System for and method of wireless communication with seat belt

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11904803-B2
Application number	US-202217890673-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 18, 2022
Priority date	Jan 28, 2022
Publication date	Feb 20, 2024
Grant date	Feb 20, 2024

Abstract

A system for and a method of wireless communication with a seat belt includes a seat belt sensor provided on a per-seat basis and configured to detect whether or not a seat belt is fastened, a secondary controller provided on a per-seat basis and configured to wake up through wireless communication with a vehicle, to transmit a secondary data signal, including a state of a buckle that is detected by a seat belt sensor, through the wireless communication, and to switch to a sleep state after the secondary data signal is transmitted, and a primary controller provided in the vehicle and configured to receive and store the secondary data signal wirelessly transmitted by each of the secondary controllers and to transmit the stored secondary data signal to a vehicle system controller.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system for wireless communication with a seat belt comprising:
a seat belt sensor provided on a per-seat basis and configured to detect whether a seat belt is fastened;
a secondary controller provided on a per-seat basis and configured to wake up through wireless communication with a vehicle, to transmit a secondary data signal comprising a state of a buckle detected by a seat belt sensor through the wireless communication, and configured to switch to a sleep state after the secondary data signal is transmitted; and
a primary controller provided in the vehicle and configured to receive and store the secondary data signal wirelessly transmitted by each of the secondary controllers, and configured to transmit the stored secondary data signal to a vehicle system controller;
wherein the secondary controller switches to the sleep state when the primary controller does not properly receive the secondary data signal, when the secondary controller retransmits the secondary data signal, and, when the number of times the secondary data signal is retransmitted is greater than a predetermined number of times.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the secondary controller wirelessly receives a wake-up signal in a sleep state of the secondary controller and switches to a wake-up state.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the wake-up signal is received when ignition is turned on or off, when the buckle is fastened in a turned-on state of the ignition or when the fastened buckle is unfastened in the turned-on state thereof, or when a predetermined period elapses in the turned-on state of the ignition.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the secondary controller is initialized after the secondary controller receives the wake-up signal, and when the initialization is successful, each of the secondary controller transmits the secondary data signal.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the secondary data signal for the state of the buckle is a signal for a fastened state of the buckle.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the secondary data signal further comprises a signal for a state of a battery built into the secondary controller and a signal for a malfunctioning state of each of the secondary controllers.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the secondary controller switches to the sleep state when the primary controller properly receives the secondary data signal.

8. The system of claim 1 , the primary controller wirelessly transmits a reception acknowledgement signal to the secondary controller when the mater controller properly receives the secondary data signal.

9. The system of claim 7 , wherein a wake-up signal transmission timer of the secondary controller is turned on and then the secondary controller switches the sleep state when the wake-up signal received by the secondary controller is a wake-up signal indicating that ignition is turned on or off or indicating a fastened state of the buckle.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein when the wireless communication between the secondary controller and the primary controller is unnecessary, supplying of electric power to the secondary controller is blocked by causing the secondary controller to switch to the sleep state.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the wake-up signal is transmitted through a low-frequency (LF) transmitter that is a device in the vehicle that transmits a signal at a low frequency, and is received through an LF receiver provided in the secondary controller.

12. A method of wireless communication with a seat belt comprising:
causing each secondary controller to wake up through wireless communication in a sleep state of the each secondary controller;
transmitting, by the each secondary controller, a secondary data signal comprising a state-of-a-buckle signal resulting from detection by a seat belt sensor provided on a per-seat basis, through the wireless communication;
receiving and storing, by a primary controller, the secondary data signal wirelessly transmitted from the each secondary controller and transmitting, by the primary controller, the stored secondary data signal to a vehicle system controller;
causing the secondary controller to switch to the sleep state after the secondary data signal is transmitted; and
causing the secondary controller to switch to the sleep state when the primary controller does not properly receive the secondary data signal, when the secondary controller retransmits the secondary data signal, and, when the number of times the secondary data signal is retransmitted is greater than a predetermined number of times.

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Corp
• Samsong Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Bok Chang Kyu
• Shin Dong Ryul
• Kim Su Cheon
• Yoon Yong Chan
• Kim Man Seok

Classifications

• B60R22/48 Primary

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

• G08C17/02 Primary

  using a radio link · CPC title

• H04L12/10

  Current supply arrangements · CPC title

• B60R2022/4816

  for sensing locking of buckle · CPC title

• Y02D30/70

  in wireless communication networks · CPC title