System for detecting seatbelt placement and notifying passenger of incorrect seatbelt placement in vehicle

Abstract

A system for detecting seatbelt deployment includes a passenger classification module configured to determine a physical property of a passenger constrained in a passenger seat by a seatbelt having a waist strap and a shoulder strap. The seat belt deployment quality module is configured to detect a deployment quality of the seat belt based on the shoulder strap position. The notification module is configured to notify the passenger of the incorrectly deployed seat belt, and the education module is configured to provide guidance to the passenger regarding how to adjust the seat belt for correct seat belt deployment.

Description

BACKGROUND

[0001] The information provided in this section is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. The work of the presently named inventors, to the extent the descriptions are described in this section, as well as aspects of the descriptions that can not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly nor impliedly admitted as prior art against the present disclosure.

[0002] The present disclosure relates to passenger restraint systems for vehicles, and more particularly, to systems for detecting seat belt routing and notifying a passenger of incorrect routing in a vehicle.

[0003] A three-point seat belt includes a lap belt and a shoulder belt. Typically, one end of the lap belt is fixed directly to the vehicle body structure, one end of the shoulder belt is fixed to the vehicle body structure via a seat belt retractor, and the lap belt and shoulder belt meet at the location of a tongue. To secure a passenger in a vehicle seat, the seat belt is routed around the passenger and the tongue is fastened in a seat belt buckle. The seat belt is correctly routed when the lap belt extends across the passenger's waist and the shoulder belt extends diagonally across the passenger's torso and over the passenger's shoulders.

[0004] There are multiple ways in which a seat belt can be incorrectly routed. For example, the lap belt can be routed under the passenger and the shoulder belt can be routed on the wrong side of the passenger's head, under the passenger's arms, or outside the passenger's arms. In another example, when the passenger is in a booster seat, the lap belt can be routed over the hook-like wings of the booster seat. SUMMARY

[0005] According to the present disclosure, a system for detecting seat belt routing includes a passenger classification module configured to determine physical attributes of a passenger being restrained in a passenger seat by a seat belt having a lap belt and a shoulder belt. A seat belt routing quality module is configured to detect a quality of routing of the seat belt based on a shoulder belt position. A notification module is configured to notify the passenger of the incorrectly routed seat belt, and an education module is configured to provide guidance to the passenger regarding how to adjust the seat belt for correct seat belt routing.

[0006] In other features, a mass sensor is operably connected to the passenger classification module, the passenger classification module being configured to classify the passenger based on a sensed mass of the passenger.

[0007] In other features, the mass sensor includes a pressure sensor operably connected to a bladder built into a passenger seat for supporting the passenger.

[0008] In other features, the bladder includes a pressure sensor and is built into a seat base of a passenger seat.

[0009] In other features, the camera is operably coupled to a passenger classification module configured to classify the passenger based on physical attributes obtained from images captured by the camera.

[0010] In other features, the seat belt positioning capture module is configured to detect actual positioning of a seat belt based on images captured by the camera.

[0011] In other features, the seat belt positioning quality module compares an expected shoulder harness position for a classified passenger to actual shoulder harness positioning to detect positioning quality.

[0012] In other features, the education module is configured to present a set of text-based instructions to the passenger for proper seat belt positioning.

[0013] In other features, the education module is configured to present a video describing how a seat belt should be adjusted for proper seat belt positioning.

[0014] In other features, the seat belt adjustment module is used to automatically adjust a shoulder harness anchor height to establish proper seat belt positioning for a passenger.

[0015] According to the present disclosure, a system for detecting seat belt positioning includes an in-cabin sensor configured to detect a passenger in a passenger seat of a vehicle, a passenger classification module configured to determine physical attributes of the passenger, a seat belt positioning quality module configured to detect improper positioning of a seat belt on the passenger based on data from the passenger classification module, a notification module configured to notify the passenger of the improperly positioned seat belt, and an education module configured to provide instructions to the passenger regarding how the seat belt can be adjusted for proper seat belt positioning.

[0016] In other features, the in-cabin sensor includes a mass sensor operably connected to the passenger classification module configured to generate a passenger classification based on a sensed mass of the passenger.

[0017] In other features, the in-cabin sensor includes a camera operably coupled to the passenger classification module configured to evaluate images captured by the camera to determine physical attributes of the passenger and generate a passenger classification based on the physical attributes.

[0018] In other features, the classification module evaluates images captured by the camera to assess a passenger position on the passenger seat to determine the physical attributes.

[0019] In other features, the classification module establishes a position of an expected shoulder belt anchor height based on the passenger classification.

[0020] In other features, the seat belt positioning capture module is configured to evaluate images captured by the camera to detect actual seat belt positioning on the passenger.

[0021] In other features, the seat belt positioning quality module is configured to detect improper positioning of the seat belt by comparing actual shoulder belt positioning obtained from the seat belt positioning capture module with the position of the expected shoulder belt anchor height from the classification module.

[0022] In other features, the education module is configured to present a set of text-based instructions to the passenger for adjusting the position of the seat belt for proper seat belt positioning.

[0023] In other features, the education module is configured to present a video to the passenger that describes how the seat belt should be adjusted for proper seat belt positioning.

[0024] In other features, the seat belt adjustment module is operably connected to a linear actuator connected to the shoulder belt anchor, the seat belt adjustment module controlling the linear actuator to automatically set the shoulder belt anchor height to achieve proper seat belt positioning on the passenger.

[0025] The present invention can also include the following aspects.

[0026] 1. A system for detecting seat belt positioning, comprising:

[0027] a passenger classification module configured to determine physical attributes of a passenger being restrained in a passenger seat by a seat belt, the seat belt having a lap belt and a shoulder belt;

[0028] a seat belt positioning quality module configured to detect a quality of positioning of the seat belt based on a position of the shoulder belt;

[0029] a notification module configured to notify the passenger of improperly positioned seat belt; and

[0030] an education module configured to provide instructions to the passenger regarding how to adjust the seat belt for proper seat belt positioning.

[0031] 2. The system according to claim 1 further includes a mass sensor operatively connected to a passenger classification module configured to classify passengers based on the sensed passenger mass.

[0032] 3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the mass sensor includes a pressure sensor operatively connected to a bladder built into a passenger seat for supporting a passenger.

[0033] 4. The system according to claim 3, wherein the bladder includes a pressure sensor and a bladder built into the seat base of the passenger seat.

[0034] 5. The system according to claim 1 further includes a camera operatively connected to a passenger classification module configured to classify passengers based on physical attributes obtained from images captured by the camera.

[0035] 6. The system according to Scheme 5 further includes a seat belt deployment capture module, the seat belt deployment capture module being configured to detect the actual deployment of the seat belt based on images captured by a camera.

[0036] 7. The system according to Scheme 6, wherein the seat belt installation quality module compares the expected shoulder strap position for the classified passenger with the actual shoulder strap installation to detect the installation quality.

[0037] 8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the education module is configured to present passengers with a set of text-based instructions for proper seatbelt placement.

[0038] 9. The system according to Scheme 1, wherein the education module is configured to present a video describing how the seat belt should be adjusted for proper seat belt placement.

[0039] 10. The system according to Scheme 1 further includes a seat belt adjustment module for automatically adjusting the height of the shoulder strap anchor to establish the correct seat belt configuration for the passenger.

[0040] 11. A system for detecting the deployment of seat belts, comprising:

[0041] In-cabin sensors, configured to detect passengers in the passenger seats of the vehicle;

[0042] A passenger classification module, configured to determine the physical attributes of passengers;

[0043] A seat belt installation quality module is configured to detect incorrect installation of the seat belt on a passenger based on data from a passenger classification module.

[0044] A notification module, configured to notify a passenger of an incorrectly installed seatbelt; and

[0045] An education module is configured to provide guidance to passengers on how to adjust the seat belts for proper seat belt placement.

[0046] 12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the cabin sensor includes a mass sensor operatively connected to a passenger classification module configured to generate a passenger classification based on the sensed passenger mass.

[0047] 13. The system according to claim 12, wherein the in-cabin sensor includes a camera operatively coupled to a passenger classification module, the passenger classification module being configured to evaluate images captured by the camera to determine the physical attributes of passengers and to generate a passenger classification based on the physical attributes.

[0048] 14. The system according to claim 13, wherein the classification module evaluates images captured by a camera to assess the passenger's position on a passenger seat in order to determine physical properties.

[0049] 15. The system according to claim 14, wherein the classification module establishes the position of the desired shoulder strap anchor height based on passenger classification.

[0050] 16. The system according to claim 15 further includes: a seat belt deployment capture module, the seat belt deployment capture module being configured to evaluate images captured by a camera to detect the actual seat belt deployment on the passenger.

[0051] 17. The system according to claim 16, wherein the seat belt placement quality module is configured to detect incorrect seat belt placement by comparing the actual shoulder strap placement obtained from the seat belt placement capture module with the position of the desired shoulder strap anchor height from the classification module.

[0052] 18. The system according to claim 11, wherein the education module is configured to present a set of text-based instructions to a passenger for adjusting the position of the seat belt for proper seat belt placement.

[0053] 19. The system according to claim 11, wherein the education module is configured to present a video to the passenger describing how the seat belt should be adjusted for proper seat belt deployment.

[0054] 20. The system according to claim 11 further includes: a seat belt adjustment module operably connected to a linear actuator, the linear actuator being connected to a shoulder strap anchor, the seat belt adjustment module controlling the linear actuator to automatically set the height of the shoulder strap anchor to achieve the correct seat belt placement on the passenger.

[0055] Further areas of application of this disclosure will become apparent from the detailed description, claims, and drawings. The detailed description and specific examples are intended for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. Attached Figure Description

[0056] This disclosure will be more fully understood from the detailed description and accompanying drawings, in which:

[0057] Figure 1 According to the perspective view of the vehicle disclosed herein, the vehicle includes a system for detecting seat belt placement and notifying passengers of incorrect placement in the vehicle;

[0058] Figure 2 This is a front view of a passenger seat and seat belt system constrained according to the present disclosure, the constraint including properly positioned shoulder straps on the passenger.

[0059] Figure 3 This is a front view of a passenger seat and seat belt system constrained according to the present disclosure, the constraint including improperly positioned shoulder straps that are mounted too low on the passenger.

[0060] Figure 4 This is a front view of a passenger seat and seat belt system constrained according to the present disclosure, the constraint including improperly positioned shoulder straps that are mounted too high on the passenger.

[0061] Figure 5 According to a block diagram of this disclosure, the block diagram illustrates a system for identifying incorrect shoulder strap placement in a vehicle; and

[0062] Figure 6 According to the flowchart of this disclosure, the method for identifying incorrect shoulder strap placement and providing feedback to the passenger is related to an adjustment procedure to obtain the correct placement.

[0063] In the accompanying drawings, reference numerals may be used repeatedly to denote similar and / or identical elements. Detailed Implementation

[0064] Proper shoulder strap placement is beneficial for passenger comfort and seatbelt effectiveness. Shoulder straps that are positioned too high or too low on the shoulder can be uncomfortable. An uncomfortable shoulder strap may be positioned in a way that further reduces its effectiveness. Furthermore, shoulder straps that are positioned too high or too low on the shoulder are less effective than correctly positioned shoulder straps. Many passengers do not understand how shoulder straps should be correctly positioned to maximize comfort and effectiveness.

[0065] This disclosure relates to a system that detects incorrect shoulder strap placement and provides feedback to the passenger on how to properly position the seat belt.

[0066] According to this disclosure, the vehicle is Figure 1 The vehicle 10 is generally indicated by reference numeral 10. The vehicle 10 includes a body 12 supported by a plurality of wheels 16. The body 12 partially defines a passenger compartment 20 including passenger seats, one of which is indicated by reference numeral 24. Each passenger seat 24 includes an associated seatbelt 26 that restrains the passenger in the event of a sudden change in acceleration force on the vehicle 10.

[0067] refer to Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 4 And continue to refer to Figure 1 The seat belt 26 includes a lap belt 28 and a shoulder strap 30. The seat belt 26 includes a retractor mechanism 32, which is connected to the B-pillar 36 in the vehicle 10. Figure 1 The B-pillar 36 also supports a shoulder strap anchor 38. The shoulder strap anchor 38 can be manually moved along the B-pillar 36 to adjust its height to accommodate passengers of various body types. A lap belt anchor 40 is attached to the floor (not shown) within the passenger compartment 20. The passenger seat 24 includes a seat base 42 and a seat back 44 that support the passenger.

[0068] refer to Figure 5 According to this disclosure, vehicle 10 includes an in-cabin sensor system 46 that detects the presence of a passenger in passenger seat 24 and whether the shoulder strap 30 is correctly positioned. For example, the in-cabin sensor system 46 can detect whether the shoulder strap 30 is positioned too low on the passenger (e.g., as...). Figure 3 (as shown) or whether the shoulder strap 30 is positioned too high on the passenger (e.g., as shown) Figure 4(As shown). In either of the above two cases, passengers are provided with instructions on how to properly position the shoulder strap 30, as will be detailed herein. The cabin sensor system 46 also detects the position of the seat belt 26 on the passenger. The cabin sensor system 46 includes a camera 48 and a mass sensor 50. The camera 48 is pointed at the passenger seat 24, while the mass sensor 50 is integrated into the seat base 42 and the seat back 44.

[0069] In a non-limiting example, the mass sensor 50 may include: a first pressure sensor 52 connected to a first sac 54, which is mounted in the seat base 42; and a second pressure sensor 56 mounted to a second sac 58, which is mounted in the seat back 44. The first pressure sensor 52 and the second pressure sensor 56 output signals representing pressure changes in the first sac 54 and the second sac 58, the pressure changes being proportional to the mass of the passenger in the passenger seat 24. The in-cabin sensor system 46 may also include a position sensor 59 that detects the position of the shoulder strap anchor 38 on the B-pillar 36.

[0070] According to this disclosure, vehicle 10 includes a controller 60 for detecting the deployment of seat belts. The controller 60 is operatively connected to an in-cabin sensor system 46. Figure 5 As shown, the controller 60 includes: a central processing unit (CPU) 64, a non-volatile memory 66, a passenger classification module 70, a seat belt deployment capture module 72, a deployment quality module 74, a notification module 78, and an education module 80. The passenger classification module 70 classifies passengers in the passenger seat 24 based on the mass sensed by the mass sensor 50 and the image captured by the camera 48.

[0071] The classification may include percentiles based on population. For example, passenger classification module 70 evaluates physical attributes or reference points on a passenger. These reference points may include: mass, based on input from mass sensor 50; base of neck position; shoulder position; and other physical attributes including passenger height, based on the passenger's position on passenger seat 24 obtained from images captured by camera 48, to form a passenger classification. The physical attributes may also include neck length and shoulder width, both of which can be obtained from images captured by camera 48. For example, the images are processed and evaluated by passenger classification module 70 to determine, for example, where the passenger's shoulders are resting relative to passenger seat 24, neck length, shoulder width, etc.

[0072] If a passenger's body size is larger than 95% of the male population, the passenger is classified as "95% male"; if the passenger's body size is larger than 50% of the male population, the passenger is classified as "50% male"; and if the passenger's body size falls within the 5% of the male population, the passenger is classified as "5% male". The passenger classification may also include the percentage of the female population and the percentage of the child population. Subsequently, the passenger classification module 70 uses the passenger classification to establish the desired shoulder strap layout and desired shoulder strap anchor positions associated with the passenger classification. Then, the controller 60 determines baseline position limits for the shoulder strap 30 based on the reference points determined by the passenger classification module 70. These baseline position limits establish the desired shoulder strap anchor height.

[0073] The desired height of the shoulder strap anchor defines the height of the shoulder strap anchor 38, which may allow passengers with specific passenger classifications to achieve the correct shoulder strap placement. For example, "95% of men" would prefer the shoulder strap anchor at height "x," while 50% of men would prefer the shoulder strap anchor at a lower height "y" than "x" for the correct placement of the shoulder strap 30. Correct shoulder strap placement is defined as the position of the shoulder strap 30 centered on the passenger's shoulder, for example, as... Figure 2 As shown.

[0074] The deployment capture module 72 evaluates the image captured by camera 48 to determine the actual shoulder strap position on the passenger. For example, the deployment capture module 72 will first process the image captured by camera 48 to assess whether the shoulder strap 30 is visible. If the shoulder strap is not visible, for example, hidden behind the passenger, or if the shoulder strap 30 is not deployed above the passenger's shoulder, then a negative deployment signal is output to notification module 78, which provides an alert to the passenger. If the shoulder strap 30 is visible, the deployment capture module 72 transmits the shoulder strap image to deployment quality module 74, which compares the actual shoulder strap position with the desired shoulder strap anchor position.

[0075] The placement quality module 74 determines placement quality by comparing actual shoulder strap position data (such as shoulder strap angle, distance from the passenger's neck, and shoulder strap position on the passenger's shoulder) from the placement capture module 72 and shoulder strap anchor position data from the position sensor 56 with the desired shoulder strap placement and anchor position from the passenger classification module 70. The placement quality module 74 assesses whether the shoulder strap is in the correct position for a specific passenger body type. If the shoulder strap 30 is correctly positioned, for example, if it extends across the passenger within the calculated positional limits, the placement quality module 74 outputs a positive placement signal. However, if the shoulder strap 30 is outside the calculated positional limits, for example, if it is too close to the passenger's neck (…), the placement quality module 74 outputs a positive placement signal. Figure 4() or is falling from the shoulder () Figure 3 If the deployment quality module 74 outputs a negative deployment signal, then the deployment quality module 74 will output a negative deployment signal.

[0076] If the placement quality module 74 outputs a positive placement signal, the notification module 78 simply informs the passenger that "the shoulder strap 30 is correctly placed." Conversely, if the placement quality module 74 outputs a negative placement signal, the notification module 78 will inform the passenger that "the shoulder strap 30 can be adjusted," and the education module 80 will provide guidance to the passenger describing how the shoulder strap 30 can be adjusted for correct placement. For example, if the shoulder strap 30 is too close to the passenger's neck, the passenger will be instructed to lower the shoulder strap anchor 38. If the shoulder strap 30 is too low on the passenger's shoulder, the passenger will be instructed to raise the shoulder strap anchor 38.

[0077] Guidance may be provided in the following forms: voice prompts provided through the vehicle speaker 90, text presented on the display portion (not separately labeled) of the infotainment system 96, or instructional videos presented on the infotainment system 96. The controller 60 is further shown as including an adjustment module 84, which, if equipped, controls a linear actuator 98 coupled to the shoulder strap anchor 38 to adjust the shoulder strap position.

[0078] Now refer to Figure 6 A method 160 for identifying incorrect shoulder strap placement and providing feedback to passengers, the feedback relating to an adjustment procedure that will result in correct placement, is described. In block 162, passenger details are captured by an in-cabin sensor system 46. A camera 48 captures an image of the passenger, while a mass sensor 50 determines the passenger's mass. A position sensor 56 detects the current position of the shoulder strap anchor 38. In block 164, passengers are categorized based on the sensed mass and the images captured by the camera 48. A passenger classification module 70 evaluates signals from a first pressure sensor 52 and a second pressure sensor 56 to determine the passenger's weight. The passenger classification module 70 also processes the images captured by the camera 48 to determine the passenger's relative position, for example, on the seat back 44. Based on the passenger's classification, the passenger classification module 70 further establishes a baseline expectation for shoulder strap placement. The images from the camera 48 processed by the passenger classification module 70 are transmitted to a placement capture module 72 to determine how the shoulder strap 30 is positioned.

[0079] In box 166, the placement quality module 74 evaluates inputs from the passenger classification module 70 and the placement capture module 72 to determine how the shoulder strap anchor 38 should actually be positioned on the passenger. For example, the placement quality module 74 evaluates the baseline expectation established by the passenger classification module 70 to determine the correct shoulder strap anchor position for the passenger. In box 168, the controller 60 evaluates whether the current or actual shoulder strap anchor position is aligned with the correct shoulder strap anchor position set by the passenger classification module 70 in the baseline. In box 168, if the shoulder strap 30 is determined to be correctly placed, then in box 180, the controller 60 provides the passenger with a notification of correct placement.

[0080] On the other hand, in box 168, if the shoulder strap 30 is determined to be incorrectly positioned, a notification of incorrect positioning is presented to the passenger in box 190. In addition to the notification of incorrect positioning, the controller 60 will also present the passenger with adjustment suggestions related to how the shoulder strap 30 can be adjusted, in the form of voice suggestions, text suggestions, and / or video suggestions, such as moving the shoulder strap anchor 38 along the B-pillar 36 for correct positioning. In box 192, if the vehicle is configured such that, with the passenger's authorization, the controller 60 can automatically adjust the position of the shoulder strap anchor 38 on the B-pillar 36 via the adjustment module 84 to achieve correct shoulder strap positioning.

[0081] It should be understood here that the examples set forth in this disclosure describe a system that not only detects incorrect shoulder strap placement but also provides customized advice to a particular passenger on "how to correctly place the shoulder strap." These suggestions may appear in one or more forms, including voice guidance, text-based guidance, and / or instructional videos that can be presented on an in-vehicle infotainment system. Furthermore, if the system is configured such that it can move the shoulder strap anchor to a selected position to achieve the correct shoulder strap placement customized for a particular passenger. Furthermore, the guidance may be based solely on passenger quality or images obtained via a camera and does not necessarily need to include the specific steps outlined herein.

[0082] The foregoing description is illustrative in nature and is in no way intended to limit this disclosure, its application, or use. The broad teachings of this disclosure can be implemented in various forms. Therefore, while this disclosure includes specific examples, its true scope should not be so limited, as other modifications will become apparent upon examination of the drawings, description, and appended claims. It should be understood that one or more steps within the method may be performed in different orders (or simultaneously) without altering the principles of this disclosure. Furthermore, although each of the embodiments described above is described as having certain features, any one or more of those features described with respect to any embodiment of this disclosure may be implemented in and / or combined with features of any of any of other embodiments, even if such combinations are not explicitly described. In other words, the described embodiments are not mutually exclusive, and substitutions of one or more embodiments for each other remain within the scope of this disclosure.

[0083] Various terms are used to describe spatial and functional relationships between elements (e.g., between modules, circuit elements, semiconductor layers, etc.), including “connection,” “joint,” “coupled / linked,” “adjacent,” “next to,” “on top,” “above,” “below,” and “set.” Unless explicitly described as “direct,” when a relationship between first and second elements is described in the foregoing disclosure, the relationship can be a direct relationship in which no other intermediate elements exist between the first and second elements, or an indirect relationship in which one or more intermediate elements exist between the first and second elements (spatially or functionally). As used herein, at least one of the phrases A, B, and C should be interpreted as indicating logic using non-exclusive OR (A OR B OR C) and should not be interpreted as indicating “at least one of A, at least one of B, and at least one of C.”

[0084] In the accompanying drawings, the direction of the arrows, as indicated by the arrows, typically represents the flow of information of interest (such as data or instructions). For example, when elements A and B exchange various types of information, but the information sent from element A to element B is relevant to the illustration, the arrow may point from element A to element B. This unidirectional arrow does not imply that no other information is being sent from element B to element A. Furthermore, for information sent from element A to element B, element B may send a request for that information or an acknowledgment of receipt of that information to element A.

[0085] In this application, the terms "module" or "controller" may be replaced with the term "circuit" as defined below. The term "module" may refer to, be contained in, or include: application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs); digital, analog, or mixed-signal analog / digital discrete circuits; digital, analog, or mixed-signal analog / digital integrated circuits; combinational logic circuits; field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs); processor circuitry (shared, dedicated, or grouped) that executes code; memory circuitry (shared, dedicated, or grouped) that stores the code executed by the processor circuitry; other appropriate hardware components that provide the aforementioned functionality; or combinations of some or all of the above, such as in a system-on-a-chip.

[0086] This module may include one or more interface circuits. In some examples, the interface circuits may include wired or wireless interfaces connected to a local area network (LAN), the Internet, a wide area network (WAN), or a combination thereof. The functionality of any given module of this disclosure may be distributed across multiple modules connected via the interface circuits. For example, multiple modules may allow for load balancing. In a further example, a server (also referred to as a remote or cloud) module may perform some functions on behalf of a client module.

[0087] The term "code" as used above can include software, firmware, and / or microcode, and can refer to programs, routines, functions, classes, data structures, and / or objects. The term "shared processor circuitry" includes a single processor circuitry that executes some or all of the code from multiple modules. The term "group processor circuitry" includes processor circuitry that, in conjunction with additional processor circuitry, executes some or all of the code from one or more modules. References to multiprocessor circuitry include multiprocessor circuitry on a discrete die, multiprocessor circuitry on a single die, multiple cores of a single processor circuit, multiple threads of a single processor circuit, or a combination thereof. The term "shared memory circuitry" includes a single memory circuitry that stores some or all of the code from multiple modules. The term "group memory circuitry" includes memory circuitry that, in conjunction with additional memory, stores some or all of the code from one or more modules.

[0088] The term "memory circuit" is a subset of the term "computer-readable medium." As used herein, the term "computer-readable medium" does not include transient electrical or electromagnetic signals propagated through a medium (such as on a carrier wave); therefore, the term "computer-readable medium" can be considered tangible and non-transitory. Non-limiting examples of non-transitory tangible computer-readable media are non-volatile memory circuits (such as flash memory circuits, erasable programmable read-only memory circuits, or mask read-only memory circuits), volatile memory circuits (such as static random access memory circuits or dynamic random access memory circuits), magnetic storage media (such as analog or digital magnetic tape or hard disk drives), and optical storage media (such as CDs, DVDs, or Blu-ray discs).

[0089] The apparatus and methods described in this application can be implemented, in part or in whole, by a special-purpose computer created by configuring a general-purpose computer to perform one or more specific functions implemented in a computer program. The aforementioned function blocks, flowchart components, and other elements serve as software specifications that can be routinely converted into computer programs by skilled technicians or programmers.

[0090] A computer program includes processor-executable instructions stored on at least one non-transitory tangible computer-readable medium. A computer program may also include or depend on stored data. A computer program may include a basic input / output system (BIOS) that interacts with the hardware of a special-purpose computer, device drivers that interact with specific devices of the special-purpose computer, one or more operating systems, user applications, background services, background applications, etc.

[0091] Computer programs can include: (i) descriptive text to be parsed, such as HTML (Hypertext Markup Language), XML (Extensible Markup Language), or JSON (JavaScript Object Notation); (ii) assembly code; (iii) object code generated from source code by a compiler; (iv) source code executed by an interpreter; (v) source code compiled and executed by a just-in-time (JIT) compiler, and so on. As examples only, programs from languages ​​including C, C++, C#, Objective-C, Swift, Haskell, Go, SQL, R, and Lisp can be used. Fortran, Perl, Pascal, Curl, OCaml, HTML5 (Hypertext Markup Language, 5th Revision), Ada, ASP (Active Server Pages), PHP (PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor), Scala, Eiffel, Smalltalk, Erlang, Ruby, Visual Lua, MATLAB, SIMULINK and Use the syntax of the language to write source code.

Claims

1. A system for detecting seat belt fitment, comprising: a passenger classification module configured to determine physical attributes of a passenger being restrained in a passenger seat by a seat belt having a lap belt and a shoulder belt; a seat belt fitment quality module configured to detect a quality of fitment of the seat belt based on a shoulder belt position; a notification module configured to notify the passenger of an improperly fitted seat belt; and an education module configured to provide guidance to the passenger regarding how to adjust the seat belt for proper seat belt fitment.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a mass sensor operably connected to the passenger classification module, the passenger classification module configured to classify the passenger based on a sensed mass of the passenger.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the mass sensor comprises a pressure sensor operably connected to a bladder built into a passenger seat for supporting the passenger.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the bladder comprises a pressure sensor and a bladder built into a seat base of the passenger seat.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a camera operably coupled to the passenger classification module, the passenger classification module configured to classify the passenger based on physical attributes obtained from images captured by the camera.

6. The system of claim 5, further comprising a seat belt fitment capture module configured to detect an actual fitment of the seat belt based on images captured by the camera.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the seat belt fitment quality module compares an expected shoulder belt position for the classified passenger to an actual fitment of the shoulder belt to detect a quality of fitment.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the education module is configured to present a set of text-based guidance to the passenger for proper seat belt fitment.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the education module is configured to present a video describing how the seat belt should be adjusted for proper seat belt fitment.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising a seat belt adjustment module for automatically adjusting a height of a shoulder belt anchor to establish proper seat belt fitment for the passenger.

Images