Vehicular Occupant Determination via Dynamic Acceleration Transition
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional vehicular occupant determination apparatuses fail to accurately determine the occupant type on a vehicle seat during vehicle acceleration in the width direction, leading to delayed or incorrect transitions in occupant type determination, especially during turning or when occupants get on or off the seat during driving.
Innovation Solution
A vehicular occupant determination apparatus with a load detection portion, an occupant determination portion, an acceleration detection portion, a transition prohibition portion, and a transition permission portion that sets a transition prohibition state during high acceleration and allows transitions based on load changes during permission states, ensuring accurate determination of occupant types even during vehicle maneuvers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the occupant type determination is prohibited during high acceleration to prevent incorrect determination, then the reliability of determination is improved, but the responsiveness to actual occupant type changes is delayed
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the determination prohibition based on acceleration direction. During deceleration (negative acceleration), the system permits determination transitions, while during acceleration it prohibits them. This dynamic approach allows the system to maintain reliability during high-acceleration phases while capturing actual occupant type changes during deceleration phases, resolving the contradiction between reliability and responsiveness.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the determination result is maintained during acceleration to prevent wrong transitions, then the stability of determination is improved, but the ability to detect actual occupant changes is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements dynamic adaptability by permitting determination transitions during deceleration phases while maintaining stability during acceleration phases. This allows the determination result to adapt to actual occupant changes when physically appropriate (during deceleration) while maintaining stability when acceleration might cause false changes.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the determination prohibition parameter based on acceleration conditions. When acceleration is positive (accelerating), determination is prohibited; when acceleration is negative (decelerating), determination is permitted. This parameter change approach allows the system to balance stability and adaptability by adjusting determination behavior according to vehicle motion state.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Prevents incorrect determination changes during vehicle acceleration, allowing for timely and accurate transitions to the correct occupant type, minimizing disruptions to occupant protection apparatus operations.
Implementation Method 1
a load detection portion that detects a load of either a left part or a right part of a seat portion of a vehicle seat
Implementation Method 2
an acceleration detection portion that detects an acceleration in a width direction of the vehicle
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicular occupant determination apparatus includes a load detection portion, an occupant determination portion, an acceleration detection portion, a transition prohibition portion, and a transition permission portion. The transition permission portion detects whether an acceleration increases or decreases a load, and sets a transition permission state even during the transition prohibition state. In the transition permission state, a determination result of a first occupant type is permitted to transit to a determination result of a second occupant type with a smaller load than the load of the first occupant type when the acceleration increases the load, and the determination result of the first occupant type is permitted to transit to a determination result of a third occupant type with a greater load than the load of the first occupant type when the acceleration decreases the load.