Passenger seat type recognition device and method and passenger protection system and method

Abstract

The invention provides a passenger seat type recognition device and method and a passenger protection system and method. The passenger seat type identification device comprises a first control module, a position sensor, a safety belt comprising an abdomen area and a chest area, and at least two capacitive sensing assemblies comprising at least one first capacitive sensing assembly arranged in the abdomen area and at least one second capacitive sensing assembly arranged in the chest area; the position sensor is arranged on a passenger seat and is used for acquiring position information of the passenger seat; the first control module is connected with the position sensor and each of the at least two capacitive sensing assemblies, and obtains a first real-time electric signal of the first capacitive sensing assembly and a second real-time electric signal of the second capacitive sensing assembly. According to the first real-time electric signal, the second real-time electric signal and the position information, the class information of the passenger seat is determined, the class information represents the safety belt state, the occupying position and the occupying type on the passenger seat, and the classification accuracy of passengers on the seat is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of occupant protection, and particularly relates to an occupant seat type recognition device and method, an occupant protection system and method. Background Art

[0002] As a safety component of the passive restraint system and a necessary component on some means of transportation required by national standards, and at the same time a component that occupants are compulsorily required to wear in traffic regulations, the seat belt is used to instantly restrain the occupant after an accident occurs, reducing the displacement and injury of the occupant. The traditional seat belt consists of a retractor, a webbing, a fastener, a webbing guiding component, a tongue, and a buckle. The retractor is locked under the influence of the acceleration (also known as speed sensing), angle (also known as angle sensing), and webbing pulling speed (also known as belt sensing) of the means of transportation to ensure that the occupant is restrained and the accident injury is reduced. Taking a car in the means of transportation as an example, some high-end models are equipped with active (electric) seat belts. On the basis of the above ordinary seat belts, a controller and a motor are added. Through the signals input by the whole vehicle, the gap between the webbing and the occupant's body can be automatically eliminated when the occupant wears it to improve comfort, and the webbing can be pre-tightened instantly before an accident occurs to make the occupant obtain a more reliable restraint to improve safety, such as models like Volvo XC60 / XC90, Mercedes-Benz E200 / S350 / GLE, and IM L7.

[0003] In the traditional restraint system, the seat belt only acts as an actuator to receive the input signal of the upper controller for inflating or pre-tightening, and the airbag provides an auxiliary protection function. At the same time, the traditional seat belt webbing has no electrical function and only provides the function of restraining the occupant. The whole vehicle is only developed according to the regulatory requirements and specific working conditions. When a collision occurs, a single-stage inflatable airbag can only provide more reliable protection for occupants with specific body types and specific sitting positions. In actual applications, if the occupant's position is far from the vehicle R-point design position or the occupant's body type is significantly different from the body type of the dummy in the design, the protection effect of a single-stage inflatable airbag (that is, a generator inflates a single airbag cavity at one time) will be significantly reduced; a two-stage inflatable airbag (that is, two generators inflate sequentially according to the input or selectively inflate one of them) can support occupant protection within a certain front-back position range on this basis, but different occupant body types may also affect the protection effect.

[0004] Currently, the weight information of the occupant is mainly obtained by using a gravity sensor set under the seat cushion to classify the occupant's body type. Since the occupant's body type on the seat is affected not only by weight but also by body proportion, this method of classifying the occupant's body type is not accurate, thus affecting the protection effect during a collision. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of the present invention is to solve the problem in the prior art that the classification accuracy of the occupant on the seat is not high, which easily leads to poor protection effect during a collision.

[0006] To solve the above problems, an embodiment of the present invention discloses an occupant seat category recognition device, including: a first control module, at least two capacitance sensing components, a seat belt, and a position sensor; wherein, the seat belt includes an abdominal area and a chest area, and the at least two capacitance sensing components include at least one first capacitance sensing component disposed in the abdominal area and at least one second capacitance sensing component disposed in the chest area; the position sensor is disposed on the occupant seat for obtaining the position information of the occupant seat; the first control module is respectively connected to the position sensor and each capacitance sensing component of the at least two capacitance sensing components, for obtaining a first real-time electrical signal of the at least one first capacitance sensing component, a second real-time electrical signal of the at least one second capacitance sensing component, and determining the category information of the occupant seat according to the first real-time electrical signal, the second real-time electrical signal, and the position information, and the category information characterizes the seat belt state, the occupied position, and the occupied type on the occupant seat.

[0007] With the above technical solution, at least two capacitance sensing components include at least one first capacitance sensing component disposed in the abdominal area and at least one second capacitance sensing component disposed in the chest area. The first control module is respectively connected to each capacitance sensing component among the at least two capacitance sensing components for obtaining corresponding electrical signals. Since the pressure difference on the abdominal and chest areas of the seat belt on the wearer or item before and after wearing the seat belt is relatively large, by respectively disposing at least one first capacitance sensing component and at least one second capacitance sensing component in the abdominal area and the chest area of the seat belt, the pressure difference corresponds to specific electrical signals. Therefore, whether the seat belt is worn is related to the numerical value of the corresponding electrical signal obtained by the first control module, and the seat belt state on the occupant seat, that is, whether the seat belt is worn, can be determined according to the corresponding electrical signal. In addition, since the fixed points of the seat belts on the whole vehicle are determined according to the sitting posture of the human body when sitting, so as to ensure that when the person wears the seat belt, the chest and abdominal areas of the seat belt can better fit the body shape. On the one hand, the comfort is better, and on the other hand, it prevents the seat belt from slipping off and losing its binding force during a collision. Therefore, the pressures of the chest area and the abdominal area of the seat belt on the human body are similar. On the contrary, when an item or an animal is restrained by a seat belt, since the chest area and the abdominal area of the seat belt cannot simultaneously fit the corresponding parts of the item or the animal well, the pressure difference between the chest area and the abdominal area on the item or the animal is relatively large, resulting in a relatively large difference in the corresponding electrical signals. Therefore, the occupancy type on the seat, that is, whether it is a human occupancy or an object (or animal) occupancy, can be determined according to the corresponding electrical signal. Further, since the electrical signal values corresponding to the capacitance sensing components of people with different body shapes are different, different body shapes of people corresponding to different electrical signals in the capacitance sensing components in the chest area and the abdominal area can be determined by experimental calibration first. Therefore, according to the electrical signals obtained from the chest area and the abdominal area and the experimental calibration results, the occupancy type on the seat can be determined, that is, the body shape of the occupying person can be determined, improving the accuracy of the body shape classification of the occupants on the seat. And, the position information of the occupant is obtained by the position sensor disposed on the occupant seat, and the occupancy position on the occupant seat can be determined according to the position information, so as to classify the occupancy position of the occupant.

[0008] In summary, the category information of the occupant is determined according to the first real-time electrical signal, the second real-time electrical signal and the position information. The category information characterizes the seat belt state, the occupancy position and the occupancy type on the occupant seat, achieving the effect of detailed classification in the directions of whether the seat belt is worn, the body shape and the position of the occupying occupant if there is an occupancy on the seat, thereby providing technical support for achieving better protection effects during a collision and improving the protection effect during a collision.

[0009] According to another specific embodiment of the present invention, the occupant seat category recognition device disclosed in the embodiment of the present invention, the category information includes an un-worn category and a worn category; wherein, the worn category includes a person occupancy and wearing category and an object occupancy and wearing category; the person occupancy and wearing category includes a plurality of body type person occupancy and wearing categories; each body type person occupancy and wearing category includes a plurality of position occupancy and wearing categories for each body type person.

[0010] By adopting the above technical solution, it is possible to further classify whether the occupant wears a seat belt. If there is an occupancy on the seat, whether the occupancy is a person or an object. If the occupancy is a person, it is possible to further classify in more detail from the body type and position direction of the occupancy person, thereby improving the classification accuracy of the occupants on the seat, providing technical support for achieving better protection effects during a collision, and improving the protection effect during a collision.

[0011] According to another specific embodiment of the present invention, the occupant seat category recognition device disclosed in the embodiment of the present invention, the person occupancy and wearing category includes a small body type person occupancy and wearing category and a large body type person occupancy and wearing category; the small body type person occupancy and wearing category includes a small body type person front occupancy and wearing category and a small body type person rear occupancy and wearing category; the large body type person occupancy and wearing category includes a large body type person front occupancy and wearing category and a large body type person rear occupancy and wearing category.

[0012] By adopting the above technical solution, through the occupant seat category recognition device, it is possible to achieve the effect of detailed classification in directions such as whether a seat belt is worn, whether it is an object or a person occupancy, whether the specific occupancy position is in the front or the rear, and whether it is a large body type person occupancy or a small body type person occupancy, thereby improving the classification accuracy of the occupants on the seat.

[0013] According to another specific embodiment of the present invention, the occupant seat category recognition device disclosed in the embodiment of the present invention, the occupant seat category recognition device further includes: a seat sensor for obtaining the weight information of the occupant on the occupant seat; a first control module is connected to the seat sensor, and the first control module is used to determine the category information according to the first real-time electrical signal, the second real-time electrical signal, the position information, and the weight information. The category information also represents the occupancy state on the occupant seat, and the un-worn category of the category information includes an un-occupied and un-worn category and an occupied and un-worn category.

[0014] By adopting the above technical solution, by setting a seat sensor to obtain the weight information of the occupant on the occupant seat, according to the weight information, it is possible to further determine the un-worn category occupancy state of the category information on the occupant seat, that is, whether there is an occupancy, so as to give a prompt alarm for the occupied and un-worn category, and the prompt alarm result is more accurate than the way of only outputting a seat belt un-worn prompt alarm through the seat belt buckle unfastened reminder circuit in the prior art.

[0015] According to another specific embodiment of the present invention, for the occupant seat category recognition device disclosed in the embodiment of the present invention, each capacitive sensing component includes a first sensing layer, a spacer layer, and a second sensing layer that are sequentially stacked, and is stacked with the seat belt; and the first sensing layer and the second sensing layer of each capacitive sensing component are respectively connected to the first control module.

[0016] With the above technical solution, the first sensing layer and the second sensing layer of each capacitive sensing component form two poles of a capacitive switch circuit and are respectively connected to the first control module, and can feedback electrical signals to the first control module, that is, the first control module can obtain the real-time electrical signals of each capacitive sensing component.

[0017] According to another specific embodiment of the present invention, for the occupant seat category recognition device disclosed in the embodiment of the present invention, both the first sensing layer and the second sensing layer include a first insulating layer, a conductive layer, and a second insulating layer that are sequentially arranged.

[0018] According to another specific embodiment of the present invention, for the occupant seat category recognition device disclosed in the embodiment of the present invention, the first control module includes a power supply, a capacitance acquisition circuit, a controller, and a communication module; the first sensing layer and the second sensing layer of each capacitive sensing component are respectively connected to the power supply to form a capacitive sensing part; the capacitance acquisition circuit is connected to the capacitive sensing part for real-time acquisition of the electrical signals of the capacitive sensing part and outputting the electrical signals as analog signals; the controller is used for outputting the analog signals as digital signals; the communication module is used for transmitting the digital signals.

[0019] With the above technical solution, the first sensing layer and the second sensing layer of each capacitive sensing component are respectively connected to the power supply to form a capacitive sensing part, and the power supply is used to supply power to each capacitive sensing component. The capacitance acquisition circuit is connected to the capacitive sensing part to real-time acquire the electrical signals of the capacitive sensing part and output the electrical signals as analog signals; the controller is used for outputting the analog signals as digital signals and transmitting the digital signals through the communication module, so as to adjust the acquired electrical signals of the capacitive sensing part into corresponding digital signals for output, thereby realizing the acquisition and transmission of the real-time electrical signals of each capacitive sensing component.

[0020] The present invention also provides an occupant protection system, including: the above-mentioned occupant seat category recognition device; the occupant protection system further includes: a multi-stage airbag module and a second control module; the second control module is respectively connected to the occupant seat category recognition device and the multi-stage airbag module; the second control module is used for generating an airbag ignition signal according to the category information of the occupant seat determined by the occupant seat category recognition device; the multi-stage airbag module is used for performing an ignition action according to the airbag ignition signal.

[0021] With the above technical solution, the second control module generates an airbag ignition signal according to the category information of the occupant seat determined by the occupant seat category recognition device. When an accident occurs, the multi-stage airbag module performs an ignition action according to the airbag ignition signal. Since the ignition action is performed according to the category information of the occupant seat, and the category information details the grading of the occupants on the seat from aspects such as whether they wear seat belts, the body type and position of the occupying occupants, etc., the classification accuracy is relatively high. Therefore, the airbag generator can be more accurately controlled according to the category information of the occupant seat, and the airbag and seat belt can provide more precise protection for the occupants.

[0022] The present invention also provides a method for recognizing the category of an occupant seat, which is implemented based on the above-mentioned occupant seat category recognition device, and includes the following steps: S100: Obtain the position information of the occupant seat, the first real-time electrical signal of the abdominal area of the seat belt, and the second real-time electrical signal of the chest area of the seat belt; S200: Determine the category information of the occupant seat according to the first real-time electrical signal, the second real-time electrical signal, and the position information, and the category information represents the seat belt status, the occupying position, and the occupying type on the occupant seat.

[0023] With the above technical solution, the category information of the occupant is determined according to the first real-time electrical signal of the abdominal area of the seat belt, the second real-time electrical signal of the chest area of the seat belt, and the position information. The category information represents the seat belt status, the occupying position, and the occupying type on the occupant seat, achieving the effect of detailed grading of whether the occupant wears a seat belt, the body type and position of the occupying occupant if there is an occupant on the seat, etc. Therefore, it provides technical support for achieving better protection effects during a collision and improves the protection effects during a collision.

[0024] According to another specific embodiment of the present invention, in the method for recognizing the category of an occupant seat disclosed in the embodiment of the present invention, in step S200, the category information includes an un-worn category and a worn category; among them, the worn category includes a category of an occupant wearing a seat belt and a category of an object wearing a seat belt; the category of an occupant wearing a seat belt includes categories of occupants of various body types wearing a seat belt; each category of occupants of various body types wearing a seat belt includes categories of occupants of various body types occupying various positions while wearing a seat belt.

[0025] Determining the category information includes: S210: Determine a first electrical signal variable according to the first real-time electrical signal and the first reference electrical signal, determine a second electrical signal variable according to the second real-time electrical signal and the second reference electrical signal, and determine a comparison electrical signal variable and a total electrical signal variable according to the first electrical signal variable and the second electrical signal variable; S220: Determine the category information according to the first electrical signal variable, the first electrical signal variable threshold, the second electrical signal variable, the second electrical signal variable threshold, the comparison electrical signal variable, multiple comparison electrical signal thresholds, the total electrical signal variable, multiple total electrical signal variable thresholds, the position information, and at least one position threshold.

[0026] By adopting the above technical solution, the category information is determined based on the first electric signal variable, the second electric signal variable, the comparative electric signal variable, the total electric signal variable, the position information, and the calibrated first electric signal variable threshold, the second electric signal variable threshold, multiple comparative electric signal thresholds, multiple total electric signal variable thresholds, and at least one position threshold, and the occupants can be subdivided based on whether they wear seat belts, if there is a seat occupant, whether the seat occupant is a person or an object. If the seat occupant is a person, a more detailed subdivision can be made based on the body shape and position direction of the seat occupant, thereby improving the accuracy of the classification.

[0027] According to another specific embodiment of the present invention, the passenger seat category identification method disclosed in the embodiment of the present invention,

[0028] In step S220, the multiple comparison electric signal thresholds include a first comparison electric signal threshold. When the first electric signal variable is less than the first electric signal variable threshold, and the second electric signal variable is less than the second electric signal variable threshold, the category information is determined to be a non-wearing category; otherwise, the category information is determined to be a wearing category. After determining that the category information is a wearing category, when at least one of the first electric signal variable and the second electric signal variable is not 0, and the comparison electric signal variable is greater than the first comparison electric signal threshold, the category information is determined to be an object occupancy wearing category; otherwise, the category information is determined to be a person occupancy wearing category.

[0029] By adopting the above technical solution, it is possible to achieve the effect of subdividing the classification into directions such as whether the seat belt is worn, whether it is an object or a person, thereby improving the accuracy of classifying occupants on the seat.

[0030] According to another specific embodiment of the present invention, the passenger seat category identification method disclosed in the embodiment of the present invention, the occupant seat wearing category includes a small-sized occupant seat wearing category and a large-sized occupant seat wearing category, the small-sized occupant seat wearing category includes a small-sized occupant front seat wearing category and a small-sized occupant back seat wearing category, and the large-sized occupant seat wearing category includes a large-sized occupant front seat wearing category and a large-sized occupant back seat wearing category.

[0031] According to another specific embodiment of the present invention, in the passenger seat category identification method disclosed in the embodiment of the present invention, in step S220, the multiple comparison electrical signal thresholds also include a comparison electrical signal second threshold, a comparison electrical signal third threshold, a comparison electrical signal fourth threshold and a comparison electrical signal fifth threshold, the multiple total electrical signal variable thresholds include a total electrical signal variable first range, a total electrical signal variable second range, a total electrical signal variable third range and a total electrical signal variable fourth range; at least one position threshold includes a position threshold.

[0032] After confirming that the category information is the personnel occupancy wear category,

[0033] When the total electrical signal variable is within the first range of the total electrical signal variable, and the comparison electrical signal variable is less than the second threshold of the comparison electrical signal, and the position information is less than the position threshold, the category information is determined to be the category of small-sized person occupying the front position and wearing.

[0034] When the total electrical signal variable is within the second range of the total electrical signal variable, and the comparison electrical signal variable is less than the third threshold of the comparison electrical signal, and the position information is greater than or equal to the position threshold, the category information is determined to be the category of small-sized person occupying the rear position and wearing.

[0035] When the total electrical signal variable is within the third range of the total electrical signal variable, and the comparison electrical signal variable is less than the fourth threshold of the comparison electrical signal, and the position information is less than the position threshold, the category information is determined to be the category of large-sized person occupying the front position and wearing.

[0036] When the total electrical signal variable is within the fourth range of the total electrical signal variable, and the comparison electrical signal variable is less than the fifth threshold of the comparison electrical signal, and the position information is greater than or equal to the position threshold, the category information is determined to be the category of large-sized person occupying the rear position and wearing.

[0037] By adopting the above technical solution, by setting the comparison electrical signal threshold and multiple total electrical signal variable thresholds, it is possible to further achieve a more detailed classification effect in the directions such as whether the specific occupancy position is in the front or the rear, whether it is a large-sized person or a small-sized person occupying the position, etc. for the category of person occupancy and wearing, and further improve the accuracy of the classification of the occupants on the seat.

[0038] According to another specific embodiment of the present invention, in the occupant seat category recognition method disclosed in the embodiment of the present invention, the category information also represents the occupancy state on the occupant seat. The non-wearing category includes the non-occupying and non-wearing category and the occupying and non-wearing category; in step S100, it further includes obtaining the weight information of the occupant on the occupant seat; in step S220, after determining that the category information is the non-wearing category, when the weight information is equal to 0, it is determined that the category information is the non-occupying and non-wearing category; when the weight information is greater than 0, it is determined that the category information is the occupying and non-wearing category.

[0039] By adopting the above technical solution, obtaining the weight information of the occupant on the occupant seat, and according to the weight information, the occupancy state on the occupant seat, that is, whether there is an occupancy, can be further determined, so that a prompt alarm can be made for the occupying and non-wearing category, and the prompt alarm result is more accurate than the way of only outputting a seat belt not worn prompt alarm through the seat belt buckle not fastened reminder circuit in the prior art.

[0040] The present invention also provides an occupant protection method, which is executed based on the above occupant protection system, and includes the following steps: S10: Obtain the category information of the occupant seat; S20: Generate an airbag ignition signal according to the category information; S30: Execute an ignition action according to the airbag ignition signal.

[0041] By adopting the above technical solution, the airbag detonation signal is obtained and generated according to the category information of the occupant seat, and the detonation action is executed according to the airbag detonation signal when an accident occurs. Since the category information classifies the occupants on the seat in detail from directions such as whether the seat belt is worn, the body type and position of the occupying occupant, etc., the classification accuracy is relatively high. Therefore, the airbag generator can be more accurately controlled to detonate according to the category information of the occupant seat, and the airbag and seat belt can provide more accurate protection for the occupant.

[0042] The beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows:

[0043] By adopting the occupant seat category recognition device and method, and the occupant protection system and method provided by the present invention, the occupant seat category recognition device includes at least two capacitance sensing components. The at least two capacitance sensing components include at least one first capacitance sensing component arranged in the abdominal area and at least one second capacitance sensing component arranged in the chest area. The first control module is respectively connected to each capacitance sensing component in the at least two capacitance sensing components for obtaining the corresponding real-time electrical signal. The position information of the occupant is obtained through the position sensor arranged on the occupant seat. The category information of the occupant is determined according to the first real-time electrical signal, the second real-time electrical signal and the position information. The category information characterizes the seat belt state, the occupying position and the occupying type on the occupant seat, realizing the effect of detailed classification of whether the occupant wears a seat belt, the body type and position of the occupying occupant if there is an occupancy on the seat, etc., thereby providing technical support for achieving better protection effect during a collision and improving the protection effect during a collision. Description of the Drawings

[0044] Figure 1 It is a schematic block diagram of the structure of the occupant seat category recognition device provided in Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0045] Figure 2 It is a schematic structural diagram of the occupant seat category recognition device provided in Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0046] Figure 3 It is a schematic structural diagram of the capacitance sensing component of the occupant seat category recognition device provided in Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0047] Figure 4 It is another schematic structural diagram of the capacitance sensing component of the occupant seat category recognition device provided in Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0048] Figure 5 is Figure 4 The sectional view taken along A-A in

[0049] Figure 6 It is a schematic structural diagram of the capacitance sensing component and the first control module of the occupant seat category recognition device provided in Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0050] Figure 7 It is a schematic block diagram of the structure of the occupant protection system provided in Embodiment 2 of the present invention;

[0051] Figure 8 It is another schematic block diagram of the structure of the occupant protection system provided in Embodiment 2 of the present invention;

[0052] Figure 9 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the occupant protection system provided in Embodiment 2 of the present invention;

[0053] Figure 10 It is a schematic flow diagram of the method for identifying the category of an occupant seat provided in Embodiment 3 of the present invention;

[0054] Figure 11 It is a schematic recording diagram of obtaining an electrical signal in the method for identifying the category of an occupant seat provided in Embodiment 3 of the present invention;

[0055] Figure 12 It is a schematic classification diagram of the category information of the occupant seat in the method for identifying the category of an occupant seat provided in Embodiment 3 of the present invention;

[0056] Figure 13 It is a schematic flow diagram of the occupant protection method provided in Embodiment 4 of the present invention.

[0057] Description of reference numerals:

[0058] 10: Occupant seat category identification device; 100: First control module; 200: Capacitive induction component; 210: First induction layer; 211: First insulating layer; 212: Conductive layer; 213: Second insulating layer; 220: Spacer layer; 221: Hole; 230: Second induction layer; 300: Seat belt; 310: Reel; 320: Guide ring assembly; 330: Tongue; 340: Buckle; 400: Position sensor; 500: Seat sensor; 20: Multi-stage airbag module; 30: Second control module. Detailed implementation manners

[0059] Embodiment 1

[0060] To solve the problem in the prior art that the accuracy of classifying occupants is not high and it is easy to cause poor protection effects during a collision, the present invention provides an occupant seat category identification device, which can improve the accuracy of classifying occupants on the seat from directions such as occupant body shape and position, provide technical support for achieving better protection effects during a collision, and thus can assist in improving the protection effects during a collision.

[0061] Next, with reference to the attached Figures 1 - 6 , the structure and advantages of the occupant seat category identification device provided by the present invention will be described in detail.

[0062] As Figure 1 and Figure 2 shown, an embodiment of the present invention discloses an occupant seat category recognition device 10, including: a first control module 100, at least two capacitance sensing components 200, a seat belt 300, and a position sensor 400. Among them, the seat belt 300 includes an abdominal area and a chest area, and the at least two capacitance sensing components 200 include at least one first capacitance sensing component disposed in the abdominal area and at least one second capacitance sensing component disposed in the chest area.

[0063] In this embodiment, the seat belt 300 is an active (electric) seat belt. When the occupant fastens the seat belt 300 instantaneously, the first control module 100 controller can obtain a gap elimination signal, and the seat belt 300 can eliminate the gap between the occupant's body and the seat belt 300 webbing after wearing. The number of the at least two capacitance sensing components 200 can specifically be two, three, four or even more. The at least two capacitance sensing components 200 can be evenly divided into a first capacitance sensing component and a second capacitance sensing component, or can be unevenly divided. Those skilled in the art can specifically set according to the actual situation. Similarly, the number of at least one first capacitance sensing component and at least one second capacitance sensing component can specifically be one, two, three, four or even more, and the numbers can be the same or different. Those skilled in the art can specifically set according to the actual situation.

[0064] The position sensor 400 is disposed on the occupant seat and is used to obtain the position information of the occupant seat.

[0065] Generally, the seat can be adjusted forward and backward. A position sensor 400 is disposed on the seat that can be adjusted forward and backward to obtain the position information of the occupant seat, that is, the displacement difference information of the current seat position relative to the initial design position.

[0066] The first control module 100 is respectively connected to the position sensor 400 and each of the at least two capacitance sensing components 200, and is used to obtain a first real-time electrical signal of at least one first capacitance sensing component and a second real-time electrical signal of at least one second capacitance sensing component, and determine the category information of the occupant seat according to the first real-time electrical signal, the second real-time electrical signal, and the position information. The category information characterizes the seat belt state, occupancy position, and occupancy type on the occupant seat.

[0067] If the number of the first capacitance sensing components in the abdominal area is greater than one, the first real-time electrical signal obtained by the first control module 100 can be any one of the sum, mean, median, or any other calculation method of the electrical signals of multiple first capacitance sensing components. Those skilled in the art can specifically set it according to the actual situation. Similarly, if the number of the second capacitance sensing components is greater than one, the second real-time electrical signal obtained by the first control module 100 can be any one of the sum, mean, median, or any other calculation method of the electrical signals of multiple second capacitance sensing components, but the calculation methods of the first real-time electrical signal and the second real-time electrical signal need to be consistent.

[0068] It should be noted that the electrical signal in this embodiment can specifically be a capacitance value or a current value, and the first control module 100 can obtain the real-time capacitance value or real-time current value of the capacitance sensing component 200.

[0069] Since the pressure difference between the abdominal area and the chest area of the front and rear seat belts 300 is relatively large when the seat belt 300 is used for restraint, after the capacitance sensing component 200 is arranged in the abdominal area and the chest area of the seat belt 300, the pressure will be characterized as the electrical signal of the capacitance sensing component 200. That is to say, the electrical signal difference between the abdominal area and the chest area of the front and rear seat belts 300 is relatively large when the seat belt 300 is used for restraint. Therefore, by connecting the first control module 100 to each capacitance sensing component 200 respectively, the corresponding real-time electrical signals of the abdominal area and the chest area can be obtained, and the seat belt state, that is, whether the occupant wears the seat belt 300, can be determined according to the corresponding real-time electrical signals.

[0070] In addition, since the fixed points of the seat belts 300 on the whole vehicle are determined according to the sitting posture of the human body when sitting, to ensure that when the person wears the seat belt 300, the chest area and the abdominal area of the seat belt 300 can better fit the body shape. On the one hand, the comfort is better. On the other hand, it can prevent the seat belt 300 from slipping off and losing its binding force during a collision. Therefore, when a person wears the seat belt 300, the pressures on the human body in the chest area and the abdominal area are similar. On the contrary, when an item or an animal is restrained by the seat belt 300, the pressures on the item or the animal in the chest area and the abdominal area are quite different because the chest area and the abdominal area cannot fit the corresponding parts of the item or the animal well at the same time. Therefore, according to the obtained corresponding real-time electrical signals of the abdominal area and the chest area, the occupancy type on the seat can be further determined, that is, whether it is a human occupancy or an object (or animal) occupancy.

[0071] Furthermore, after personnel of different body types wear the seat belt 300, the numerical values of the electrical signals corresponding to the capacitance induction components 200 in the abdominal area and chest area of the seat belt 300 are different. Different body types of personnel corresponding to different electrical signal data in the capacitance induction components 200 in the chest area and abdominal area of the seat belt 300 can be calibrated through experiments first. Thus, according to the real-time electrical signals obtained from the chest area and abdominal area and the experimental calibration results, the occupancy type on the seat, that is, the body type of the occupying personnel, can be determined, which improves the classification accuracy of the occupants in terms of the occupant body type.

[0072] Moreover, the position information of the occupant is obtained through the position sensor 400 arranged on the occupant seat. According to the position information, the occupancy position on the occupant seat can be determined, thereby classifying the occupancy position of the occupant and further improving the classification accuracy of the occupant in terms of the occupancy position.

[0073] Therefore, the category information of the occupant is determined according to the first real-time electrical signal, the second real-time electrical signal and the position information. The category information characterizes the seat belt state, occupancy state and occupancy type on the occupant seat, achieving the effect of detailed classification of whether the occupant wears a seat belt, whether there is an occupancy on the seat, and the body type and position of the occupying occupant on the seat if there is an occupancy. This provides technical support for achieving better protection effects during a collision, thereby being able to assist in improving the protection effects during a collision.

[0074] In a specific embodiment, the category information includes a non-wearing category and a wearing category; among them, the wearing category includes a personnel occupancy wearing category and an object occupancy wearing category; the personnel occupancy wearing category includes multiple body type personnel occupancy wearing categories; each body type personnel occupancy wearing category includes multiple position occupancy wearing categories for each body type of personnel.

[0075] It should be noted that in this embodiment, the occupancy wearing categories for personnel of various body types can be subdivided into two categories, namely the occupancy wearing category for small-sized personnel and the occupancy wearing category for large-sized personnel. It can also be divided into three, four, five or even more categories. If it is divided into three categories, specifically, it can be the occupancy wearing category for small-sized personnel, the occupancy wearing category for medium-sized personnel, and the occupancy wearing category for large-sized personnel. The more categories there are, the higher the classification accuracy. Those skilled in the art can classify according to the actual situation. Different body types of personnel can be classified according to the data corresponding to the percentiles in ergonomics. Similarly, each occupancy wearing category for personnel of a certain body type can also be further subdivided according to the occupancy position on the occupant seat, and can be divided into two categories, namely the front occupancy and the rear occupancy. Specifically: the occupancy wearing category for small-sized personnel includes the front occupancy wearing category for small-sized personnel and the rear occupancy wearing category for small-sized personnel; the occupancy wearing category for large-sized personnel includes the front occupancy wearing category for large-sized personnel and the rear occupancy wearing category for large-sized personnel. For example, it can also be divided into three, four, five or even more categories. If it is divided into three categories, namely the front occupancy, the middle occupancy, and the rear occupancy. The more categories there are, the higher the classification accuracy. Those skilled in the art can classify according to the actual situation.

[0076] By adopting the above technical solution, it is possible to further subdivide the occupants according to whether they wear seat belts, and if there is an occupancy on the seat, whether the occupant is a person or an object. If the occupant is a person, it can be further subdivided in more detail according to the body type and position direction of the occupancy personnel, further improving the classification accuracy, thereby providing technical support for achieving better protection effects during collisions and improving the protection effects during collisions.

[0077] In a specific embodiment, as Figure 1 shown, the occupant seat category recognition device 10 further includes: a seat sensor 500 for obtaining the weight information of the occupant on the occupant seat; a first control module 100 connected to the seat sensor 500, and the first control module 100 is used to determine the category information according to the first real-time electrical signal, the second real-time electrical signal, the position information, and the weight information. The category information also represents the occupancy state on the occupant seat, and the non-wearing category of the category information includes the non-occupied non-wearing category and the occupied non-wearing category.

[0078] In this embodiment, the seat sensor 500 is provided to obtain the weight information of the occupant on the occupant seat. According to the weight information, the un-worn category in the category information can be divided into the un-occupied and un-worn category and the occupied and un-worn category from the perspective of the occupancy state on the occupant seat. For the occupied and un-worn category, an alarm can be prompted to avoid the situation where the system does not alarm due to the tongue being inserted but the seat belt not actually being worn by the occupant. In this way, it is more accurate than the prior art method of only prompting an alarm for the un-worn seat belt through the un-fastened seat belt buckle and the reminder circuit output. The seat sensor 500 can specifically be a pressure sensor or a capacitance sensor, and this embodiment does not make specific limitations on this.

[0079] In a specific embodiment, as Figures 3 - 5 shown, each capacitance sensing component 200 includes a first sensing layer 210, a spacer layer 220, and a second sensing layer 230 that are sequentially stacked, and is stacked with the seat belt 300; and the first sensing layer 210 and the second sensing layer 230 of each capacitance sensing component 200 are respectively connected to the first control module 100.

[0080] Each capacitance sensing component 200 adopts a structure similar to a "sandwich" layer, including a first sensing layer 210, a spacer layer 220, and a second sensing layer 230, and each layer is arranged in parallel. The layers can be bonded through an adhesive, and preferably a double-sided adhesive is used for easy integration and assembly.

[0081] In a specific embodiment, as Figure 3 shown, both the first sensing layer 210 and the second sensing layer 230 include a first insulating layer 211, a conductive layer 212, and a second insulating layer 213 that are sequentially arranged.

[0082] The first insulating layer 211, the conductive layer 212, and the second insulating layer 213 are arranged in parallel, and can be realized through processes such as rolling, pasting, or printing. The conductive layer 212 contains metal ions or other conductive components, such as copper-nickel particles; the first insulating layer 211 and the second insulating layer 213 can be made of, but are not limited to, polyester, polyimide, or coated insulating glue; the spacer layer 220 can be a foam material such as PE or PU, non-woven fabric, or elastic fabric, etc. The materials of all the above layer structures are flexible layers with a certain elongation rate to meet the elongation rate requirements of the seat belt 300 webbing. Preferably, the elongation rate of the capacitance sensing component 200 is the same as that of the seat belt 300 webbing. As Figure 3 shown, the spacer layer 220 is provided with a number of holes 221 perpendicular to the plane where each layer is located. The holes 221 can be circular, oval, polygonal, or polyline-shaped, and this embodiment does not make specific limitations on this.

[0083] It should be noted that in this embodiment, the seat belt 300 is an active (electric) seat belt. When the occupant fastens the active (electric) seat belt 300, the first control module 100 controller can obtain a gap elimination signal through the initial controller. The seat belt 300 can eliminate the gap between the occupant's body and the seat belt webbing after wearing, as Figure 6 shown. At the end of gap elimination, the webbing tension F maintains a definite force value in the webbing extension direction of the seat belt, but in the webbing normal direction of the seat belt, that is, the pressure of the webbing on the human body varies with different body types and positions. Based on this principle, the capacitive induction component 200 can be used to achieve classification of different body types:

[0084] (1) The capacitive induction component 200 is applied in the active (electric) seat belt. After wearing the seat belt 300, the first induction layer 210 and the second induction layer 230 of each capacitive induction component 200 approach each other, and the height of the hole 221 is compressed. According to the calculation formula of parallel plate capacitance: C = εS / d, where ε is the dielectric constant of the material between the substrates; S is the area of the opposite sides of the electrodes; d is the distance between the electrodes. Since the distance between the first induction layer 210 and the second induction layer 230 is close, d becomes smaller, the C value becomes larger, the charge on the electrodes increases compared to the initial state, and the current I in the circuit increases. (2) Different body types generate different pressures on the webbing, resulting in different deformation amounts of the hole 221, and the current change amounts reflected in the circuit will be different. Judging the difference in the change amounts can distinguish different body types. Therefore, by obtaining the electrical signals of each capacitive induction component 200 through the first control module 100, the body type of the occupant on the seat can be determined.

[0085] In a specific embodiment, as Figure 6 shown, the first control module 100 includes a power supply, a capacitance acquisition circuit, a controller, and a communication module; the first induction layer 210 and the second induction layer 230 of each capacitive induction component 200 are respectively connected to the power supply to form a capacitive induction part; the capacitance acquisition circuit is connected to the capacitive induction part for collecting the electrical signals of the capacitive induction part in real time and outputting the electrical signals as analog signals; the controller is used to output the analog signals as digital signals; the communication module is used to transmit the digital signals.

[0086] Specifically, the conductive layer 212 of the first induction layer 210 and the conductive layer 212 of the second induction layer 230 of each capacitive induction component 200 are respectively connected to the power supply to form a capacitive induction part.

[0087] It should be noted that in this embodiment, the controller in the first control module 100 includes a data memory, a data controller, and a data processor. Through the capacitance acquisition circuit, the electrical signals of the capacitive induction part formed by each capacitive induction component 200 connected to the power supply can be collected and transmitted after being converted into digital signals.

[0088] In a specific embodiment, as Figure 2 shown, the seat belt 300 further includes a retractor 310, a guide ring assembly 320, a locking assembly, a webbing, and a wire harness. The capacitive sensing assembly 200 is specifically disposed on the webbing in the abdominal area and chest area of the seat belt 300 and is stacked with the webbing.

[0089] The first sensing layer 210 and the second sensing layer 230 of each capacitive sensing assembly 200 are respectively connected to a power source through a wire harness to form two poles of a capacitive switch circuit. The received power source can specifically be an AC power source input and feedback an electrical signal.

[0090] In order to avoid abrasion or pulling on the wire harness during the pulling process of the seat belt 300 webbing, the wire harness can be woven on the edge side in the width direction of the webbing. Preferably, the diameter of the wire harness does not exceed 1.2 mm. In order to ensure that the wire harness lies smoothly against the webbing, the wire harness is woven as a warp thread on the edge of the webbing using the same nylon lockstitch thread as the webbing knitting thread, as Figure 4 and Figure 5 shown. The direction of the lockstitch thread is only for illustration, and the actual lockstitch method can be any lockstitch method suitable for the webbing knitting process. And the connection between the wire harness and each capacitive sensing assembly 200 uses a mature welding process and can be docked with the first control module 100 through a connector.

[0091] The lower end of the webbing is provided with a lower fixing end piece. The first control module 100 can specifically be fixed on the lower fixing end piece by welding or riveting. Since the length of the wire harness is fixed and the webbing can be pulled or retracted, fixing the first control module 100 on the lower fixing end piece can prevent the wire harness of the capacitive sensing assembly 200 from affecting the pulling and retracting movement of the seat belt 300 webbing. The first control module 100 and the controller on the retractor 310 can be connected through a wire harness to achieve a common interface with the vehicle. The first control module 100 includes a power source, a capacitance acquisition circuit, a controller, a communication module, and other circuits for electromagnetic compatibility of the controller. The power source can specifically be an AC power source, abbreviated as an AC power source. The AC power source receives power supply from the controller of the retractor 310, provides alternating current for the capacitive sensing assembly 200, the capacitance acquisition circuit of the first control module 100 measures the capacitance or current (i.e., impedance) change between the first sensing layer 210 and the second sensing layer 230 of the capacitive sensing assembly 200, and simultaneously outputs an analog signal to the first control module 100 for analog-to-digital conversion and signal transmission through the communication module.

[0092] In this embodiment, the guiding ring assembly 320 has an increased opening size on the basis of a conventional guiding ring. The width requirement for the opening is: D ≥ D0 + 2d, and the height requirement for the opening is: H ≥ H0 + T, where D0 is the opening height of the conventional guiding ring, d is the wire harness diameter, H0 is the opening height of the conventional guiding ring, and T is the thickness of the capacitance sensing component 200. The opening is enlarged to ensure the smooth passage of the webbing integrated with the capacitance sensing pad. The opening is smooth and wear-resistant, and it can be made of metal or smooth and wear-resistant polyoxymethylene resin, abbreviated as POM plastic.

[0093] In a specific embodiment, as Figure 2 shown, the locking assembly includes a locking tongue 330 and a lock catch 340 that mates with the locking tongue 330. Among them, the locking tongue 330 is sleeved on the webbing, and the size of the sleeved opening is increased to ensure the smooth passage of the webbing integrated with the capacitance sensing pad, enabling the locking tongue 330 to move freely for easy wearing. The lock catch 340 and the webbing are mature products in the prior art solutions. The lock catch 340 is fixed to the seat frame, and the webbing is wound in a retractor 310 and extends out. It is fixed to the lower fixing end piece at the lower end of the webbing through the guiding ring assembly 320 sleeved on the webbing, and a capacitance detection controller is also integrated on the lower fixing end piece. The capacitance sensing component 200 is realized by sewing, pasting, or other processes that can be flexibly combined with the webbing.

[0094] Embodiment 2

[0095] The present invention also provides an occupant protection system, as Figures 7 - 9 shown, including: the occupant seat category recognition device 10 in Embodiment 1; the occupant protection system further includes: a multi-stage airbag module 20 and a second control module 30; the second control module 30 is respectively connected to the occupant seat category recognition device 10 and the multi-stage airbag module 20; the second control module 30 is used to generate an airbag ignition signal according to the category information of the occupant seat determined by the occupant seat category recognition device 10; the multi-stage airbag module 20 is used to perform an ignition action according to the airbag ignition signal.

[0096] The second control module 30 can formulate a multi-stage airbag ignition strategy using the category information of the occupant seat, more precisely control the ignition of the airbag generator, and a vehicle equipped with the occupant seat category recognition device 10 in Embodiment 1 can provide more accurate protection to the occupant by the airbag and seat belt in the event of an accident.

[0097] In this embodiment, the occupant protection system is applied to a vehicle. Taking an automobile in the vehicle as an example, the second control module 30 may specifically be an automotive safety control module (Sensor Diagnostic Module, SDM). The automotive safety control module needs to be upgraded on the currently mature technology products, and software for multi-stage airbag deployment scenarios and the required hardware system to be carried thereon are added. The second control module 30 is fixed on the vehicle body sheet metal. As Figure 8 shown, it can be connected to the communication module in the first control module 100 in the occupant seat type recognition device 10 through the vehicle bus and the gateway for network information transmission. Preferably, the two communicate through CAN or a faster transmission method.

[0098] The multi-stage airbag module 20 includes various airbags arranged at different positions in the occupant compartment. The various airbags include a driver's frontal multi-stage airbag, a co-driver's frontal multi-stage airbag, a side multi-stage airbag, a side curtain airbag, and a knee multi-stage airbag. The multi-stage airbag module 20 further includes a multi-stage inflator. The number of stages can be any number greater than 2, and the number of stages is equal to the number of wire harnesses connecting the multi-stage inflator to the second control module 30. Thus, as Figure 9 shown, the circuits of each stage of inflators (multiple airbags) are connected in parallel to the second control module 30 and can independently receive instructions from the second control module 30 for deployment without affecting each other.

[0099] The first control module 100 integrates the corresponding software and hardware and can determine the category information of the occupant seat. The category information of the occupant seat is input to the second control module 30 through the gateway and the vehicle bus. The second control module 30 formulates multi-stage airbag deployment scenarios according to the category information of the occupant seat, that is, scenarios such as first-stage deployment, or second-stage deployment, or more-stage deployment, etc., and transmits different airbag deployment signals corresponding to different scenarios, so that the multi-stage airbag module 20 selectively or at a certain time interval detonates the multi-stage airbag inflator, and finally makes the deployed airbag package cover the protection areas of occupants with different positions and body sizes at the moment when the occupants just come into contact. Theoretically, if the occupant's position is more rearward and the body size is smaller, more multi-stage airbag module inflators need to be detonated to deploy a larger or more airbag cavities more quickly to ensure that the airbag can provide sufficient protection area at the moment when the occupant comes into contact; if the occupant's position is more forward and the body size is larger, fewer airbag inflators are detonated to avoid excessive impact when the occupant and the airbag come into contact.

[0100] It should be noted that in this embodiment, the multi-stage airbag module 20 performs an inflation action according to the airbag inflation signal. That is, the formulation of the multi-stage airbag inflation scenario can be achieved by means of finite element simulation analysis. Specifically, it includes: building a finite element simulation analysis model of the whole vehicle or test bench, selecting multiple seat positions, placing different finite element simulation human models at each position to simulate members of different body types at different positions. Under certain collision conditions, the space protection area, airbag stiffness, and contact time that the airbag needs to meet for different body type occupants and positions can be obtained. For the multi-stage airbag module 20, it is also necessary to select the output pressures of each stage of the multi-stage airbag module generator according to the different protection areas obtained from the finite element simulation analysis results of the whole vehicle or test bench, determine the number of generator tablets, and at the same time design a suitable airbag package type. Thereafter, a finite element simulation model of the airbag module under multi-stage inflation is established. Comparing with the actual inflation test data can calibrate the finite element simulation model of the airbag module. Integrating the data of the accurately calibrated finite element simulation model of the airbag module into the finite element simulation model of the whole vehicle to check and debug the output pressure of the generator and the airbag package type to reach an ideal state. From this, the optimal airbag inflation scenario can be obtained under different category information of the occupant seats, and the one-to-one correspondence between the category information of different occupant seats and the inflation scenario is stored. Finally, in actual applications, this occupant seat category recognition device 10 can classify different occupants at different positions and provide more accurate and reliable protection after a collision occurs.

[0101] Embodiment 3

[0102] The present invention also provides an occupant seat category recognition, which is executed based on the occupant seat category recognition device in Embodiment 1, as Figure 10 shown, and includes the following steps:

[0103] S100: Obtain the position information of the occupant seat, the first real-time electrical signal in the abdominal area of the seat belt, and the second real-time electrical signal in the chest area.

[0104] S200: Determine the category information of the occupant seat according to the first real-time electrical signal, the second real-time electrical signal, and the position information. The category information characterizes the seat belt state, occupancy position, and occupancy type on the occupant seat.

[0105] Determine the category information of the occupant according to the first real-time electrical signal in the abdominal area of the seat belt, the second real-time electrical signal in the chest area, and the position information. The category information characterizes the seat belt state, occupancy position, and occupancy type on the occupant seat, achieving the effect of detailed classification of whether the occupant wears a seat belt, the body type and position of the occupancy occupant if the seat is occupied, etc., so as to provide technical support for achieving better protection effect during a collision and improving the protection effect during a collision.

[0106] In addition, since the category information represents the body type information of the occupant occupying the seat, the category information can also be used to improve the comfort of the whole vehicle. For example, the whole vehicle can adjust the seat posture, the angle of the rearview mirror, etc. according to the body type information of the occupant in the category information.

[0107] In a specific embodiment, in step S200, the category information includes an un-worn category and a worn category; wherein, the worn category includes a personnel occupancy and wearing category and an object occupancy and wearing category; the personnel occupancy and wearing category includes multiple body type personnel occupancy and wearing categories; each body type personnel occupancy and wearing category includes multiple position occupancy and wearing categories for each body type personnel. Further detailed subdivision can be carried out from the body type and position direction of the occupying personnel to improve the classification accuracy.

[0108] It should be noted that in this embodiment, similar to Embodiment 1, multiple different body type personnel occupancy and wearing categories can be subdivided into two categories, three categories, four categories, five categories or even more categories. The more the number of classifications, the higher the classification accuracy. Those skilled in the art can classify according to the actual situation. Similarly, each body type personnel occupancy and wearing category can also be subdivided according to the occupancy position on the occupant seat, and can be subdivided into two categories, three categories, four categories, five categories or even more. The more the number of classifications, the higher the classification accuracy. Those skilled in the art can classify according to the actual situation.

[0109] Determining the category information includes: S210: Determine the first electrical signal variable according to the first real-time electrical signal and the first reference electrical signal, determine the second electrical signal variable according to the second real-time electrical signal and the second reference electrical signal, and determine the comparison electrical signal variable and the total electrical signal variable according to the first electrical signal variable and the second electrical signal variable.

[0110] S220: Determine the category information according to the first electrical signal variable, the first electrical signal variable threshold, the second electrical signal variable, the second electrical signal variable threshold, the comparison electrical signal variable, multiple comparison electrical signal thresholds, the total electrical signal variable, multiple total electrical signal variable thresholds, the position information, and at least one position threshold.

[0111] Since the pressure variables in the chest area and abdominal area of the seat belt before and after using the seat belt restraint are quite different, and when using the seat belt restraint, the pressure difference between the chest area and abdominal area of the seat belt is significantly different for the human body and objects (or animals), and is also different for personnel of different body types. The pressure can be represented by an electrical signal. Therefore, obtaining the pressure difference between the chest area and abdominal area of the seat belt, that is, the electrical signal variable, can distinguish the seat belt state, whether it is a personnel occupancy or an object (or animal) occupancy, and can also distinguish what body type of personnel is occupying. And by obtaining the position information, the occupancy position can also be distinguished, so that the occupants on the seat can be subdivided in multiple directions, improving the classification accuracy.

[0112] In this embodiment, the electrical signal variable represents the difference between the real-time electrical signal and the reference electrical signal, which can be the difference between the two or the quotient of the two. Those skilled in the art can set it according to needs. Since this embodiment involves the real-time electrical signals of two channels, namely the first real-time electrical signal and the second real-time electrical signal, the calculation methods of the electrical signal variables of the two channels are the same. The comparison electrical signal variable represents the difference between two electrical signal variables, which can similarly be the difference between the two electrical signal variables or the quotient of the two electrical signal variables. Those skilled in the art can set it according to needs. The total electrical signal variable represents the sum of the first electrical signal variable and the second electrical signal variable.

[0113] In step S210, the first reference electrical signal can be the average or median of the first electrical signals in the abdominal area when the seat belt is not worn at different temperatures and different environmental states, or the first electrical signal in the abdominal area when the seat belt is not worn under the preset temperature and preset environmental state. The second reference electrical signal can be the average or median of the second electrical signals in the chest area when the seat belt is not worn at different temperatures and different environmental states, or the second electrical signal in the chest area when the seat belt is not worn under the preset temperature and preset environmental state. Those skilled in the art can make a choice according to the actual situation.

[0114] It should be noted that in this embodiment, the range of different temperatures is -40 to 85 °C, different environmental states include dry state and wet state, and the wet state can specifically be the 95% relative humidity working condition. The preset temperature is normal temperature, and the specific temperature of normal temperature is set by those skilled in the art themselves. This embodiment does not make a specific limitation on this, and the preset environmental state is the dry state.

[0115] The method for calibrating the electrical signal reference value in the on-vehicle or bench calibration test is as follows: Collect a number of non-wearing values collected at different temperatures (generally the temperature range in the vehicle cabin is -40 to 85 °C) and different working conditions (including dry working condition and high humidity working condition, where the high humidity working condition generally selects the 95% RH working condition) when not wearing. The initial range of the electrical signal I0 can be initially determined, and it can also be used as a diagnostic fault parameter; Select the average value, median value or the value under the normal temperature and dry working condition of the non-wearing sample values under different working conditions as the electrical signal reference value I0.

[0116] It should be noted that in this embodiment, each type of body shape occupant's occupancy wearing category can be subdivided in terms of the occupancy position direction by at least one position threshold. The at least one position threshold may include one position threshold, or may include two, three, or more position thresholds. If one position threshold is set, each type of body shape occupant's occupancy wearing category can be subdivided into two categories in terms of the occupancy position direction, specifically, it can be divided into forward occupancy and rear occupancy; if two position thresholds are set, each type of body shape occupant's occupancy wearing category can be subdivided into three categories in terms of the occupancy position direction; if three position thresholds are set, each type of body shape occupant's occupancy wearing category can be subdivided into four categories in terms of the occupancy position direction, and so on. Specifically, how many categories need to be subdivided and how many position thresholds are set can be set by those skilled in the art according to the actual situation.

[0117] In a specific embodiment, in step S220, the multiple comparison electrical signal thresholds include a first comparison electrical signal threshold, a second comparison electrical signal threshold, a third comparison electrical signal threshold, a fourth comparison electrical signal threshold, and a fifth comparison electrical signal threshold. The multiple total electrical signal variable thresholds include a first range of total electrical signal variables, a second range of total electrical signal variables, a third range of total electrical signal variables, and a fourth range of total electrical signal variables. The at least one position threshold includes a position threshold.

[0118] It should be noted that the first electrical signal variable threshold, the second electrical signal variable threshold, the multiple comparison electrical signal thresholds, and the multiple total electrical signal variable thresholds are all determined by calibration after obtaining multiple first electrical signals in the abdominal area and multiple second electrical signals in the chest area of occupants with different body shapes when not wearing or wearing a seat belt under different temperatures and different environmental conditions in a real vehicle or bench calibration test. The recording method for obtaining the electrical signals can be as Figure 11 shown.

[0119] Specifically, the method for calibrating the first electrical signal variable threshold and the second electrical signal variable threshold includes:

[0120] Conduct a real vehicle or bench calibration test to obtain multiple first electrical signals in the abdominal area and multiple second electrical signals in the chest area when not wearing a seat belt under different temperatures and different environmental conditions; calculate the variable between the maximum value of the multiple first electrical signals and the first reference electrical signal to obtain the first electrical signal variable threshold; calculate the variable between the maximum value of the multiple second electrical signals and the second reference electrical signal to obtain the second electrical signal variable threshold.

[0121] The method for calibrating the above thresholds through on-vehicle or bench calibration tests is as follows: Under different working conditions and different environmental states, the seat is adjusted to various different positions, and occupants of different body types wear seat belts. The real-time electrical signal values corresponding to different working conditions, different environmental states, different occupant positions, and different body types of occupants are obtained as the logical parameters in the occupant seat category recognition device. The electrical signal is specifically a capacitance value or a current value. In this embodiment, the current value I is used for illustration. i After that, the electrical signal variable value Δi = I i - I0 or k = I i / I0 or the variable value calculated by other relationships between the two is used as the threshold judgment condition in the device. In this way, different threshold ranges for different body types can be set in the occupant seat category recognition device and stored in the occupant seat category recognition device. In this way, when actually wearing a seat belt, the body size and position range of the occupant can be judged according to the collected electrical signal and the stored threshold range. If there are multiple capacitance sensing components, the sum, average value, or any reasonable combined characteristic arithmetic value of the multiple capacitance sensing components can be used to divide the range.

[0122] Specifically, the method for calibrating the first threshold of the comparison electrical signal includes:

[0123] Conduct on-vehicle or bench calibration tests to obtain multiple first electrical signals in the abdominal area and corresponding multiple second electrical signals in the chest area when occupants of different temperatures, different environmental states, different positions, and different body types wear seat belts; calculate the variables between the multiple first electrical signals in the abdominal area and the first reference electrical signal to obtain multiple first change electrical signals; calculate the variables between the corresponding multiple second electrical signals in the chest area and the second reference electrical signal to obtain the corresponding multiple second change electrical signals; calculate the change amount between the multiple first change electrical signals and the corresponding multiple second change electrical signals to obtain multiple comparison electrical signals, and the maximum value in the comparison electrical signals is the first comparison electrical signal threshold.

[0124] The method for calibrating the first range of the total electrical signal variable and the second threshold of the comparison electrical signal in multiple total electrical signal variable thresholds includes:

[0125] Conduct on-vehicle or bench calibration tests to obtain multiple first electrical signals in the abdominal area and corresponding multiple second electrical signals in the chest area when a seat belt is worn by an occupant of a first preset position and a first preset body type under different temperatures and different environmental conditions; calculate the variables between the multiple first electrical signals in the abdominal area and a first reference electrical signal to obtain multiple first changed electrical signals, calculate the variables between the corresponding multiple second electrical signals in the chest area and a second reference electrical signal to obtain the corresponding multiple second changed electrical signals, sum each first changed electrical signal in the multiple first changed electrical signals with the corresponding second changed electrical signal in the corresponding multiple second changed electrical signals to obtain multiple total electrical signal variables, and fit the multiple total electrical signal variables by interpolation to obtain a first range of the total electrical signal variables. Additionally, calculate the change amounts between the multiple first changed electrical signals and the corresponding multiple second changed electrical signals to obtain multiple comparison electrical signals, and the maximum value in the comparison electrical signals is a second threshold of the comparison electrical signals.

[0126] Similarly, the methods for calibrating a second range of the total electrical signal variables and a third threshold of the comparison electrical signals, a third range of the total electrical signal variables and a fourth threshold of the comparison electrical signals, and a fourth range of the total electrical signal variables and a fifth threshold of the comparison electrical signals are similar to the method for calibrating the first range of the total electrical signal variables and the second threshold of the comparison electrical signals above. It only requires replacing the first preset position and the occupant of the first preset body type with the second preset position and the occupant of the first preset body type, the first preset position and the occupant of the second preset body type, and the second preset position and the occupant of the second preset body type for the experiment. This embodiment does not elaborate on it specifically. Among them, the first preset position can be a forward position, the second preset position can be a rearward position, the occupant of the first preset body type can be a small-sized occupant, and the occupant of the second preset body type can be a large-sized occupant.

[0127] It should be noted that if there are more classifications of the body type of the person and the seat position, the corresponding number of thresholds of the multiple comparison electrical signals and the thresholds of the multiple total electrical signal variables to be calibrated will also be more. Those skilled in the art can set more preset positions and preset body type occupants according to needs for experimental calibration to determine the corresponding thresholds of the comparison electrical signals and the ranges of the total electrical signal variables.

[0128] It should be further noted that in this embodiment, at least one position threshold can be determined by calibrating at least one seat position within the entire travel range where the seat can move through on-vehicle or bench calibration tests. The at least one position threshold includes a position threshold, which can be calibrated as the middle position of the entire travel range of the seat. Based on the position threshold, it can be divided into two categories, specifically the forward position and the rear position. If the at least one position threshold includes two or more position thresholds, the two or more position thresholds can be calibrated as two or more corresponding positions within the entire travel range of the seat, so that it can be divided into three categories or more corresponding categories. For example, three categories can be divided into the forward position, the middle position, and the rear position. Those skilled in the art can set the specific calibration positions according to actual needs. Additionally, in this embodiment, the number and specific positions of the at least two positions corresponding to the classification of the at least one position threshold should be consistent with the number and specific positions of the preset positions involved when calibrating multiple comparison electrical signal thresholds and multiple total electrical signal variable thresholds. For example: If the at least one position threshold includes two position thresholds, divided into the forward position, the middle position, and the rear position, then the preset positions involved when calibrating multiple comparison electrical signal thresholds and multiple total electrical signal variable thresholds include the first preset position, the second preset position, and the third preset position, and the first preset position is consistent with the forward position, the second preset position is consistent with the middle position, and the third preset position is consistent with the rear position.

[0129] In step S220, the category information includes the un-worn category and the worn category; when the first electrical signal variable is less than the first electrical signal variable threshold and the second electrical signal variable is less than the second electrical signal variable threshold, the category information is determined to be the un-worn category, and vice versa, the category information is determined to be the worn category.

[0130] The worn category includes the category of a person occupying the seat and the category of an object occupying the seat; after determining that the category information is the worn category, when at least one of the first electrical signal variable and the second electrical signal variable is not 0, and the comparison electrical signal variable is greater than the first comparison electrical signal threshold, the category information is determined to be the category of an object occupying the seat; vice versa, the category information is determined to be the category of a person occupying the seat.

[0131] The category of a person occupying the seat includes the category of a small-sized person occupying the seat and the category of a large-sized person occupying the seat. The category of a small-sized person occupying the seat includes the category of a small-sized person occupying the forward position of the seat and the category of a small-sized person occupying the rear position of the seat. The category of a large-sized person occupying the seat includes the category of a large-sized person occupying the forward position of the seat and the category of a large-sized person occupying the rear position of the seat.

[0132] After determining that the category information is the category of a person occupying the seat, when the total electrical signal variable is within the first range of the total electrical signal variable, and the comparison electrical signal variable is less than the second comparison electrical signal threshold, and the position information is less than the position threshold, the category information is determined to be the category of a small-sized person occupying the forward position of the seat.

[0133] When the total electrical signal variable is within the second range of the total electrical signal variable, and the comparison electrical signal variable is less than the third threshold of the comparison electrical signal, and the position information is greater than or equal to the position threshold, the category information is determined to be the category of a small-sized person wearing a seat belt while occupying the rear position.

[0134] When the total electrical signal variable is within the third range of the total electrical signal variable, and the comparison electrical signal variable is less than the fourth threshold of the comparison electrical signal, and the position information is less than the position threshold, the category information is determined to be the category of a large-sized person wearing a seat belt while occupying the front position.

[0135] When the total electrical signal variable is within the fourth range of the total electrical signal variable, and the comparison electrical signal variable is less than the fifth threshold of the comparison electrical signal, and the position information is greater than or equal to the position threshold, the category information is determined to be the category of a large-sized person wearing a seat belt while occupying the rear position.

[0136] In a specific embodiment, the category information also characterizes the occupancy status on the occupant seat. The non-wearing category includes the non-occupied and non-wearing category and the occupied and non-wearing category. In step S100, it further includes obtaining the weight information of the occupant on the occupant seat. In step S220, after the category information is determined to be the non-wearing category, when the weight information is equal to 0, the category information is determined to be the non-occupied and non-wearing category; when the weight information is greater than 0, the category information is determined to be the occupied and non-wearing category.

[0137] By adopting the above technical solution, the weight information of the occupant on the occupant seat is obtained. According to the weight information, the occupancy status on the occupant seat, that is, whether there is an occupancy, can be further determined. Thus, a prompt alarm can be given for the occupied and non-wearing category, and the prompt alarm result is more accurate than the way of only outputting a seat belt non-wearing prompt alarm through the seat belt buckle non-fastening reminder circuit in the prior art.

[0138] The electrical signal is described by taking current as an example. The first electrical signal and the second electrical signal in the chest area and the abdominal area compared to when not worn are used as the first channel feature quantity and the second channel feature quantity respectively. When a person wears a seat belt, the pressures on the chest area and the abdominal area on the human body are similar, that is, after wearing, the difference in the current change amount of the first channel and the second channel compared to when not worn is very small, that is to say, the change amount of the first electrical signal is small, and the change amount of the second electrical signal is small. On the contrary, when an object or an animal is restrained by a seat belt, since the chest area and the abdominal area cannot fit well with the corresponding parts of the object or the animal at the same time, the difference in the current change amount of the capacitance induction components in the chest area and the abdominal area collected will be relatively large. At the extreme, current change can be detected in one channel, while the other channel remains in the state of no current change when not worn, that is, after wearing, at least one of the current change amounts of the first channel and the second channel compared to when not worn is not 0, and the difference in the current change amounts of the first channel and the second channel compared to when not worn is relatively large, that is to say, at least one of the change amounts of the first electrical signal and the second electrical signal is not 0, and the change amount of the electrical signal is relatively large. Therefore, the difference in the change amount of the dual-channel electrical signal can be used to distinguish whether it is a person occupying and wearing or an object (or an animal) occupying and wearing. Whether it is a person or an object (or an animal) occupying, the change amount of the electrical signal in at least one of the first channel and the second channel is not 0, which is also the condition for distinguishing whether it is worn or not.

[0139] Based on the above description, Figure 12 This is a classification schematic diagram of the category information of the occupant seat in the occupant seat category recognition method in this embodiment; as Figure 12 shown, the category information of the occupant seat includes:

[0140] The non-wearing category A, abbreviated as category A, specifically includes the non-occupying non-wearing category and the occupying non-wearing category. At this time, the change amount of the current in the chest area and the abdominal area relative to the reference value I0 is less than the difference between the maximum value in the collected non-wearing value set and the reference value I0. At this time, if the seat sensor detects that the weight information is greater than 0, that is, there is occupancy, it belongs to the occupying non-wearing category. When the vehicle is driving, the whole vehicle must send an unfastened alarm signal, including visual reminders such as instrument prompts, or sound reminders; in this embodiment, the occupant body type classification is not carried out for the occupying non-wearing category. If the seat sensor detects that the weight information is equal to 0, it belongs to the non-occupying non-wearing category.

[0141] The object occupying and wearing category B, abbreviated as category B. At this time, at least one of the current change amounts in the chest area and the abdominal area compared to when not worn is not 0, and the difference in the current change amounts of the two channels is greater than the maximum value of the differences in the chest and abdominal currents of all occupant body types in all seat positions and all environmental states. For the object occupying and wearing category B, when the vehicle is driving, the whole vehicle does not need to send an unfastened alarm signal.

[0142] Occupancy and wearing type C for small-sized persons, abbreviated as type C, where small-sized persons can be 5% of the human body in ergonomics. For example, it includes:

[0143] Occupancy and wearing type C1 for small-sized persons in the front position, abbreviated as type C1. At this time, the sum of the current change amounts in the two channels of the chest and abdomen compared to when not wearing (regardless of the seat position) is within the range from the lower limit to the upper limit of the sum of the calibrated current change amounts (the set of all current change amounts under different temperatures and humidities) when 5% of the human body is in the foremost position of this seat, and the difference between the current change amounts in the two channels is less than the calibrated value, that is, the second comparison electrical signal threshold. The second comparison electrical signal threshold can be the maximum difference between the two in the collected set of change amounts, and this set is a binary set composed of the current change amounts of the chest and abdomen of this body type person at this seat position, and the position information of the occupant seat is less than the calibrated position threshold, that is, the seat is in the foremost position.

[0144] Occupancy and wearing type C2 for small-sized persons in the rear position, abbreviated as type C2. At this time, the sum of the current change amounts in the two channels of the chest and abdomen compared to when not wearing (regardless of the seat position) is within the range from the lower limit to the upper limit of the sum of the calibrated current change amounts (the set of all current change amounts under different temperatures and humidities) when 5% of the human body is in the rearmost position of this seat, and the difference between the current change amounts in the two channels is less than the maximum difference between the two in the collected set of change amounts, and this set is a binary set composed of the current change amounts of the chest and abdomen of this body type person at this seat position, and the position information of the occupant seat is greater than or equal to the calibrated position threshold, that is, the seat is in the rearmost position. When the vehicle is driving, the whole vehicle does not need to send an unfastened alarm signal.

[0145] Occupancy and wearing type D for large-sized persons, abbreviated as type D, where large-sized persons can be 95% of the human body in ergonomics. For example, it includes:

[0146] Occupancy and wearing type D1 for large-sized persons in the front position, abbreviated as type D1. At this time, the sum of the current change amounts in the two channels of the chest and abdomen compared to when not wearing (regardless of the seat position) is within the range from the lower limit to the upper limit of the sum of the calibrated current change amounts (the set of all current change amounts under different temperatures and humidities) when 95% of the human body is in the foremost position, and the difference (ratio / difference or the result of any calculation formula reflecting the difference between the two) between the current change amounts in the two channels is less than the maximum difference between the two in the calibrated collected sample set, and this set is a binary set composed of the current change amounts of the chest and abdomen of this body type person at this seat position, and the position information of the occupant seat is less than the calibrated position threshold, that is, the seat is in the foremost position. For occupancy and wearing type D1 for large-sized persons in the front position, when the vehicle is driving, the whole vehicle does not need to send an unfastened alarm signal.

[0147] Large-sized occupants occupy the rear position and wear type D2, abbreviated as D2 type. At this time, the sum of the current change amounts of the two channels in the chest and abdomen is within the range from the lower limit to the upper limit of the calibrated current change amount (the set of all current change amounts under different temperatures and humidities) when 95% of the human body is in this last position, and the difference (ratio / difference or the result of any calculation formula reflecting the difference between the two) of the current change amounts of the two channels is less than the maximum value of the difference between the two in the calibrated sample set. This set is a binary set composed of the current change amounts of the chest and abdomen of occupants of this body type at this seat position, and the position information of the occupant seat is greater than or equal to the calibrated position threshold, that is, the seat is in the last position. For large-sized occupants occupying the rear position and wearing type D2, when the vehicle is running, the whole vehicle does not need to send an unfastened warning signal.

[0148] Figure 12 The regional division in the two-dimensional coordinates in [reference] is determined according to the calibrated results. Taking the first electrical signal and the second electrical signal of the chest area and the abdomen area compared with when not wearing as the first channel characteristic quantity and the second channel characteristic quantity respectively, the electrical signal can be current or capacitance. The boundaries of type A, type B, type C (including type C1 and type C2), and type D (including type D1 and type D2) can respectively adopt the thresholds calibrated for the first channel characteristic quantity (specifically the change amount of the first channel characteristic quantity) and the second channel characteristic quantity (specifically the change amount of the first channel characteristic quantity), and the set is obtained by the interpolation method.

[0149] Figure 12 Each binary group in the binary coordinate system in [reference] consists of the change amount x i of the first channel characteristic quantity and the change amount y i of the second channel characteristic quantity. Taking the current as an example of the electrical signal. For example, type A satisfies that the change amounts of the chest and abdomen currents relative to the chest and abdomen reference values I0 (I X0 , I Y0 ) are less than the difference between the maximum value I max (I Xmax , I Ymax ) in the calibrated non-wearing value set and I0; type B satisfies that y i / x i > K max (the upper boundary of the ratio of the chest and abdomen current change amounts worn by all calibrated personnel), or y i / x i < 1 / K max . Type C1 satisfies that 1 / K maxC1 < y i / x i < K maxC1(Upper boundary of the ratio of the chest and abdomen current change amounts worn at the foremost position of the calibrated small body type), and, the lower limit of the sum of the chest and abdomen current change amounts under the working condition of the foremost position of the calibrated small body type < x i +y i <Upper limit of the sum of the chest and abdomen current change amounts under the working condition of the foremost position of the calibrated small body type, Class C2 satisfies: 1 / K maxC2 <y i / x i <K maxC2 (Upper boundary of the ratio of the chest and abdomen current change amounts worn at the rearmost position of the calibrated small body type), and, the lower limit of the sum of the chest and abdomen current change amounts under the working condition of the rearmost position of the calibrated small body type < x i +y i <Upper limit of the sum of the chest and abdomen current change amounts under the working condition of the rearmost position of the calibrated small body type; Class D1 satisfies: 1 / K maxD1 <y i / x i <K maxD1 (Upper boundary of the ratio of the chest and abdomen current change amounts worn at the foremost position of the calibrated large body type), meanwhile, the lower limit of the sum of the chest and abdomen current change amounts under the working condition of the foremost position of the calibrated large body type < x i +y i <Upper limit of the sum of the chest and abdomen current change amounts under the working condition of the foremost position of the calibrated large body type; Class D2 satisfies: 1 / K maxD2 <y i / x i <K maxD2 (K maxD2 is the upper boundary of the ratio of the chest and abdomen current change amounts worn at the rearmost position of the calibrated large body type), meanwhile, the lower limit of the sum of the chest and abdomen current change amounts under the working condition of the rearmost position of the calibrated large body type < x i +y i <Upper limit of the sum of the chest and abdomen current change amounts under the working condition of the rearmost position of the calibrated large body type.

[0150] The categories of the division of the personnel body type can also be more detailed. For example, it can be divided into Class C and Class D according to the body size at 2 levels. Class C and Class D can be further divided according to the position information at the above-mentioned 2 levels, or at 3 levels, 4 levels or even more levels. It can also be divided into Class E, Class F, and Class G according to the body size at 3 levels. Each class can also be divided according to the position information at 2 levels, 3 levels, 4 levels or even more levels.

[0151] Figure 12The boundaries of Class B, Class C, and Region D are fitted by collecting the sample point sets of the current change when occupants of each body type wear the device at different seat positions. The sample points are composed of the current changes collected by each induction pad. By statistically analyzing the sample points of occupants of different body types at different positions, the sample points can be divided into regions. The boundary points of the division are discrete and are fitted into a boundary line through interpolation, which can be linear or non-linear. Figure 12 It is only a schematic diagram of the category area division and does not represent the actual fitted boundary line.

[0152] Embodiment 4

[0153] The present invention also provides an occupant protection method, which is executed based on the above-mentioned occupant protection system, as Figure 13 shown, and includes the following steps: S10: Obtain the category information of the occupant seat; S20: Generate an airbag ignition signal according to the category information; S30: Execute the ignition action according to the airbag ignition signal.

[0154] Since the optimal airbag ignition scenarios for different category information of occupant seats are stored in the occupant protection system, and the category information of different occupant seats corresponds one-to-one with the ignition scenarios. Finally, in practical applications, after obtaining the category information of the occupant seat, the corresponding airbag ignition signal, that is, the optimal airbag ignition scenario, can be generated. After a collision occurs, the airbag is ignited according to the optimal airbag ignition scenario, so as to provide more accurate and reliable protection after a collision and improve the safety of the vehicle equipped with this occupant protection system.

[0155] The airbag ignition scenarios corresponding to the category information of different occupant seats include:

[0156] Unworn Class A and belonging to the occupied and unworn category. If a collision occurs, for the airbag channel configured for this seat, an ignition signal is selected to be sent. Since the occupant is in an unconstrained state when not wearing a seatbelt and the contact time between the occupant and the airbag cannot be accurately measured, in order to avoid excessive impact of the airbag on the occupant and cause harm, when using a bipolar or more-stage airbag for ignition, only one stage is ignited to make the airbag softer (with a small stiffness) with a lower output pressure; on the contrary, if it belongs to the unoccupied and unworn category, such as when a vehicle collides, for the airbag channel configured for this seat, an airbag ignition signal can be selected to be sent, or not sent, and it can be specifically determined according to the regulatory requirements, and there is no need to consider the occupant's body type for staged ignition.

[0157] Occupied and worn Class B by an object (or animal). At this time, if a vehicle collides, for the airbag channel configured for this seat, an airbag ignition signal can be selected to be sent, or not sent, and it can be specifically determined according to the regulatory requirements, and there is no need to consider the occupant's body type for staged ignition.

[0158] Small-sized occupants occupy the front position and wear Class C1. In the event of a vehicle collision, for the airbag channel configured for this seat, staged inflation needs to be considered. For the frontmost and smallest-sized occupant, to avoid excessive impact on the occupant caused by multi-stage airbags and prevent injury, only one stage or a small number of generators are detonated, so that a lower output pressure is used to make the airbag softer (less rigid). In actual applications, the output pressure of the airbag generator detonation, that is, the detonation level, can be set through existing finite element simulation techniques and real vehicle tests.

[0159] Small-sized occupants occupy the rear position and wear Class C2. In the event of a vehicle collision, for the airbag channel configured for this seat, staged inflation needs to be considered. For the rearmost and smallest-sized occupant, the moment of contacting the airbag will be the latest. To ensure that the multi-stage airbag can maintain a sufficient deployment time and protection area, more stages of airbag generators need to be detonated compared to when small-sized occupants occupy the front position and wear Class C1, so that the airbag remains in a fully deployed state when the occupant contacts it. In actual applications, the output pressure of the airbag generator detonation, that is, the detonation level, can be set through existing finite element simulation techniques and real vehicle tests.

[0160] Large-sized occupants occupy the front position and wear Class D1. In the event of a vehicle collision, for the airbag channel configured for this seat, staged inflation needs to be considered. For the frontmost and large-sized occupant, the moment of contacting the airbag will be the earliest. To avoid excessive impact on the occupant caused by the airbag and prevent injury, when using a bipolar or more-stage airbag for detonation, only one stage or a smaller number of stages are detonated, so that a lower output pressure is used to make the airbag softer (less rigid). In actual applications, the output pressure of the airbag generator detonation, that is, the detonation level, can be set through existing finite element simulation techniques and real vehicle tests. Generally speaking, the output pressure of the generator for large-sized occupants occupying the front position and wearing Class D1 is lower than that for small-sized occupants occupying the front position and wearing Class C1, and the corresponding number of detonation stages is less.

[0161] Large-sized occupants sit in the rear and wear type D2. In the event of a vehicle collision, for the airbag channels configured for this seat, staged inflation needs to be considered. For the last and large-sized occupants, the moment of contacting the airbag will be relatively late, but earlier than that of small-sized occupants sitting in the rear and wearing type C2, i.e., the small-sized occupants in the last position. To ensure that the multi-stage airbag can maintain a sufficient deployment time and a sufficient protection area, the airbag generator needs to be inflated in more stages than that for large-sized occupants sitting in the front and wearing type D1, but fewer stages than that for small-sized occupants sitting in the rear and wearing type C2, so that the airbag remains fully deployed when the occupant contacts it, and the stiffness of the airbag is maintained at an appropriate level. In practical applications, the output pressure of the airbag generator inflation, i.e., the inflation level, can be set through existing finite element simulation technology and real vehicle tests. Generally speaking, for large-sized occupants sitting in the rear and wearing type D2, the output pressure of the generator is higher than that for large-sized occupants sitting in the front and wearing type D1 and small-sized occupants sitting in the front and wearing type C1, and the corresponding number of inflation stages is more. Compared with the generator for small-sized occupants sitting in the rear and wearing type C2, the output pressure is smaller and the number of inflation stages is fewer.

[0162] The above specific embodiments illustrate the implementation manners of the present invention. Those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of the present invention from the content disclosed in this specification. Although the description of the present invention will be introduced in conjunction with the preferred embodiments, this does not mean that the features of this invention are limited to this implementation manner. On the contrary, the purpose of introducing the invention in conjunction with the implementation manner is to cover other alternatives or modifications that may be extended based on the claims of the present invention. To provide a deep understanding of the present invention, many specific details will be included in the above description. The present invention can also be implemented without using these details. In addition, to avoid confusing or obscuring the key points of the present invention, some specific details will be omitted in the description. It should be noted that, without conflict, the embodiments and features in the embodiments of the present invention can be combined with each other.

[0163] It should be noted that in this specification, similar reference numerals and letters indicate similar items in the above drawings. Therefore, once an item is defined in one drawing, it does not need to be further defined and explained in subsequent drawings.

[0164] The terms "first", "second", etc. are only used for distinguishing descriptions and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0165] Although the present invention has been illustrated and described with reference to certain preferred embodiments thereof, those of ordinary skill in the art should understand that the above is a further detailed description of the present invention in conjunction with specific embodiments, and it cannot be determined that the specific implementation of the present invention is limited only to these descriptions. Those skilled in the art can make various changes in form and detail, including making several simple deductions or substitutions, without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An occupant seat category recognition device, characterized in that, Comprising: A first control module, at least two capacitance sensing components, a seat belt, and a position sensor; wherein, The seat belt includes an abdominal area and a chest area, and the at least two capacitance sensing components include at least one first capacitance sensing component disposed in the abdominal area and at least one second capacitance sensing component disposed in the chest area; The position sensor is disposed on the occupant seat for acquiring position information of the occupant seat; The first control module is respectively connected to the position sensor and each capacitance sensing component among the at least two capacitance sensing components, and is configured to acquire a first real-time electrical signal of the at least one first capacitance sensing component, a second real-time electrical signal of the at least one second capacitance sensing component, and determine category information of the occupant seat according to the first real-time electrical signal, the second real-time electrical signal, and the position information, where the category information characterizes the seat belt state, the occupied position, and the occupancy type on the occupant seat.

2. The occupant seat category recognition device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The category information includes an un-worn category and a worn category; wherein The worn category includes a person-occupied and worn category and an object-occupied and worn category; the person-occupied and worn category includes a person-occupied and worn category for persons of various body types; each person-occupied and worn category for persons of various body types includes a person-occupied and worn category for persons of each body type at various positions.

3. The occupant seat category recognition device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The occupant seat category recognition device further includes: a seat sensor, where the seat sensor is configured to acquire weight information of an occupant on the occupant seat; the first control module is connected to the seat sensor, and the first control module is configured to determine the category information according to the first real-time electrical signal, the second real-time electrical signal, the position information, and the weight information, and the category information further characterizes the occupancy state on the occupant seat, and the un-worn category of the category information includes an un-occupied and un-worn category and an occupied and un-worn category.

4. The occupant seat category recognition device according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, Each of the capacitance sensing components includes a first sensing layer, a spacer layer, and a second sensing layer that are sequentially stacked, and is stacked with the seat belt; and The first sensing layer and the second sensing layer of each of the capacitance sensing components are respectively connected to the first control module.

5. The occupant seat category recognition device according to claim 4, characterized in that, Both the first sensing layer and the second sensing layer include a first insulating layer, a conductive layer, and a second insulating layer that are sequentially disposed.

6. An occupant protection system, characterized in that, Comprising: The occupant seat category recognition device according to any one of claims 1-5; The occupant protection system further includes: a multi-stage airbag module and a second control module; the second control module is respectively connected to the occupant seat category recognition device and the multi-stage airbag module; The second control module is configured to generate an airbag ignition signal according to the category information of the occupant seat determined by the occupant seat category recognition device; The multi-stage airbag module is configured to perform an ignition action according to the airbag ignition signal.

7. A method for identifying the category of an occupant seat, characterized in that, Executed based on the occupant seat category recognition device according to any one of claims 1-5, including the following steps: S100: Acquire position information of the occupant seat, a first real-time electrical signal of the abdominal area of the seat belt, and a second real-time electrical signal of the chest area; S200: Determine the category information of the occupant seat according to the first real-time electrical signal, the second real-time electrical signal, and the position information, where the category information characterizes the seat belt status, occupancy position, and occupancy type on the occupant seat.

8. The method for identifying the category of an occupant seat according to claim 7, characterized in that, In the step S200, the category information includes an unbelted category and a belted category; where the belted category includes a human occupancy with belt category and an object occupancy with belt category; the human occupancy with belt category includes multiple body type human occupancy with belt categories; each body type human occupancy with belt category includes multiple position occupancy with belt categories for each body type of human; determining the category information includes: S210: Determine a first electrical signal variable according to the first real-time electrical signal and a first reference electrical signal, determine a second electrical signal variable according to the second real-time electrical signal and a second reference electrical signal, and determine a comparison electrical signal variable and a total electrical signal variable according to the first electrical signal variable and the second electrical signal variable; S220: Determine the category information according to the first electrical signal variable, a first electrical signal variable threshold, the second electrical signal variable, a second electrical signal variable threshold, the comparison electrical signal variable, multiple comparison electrical signal thresholds, the total electrical signal variable, multiple total electrical signal variable thresholds, the position information, and at least one position threshold.

9. The method for identifying the category of an occupant seat according to claim 8, wherein in the step S220, the multiple comparison electrical signal thresholds include a first comparison electrical signal threshold; when the first electrical signal variable is less than the first electrical signal variable threshold and the second electrical signal variable is less than the second electrical signal variable threshold, then determine that the category information is the unbelted category; otherwise, determine that the category information is the belted category; after determining that the category information is the belted category, when at least one of the first electrical signal variable and the second electrical signal variable is not 0, and the comparison electrical signal variable is greater than the first comparison electrical signal threshold, then determine that the category information is the object occupancy with belt category; otherwise, determine that the category information is the human occupancy with belt category.

10. The occupant seat category recognition method according to claim 9, wherein The human occupancy with belt category includes a small body type human occupancy with belt category and a large body type human occupancy with belt category. The small body type human occupancy with belt category includes a small body type human occupancy with belt in the front position category and a small body type human occupancy with belt in the rear position category. The large body type human occupancy with belt category includes a large body type human occupancy with belt in the front position category and a large body type human occupancy with belt in the rear position category.

11. The method for identifying the category of an occupant seat according to claim 10, wherein in the step S220, the multiple comparison electrical signal thresholds further include a second comparison electrical signal threshold, a third comparison electrical signal threshold, a fourth comparison electrical signal threshold, and a fifth comparison electrical signal threshold. The multiple total electrical signal variable thresholds include a first total electrical signal variable range, a second total electrical signal variable range, a third total electrical signal variable range, and a fourth total electrical signal variable range. The at least one position threshold includes a position threshold; after determining that the category information is the human occupancy with belt category, When the total electrical signal variable is within the first range of the total electrical signal variable, and the comparison electrical signal variable is less than the second threshold of the comparison electrical signal, and the position information is less than the position threshold, it is determined that the category information is the small-sized person occupying the front position and wearing type; When the total electrical signal variable is within the second range of the total electrical signal variable, and the comparison electrical signal variable is less than the third threshold of the comparison electrical signal, and the position information is greater than or equal to the position threshold, it is determined that the category information is the small-sized person occupying the rear position and wearing type; When the total electrical signal variable is within the third range of the total electrical signal variable, and the comparison electrical signal variable is less than the fourth threshold of the comparison electrical signal, and the position information is less than the position threshold, it is determined that the category information is the large-sized person occupying the front position and wearing type; When the total electrical signal variable is within the fourth range of the total electrical signal variable, and the comparison electrical signal variable is less than the fifth threshold of the comparison electrical signal, and the position information is greater than or equal to the position threshold, it is determined that the category information is the large-sized person occupying the rear position and wearing type.

12. The occupant seat category recognition method according to claim 11, wherein: The category information further characterizes the occupancy state on the occupant seat, and the non-wearing type includes the non-occupied and non-wearing type and the occupied and non-wearing type; In the step S100, it further includes obtaining the weight information of the occupant on the occupant seat; In the step S220, after determining that the category information is the non-wearing type, when the weight information is equal to 0, it is determined that the category information is the non-occupied and non-wearing type; when the weight information is greater than 0, it is determined that the category information is the occupied and non-wearing type.

13. An occupant protection method, characterized in that, Executed based on the occupant protection system according to claim 6, including the following steps: S10: Obtain the category information of the occupant seat; S20: Generate an airbag ignition signal according to the category information; S30: Perform an ignition action according to the airbag ignition signal.

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