DETECTING A VEHICLE SEAT OCCUPIER

Abstract

System (100), comprising: a bladder (108) arranged in a vehicle seat (102); a pump (112); a pressure sensor (122); a line (114) that connects the pump (112) to the bladder (108); a branching element (118) that connects the line (114) to the pressure sensor (122); and a controller (124) comprising a processor and a memory, wherein the memory stores instructions that can be executed by the processor to determine the occupancy of a vehicle seat (102) according to two or more data obtained from the pressure sensor (122), characterized by the fact that The system (100) further comprises a switch (126) for actuating the fluid pump (112) for filling and / or emptying the bladder (108) with or from fluid, wherein the memory, which stores instructions that can be executed by the processor, further determines the occupancy of the seat (102) when the fluid pump (112) is actuated.

Description

STATE OF THE ART

[0001] Current vehicles are equipped with systems to detect whether a vehicle seat is occupied. These seat occupancy detection systems can, among other things, activate and deactivate devices such as airbags based on whether the seat is occupied. Such detection systems often require dedicated data acquisition systems, which increase the cost and complexity of vehicle design and manufacturing.

[0002] German patent application DE 60 2004 006 696 T2 describes a fluid-filled seat bladder body for estimating the weight of a vehicle occupant, and in particular a seat bladder body with internal connections. German patent application DE 698 19 614 T2 describes a motor vehicle seat with weight sensors for determining the weight of occupants and other objects on a motor vehicle seat, which can be used to determine the seating position of an occupant for the purpose of controlling a safety restraint system in a vehicle. Further prior art relevant to the background of the invention is provided in German patent applications DE 698 19 265 T2, DE 102 49 871 A1 and DE 10 2008 001 506 A1. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view and block diagram of a vehicle seat occupancy detection system. Fig. Figure 2 is a diagram of an exemplary procedure for detecting vehicle seat occupancy. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0003] With reference to Fig. Figure 1, in which the same numbers denote identical parts in all of the different views, shows that a vehicle seat 102 has an occupancy detection system 100. A seat backrest 104 and a seat section 106 are connected to each other in a known manner to form the seat 102. The seat section 106 has an inflatable bladder 108, i.e., the bladder 108 can retain a fluid, e.g., a gas such as air, the rigidity of the bladder being controlled by a quantity of air being pumped into and / or out of the bladder 108. The bladder 108 is typically arranged in a known manner in a cavity 109, the cavity 109 being formed between an upper side of a seat base 110 and the seat section 106. (The sides of the bubble 108 are shown with a distance from the sides of the cavity 109, and the cavity 109 is shown in an exaggerated size for illustrative purposes).

[0004] The system 100 further comprises, typically embedded in the seat base 110, a fluid pump 112 and a fluid line 114 between the pump 112 and the bladder 108. The line 114 can be made of a plastic hose or the like, as is known for connecting the pump 112 to the bladder 108, which is arranged in the seat section 106 of the seat 102. The line 114 has a first section 116 that connects the bladder 108 to a branch element 118, e.g., the T-section made of Fig. 1, which could be made of a rigid plastic material, as is known. The line 114 has a second section 120, which connects the branch element 118 to the pump 112.

[0005] The branch element 118 further connects the line 114 to a pressure sensor 122. A controller 124, e.g., a computer device comprising a processor and memory, is communicatively coupled to the pressure sensor 122 for receiving pressure data; for example, pressure data and communicative coupling are provided in a known manner. Accordingly, a fluid pressure, e.g., atmospheric pressure exerted by the bladder 108, can be measured by the sensor 122 along with one or more data points and provided to the controller 124. Furthermore, when pump operation of the pump 112 is completed, e.g., because an occupant has selected a switch 126 to add fluid to (e.g., filling) or subtract fluid from (e.g., emptying) the bladder 108, a change in the pressure of the bladder 108 can be detected.

[0006] A pressure change in bladder 108 can also be detected when an occupant enters or leaves seat 102. Using the readings from sensor 122 and the differences between the corresponding pressure readings from sensor 122, the controller 124 is programmed to determine that vehicle seat 102 is occupied, according to the two or more data points from pressure sensor 122. These two or more data points can therefore include a first pressure value and a second pressure value detected at a time after the detection of the first pressure value.

[0007] The vehicle seat 102, the seat backrest 104, and the seat section 106 typically each have a foam cushion or the like, as is known, with properties suitable for sitting on. The vehicle seat 102 may also have an outer layer of fabric, leather, or other suitable materials.

[0008] The bladder 108 is typically made of a flexible and elastic material suitable for holding fluid, such as air. The bladder 108 could, for example, be made of polyurethane, among other materials.

[0009] As explained above, line 114 provides a passage for pump 112 to fill and / or empty bladder 108 with fluid, e.g., air. Additionally or alternatively, bladder 108 may have a valve (not shown) or other mechanisms for emptying the bladder with fluid. Line 114 is a hose or the like, connected to an opening (not shown) in bladder 108. Line 114 contains a fluid at a pressure essentially equal to that of the fluid in bladder 108. Line 114 includes branch 118, which connects the second section 120 of line 114 to pump 112. Branch 118 also connects line 114 to a pressure sensor 122.

[0010] Pump 112 transports fluid through line 114 to fill and / or empty bladder 108. A switch 126 may be provided to actuate pump 112 to fill and / or empty bladder 108. Additionally or alternatively, switch 126 may communicate with a valve (not shown) or other mechanisms within the bladder to allow fluid evacuation. The term "switch" as used herein refers to any type or kind of user input mechanism that actuates the fluid pump to fill and / or empty the bladder; for example, an instruction from controller 124 or other computer device to actuate pump 112 as described herein could be included in a "switch".

[0011] The pressure sensor 122 is connected to the branch element 118 of line 114. The pressure sensor 122 provides pressure values ​​that are communicated to the controller 124 of a vehicle network, e.g. wirelessly, via Ethernet, via a Controller Area Network (CAN) bus, etc.

[0012] An initial pressure value can be a pressure value detected by pressure sensor 122 after a triggering event. The triggering event can include unlocking a vehicle door, opening the vehicle door, pressing a button on a key fob, etc. The triggering event activates system 100. When system 100 is activated, pressure sensor 122 detects the initial pressure value and communicates it to controller 124. Controller 124 is programmed to store the initial pressure value in its memory.

[0013] A second pressure value can be a pressure value detected by pressure sensor 122 after the detection of the first pressure value. The second pressure value can be a single pressure value detected by pressure sensor 122. Additionally or alternatively, the second pressure value can be derived from an average of a sum of pressure values ​​detected by pressure sensor 122 over a period of, for example, one second.

[0014] The control unit 124 is a computer device, as described above, comprising a processor (not shown) and a data memory (not shown) for monitoring and / or controlling various vehicle components. The memory can, for example, store instructions that are executed by the processor to determine whether the vehicle seat 102 is occupied. Furthermore, the control unit 124 can be programmed, after determining whether the vehicle seat 102 is occupied, to actuate one or more vehicle mechanisms, e.g., to actuate the vehicle seat 102 to move it from a rear position to a front position. The computer device can also be programmed, for example, to actuate a vehicle steering wheel to move it from a first position to a second position, after determining whether an occupant is occupying or leaving the seat 102.

[0015] Fig.Figure 2 is a diagram of an exemplary procedure 200 for detecting the occupancy of vehicle seat 102. The procedure 200 begins in a block 210 with a trigger event. The trigger event can include unlocking a vehicle door, opening the vehicle door, pressing a button on a key fob, etc. The trigger event, which can be displayed on a vehicle network, e.g., a CAN bus, and in a known manner, can cause the controller 124 to activate the system 100.

[0016] After the triggering event, the pressure sensor 122 in a block 220 detects an initial or base pressure value. The pressure sensor 122 communicates the initial pressure value to the controller 124, and the controller 124 stores the initial pressure value in its memory. The purpose of recording (storing) the initial pressure value is to record a base pressure in the bladder 108, e.g., a pressure corresponding to the bladder 108's fill level before an occupant occupies the seat 102.

[0017] Following block 220, the controller 124 determines a second pressure value in block 230. This second pressure value could be a single pressure reading from sensor 122. However, since a single pressure reading would likely result in an incorrect determination of whether a seat is occupied, pressure sensor 122 typically determines the second pressure value by averaging pressure readings from sensor 122. The pressure sensor communicates the value(s) to the controller 124 for determining the second pressure value. This averaging is typically an average of pressure readings obtained over a specific period, e.g., 1 second. The second pressure value is stored in the memory of controller 124.

[0018] The controller 124 then determines in block 240 whether the pump 112 has been actuated and / or whether the valve (not shown) in bladder 108 has been opened after recording the first pressure value. If the pump 112 has been actuated or the valve has been opened, the controller 124 determines the occupancy of vehicle seat 102 in block 270. Following block 270, the controller 124 can provide an instruction in block 290 to actuate vehicle seat 102, to move vehicle seat 102 from a rear position to a front position, and / or to actuate other vehicle components, such as a steering wheel, mirror, window, etc.

[0019] If pump 112 was not activated and the valve was not opened, the control unit in block 250 determines whether the second pressure reading differs from the first pressure reading by more than a predetermined threshold, e.g., 0.8 pounds per square inch (psi). If not, the process proceeds to block 280.

[0020] Next, in block 260, control 124 determines whether the second pressure value, which has been determined to differ from a first pressure value by more than the predetermined threshold, is greater than the first pressure value. If the second pressure value exceeds the first or base pressure value by more than the threshold, the procedure proceeds to block 270. If the second pressure value is substantially equal to the first pressure value or is less than it by more than one threshold, the procedure proceeds to block 280.

[0021] In block 270, the control unit 124 determines the occupancy of vehicle seat 102.

[0022] As explained above, after block 270, control 124 can provide an instruction in block 290 to operate the vehicle seat 102, to move the vehicle seat 102 from a rear position to a front position, and / or to operate other vehicle components, e.g., a steering wheel, mirror, window, etc. The procedure ends after block 290.

[0023] Referring again to block 280, control 124 has determined that the second pressure value does not exceed the first pressure value by more than the predetermined threshold and that, consequently, vehicle seat 102 is unoccupied. If control 124 determines that vehicle seat 102 is unoccupied, procedure 200 proceeds to block 300. As explained above, in block 300, control 124 determines whether procedure 200 should continue. If control 124 determines that the system is active, for example, the vehicle remains switched on, procedure 200 continues and returns to block 230. If control 124 determines that the system is inactive, procedure 200 terminates.

Claims

[1] System (100), comprising: a bladder (108) arranged in a vehicle seat (102); a pump (112); a pressure sensor (122); a line (114) that connects the pump (112) to the bladder (108); a branching element (118) that connects the line (114) to the pressure sensor (122); and a controller (124) comprising a processor and a memory, wherein the memory stores instructions that can be executed by the processor to determine the occupancy of a vehicle seat (102) according to two or more data obtained from the pressure sensor (122), characterized by , that The system (100) further comprises a switch (126) for actuating the fluid pump (112) for filling and / or emptying the bladder (108) with or from fluid, wherein the memory, which stores instructions that can be executed by the processor, further determines the occupancy of the seat (102) when the fluid pump (112) is actuated. [2] System (100) according to claim 1, wherein the controller (124) is programmed to store a first pressure value after a triggering event. [3] System (100) according to claim 2, wherein the triggering event is one in which a vehicle door is opened and unlocked. [4] System (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the data include a first pressure value and a second pressure value. [5] System (100) according to claim 4, wherein the memory which stores instructions which can be executed by the processor further determines the occupancy of the vehicle seat (102) when the second pressure value is greater than the first pressure value. [6] System (100) according to claim 5, wherein the memory which stores instructions which can be executed by the processor further determines the second pressure value from an average of a sum of pressure values ​​which are detected by the pressure sensor over a predetermined period of time. [7] System (100) according to claim 6, wherein the memory which stores instructions which can be executed by the processor further determines the occupancy of the seat (102) when the second pressure value differs from the first pressure value by more than a predetermined threshold. [8] System (100) according to any one of claims 4 to 7, wherein the memory which stores instructions which can be executed by the processor further determines that the vehicle seat (102) is not occupied when the second pressure value is substantially equal to or less than the first pressure value. [9] System (100) according to claim 8, wherein the memory which stores instructions which can be executed by the processor further determines the second pressure value from an average of a sum of pressure values ​​which are detected by the pressure sensor over a specific period of time. [10] System (100) according to claim 9, wherein the memory which stores instructions which can be executed by the processor determines the occupancy of the seat when the second (102) pressure value differs from the first pressure value by more than a predetermined threshold. [11] System (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the memory which stores instructions which can be executed by the processor further actuates the vehicle seat (102) to move from a rear position to a front position when the computer device determines the occupancy of the vehicle seat (102). [12] System (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the memory which stores instructions which can be executed by the processor further actuates a steering wheel to move from a first position to a second position when the control (124) determines the occupancy of the vehicle seat (102).

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