Method and device for detecting seat occupancy of a vehicle seat
The method and device detect seat occupancy in vehicles by analyzing the oscillatory behavior of an elastic sub-region within the seat, leveraging natural vehicle movements to determine resonant frequency, providing a cost-effective and efficient solution without requiring additional weight sensors.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- DE102024200855
- Authority / Receiving Office
- DE · DE
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-01-31
- Publication Date
- 2025-07-31
- Estimated Expiration
- 2044-01-31
AI Technical Summary
Existing methods for detecting vehicle seat occupancy are often complicated and cost-intensive, such as those involving integrated sensors or external monitoring devices like radar sensors.
A method and device utilizing an oscillatable mechanical system within the vehicle seat, comprising an elastic sub-region and sensors to detect the oscillatory behavior, particularly the resonant frequency, to determine seat occupancy without the need for additional weight sensors, leveraging the natural oscillations caused by vehicle movements.
Enables a simple and cost-effective detection of seat occupancy by analyzing the vibrational behavior of the vehicle seat, differentiating between objects and persons based on mass, using existing vehicle sensors and eliminating the need for additional weight measurement devices.
Smart Images
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Abstract
Claims
[1] Method for detecting seat occupancy of a vehicle seat (2) in a vehicle (4), in which at least one elastic partial region (10) of the vehicle seat (2) is used as part of an oscillatory system, wherein it is checked on the basis of an oscillatory behavior of the oscillatory system whether a seat is occupied. [2] Method according to the preceding claim, in which a resonance frequency of the oscillatory system is detected and, based on the resonance frequency, it is checked whether a seat is occupied [3] Method according to the preceding claim, in which the oscillatable system is excited to oscillate during driving operation due to the movements of the vehicle (4) and the oscillatable system is in particular a purely passive system, without a vibration exciter integrated into the vehicle seat (2). [4] Method according to one of the preceding claims, in which a sensor (12A) integrated into the vehicle seat (2) is used to detect the vibration behavior of the vibratable system. [5] Method according to the preceding claim, wherein the integrated sensor (12A) is an acceleration sensor or a capacitive sensor. [6] Method according to one of the two preceding claims, wherein the integrated sensor (12A) is integrated in a seat part of the vehicle seat (2). [7] Method according to one of the preceding claims, in which a monitoring sensor (12B) mounted outside the vehicle seat (2) is used to detect the vibration behavior of the vibratable system. [8] Method according to the preceding claim, wherein the monitoring sensor (12B) is a camera or a radar sensor. [9] Method according to one of the preceding claims, in which an external excitation vibration is detected with the aid of a reference sensor. [10] Method according to the preceding claim, in which at least one characteristic value of the excitation oscillation is compared with a characteristic value of the oscillation of the oscillatable system, in particular a phase relationship between the excitation oscillation and the oscillation of the oscillatable system is determined. [11] Device for detecting seat occupancy of a vehicle seat (2), which device has an elastic partial region (10) of the vehicle seat (2) and a sensor (12A, 12B) and an evaluation unit (14), wherein the elastic partial region (10) is part of an oscillatory system and the sensor (12A, 12B) is designed to detect oscillations of the oscillatory system, and wherein the evaluation unit (14) is designed to determine the oscillation behavior of the oscillatory system and to check whether a seat is occupied on the basis of the determined oscillation behavior. [12] Device according to the preceding claim, in which the evaluation unit (14) is designed to determine a resonance frequency of the oscillatory system and to check on the basis of this resonance frequency whether a seat is occupied. [13] Device according to one of the two preceding claims, in which the sensor (12A) is a sensor (12A) integrated in the vehicle seat (2), in particular an acceleration sensor or a capacitive sensor, or a monitoring sensor (12B) mounted outside the vehicle seat (2), in particular a camera or a radar sensor. [14] Device according to one of claims 11 to 13, in which a reference sensor is arranged to detect an excitation vibration and the evaluation unit (14) is designed to compare at least one characteristic value of the excitation vibration with a characteristic value of the vibration of the oscillatory system, and in particular to determine a phase relationship between the excitation vibration and the vibration of the oscillatory system. [15] Device according to one of claims 11 to 14, in which a weight sensor and / or a vibration exciter integrated into the vehicle seat (2) for the oscillatable system is dispensed with.
Citation Information
Patent Citations
Motor vehicle seat occupancy detection device, has evaluator connected to detection unit to detect vehicle seat occupancy when change in predetermined resonance characteristics exceeds assigned threshold
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Measurement of a vehicle seat occupant's weight, to match the airbag function, uses oscillation measurement for evaluation
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