JP2008232694A - Apparatus for sensing vehicle passenger - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To achieve an apparatus for sensing vehicle passenger for accurately measuring the weight applied to a seat and for improving the accuracy of a passenger sensing system. <P>SOLUTION: The vehicle passenger sensing apparatus comprises a weight detecting means provided on a seating face of a seat, and detecting the weight applied to the seating face; a torque detecting means provided to the seat, and detecting a torque applied to a seat back; an angle detecting means provided to the seat, and detecting an inclination angle of the seat back to the seating face of the seat; and a corrected weight calculating means for correcting a detection value of the weight, applied to the seating face of the seat and detected by the weight detecting means, based on the torque detected by the torque detecting means and the inclination angle detected by the angle detecting means. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle occupant detection device, and more particularly to a vehicle occupant detection device that accurately measures the weight applied to a seat when an occupant sitting on the seat sits down.

Some vehicles are equipped with a vehicle occupant detection device including weight detection means for detecting the weight applied to the seating surface of the seat.
In this vehicle occupant detection device, the weight of the seated on the seat is detected by the weight detecting means, and the seated on the seat is determined based on the detected weight.

JP 2001-21411 A JP 2000-2771 A

By the way, in the conventional vehicle, in order to detect what kind of occupant is seated on a seat such as a passenger seat, for example, weight detection means including a weight sensor is provided inside the seat surface of the seat. The weight of the object seated on the seating surface of the seat is detected by the detecting means.
Then, based on the detected weight, it is determined whether an object to be seated is an adult or a child seat.
However, in the weight detection policy described above, for example, when an adult occupant falls down the seat back of the seat and sits in a relaxed posture to leave weight on the seat back, it is provided inside the seat surface of the seat. The weight detected by the weight detection means is lightly measured, and there is a possibility that a detection error may occur in the detected weight, and the detection accuracy deteriorates and the reliability of the occupant detection system is lowered. is there.

  An object of the present invention is to realize a vehicle occupant detection device that can accurately measure the weight applied to a seat and improve the accuracy of the occupant detection system.

  Therefore, in order to eliminate the above inconvenience, the present invention is provided in the seat in the vehicle occupant detection device provided on the seat surface of the seat and provided with a weight detection means for detecting the weight applied to the seat surface, The seat detected by the weight detection means, comprising: torque detection means for detecting torque applied to the seat back; and angle detection means provided on the seat for detecting an inclination angle of the seat back with respect to the seating surface of the seat. And a weight correction value calculating means for correcting the weight detection value applied to the seat surface by the torque detected by the torque detection means and the inclination angle detected by the angle detection means.

As described above in detail, according to the present invention, in the vehicle occupant detection device provided on the seat surface of the seat and provided with a weight detection means for detecting the weight applied to the seat surface, the seat is provided on the seat and the seat back. A weight detection means for detecting the torque applied to the seat surface of the seat detected by the weight detection means, comprising: a torque detection means for detecting the torque; and an angle detection means for detecting an inclination angle of the seat back with respect to the seat surface of the seat. Correction weight calculation means for correcting the value by the torque detected by the torque detection means and the inclination angle detected by the angle detection means is provided.
Accordingly, since the weight applied to the seat can be accurately measured regardless of the posture of the occupant sitting on the seat, the accuracy of the occupant detection system using the weight value as a trigger can be improved. .

  By inventing as described above, when the occupant sits on the seat, the torque detecting means detects the torque applied to the seat back, and the angle detecting means detects the inclination angle of the seat back relative to the seat surface of the seat, The weight detection value applied to the seat surface of the seat detected by the weight detection means is corrected by the correction weight calculation means based on the torque detected by the torque detection means and the inclination angle detected by the angle detection means, and the seat No matter what posture the occupant sits on, the weight on the seat is accurately measured, and the accuracy of the occupant detection system using the weight value as a trigger is improved.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

1 to 4 show an embodiment of the present invention.
2 and 3, reference numeral 1 denotes a seat of a vehicle (not shown) such as a passenger seat, 2 denotes a seating surface of the seat 1, and 3 denotes a seat back of the seat 1.
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the seat 1 has a seating surface 2 for sitting and a seatback 3 attached to one side of the seating surface 2 so as to be rotatable, that is, adjustable in inclination.

The seat 1 is provided with a vehicle occupant detection device 4.
The vehicle occupant detection device 4 includes a weight sensor 5 which is provided on the seating surface 2 of the seat 1 and is a weight detection means for detecting a weight detection value which is a weight in the vertical direction applied to the seating surface 2. ing.

At this time, the vehicle occupant detection device 4 is provided on the seat 1 and provided on the seat 1 and a torque sensor 6 that is a torque detecting means for detecting torque applied to the seat back 3. An angle sensor 7 which is an angle detection means for detecting an inclination angle of the seat back 3 with respect to the surface 2, and a weight detection value applied to the seating surface 2 of the seat 1 detected by the weight sensor 5 is used as the torque sensor 6. A correction weight calculation means 8 for correcting the torque based on the torque detected by the angle sensor 7 and the tilt angle detected by the angle sensor 7 is provided.
Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, the vehicle occupant detection device 4 has a control means (also referred to as “airbag ECU”) 9, and the control means 9 includes the weight sensor 5 and the torque. The sensor 6, the angle sensor 7, and an impact detection sensor (also referred to as “impact sensor”) 10 are connected, and detection signals from the sensors 5, 6, 7, 10 are input.
The control means 9 includes the corrected weight calculation means 8 and an inflator module 11 constituting a part of an airbag system (not shown) is connected to the output side of the control means 9.
At this time, the control means 9 receives an impact detection signal from the impact detection sensor 10 when receiving an impact such as a collision of the vehicle, and an air bag (not shown) is provided to alleviate the impact on the occupant. Z)).
That is, when the impact detection signal from the impact detection sensor 10 is input, the control means 9 outputs a control signal to the inflator module 11 and deploys the airbag by the inflator module 11.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the weight sensor 5 is provided at a substantially central portion inside the seat surface 2 on the seat surface 2 of the seat 1, and is a weight in the vertical direction applied to the seat surface 2. The weight detection value is detected periodically.
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the torque sensor 6 is disposed between the seat surface 2 and the seat back 3 in the seat 1 and periodically detects the torque in the backrest direction applied to the seat back 3.
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the angle sensor 7 is disposed between the seat surface 2 and the seat back 3 in the seat 1, and periodically measures the inclination angle of the seat back 3 with respect to the seat surface 2 of the seat 1. To detect.

Further, the corrected weight calculation means 8 of the control means 9 detects the weight detection value which is the weight in the vertical direction applied to the seating surface 2 of the seat 1 detected by the weight sensor 5 by the torque sensor 6. The correction weight to be corrected vertically as shown in FIG. 4 is corrected based on the torque in the backrest direction applied to the seat back 3 and the inclination angle of the seat back 3 with respect to the seating surface 2 of the seat 1 detected by the angle sensor 7. It has a function to calculate.
The control means 9 has a function of adding the correction weight by the correction weight calculation means 8 to the weight detection value by the weight sensor 5, that is, a function for calculating the total weight by the following equation.
Total weight = weight detection value + correction weight At this time, the control means 9 determines the occupant seated on the seat 1 based on the total weight required when there is a torque fluctuation or the weight detection value when there is no torque fluctuation. judge.
Further, the control means 9 continues to store the obtained total weight for several tens of seconds, and determines whether an adult occupant has been seated on the seat 1 or a child seat is mounted depending on how the total weight changes, The presence / absence of air bag deployment by a control signal to the inflator module 11 is also determined.

  Next, the operation will be described along the control flowchart of the vehicle occupant detection device 4 of FIG.

When the control program of the vehicle occupant detection device 4 starts (100), the process proceeds to weight detection processing (101).
This weight detection process (101) is a process that is always performed by the weight sensor 5 and detects a weight detection value that is a vertical weight applied to the seating surface 2 of the seat 1.
After the weight detection process (101), the process proceeds to the torque detection process (102).

This torque detection process (102) is performed by the torque sensor 6 and detects the torque in the backrest direction applied to the seat back 3 of the seat 1.
After the above torque detection process (102), the process proceeds to a determination (103) as to whether or not there has been a torque fluctuation.

In the determination (103) of whether or not there has been a torque fluctuation as described above, if the determination (103) is YES, that is, if there is a torque fluctuation, the process proceeds to the tilt angle detection process (104).
The tilt angle detection process (104) is performed by the angle sensor 7 and detects the tilt angle of the seat back 3 with respect to the seating surface 2 of the seat 1.
If the determination (103) is NO, that is, if there is no torque fluctuation, the routine proceeds to the weight detection value adoption processing (105).
This weight detection value adoption processing (105) is processing for employing the weight detection value applied to the seating surface 2 of the seat 1 detected by the weight sensor 5.

Further, after the tilt angle detection process (104) described above, the process proceeds to a correction weight calculation process (106).
In this corrected weight calculation process (106), a weight detection value which is a weight in the vertical direction applied to the seating surface 2 of the seat 1 detected by the weight sensor 5 by the corrected weight calculation means 8 is used as the torque sensor. 6 is a process of calculating the correction weight to be corrected vertically by correcting the torque in the backrest direction detected by 6 and the inclination angle of the seat back 3 with respect to the seating surface 2 of the seat 1 detected by the angle sensor 7. .
After the corrected weight is calculated by the corrected weight calculation process (106), the process proceeds to the total weight calculation process (107).

This total weight calculation process (107) is a process of adding the correction weight by the correction weight calculation means 8 to the weight detection value by the weight sensor 5, that is, the calculation of the total weight by the formula total weight = weight detection value + correction weight. This is the process to be performed.
After this total weight calculation process (107) and the above-described weight detection value adoption process (105), the process proceeds to the end (108) of the control program.

  The control means 9 determines the seat based on the total weight obtained by the above total weight calculation process (107) or the weight detection value adopted as it is by the above weight detection value adoption process (105). The occupant seated in 1 is determined.

Thereby, in the vehicle occupant detection device 4 provided with the weight sensor 5 which is provided on the seating surface 2 of the seat 1 and detects the weight applied to the seating surface 2, the seat 1 is provided on the seat 1. A torque sensor 6 which is a torque detection means for detecting torque applied to the seat back 3 and an angle sensor which is provided on the seat 1 and which is an angle detection means for detecting an inclination angle of the seat back 3 with respect to the seating surface 2 of the seat 1. 7, and the weight detection value applied to the seating surface 2 of the seat 1 detected by the weight sensor 5 is determined by the torque detected by the torque sensor 6 and the inclination angle detected by the angle sensor 7. The correction weight calculation means 8 for correcting is provided.
Therefore, since the weight applied to the seat 1 can be accurately measured regardless of the posture of the occupant sitting on the seat 1, the accuracy of the occupant detection system using the weight value as a trigger is improved. Can do.

  In addition, since the angle of the seat back 3 relative to the seating surface 2 of the seat 1 can be detected by the angle sensor 7 serving as the angle detecting means, when the occupant is on the seat 1, the control means 9 It is also possible to control the airbag deployment state by the inflator module 11 to the best state by the control signal.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various application modifications are possible.

For example, in an embodiment of the present invention, the weight detection value applied to the seating surface of the seat detected by the weight sensor by the corrected weight calculation unit of the control unit is used as the torque detected by the torque sensor and the angle. The correction weight is calculated based on the tilt angle detected by the sensor, and the total weight is calculated by adding the correction weight to the weight detection value. It is also possible to adopt a special configuration used for the control.
In the embodiment of the present invention, the configuration using one weight sensor has been described. However, a special configuration using two or more weight sensors may be used.

It is a flowchart for control of the vehicle occupant detection device showing an embodiment of the present invention. It is a schematic explanatory drawing which shows the arrangement | positioning condition of the weight sensor of a vehicle occupant detection apparatus, a torque sensor, and an angle sensor. It is a schematic block diagram of the vehicle occupant detection device. It is explanatory drawing which shows the concept in the passenger | crew detection of the passenger | crew detection apparatus for vehicles.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Seat 2 Seat surface 3 Seat back 4 Vehicle occupant detection device 5 Weight sensor 6 Torque sensor 7 Angle sensor 8 Correction weight calculation means 9 Control means (also referred to as “airbag ECU”)
10 Impact detection sensor (also referred to as “impact sensor”)
11 Inflator module

Claims (1)

  In the vehicle occupant detection device provided on the seat surface of the seat and provided with weight detection means for detecting the weight applied to the seat surface, the torque detection means provided on the seat and detects the torque applied to the seat back; Angle detection means provided on the seat and detecting an inclination angle of the seat back with respect to the seating surface of the seat, and the torque detection means detects the weight detection value applied to the seating surface of the seat detected by the weight detection means. A vehicle occupant detection device comprising correction weight calculation means for correcting based on the torque detected by the angle and the tilt angle detected by the angle detection means.

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