another aspect of the invention, the vehicle seat is positioned in a reclined position or a semi-reclined position; and / or the user is out of position if the user lifts one or both legs upward to place one or both feet of the user on the control instrument panel.

[0013] In another aspect of the present disclosure, with the at least one airbag deployed, if the user is leaning forward in a forward direction and the user is not in contact with the seat back, then the user is not in the proper position; with the at least one airbag deployed, if the user is leaning outward, then the user is not in the proper position.

[0014] According to various aspects, a vehicle airbag and restraint system includes a vehicle seat positioned in a vehicle. A plurality of pressure sensors are included in the vehicle seat to detect when a user contacts various elements of the vehicle seat, including a seat base and a seat back. The vehicle seat is provided with a user restraint element. At least one airbag is deployed in response to a vehicle crash event. A controller determines a user posture of a user seated on the vehicle seat. The controller includes means for inferring a user posture of the user being out of position to generate a signal to dynamically perform suppression of at least one airbag and modification of the user restraint element.

[0015] In another aspect of the present disclosure: a seat pressure distribution is determined by at least one pressure sensor; a controller generates a user comfort strategy and applies the comfort strategy to adjust multiple comfort elements to provide support and comfort for the user posture; and an unsafe user position is determined from the user posture through the seat pressure distribution and is applied to initiate dynamic suppression of at least one airbag and modification of user restraint elements.

[0016] In another aspect of the disclosure, when an unsafe user location is determined, a warning is generated to the user.

[0017] In another aspect of the present disclosure, the nature and frequency of warnings are adjusted based on user preferences, including: an uncomfortable posture is defined as excessive load on the user's lower back, or uneven pressure distribution of the user on the vehicle seat compared to a predetermined pressure distribution; and user comfort is personalized using user comfort preferences saved by the user.

[0018] In another aspect of the present disclosure, user comfort preferences define a preferred pressure profile for use as input to user-centric detection.

[0019] In another aspect of the present disclosure, the predefined unsafe user gesture is a user gesture that would increase the risk to the user during a vehicle crash event.

[0020] In another aspect of the present disclosure, a controller applies inertial sensor data from a vehicle seat to calculate vehicle motion and vibration based on user contact pressure detected by multiple pressure sensors; and information from vehicle sensors related to road conditions, including potholes, humpbacks, and speed bumps, as well as traffic conditions, is applied by the controller to reduce false alarm signals, thereby dynamically suppressing at least one airbag and modifying user restraint elements.

[0021] According to multiple aspects, a method for controlling a vehicle airbag and restraint system includes: positioning a vehicle seat in a vehicle; providing the vehicle seat with at least one pressure sensor to detect when a user is in contact with the vehicle seat; deploying at least one airbag in response to a vehicle collision event; operating a controller to determine when a user is seated in the vehicle seat in a position different from a normal upright position, thereby defining that the user is out of position; and when the user is out of position, generating a signal applied by the controller to modify the deployment sequence of at least one airbag.

[0022] In another aspect of the present invention, the method further comprises: determining a seat pressure distribution from at least one pressure sensor; and generating, by a controller, a comfort strategy for the user and applying the comfort strategy to adjust a plurality of comfort elements to provide support and comfort for the user's posture.

[0023] In another aspect of the present invention, the method further includes: identifying a user position through a seat pressure distribution; modifying a user restraint element condition; and notifying the user when the user is not in the proper position.

[0024] Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the description provided herein.It should be understood that the description and specific examples are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] The drawings described herein are for illustration purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way.

[0026] Figure 1 is a side view of a vehicle airbag and restraint system according to an exemplary aspect;

[0027] Figure 2 is used for Figure 1 A front view of the configuration of a seat pressure sensor for a vehicle airbag and restraint system;

[0028] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 System diagram of the vehicle's airbag and restraint system;

[0029] Figure 4 yes Figure 1 Flowchart of user posture detection for vehicle airbag and restraint systems;

[0030] Figure 5 is used Figure 1 Flowchart for feature extraction of 1D sensor data of vehicle airbag and restraint system;

[0031] Figure 6 is used Figure 1 A flowchart for extracting features from 2D sensor data of pressure distribution of vehicle airbags and restraint systems; and

[0032] Figure 7 is used Figure 1 Flowchart for feature extraction of direct-fed pressure distribution 2D sensor data of vehicle airbag and restraint systems. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] The following description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present disclosure, application, or uses.

[0034] When a component, element or layer is referred to as being "on," "engaged to," "connected to," or "coupled to" another element or layer, it may be directly on, engaged to, connected to, or coupled to another component, element or layer, or there may be intermediate elements or layers. Conversely, when an element is referred to as being "directly on," "directly engaged to," "directly connected to," or "directly coupled to" another element or layer, there may be intermediate elements or layers. Other words used to describe the relationship between elements should be interpreted in a similar manner, such as "between" versus "directly between," "adjacent" versus "directly adjacent," etc. As used herein, the terms "and / or" and "one or both" include any and all combinations of one or more associated listed items.

[0035] refer to Figure 1, the vehicle airbag and restraint system 10 includes a vehicle seat 12 disposed in a vehicle 14. According to various aspects, the vehicle 14 can be a car, a truck, a sport utility vehicle, a battery electric vehicle, a hybrid vehicle, a van, etc. According to various aspects, the vehicle 14 can include one or more vehicle seats 12. The vehicle seat 12 includes a seat cushion or seat base 16, and a seat back 18 that rotates relative to the seat base 16. An exemplary user 20, defined as a passenger, is presented on the vehicle seat 12 in a fully reclined position. The user 20 can also include an operator of the vehicle 14, or a customer who rides in the vehicle 14 and is transported to a predetermined destination by the vehicle 14. The user 20 can choose to change the position of the seat base 16 and the seat back 18. To achieve the change in seat position, the vehicle seat 12 is slidably supported on a track frame 22, which is fixed to a vehicle structural frame 24. To adjust the position of the seat base 16, the first seat position switch 26 is actuated by the user 20 to slidably displace the seat base 16 in an upward direction 28, an opposite downward direction 30, a forward direction 32, and an opposite rearward direction 34. To adjust the position of the seat back 18, the second seat position switch 36 allows the user 20 to rotate the seat back 18 along a forward rotational arc 38 and an opposite rearward rotational arc 40. The user 20 can adjust the position of the seat back 18, for example, by rotating the seat back 18 along the rearward rotational arc 40 between the illustrated fully reclined seat back position A and a generally upright position B (shown in phantom).

[0036] The seat base 16 of the vehicle seat 12 is also equipped with at least one front pressure sensor 42 and at least one rear pressure sensor 44, which is located behind the front pressure sensor 42 in the rearward direction 34. When the user 20 is located on the seat base 16, pressure is applied to one or both of the front pressure sensor 42 and the rear pressure sensor 44, and the front pressure sensor 42 and the rear pressure sensor 44 independently generate pressure signals. The seat back 18 of the present disclosure also includes at least one lower pressure sensor 46 and at least one upper pressure sensor 48, which is located above the lower pressure sensor 46 in the upward direction 28. When the user 20 contacts at least a portion of the seat back 18 and thereby applies pressure to one or both of the lower pressure sensor 46 and the upper pressure sensor 48 of the seat back 18, the seat back lower pressure sensor 46 and the upper pressure sensor 48 independently generate pressure signals. The seat belt 50 defines a portion of the restraint system, which is also controlled by the vehicle airbag and restraint system 10. For example, the force and triggering time of the seat belt retractor may be modified based on conditions detected by the vehicle air bag and restraint system 10 .

[0037] According to various aspects, the discrete pressure sensors of at least one front pressure sensor 42, at least one rear pressure sensor 44, at least one lower pressure sensor 46, and at least one upper pressure sensor 48 may be replaced by a seat cushion having a plurality of pressure sensors matrixed into an addressable array. A single seat cushion having a matrix of pressure sensors may be used with both the seat base 16 and the seat back 18. Alternatively, the seat base 16 may have a first seat cushion and the seat back 18 may have a second seat cushion.

[0038] The vehicle 14 also includes at least one airbag, such as a first airbag 52 mounted in the instrument panel 54, and a side curtain or second airbag 56. The first airbag 52 is optimally deployed rearwardly in the rearward direction 34 and toward the user 20 to mitigate contact of the user with the instrument panel 54 during a vehicle collision event and to minimize forward displacement of the user 20. Figure 1 As shown, the second air bag 56 is optimally deployed inwardly toward the user 20 and observers to mitigate the user 20 from contacting the door window or door structure and to minimize lateral displacement of the user 20 during a vehicle side impact event.

[0039] When the user 20 is driving, the user 20 usually sits on the vehicle seat 12 in a normal upright position B. When the user 20 is a passenger, it is known that the user 20 can also position the vehicle seat 12 in a reclined position A, such as sleeping. During this period, the user 20 can also lift one or both of the user's legs upward to place one or both of the user's feet 58 on the control instrument panel 54, wherein the user 20 is defined as being out of position and cannot be protected by the normal opening contact of the airbag with the user 20. When the user 20 is defined as being out of position, the release of the first airbag 52 may allow the first airbag 52 to contact the user's feet 58 and legs before contacting the chest and head of the user 20, which may cause injury to the user. When defined as a passenger, the user 20 can also position the vehicle seat 12 in a semi-reclined position between the normal upright position B and the reclined position A to allow the user 20 to relax, wherein the user 20 is also defined as being out of position and cannot be protected by the normal opening contact of the airbag with the user 20. Additionally, if the user 20 is leaning forward in the forward direction 32 and not in contact with the seat back 18, and is thus positioned close to the instrument panel 54, the user 20 is also out of position and could be injured if the first air bag 52 is released. Figure 1 ), and therefore located below the second airbag 56, the user 20 can be further considered to be out of position. The release of the second airbag 56 may not protect the user 20 from contacting the vehicle structure or window in this out of position situation.

[0040] According to further aspects, the user 20 is defined as being out of position when a portion of the occupant's weight carried by one or both of the seat bottom 16 and / or the seat back 18 is significantly different relative to the user's weight distribution in a normally seated or normally upright position B. According to further aspects, the user 20 is defined as being out of position when the user's center of pressure on the seat bottom 16 and / or the seat back 18 is significantly displaced relative to the user's center of pressure on the seat bottom 16 and / or the seat back 18 in a normally seated or normally upright position B. According to various aspects, an onboard camera system 59 having one or more cameras located within the vehicle 14 may also be operated to identify the user 20 as a driver or passenger as being in an out of position.

[0041] refer to Figure 2 And refer again Figure 1 In order to provide extensive pressure sensor coverage of the seat bottom 16 and the seat back 18, the vehicle seat 12 may include additional pressure sensors as follows. In addition to the front seat bottom pressure sensor 42 and the rear seat bottom pressure sensor 44, the seat bottom 16 may also include a second front pressure sensor 60 and a second rear pressure sensor 62 at the seat bottom that are spatially separated from the front seat bottom pressure sensor 42 and the rear seat bottom pressure sensor 44, respectively. In addition to the at least one lower pressure sensor 46 and the at least one upper pressure sensor 48, the seat back 18 may also include a second lower pressure sensor 64 and a second upper pressure sensor 66.

[0042] refer to Figure 3 And refer again Figure 1 and Figure 2In order to identify whether the user 20 is out of position, which may affect when the vehicle airbags should be energized or should not be energized, or whether different airbags can be deployed sequentially, the vehicle airbag and restraint system 10 includes a user posture detection portion 68 that recognizes a user posture 69. The user posture 69 may include elements such as body position, leg position, head position, seat position, etc. According to various aspects, the vehicle seat 12 includes position sensors to identify the following items, including the fore / aft / pitch position of the seat base 16, the seat base height, the seat back 18 angular orientation, and the headrest position. The user posture 69 is determined by identifying and applying the following items: identifying seat contact pressure 70; collecting vehicle dynamic data 72, such as vehicle speed, acceleration, braking action, steering activity, etc.; identifying the vehicle interior geometry 74 including seat contour and position; and identifying previously saved passenger or user comfort preferences 76, which can be retrieved from memory 77. A posture detection analyzer 78 , which may define an algorithm, collects seat contact pressure 70 , vehicle dynamics data 72 , vehicle interior geometry 74 , and user comfort preferences 76 , and a user posture 69 is determined based on applying one of a variety of methods, including: posture specific pressure profiles, artificial intelligence, and machine learning programs.

[0043] The gesture detection analyzer 78 determines the user gesture 69 continuously or at predetermined time intervals. The user gesture 69 defines a data set that is forwarded to the airbag system policy analyzer 80 and the comfort system analyzer 82 for further analysis. The airbag system policy analyzer 80 performs multiple analyses to identify whether the deployment of the airbag needs to be modified based on the user gesture 69. The airbag system policy analyzer 80 identifies the optimal airbag and restraint strategy 84 and determines in an analysis step 86 whether the optimal airbag and restraint strategy 84 can be deployed. If the result of the analysis step 86 identifies that the optimal airbag and restraint strategy 84 can be deployed, the safety system controller 88 generates a signal to adjust the airbag and restraint elements. After the airbag elements are adjusted, the collision detection sensor 90 is queried to identify whether a vehicle collision event has occurred. If a vehicle collision event has not occurred, the program returns to the user gesture detection portion 68. If a vehicle collision event has occurred, the program deploys the safety system in a deployment step 92.

[0044] Based on the identified posture and internal algorithms, the safety system controller 88 adjusts the comfort and safety systems or notifies the user 20 of a potentially uncomfortable or unsafe posture. The nature and frequency of the user notifications can be adjusted based on user preferences. For the safety system, the safety system strategy analyzer 80 will identify the best airbag / restraint strategy, the best airbag / restraint strategy and deployment sequence for any airbag or airbag combination provided to the vehicle 14, and adjust the restraint elements to mitigate the user's risk during a vehicle crash event. If one or more of the user's legs and / or feet 58 are on the control instrument panel 54 or if the user 20 is leaning forward beyond a standard or upright seating position, when more than one airbag is provided, the knee airbag or first airbag 52 is suppressed or the order of airbag deployment is changed.

[0045] If the results of the analysis step 86 identify that the optimal airbag and restraint strategy 84 may not be deployed, a user notification 94 is performed, which may visually, audibly, etc. notify the users 20 that there is a situation where one or more users 20 are not in the proper position. The type of user notification employed is predetermined and stored in an occupant or user notification preference file 96, which may also be retrieved from the memory 77. The user 20 may then choose to change the user position.

[0046] In parallel with the airbag system strategy analyzer 80, the comfort system analyzer 82 performs a comfort system analysis 98 to determine whether the comfort system can be adjusted to support the current user posture 69. If the comfort system analysis 98 identifies that one or more comfort system adjustments can be made, the comfort system controller 100 is activated to generate the signals required to adjust the comfort system elements. If the comfort system analysis 98 identifies that one or more comfort system adjustments cannot be made, the user notification 94 is performed to identify and notify the user 20 that one or more user out-of-position conditions exist.

[0047] refer to Figure 4 And refer again Figure 3 , the items in the group 102, which includes the seat contact pressure 70, the vehicle dynamics data 72, the vehicle interior geometry 74, and the user comfort preferences 76, are analyzed in the gesture detection analyzer 78, and the results of the analysis are forwarded to the gesture controller 104. The output of the gesture controller 104 can be used to generate warnings and notifications 106 such as those identified by the user notifications 94 described above. The user 20 can select the on switch 108 and the off switch 109 to further refine the notification selection to be presented.

[0048] Input data from multiple seat sensors can be passed to the posture detection analyzer 78 using a variety of disambiguation methods and used to detect reference Figure 3The user posture 69 and the user's position on the vehicle seat 12. The posture detection analyzer 78 can be customized as a general algorithm suitable for any vehicle for any user, or a vehicle-centric algorithm designed for a specific vehicle for any user, or a user-centric algorithm designed for a specific user in any vehicle.

[0049] The gesture detection method may be based on a generic user pressure distribution for different gestures. The generic user pressure distribution for different positions and gestures may be obtained, for example, from a database stored in a reference file such as Figure 2 The data in the database of the memory 77 described above is developed from volunteer studies and used as a reference for identifying different user postures in the detection algorithm. Changes in the magnitude of the contact pressure detected by the pressure sensor and the location or position of the center of pressure are used to detect changes in posture and position. The magnitude of the contact pressure and the relative changes in the center of pressure can be used to account for different anthropometrics of the users 20.

[0050] To avoid errors due to noise in the instantaneous pressure signal, the action can be based on a time averaged signal or by applying a Kalman filter to the above algorithm. In addition, a user standard pressure profile can be created as a digital identity and can be used as an initial reference for posture change detection in the posture detection analyzer 78, allowing the posture detection analyzer 78 to be personalized.

[0051] Long short-term memory (LSTM) ML models can also be used to determine user posture while taking into account the distribution of user pressure over time rather than just at a single point in time.

[0052] Continue to refer Figure 4 , the vehicle airbag and restraint system 10 may also provide a user opt-in capability and a user override capability as follows. When the vehicle airbag and restraint system 10 is initially activated, after one or more conditions that may result in a false alarm indication are identified to the user 20, the user 20 may opt-in to the operation of the system. The user 20 may be prompted to respond to an opt-in query 110, such as: "The following conditions may result in a false alarm. Do you want to use the current vehicle operation, current driver and / or current passenger seat pressure data to enable the vehicle airbag and restraint system", and when one of the warnings, such as from the above-mentioned warnings and notifications 106, is generated, the user 20 is provided with an override query 111, which provides the user 20 with the option of using the vehicle airbag and restraint system 10 function for a predetermined trigger.

[0053] refer to Figure 5 And refer again Figure 3 to Figure 4, an artificial intelligence / machine learning (AI / ML) method for determining user posture 69 applies a one-dimensional (1D) convolutional neural network (CNN) 112 to 1D time series sensor data 114, followed by a long short-term memory (LSTM) or gated recurrent unit (GRU) neural network.

[0054] A 1D CNN is used to perform feature extraction 116 on the multiple sensor data 112. Feature data 118 identified during feature extraction 116 is fed to the LSTM / (GRU) 120 to determine the current user posture. The LSTM / GRU 120 takes the previous n time steps to predict the current time step. In this way, the LSTM / GRU 120 has a time history or look-back period that can be as short as 3-5 previous time steps. The user posture 69 and user position are generated by the LSTM / GRU 120 along with the determined classification 122 (e.g., ergonomic or non-ergonomic).

[0055] refer to Figure 6 And refer again Figures 3 to 5 , a second method for determining user posture 69 is to apply a 2D CNN 124 with LSTM and provide an alternative method that feeds the seat pressure distribution data as a 2D image at each time step. In addition to time-related data, this method also provides spatial information. This method also requires a larger number of pressure sensors than the above-mentioned 1D time series sensor data 114. The second method uses a 2D CNN on an image series 126 of personal seat or user pressure distribution maps 128 to identify features in the data. Feature data is extracted using a 2D CNN and converted into 1D features 130 and fed to the LSTM / GRU 120 to determine the current user posture and position and the determined position classification 132, such as ergonomic or non-ergonomic.

[0056] refer to Figure 7 And refer again Figures 3 to 6 The third method of determining the user posture 69 will be similar to the above reference Figure 6The similar 2D seat pressure distribution data 124 is directly applied to a convolutional long short term memory (ConvLSTM) unit 134 and provides an alternative method for determining the user posture and position and the determined position classification. The third method uses multiple image series 126 of each seat pressure distribution 128 to identify features in the data. Feature data is extracted from the 2D image series 124 and transformed in the ConvLSTM unit 134 to determine the current user posture and position and the determined position classification 136, such as ergonomic or non-ergonomic.

[0057] An uncomfortable user posture may be defined as an excessive load on the lower back of the user 20, or an uneven pressure distribution compared to a normal seated or upright position of the user 20. For the comfort system, the comfort system controller 100 will identify the best comfort strategy to provide the best comfort to the user 20, and adjust the comfort elements to provide the best support and comfort for the identified user posture. The comfort may be personalized using user comfort preferences or comfort profile data. If adequate support cannot be provided for the identified user posture, the user 20 is notified about the potentially uncomfortable posture.

[0058] Similarly, an unsafe posture may be defined as any posture that increases the risk of injury to the user 20 during a crash event. An unsafe posture may include, but is not limited to, a user's legs or user's feet 58 being on the instrument panel 54, or the user 20 being forward or sideways away from the instrument panel 54. Figure 1 The dashed line shows the user's typical upright driving position.

[0059] Determination of the optimal activation time or activation sequence for deploying the airbags and / or restraint systems includes: if the user is leaning to the side, the activation of the side or second airbag 56 takes precedence over the front or first airbag 52. If the user 20 is in a position such as reference Figure 1 If the user is in a leaning posture as shown, the user side or second airbag 56 can be triggered later for optimal protection. In addition, the level of force of the seat belt retractor can be optimized based on the user posture 69, for example, the leaning user 20 has more available travel space. However, if there is a possibility of injury or a high risk of injury due to the deployment of the safety element in a given user posture, the user 20 will be informed of the potential risk.

[0060] The vehicle airbag and restraint system 10 of the present disclosure provides user position / posture detection and classification using one or more seat pressure profiles. Individual pressure profiles are also used to provide posture detection algorithm personalization. User warnings / notifications for unsafe and uncomfortable postures are also provided. Seat pressure profiles are used to further provide optimization for deployment of airbags / restraints.

[0061] The vehicle airbag and restraint system 10 of the present disclosure includes contact pressure sensors (at least 8 sensors: 4 sensors embedded in the seat base 16 of the seat and 4 sensors embedded in the seat back 18 of the seat to measure the contact pressure distribution). Vehicle vibrations caused by vehicle motion or when the vehicle 14 drives over potholes / bumps may affect the pressure distribution and pressure curve. In order to take into account the impact of vehicle motion and / or vibrations on the contact pressure, such as when the vehicle 14 drives over road bumps or potholes, inertial sensor data from the vehicle 14 and / or the vehicle seat 12 is also used as an additional input to the detection algorithm. In addition, the vehicle interior distribution, seat geometry, and relative seat position with respect to the vehicle interior configuration can be used for vehicle specific detection algorithms.

[0062] Optionally, user comfort preferences, such as a user preferred pressure profile, may also be used as input to the user-centric detection algorithm. Airbag / restraint system deployment optimization is performed to minimize user injuries, thereby mitigating user injuries caused by improper positioning.

[0063] To avoid potential injuries, it is necessary to dynamically inhibit or modify the airbag deployment sequence of the vehicle airbag and restraint system 10 based on the user posture and / or position. Alternatively, the triggering sequence of different airbag and / or restraint system elements can be optimized based on the user posture or position. A method for dynamically detecting safe, unsafe user positions or unsafe user postures, inhibiting and optimizing the airbag / restraint system when the user 20 is in an inappropriate position through a seat cushion or a user pressure distribution that varies over time, and providing a warning of the inappropriate position to the user 20.

[0064] The disclosed vehicle airbag and restraint system 10 has several advantages, including a system for optimizing airbag / restraint system deployment to minimize user injury risk and using seat contact pressure to warn the user of unsafe / uncomfortable postures. An algorithm uses seat pressure distribution and vehicle interior and seat position / distribution to detect and classify safe / unsafe and comfortable / uncomfortable postures. A warning / notification system for unsafe and uncomfortable user postures is provided. An algorithm is provided that uses the identified user posture to inhibit / optimize the deployment of the airbag / restraint system to mitigate the risk of user injury.

Claims

1. A vehicle airbag and restraint system, comprising: a vehicle seat located in a vehicle; at least one pressure sensor included in the vehicle seat for detecting when a user contacts the vehicle seat; at least one air bag that deploys in response to a vehicle collision event; as well as A controller determines when the user is seated in the vehicle seat in a position other than a normal upright position, defined as a user out of position, and generates a signal to modify a deployment sequence of the at least one air bag when the user is out of position.

2. The vehicle airbag and restraint system of claim 1, wherein: The vehicle seat includes a seat base and a seat back that rotates relative to the seat base; as well as The at least one pressure sensor is located in at least one of the seat bottom and the seat back.

3. The vehicle airbag and restraint system of claim 2, wherein: The at least one pressure sensor includes a front pressure sensor and a rear pressure sensor located in the seat base, the rear pressure sensor being located behind the front pressure sensor; and a lower pressure sensor and an upper pressure sensor located in the seat back, the upper pressure sensor being located above the lower pressure sensor.

4. The vehicle airbag and restraint system of claim 3, wherein: When the user is positioned on the seat base and applies pressure to one or both of the front pressure sensor and the rear pressure sensor, the front pressure sensor and the rear pressure sensor independently generate pressure signals; as well as When the user contacts the seat back and applies pressure to one or both of the lower pressure sensor and the upper pressure sensor, the lower pressure sensor and the upper pressure sensor independently generate pressure signals.

5. The vehicle airbag and restraint system of claim 3, wherein: The at least one pressure sensor is defined as a plurality of pressure sensors arranged in a matrix and disposed in the seat cushion.

6. The vehicle airbag and restraint system of claim 1, wherein: When the user is seated in the vehicle seat and positioned against a seat back with the seat back in a normally upright position, the user is in a direct path of the at least one air bag when the at least one air bag is deployed during a vehicle impact event.

7. The vehicle airbag and restraint system of claim 1, wherein: The at least one pressure sensor generates a pressure signal defining a pressure profile of a user.

8. The vehicle airbag and restraint system of claim 1, comprising: User warnings, which are generated when a user is not in a proper location; an on-board camera system that operates to identify if a user is out of position; an opt-in query requesting that the user enable said vehicle's airbag and restraint systems; as well as An override query, provided when a user alert is generated, provides the user with a predetermined triggered functionality option to deploy the vehicle airbag and restraint system.

9. The vehicle airbag and restraint system of claim 1, wherein: if the vehicle seat is in a reclined position or a semi-reclined position; and / or If the user's leg or legs are lifted upward to place the user's leg or feet on the control instrument panel, the user is out of position.

10. The vehicle airbag and restraint system of claim 1, wherein: the user is out of position if, with the at least one airbag deployed, the user is leaning forward in a forward direction and the user is not in contact with the seat back; or In the event of deployment of the at least one airbag, if the user is leaning outward, the user is out of position.

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