Occupant determination apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9625307-B2
Application number	US-201414211686-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 14, 2014
Priority date	Mar 28, 2013
Publication date	Apr 18, 2017
Grant date	Apr 18, 2017

Abstract

An occupant determination apparatus includes a load sensor that detects weight of an occupant seated on a seat of a vehicle, and a determinator determining the weight of the occupant as one status among a plurality of statuses which is set corresponding to the weight based on the measurement weight measured by the load sensor. In a case where an absolute value of acceleration acting on the vehicle becomes equal to or larger than the threshold value set in advance, the determinator determines the weight of the occupant as one of the status among the plurality of statuses based on the measurement weight measured before it becomes the threshold value.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An occupant determination apparatus comprising:
a load sensor that measures a weight of an occupant seated on a seat of a vehicle as a measurement weight; and
a determinator determining the weight of the occupant as one status among a plurality of statuses which are set corresponding to the weight based on the measurement weight measured by the load sensor,
wherein the determinator:
determines the weight of the occupant as an instantaneous status among the plurality of statuses, based on the measurement weight measured for each unit time;
invalidates a determination result of the instantaneous status when an acceleration acting on the vehicle exceeds a threshold acceleration set in advance; and
continues to invalidate the determination result of the instantaneous status for each unit time during a predetermined time after the acceleration acting on the vehicle changes from exceeding the threshold acceleration set in advance to not exceeding the threshold acceleration set in advance.

2. The occupant determination apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein in a definite time set so as to be longer than the unit time, when the number of determined instantaneous statuses other than the invalidated instantaneous statuses is more than a predetermined number, the determinator determines the determined instantaneous status as a final status.

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Muramatsu Yusuke
• Kojima Mikihito

Classifications

• B60R21/01516

  using force or pressure sensing means · CPC title

• B60R21/0155

  sensing belt tension · CPC title

• B60N2/002

  Seats provided with an occupancy detection means mounted therein or thereon (detection means responsive to presence or absence of children B60N2/266) · CPC title

• G01G19/4142 Primary

  for controlling activation of safety devices, e.g. airbag systems (electrical circuits for triggering safety arrangements in case of vehicle accidents B60R21/015) · CPC title

• B60N2210/40

  Force or pressure sensors · CPC title