Devices, systems, and methods for testing occupant detection sensors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11644377-B2
Application number	US-202117246890-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 3, 2021
Priority date	May 3, 2021
Publication date	May 9, 2023
Grant date	May 9, 2023

Abstract

Various disclosed embodiments include illustrative devices, systems, and methods for analyzing occupancy detection sensors. In an illustrative embodiment, a device includes a processor and a memory configured to store computer-executable instructions. The instructions are configured to cause the processor to receive an environmental value, send instructions to apply increasing forces to a seat portion of a seat, magnitude of sequential ones of the forces increasing over time, receive applied force values from a force applicator, receive a seat occupied signal from a seat sensor, record the applied force value associated with the applied force values in response to receiving the seat occupied signal, compare the recorded force value with a threshold force value associated with the received environmental value, and output a signal in response to the comparison.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device comprising:
a processor; and
a memory configured to store computer-executable instructions configured to cause the processor to:
receive an environmental value;
send instructions to apply increasing forces to a seat portion of a seat, magnitude of sequential ones of the forces increasing over time;
receive applied force values from a force applicator;
receive a seat occupied signal from a seat sensor;
record the applied force value associated with the applied force values in response to receiving the seat occupied signal;
compare the recorded force value with a threshold force value associated with the received environmental value; and
output a signal in response to the comparison.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the memory is further configured to store computer-executable instructions configured to cause the processor to:
output a pass signal responsive to the recorded force value being greater than a lower threshold value associated with the received environmental value and less than an upper threshold value associated with the received environmental value.

3. The device of claim 2 , wherein the lower threshold value and the upper threshold value are inversely proportional to the environmental value.

4. The device of claim 2 , wherein the memory is further configured to store computer-executable instructions configured to cause the processor to:
output a fail signal responsive to the recorded force value being less than the lower threshold value.

5. The device of claim 4 , wherein the memory is further configured to store computer-executable instructions configured to cause the processor to:
output a fail signal responsive to the recorded force value being greater than the upper threshold value.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the environmental value is chosen from a temperature value and a humidity value.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein:
the memory is further configured to store computer-executable instructions configured to cause the processor to:
receive seat material information; and

the threshold value is further associated with the received seat material information.

8. A system comprising:
an environmental sensor configured to generate an environmental value;
a force applicator configured to:
apply increasing forces to a seat portion of a vehicle seat, magnitude of sequential ones of the forces increasing over time; and
generate applied force values associated with the applied increasing forces;

a processor configured to communicate with the environmental sensor, the force applicator, and an occupant detection sensor in the vehicle seat;
a memory configured to communicate with the processor, the memory configured to store computer-executable instructions configured to cause the processor to:
receive the environmental value;
receive the generated applied force values from the force applicator;
receive a seat occupied signal from the occupant detection sensor;
record the applied force value associated with the received applied force values in response to receiving the seat occupied signal;
compare the recorded force value with a threshold value associated with the received environmental value; and
generate an output signal in response to the comparison; and

an output device configured to output the generated output signal.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the memory is further configured to store computer-executable instructions configured to cause the processor to:
output a pass signal responsive to the recorded force value being greater than a lower threshold value associated with the received environmental value and less than an upper threshold value associated with the received environmental value.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the lower threshold value and the upper threshold value are inversely proportional to the environmental value.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the memory is further configured to store computer-executable instructions configured to cause the processor to:
output a fail signal responsive to the recorded force value being less than the lower threshold value.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the memory is further configured to store computer-executable instructions configured to cause the processor to:
output a fail signal responsive to the recorded force value being greater than the upper threshold value.

13. The system of claim 8 , wherein the environmental value is chosen from a temperature value and a humidity value.

14. The system of claim 8 , wherein:
the memory is further configured to store computer-executable instructions configured to cause the processor to:
receive seat material information; and

the threshold value is further associated with the received seat material information.

15. A method comprising:
receiving an environmental value;
applying increasing forces to a seat portion of a seat, magnitude of sequential ones of the forces increasing over time;
receiving applied force values;
receiving a seat occupied signal;
recording the applied force value associated with the applied force values in response to receiving the seat occupied signal;
comparing the recorded force value with a threshold force value associated with the received environmental value; and
outputting a signal in response to the comparison.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein outputting the signal in response to the comparison includes:
outputting a pass signal responsive to the recorded force value being greater than a lower threshold force value associated with the received environmental value and less than an upper threshold force value associated with the received environmental value.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein outputting the signal in response to the comparison further includes:
outputting a fail signal responsive to the recorded force value being less than the lower threshold force value.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein outputting the signal in response to the comparison further includes:
outputting a fail signal responsive to the recorded force value being greater than the upper threshold force value.

19. The method of claim 15 , wherein receiving the environmental value further includes:
receiving an environmental value chosen from a temperature value and a humidity value.

20. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
receiving seat material information; and
adjusting the threshold force value responsive to the received seat material information.

Assignees

• Rivian Ip Holdings Llc

Inventors

• Werner Nathan

Classifications

• B60N2210/40

  Force or pressure sensors · CPC title

• G01M99/008

  by doing functionality tests · CPC title

• G01M99/007

  by applying a load, e.g. for resistance or wear testing (G01M99/001 takes precedence; testing the elasticity of structures G01M5/00) · CPC title

• G01M99/001

  Testing of furniture, e.g. seats or mattresses · CPC title

• G01M17/007

  Wheeled or endless-tracked vehicles (G01M17/08 takes precedence) · CPC title