Seat belt wireless communication system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11851024-B2
Application number	US-202217842108-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 16, 2022
Priority date	Sep 6, 2021
Publication date	Dec 26, 2023
Grant date	Dec 26, 2023

Abstract

Disclosed is a seat belt wireless communication system. The system includes a detection unit provided in each seat and detecting a first signal indicating whether or not a seat belt is fastened and a second indicating a battery state, a sub-control unit provided in the each seat and transmitting the first signal and the second signal through wireless communication; and a main control unit, performing the wireless communication with each of the sub-control units, causing the sub-control unit to wake up through the wireless communication, receiving the first signal and the second signal from the sub-control unit, determining whether or not a belt of the each seat is fastened and a charged state of a battery, and controlling an output through the first signal and the second signal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A seat belt wireless communication system comprising:
a detection unit provided in each seat and detecting a first signal that indicates whether or not a seat belt is fastened and a second signal indicating a battery state;
a sub-control unit provided in the each seat and transmitting the first signal and the second signal of the detection unit through wireless communication; and
a main control unit provided in a vehicle, performing the wireless communication with each of the sub-control units, waking up the sub-control unit through the wireless communication, receiving the first signal and the second signal from the sub-control unit after the sub-control unit wakes up, determining whether or not a belt of the each seat is fastened and a charged state of a battery, and controlling an output through the first signal and the second signal.

2. The seat belt wireless communication system of claim 1 , wherein the first signal and the second signal of the detection unit are transmitted through the wireless communication among the sub-control units.

3. The seat belt wireless communication system of claim 1 , wherein the sub-control unit transmits the first signal and the second signal through the wireless communication in compliance with an infrared-ray communication scheme, and the first signal and the second signal are an infrared-ray signal.

4. The seat belt wireless communication system of claim 1 , wherein the sub-control unit and the main control unit perform infrared-ray communication of the first signal and the second signal through an infrared-ray sensor provided in the sub-control unit and the main control unit.

5. The seat belt wireless communication system of claim 1 , wherein the sub-control unit and the main control unit are arranged in a channel passage in a closed dark space provided in a vehicle floor.

6. The seat belt wireless communication system of claim 1 , further comprising:
an external control unit performing the wireless communication with the main control unit, receiving the first signal and the second signal from the main control unit, and controls the sub-control unit or the main control unit.

7. A seat belt wireless communication method comprising:
detecting a first signal that indicates whether or not a seat belt is fastened and a second signal indicating a battery state;
transmitting the first signal and the second signal, which are detected, through wireless communication;
performing the wireless communication with each sub-control unit, waking up the sub-control unit through the wireless communication, receiving the first signal and the second signal from the sub-control unit after the sub-control unit wakes up, and determining whether or not a belt of each seat is fastened and a charged state of a battery; and
controlling an output through the first signal and the second signal that are received.

8. The seat belt wireless communication method of claim 7 , wherein in the detecting the second signal, a voltage of the battery of the sub-control unit is measured, and
wherein, in the transmitting of the second signal through the wireless communication, a low-voltage detection signal is transmitted in a case where the measured voltage of the battery is a low voltage, and a battery normality detection signal is transmitted through the wireless communication in a case where the measured voltage of the battery is not the low voltage.

9. The seat belt wireless communication method of claim 7 , wherein in the transmitting of the first signal and the second signal through the wireless communication, the transmission is performed through the wireless communication among the sub-control units.

10. The seat belt wireless communication method of claim 7 , wherein in the transmitting of the first signal and the second signal through the wireless communication, the sub-control unit transmits the first signal and the second signal through the wireless communication in compliance with an infrared-ray communication scheme, and the first signal and the second signal are an infrared-ray signal.

11. The seat belt wireless communication method of claim 7 , further comprising:
supplying electric power to a main control unit and waking up the main control unit when a vehicle starts to operate, the supplying of the electric power being performed subsequently to the transmitting of the fastening and non-fastening signal and the battery-state detection signal through the wireless communication.

12. The seat belt wireless communication method of claim 7 , wherein the determining of whether or not the belt of the each seat is fastened and the charged state of the battery further comprises:
performing reset control of a seat belt wireless communication system when a main control unit does not wake up the sub-control unit or does not receive the fastening and non-fastening signal and the battery-state detection signal from the sub-control unit after the sub-control unit wakes up.

13. The seat belt wireless communication method of claim 7 , further comprising:
performing the wireless communication with a main control unit, receiving the first signal and the second signal from the main control unit, and controlling the sub-control unit or the main control unit, the performing of the wireless communication with the main control unit being performed subsequently to the controlling of the output through the first signal and the second signal.

14. The seat belt wireless communication method of claim 7 , further comprising:
performing, by each of the sub-control unit and a main control unit C, reset control of data on the first signal, data on the second signal, data on whether or not the belt of the each seat is fastened, and data on the charged state of the battery when a vehicle stops operating, the performing by each of the sub-control unit and the main control unit of the reset control being performed subsequently to the controlling of the output through the first signal and the second signal.

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Corp

Inventors

• Kim Young Rok
• Bok Chang Kyu
• Kim Beom Jung

Classifications

• B60R22/48 Primary

  Control systems, alarms, or interlock systems, for the correct application of the belt or harness · CPC title

• B60R21/01 Primary

  Electrical circuits for triggering {passive} safety arrangements, {e.g. airbags, safety belt tighteners,} in case of vehicle accidents or impending vehicle accidents {(electrical circuits for transmission of signals between steering wheel and the vehicle itself B60R16/027; for electrically actuating belt retractor locking means B60R22/343)} · CPC title

• B60R2021/01265

  Seat belts · CPC title

• B60R2022/4816

  for sensing locking of buckle · CPC title