DE102015010279A1 - Device for seat occupancy recognition - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for seat occupancy detection in a vehicle (1). According to the invention, a webbing (4) comprises, at least in sections, a material (M) which reflects light in a spectral range not visible to a human eye and an image acquisition unit (6) is designed such that it detects the reflected light.

Description

The invention relates to a device for seat occupancy detection in a vehicle.

From the DE 10 2011 080 257 A1 For example, a face recognition system and method are known. The face recognition system includes a photography unit, a face recognition unit, a storage unit, and a control unit. The photography unit photographs a driver's face, and the storage unit stores a user image or one or more image feature values acquired to a first user ID. A user is identified by face recognition, which compares the driver's face photographed by the photography unit with a user image or one or more image feature values stored in the memory unit.

The invention has for its object to provide a comparison with the prior art improved device for seat occupancy detection.

The object is achieved by the features specified in claim 1.

Advantageous embodiments of the invention are the subject of the dependent claims.

A device for seat occupancy detection in a vehicle according to the invention is designed such that a webbing at least partially comprises a material which reflects light in a non-visible to a human eye spectral range and an image acquisition unit is designed such that it detects the reflected light.

The seat occupancy and also a belt status can be recognized by means of the belt webbing, so that a plausibility check for activating or deactivating at least one occupant protection means assigned to a vehicle seat is possible, whereby the webbing is assigned to the vehicle seat.

Seat occupancy detection based on detected webbing history is improved, greatly eliminating conflict between the dark webbing and the occupant's dark clothing.

By virtue of the fact that essentially only the reflected light for detecting the course of the belt strap is detected by means of the image capture unit, an image capture unit can be used which has a comparatively low resolution and can therefore be cost-effective again.

Furthermore, in particular by means of such an image acquisition unit with a low resolution and / or by means of an image acquisition unit which detects only light in the frequency range not visible to the human eye, preferably only image data relating to the webbing detected, wherein an occupant is not filmed and thus no privacy rights are disregarded and violated.

Embodiments of the invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to a drawing.

It shows:

1 schematically a section of a vehicle with an occupant.

In the single figure is a section of a vehicle 1 , In particular, a section of a rear area of the vehicle 1 represented.

On a vehicle seat 2 An inmate sits 3 which is the vehicle seat 2 assigned webbing 4 has created. For this purpose, a not shown in detail, displaceable on the webbing 4 arranged belt lock tongue in a buckle 5 plugged in.

The vehicle seat is preferred 2 at least one occupant protection means, for example an airbag and / or a belt tensioner, assigned, the or whose triggering is preferably carried out when the vehicle seat 2 by an inmate 3 is occupied.

A seat occupancy detection is possible by means of a plurality of detection units, wherein in the present embodiment, the use of an image acquisition unit 6 is provided.

Here is the image capture unit 6 such in the interior of the vehicle 1 arranged that a predetermined number of vehicle seats 2 , in particular those in the rear area, in the detection area E of the image acquisition unit 6 located.

To determine if the vehicle seat 2 from an inmate 3 is occupied, is provided by means of acquired image data of the image acquisition unit 6 a course of the webbing 4 capture. One on the body of the inmate 3 applied webbing 4 has a different course, as in the non-applied state, in which the webbing 4 usually applied to a vehicle part.

An evaluation of the image data to determine the course of the webbing 4 has been comparatively complex and prone to error, especially when the occupant 3 wearing relatively dark clothes or the color of the clothes approximately the color of the webbing 4 equivalent.

To improve the detection of the webbing 4 and its course, in particular for seat occupancy detection, has the webbing 4 at least in sections, a material M which reflects light in a spectral range not visible to a human eye, for example infrared light and / or ultraviolet light, in particular light in a spectral range of less than 380 nanometers and / or greater than 780 nanometers. This leaves a tint of the webbing 4 substantially unchanged to the human eye despite the coating.

In the present embodiment, the webbing is 4 completely coated with the material M.

In an alternative embodiment, the webbing is 4 partially coated with the material M, which may also be provided that the webbing 4 is formed from the material M itself. In other words, the material M forms the webbing material.

The light reflected by the material M is from the image acquisition unit 6 detectable, so that based on the image data, a course of the webbing 4 for determining the seat occupancy is detectable. Also, the course of the webbing 4 detectable when the the webbing 4 carrying inmate 3 dark clothes or clothes of the same color in relation to the webbing 4 wearing.

The webbing 4 reflects light, which by means of the image acquisition unit 6 is detected, so that the course of the webbing 4 is determined.

The determination of the course of the webbing 4 allows a plausibility check regarding the activation or deactivation of the at least one occupant 3 associated occupant protection means.

The image capture unit 6 can have a comparatively low resolution for detecting the reflected light, so that a relatively inexpensive sensor can be used.

Alternatively, a relatively simple trained camera for detecting the course of the webbing 4 be used. Ie. it can be a much simpler image acquisition unit 6 , Especially in the form of a camera and a simpler evaluation for the evaluation of detected image data are used.

By means of the image acquisition unit 6 that will be from the webbing 4 detected reflected light, preferably no filming of the corresponding or the corresponding occupant 3 be done so that no privacy rights by means of the image capture unit 6 seat occupancy detection is ignored and violated.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

vehicle

2

vehicle seat

3

inmate

4

webbing

5

buckle

6

Image capture unit

e

detection range

M

material

QUOTES INCLUDE IN THE DESCRIPTION

This list of the documents listed by the applicant has been generated automatically and is included solely for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions.

Cited patent literature

• DE 102011080257 A1 [0002]

Claims (3)

Device for detecting seat occupancy in a vehicle ( 1 ), characterized in that a webbing ( 4 ) comprises, at least in sections, a material (M) which reflects light in a spectral range which is not visible to a human eye, and an image acquisition unit ( 6 ) is formed such that it detects the reflected light. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the material (M) reflects light in a spectral range of less than 380 nanometers and / or greater than 780 nanometers. Apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the material (M) as webbing material and / or as a coating of the webbing ( 4 ) is trained.

Images