Safety device actuation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10919474-B2
Application number	US-201916381797-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 11, 2019
Priority date	Apr 11, 2019
Publication date	Feb 16, 2021
Grant date	Feb 16, 2021

Abstract

A system includes a rail including a capacitive transmitter, a computer programmed to send an actuation identifier code along the capacitive transmitter, and a plurality of seats supported by the rail, each seat including a seat controller communicatively connected to the capacitive transmitter. Each seat controller is programmed to actuate a safety device when a device identifier code corresponding to the safety device matches the actuation identifier code.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system, comprising:
a rail including a capacitive transmitter;
a computer programmed to send an actuation identifier code along the capacitive transmitter; and
a plurality of seats, each seat supported by one or more respective carriages on the rail, each carriage including a capacitive bridge, each seat including a seat controller communicatively connected to the capacitive transmitter via the capacitive bridge;
wherein each seat controller is programmed to, upon receiving the actuation identifier code via the capacitive bridge, actuate a safety device when a device identifier code corresponding to the safety device matches the actuation identifier code;
wherein the capacitive transmitter is configured to induce a capacitance in the capacitive bridge to transmit the actuation identifier code to each seat controller.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the safety device is one of an airbag inflator, a seat belt pretensioner, or an occupant antisubmarining device.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computer is further programmed to identify a respective safety device in each of the plurality of seats and to send a plurality of actuation identifier codes matching device identifier codes corresponding to the respective safety devices.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computer is further programmed to detect a vehicle impact based on data received from an impact sensor and to identify an airbag in one of the seats based on the vehicle impact.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the computer is further programmed to actuate the capacitive transmitter to send the actuation identifier code to the seat controller via the capacitive bridge, the actuation identifier code corresponding to an airbag inflator connected to the identified airbag, and the seat controller is further programmed to, upon receiving the actuation identifier code via the capacitive bridge in response to the vehicle impact, actuate the airbag inflator.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computer is further programmed to convert an actuator pulse into the actuation identifier code.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein each seat controller is further programmed to convert the actuation identifier code to an actuator pulse.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein each seat controller is further programmed to actuate a respective safety device based on the actuator pulse.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein each seat includes at least one safety device, and each safety device has a different respective device identifier code.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the seat controller is further programmed to receive a second actuation identifier code, to identify a second safety device having a device identifier code matching the second actuation identifier code, and to actuate the safety device and the second safety device.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein each seat includes a capacitive receiver communicatively connected to the seat controller and to the capacitive transmitter.

12. A method, comprising:
identifying a vehicle impact based on data from an impact sensor;
upon identifying the vehicle impact, actuating a capacitive transmitter along a rail to induce a capacitance in a respective capacitive bridge of each of a plurality of seats supported by the rail to send an actuation identifier code;
receiving the actuation identifier code based on the induced capacitance of the respective capacitive bridge in each of the plurality of seats from the capacitive transmitter;
identifying a safety device in one of the plurality of seats having a device identifier code matching the actuation identifier code; and
actuating the safety device.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the safety device is one of an airbag inflator, a seat belt pretensioner, or an occupant antisubmarining device.

14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising identifying a respective safety device in each of the plurality of seats and sending a plurality of actuation identifier codes matching device identifier codes corresponding to the respective safety devices.

15. The method of claim 12 , further comprising identifying an airbag in one of the seats based on the vehicle impact.

16. The method of claim 12 , further comprising a plurality of carriages slideably supported on the rail, and each seat is supported by at least one of the carriages.

17. The method of claim 12 , further comprising converting an actuator pulse into the actuation identifier code.

18. The method of claim 12 , further comprising sending a second actuation identifier code matching a device identifier code of a second safety device in a same seat as the safety device and actuating the safety device and the second safety device.

19. A system, comprising:
a rail including a capacitive transmitter;
a vehicle seat including a safety device and a seat controller, the vehicle seat supported on the rail by a carriage including a capacitive bridge;
a computer programmed to:
identify an impact based on data from an impact sensor;
identify an actuation identifier code for the safety device in the vehicle seat based on the identified impact; and
actuate the capacitive transmitter to induce a capacitance in the capacitive bridge to transmit the actuation identifier code;

wherein the seat controller is programmed to:
detect a capacitance of the capacitive bridge;
identify the actuation identifier code based on the detected capacitance of the capacitive bridge;
based on the actuation identifier code, actuate the safety device in the vehicle seat.

20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the computer is further programmed to identify the actuation identifier code based on an actuator pulse, and the seat controller is further programmed to convert the actuation identifier code to the actuator pulse.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Dry Alan George
• Cuddihy Mark A
• Board Derek
• Moua Jimmy
• Line Johnathan Andrew

Classifications

• B60N2/005

  Arrangement or mounting of seats in vehicles {, e.g. dismountable auxiliary seats}(B60N2/02 takes precedence {; for railway vehicles B61D1/04}) · CPC title

• B60R2021/01006

  Mounting of electrical components in vehicles · CPC title

• B60R22/46

  {Reels} with means to tension the belt in an emergency {by forced winding up}(electrical circuits for triggering safety arrangements B60R21/01 {; tensioners using reels only guiding the belt during normal use, e.g. splitted reels B60R22/195}) · CPC title

• B60R16/027

  between relatively movable parts of the vehicle, e.g. between steering wheel and column {(devices for measuring, signalling or controlling tyre pressure or temperature specially adapted for mounting on vehicles B60C23/00)} · CPC title

• B60R21/013 Primary

  including means for detecting collisions, impending collisions or roll-over · CPC title