Seating detection method and seating detection device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10196025-B2
Application number	US-201715622095-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 14, 2017
Priority date	Jun 23, 2016
Publication date	Feb 5, 2019
Grant date	Feb 5, 2019

Abstract

A seating detection method includes: detecting whether a seat belt sensor in a vehicle seat is in an ON state or an OFF state; detecting whether a pressure sensitive sensor in a seat skin constituting a seating surface is in an ON state or an OFF state; and determining a foreign object insertion state in which a foreign object is inserted between the seating surface and a child seat based on whether the seat belt sensor is in the ON state or the OFF state and whether the pressure sensitive sensor is in the ON state or the OFF state. When the pressure sensitive sensor is changed from the ON state to the OFF state in a state in which the seat belt sensor is maintained in the ON state after the seat belt sensor is changed to the ON state, it is determined as the foreign object insertion state.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A seating detection method comprising:
detecting whether a seat belt sensor configured to be provided in a seat of a vehicle is in an ON state or an OFF state;
detecting whether a pressure sensitive sensor configured to be provided inside a seat skin constituting a seating surface of the seat is in an ON state or an OFF state; and
determining a foreign object insertion state in which a foreign object is inserted between the seating surface and a child seat based on whether the seat belt sensor is in the ON state or the OFF state and whether the pressure sensitive sensor is in the ON state or the OFF state,
wherein, when the pressure sensitive sensor is changed from the ON state to the OFF state in a state in which the seat belt sensor is maintained in the ON state after the seat belt sensor is changed to the ON state, it is determined as the foreign object insertion state.

2. The seating detection method according to claim 1 ,
wherein, when the pressure sensitive sensor is changed from the ON state to the OFF state and then changed from the OFF state to the ON state in the state in which the seat belt sensor is maintained in the ON state after the seat belt sensor is changed to the ON state, it is determined that it is the foreign object insertion state.

3. The seating detection method according to claim 1 ,
wherein, when the pressure sensitive sensor is changed to the OFF state from the ON state and then changed to the ON state, it is determined that it is the foreign object insertion state.

4. The seating detection method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
determining whether the vehicle is in a vehicle stop state,
wherein, when it is determined that the vehicle is in the vehicle stop state, it is determined that it is the foreign object insertion state.

5. The seating detection method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
determining whether a vehicle door is in an open state,
wherein, when it is determined that the vehicle door is in the open state, it is determined that it is the foreign object insertion state.

6. The seating detection method according to claim 1 ,
wherein, when the pressure sensitive sensor is changed from the OFF state to the ON state before the seat belt sensor is changed to the ON state, it is determined that it is the foreign object insertion state.

7. A seating detection device comprising
a seat belt sensor;
a pressure sensitive sensor; and
circuitry configured to:
detect whether the seat belt sensor configured to be provided in a seat of a vehicle is in an ON state or an OFF state;
detect whether the pressure sensitive sensor configured to be provided inside a seat skin which constitutes a seating surface of the seat is an ON state or an OFF state; and
detect a foreign object insertion state in which a foreign object is inserted between the seating surface and a child seat based on whether the seat belt sensor is in the ON state or the OFF state and whether the pressure sensitive sensor is in the ON state or the OFF state,
wherein, when the pressure sensitive sensor is changed from the ON state to the OFF state in a state in which the seat belt sensor is maintained in the ON state after the seat belt sensor is changed to the ON state, it is determined as the foreign object insertion state.

Assignees

• Aisin Seiki

Inventors

• Fujii Hiroyuki
• Izuno Takahiro

Classifications

• B60N2/002

  Seats provided with an occupancy detection means mounted therein or thereon (detection means responsive to presence or absence of children B60N2/266) · CPC title

• B60R21/0152 Primary

  using strain gauges · CPC title

• B60N2/0034

  in, under or on the seat cover · CPC title

• B60N2210/40

  Force or pressure sensors · CPC title

• B60N2/28 Primary

  Seats readily mountable on, and dismountable from, existing seats {or other parts} of the vehicle · CPC title