Method of detecting use of a lap belt only routing of a combined lap belt/shoulder belt seat belt system in a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025050836-A1
Application number	US-202318231073-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 7, 2023
Priority date	Aug 7, 2023
Publication date	Feb 13, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method of detecting improper routing of a seat belt having a lap belt portion and a shoulder belt portion by an occupant of a vehicle includes detecting a movement of the seat belt indicating that the shoulder belt portion was placed behind a back of the occupant, and providing a warning indicting improper routing of the shoulder belt portion of the seat belt if the movement of the seat belt indicates that the shoulder belt portion was placed behind the back of the occupant.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of detecting improper routing of a seat belt having a lap belt portion and a shoulder belt portion by an occupant of a vehicle, the method comprising:
detecting a movement of the seat belt indicating that the shoulder belt portion was placed behind a back of the occupant; and providing a warning indicting improper routing of the shoulder belt portion of the seat belt if the movement of the seat belt indicates that the shoulder belt portion was placed behind the back of the occupant.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting the movement of the seat belt includes determining whether the seat belt has been withdrawn from a retractor a length that exceeds an over-the-head threshold length.

3 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising determining whether the seat belt has retracted into the retractor at a rate that is greater than a retraction velocity threshold.

4 . The method of claim 2 , wherein detecting the movement of the seat belt includes determining whether the seat belt has been withdrawn from the retractor a length that is less than a behind-the-back threshold length.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein detecting that the shoulder belt portion was placed behind the back of the occupant occurs when the seat belt length is less than the behind-the-back threshold length that is determined from a minimum seat belt routing length.

6 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising checking for a length-based reset of the seat belt after detecting the movement of the seat belt indicating that the shoulder belt portion was placed behind the back of the occupant.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein checking for the length-based reset includes determining whether a change in the length of the seat belt is less than a false reset threshold.

8 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising indicating a false reset if the change in the length of the seat belt is less than the false reset threshold.

9 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising determining whether the seat belt has been withdrawn from the retractor by a length that exceeds the over-the-head threshold length after indicating the false reset.

10 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising determining whether the length of the seat belt retracted into the retractor at a selected rate if the seat belt has been withdrawn from the retractor by a length that exceeds the over-the-head threshold length after the false reset is indicated.

11 . The method of claim 9 , wherein determining whether the seat belt has been withdrawn from the retractor a length that is less than a behind-the-back threshold length.

12 . The method of claim 7 , wherein checking for the length-based reset includes identifying that the change in the length of the seat belt occurred within a time duration that is less than a false reset time threshold.

13 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising indicating a properly routed shoulder belt portion of the seat belt if the length of the seat belt is below the reset threshold and above the false reset threshold.

14 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising recalculating the false reset threshold based on the over-the-head threshold length, a minimum payout value when the seat belt is improperly routed, and a reset percent value after detecting a false reset.

15 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the over-the-head threshold length is determined from a minimum seat belt routing length.

16 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising sensing one of a presence of an occupant in a seat in the vehicle associated with the seat belt and sensing that the length of the seat belt withdrawn from a retractor exceeds a minimum seat belt routing length.

17 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising inhibiting vehicle operation if the warning indicting improper routing of the shoulder belt portion of the seat belt is active.

18 . The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting the movement of the seat belt includes monitoring a seat belt length played out from a retractor with a first sensor and monitoring that the seat belt is buckled with a second sensor.

19 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising setting one or more decision flags when detecting movement of the seat belt.

20 . A vehicle comprising:
a body including a passenger compartment; and a seat arranged in the passenger compartment, the seat including the seat belt having the lap belt portion and the shoulder belt portion, wherein the seat belt is operatively connected to a controller programmed to perform the method of claim 1 .

Assignees

• Gm Global Tech Operations Llc

Inventors

• Thomas Scott D
• Jamal Sam
• Khanna Arjun

Classifications

• B60R2022/4816

  for sensing locking of buckle · CPC title

• B60R2022/4808

  Sensing means arrangements therefor · CPC title

• B60R2022/4866

  Displaying or indicating arrangements thereof · CPC title

• B60R22/48 Primary

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

• B60R2022/4825

  for sensing amount of belt winded on retractor · CPC title