JPH10194077A - Air bag system for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide the air bag system for a vehicle, which can safely control the necessity of the expansion of an air bag even when a child seat is troubled with non-conformities. SOLUTION: When a relation of A>B+C is established, where B(Kg) represents the weight of a child seat 12, and C(Kg) represents the maximum weight of an infant, which is so specified by the child seat 12 that he can take a seat, it is decided by a seat sensor unit 18 that there exists no occupant, and it is communicated to a control unit 11 that there exists no occupant. On the other hand, since the control unit 11 receives from the seat sensor unit 18 a signal detecting that there exists no occupant, in fact, even in a case that the completely failed child seat 12 is mounted to a passenger seat 13, the expansion of an air bag 3 for the passenger seat 13 can thereby be prohibited.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an airbag system for a vehicle, and more particularly, to an airbag system for an automobile as a typical vehicle.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, mounting of airbag systems for a driver's seat and a passenger's seat on a typical vehicle, such as an automobile, has been rapidly spreading. Needless to say, these airbag systems can be deployed reliably in an emergency, but once deployed, some parts need to be replaced and adjusted. There is a demand not to let them. In the control of such an airbag system, particularly in the deployment control of the passenger seat airbag, unlike the driver's seat airbag, the passenger is often not seated in the passenger seat, and it is determined whether or not the passenger is seated. is important. Another problem to be newly considered when the vehicle is provided with a passenger seat airbag is a deployment control problem when a so-called child seat for seating an infant is mounted on the passenger seat. This means that the deployment of the passenger seat airbag should be allowed when the child seat is mounted on the front passenger seat, but the child seat and the child seat by the deployment of the passenger seat airbag should be seated when the child seat is mounted rearward. It is necessary to prevent the impact on the infant, and therefore, the deployment of the passenger airbag must be prohibited.

As a method for solving this problem, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 7-196006 discloses a method for detecting the presence or absence of a child seat by providing an optical type distance sensor near the airbag housing. Also, JP-A-8-58
No. 522 discloses a method of controlling the necessity of deploying an airbag by using a distance sensor and a weight sensor or the like provided in a seat. Also, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 7-165011
And Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 7-267044 disclose a method of detecting the presence or absence of a child seat by providing a transmission / reception mechanism in the seat and performing communication with the child seat.

[0004]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional example, there is no disclosure about ensuring the safety of the child seat against the deployment of the airbag in the case where a failure occurs in the child seat.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle airbag system capable of safely controlling the necessity of deployment of an airbag even when a failure occurs in a child seat.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, an airbag system for a vehicle according to the present invention has the following features.

That is, occupant detection means for detecting whether or not an occupant is present by a weight sensor provided on the vehicle seat, and child seat detection means for detecting whether or not the child seat is mounted on the vehicle seat. Deployment of the airbag is detected when the presence of an occupant is detected by the occupant detection means, and deployment of the airbag is detected when the child seat detection means detects that the child seat is mounted. The threshold value for determining whether or not the occupant detection means has detected the presence of an occupant is a value obtained by adding the weight of the child seat and a predetermined load. Features.

[0008] Preferably, the predetermined load is a maximum load that the child seat can hold. Thus, even if the child seat cannot be detected due to, for example, a failure of the child seat detection means, the deployment of the airbag is prohibited and the safety is improved when the child seat is actually mounted on the vehicle seat. .

Preferably, the vehicle further comprises a specifying means for specifying an orientation of the child seat mounted on the vehicle seat, and when the output of the specifying means indicates a forward direction of the vehicle, the airbag is deployed. It is characterized in that the deployment of the airbag is forbidden when the rear direction of the vehicle is indicated. Thereby, even when the child seat is mounted, if the mounting direction is forward, the deployment of the airbag is permitted to further improve safety.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an embodiment in which an airbag system according to the present invention is applied to a typical automobile will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0011]

First Embodiment First, an outline of an airbag system according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of an automobile provided with an airbag system according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, a driver's seat airbag 2 (showing a deployed state) for a driver in a driver's seat 10 is provided inside a steering wheel 6, and a passenger seat airbag for a passenger in a passenger seat 13 is shown in the automobile 1. A bag 3 (showing a deployed state) is provided inside the passenger seat airbag storage unit 5. The vehicle body of the automobile 1 is provided with a plurality of impact detection sensors (not shown) for detecting an external impact. Reference numeral 153 denotes a status display lamp indicating the current control state of the passenger seat airbag, which is lit when the deployment of the passenger seat airbag 3 is prohibited and is off when the deployment of the passenger seat airbag 3 is permitted. And Reference numeral 154 denotes a state changeover switch, which is used when the occupant needs to deploy the passenger-side airbag 3 (allowing the deployment /
This is operated when switching between (Prohibited). Driver's seat 1
0 and the sides of the vehicle body of the passenger seat 13 and both sides of the rear seat 9,
Each may have a side airbag 4 (showing a deployed state) for reducing a shock from a lateral direction.

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing an outline of an airbag system as a first embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, a control unit 11 of the airbag system according to the present embodiment is provided with a plurality of impact detection sensors 14 provided on the body of the automobile 1 for detecting an external impact.
A seat sensor unit 18 (to be described in detail later) that communicates the mounting state of the child seat 12, a passenger seat inflator 16 for deploying the passenger airbag 3, a driver inflator 17 for deploying the driver airbag 2, and a passenger air A status display lamp 1 provided in an instrument panel 15 in front of a driver's seat 10 representing the current control status of the back 3
51, driver's seat 1 indicating a failure state of the passenger seat airbag 3
The failure warning lamp 152 provided in the instrument panel 15 in front of the unit 0, the status display lamp 153, the status changeover switch 154, and the like are connected. When the side airbag 4 is mounted, it goes without saying that an inflator for further deploying the side airbag is connected to the control unit 11.

Although the details will be described later, FIG.
3 shows a state where the child seat 12 is mounted. The seat sensor unit 18 is connected to an occupant detection sensor 133 that is embedded in the passenger seat 13 and detects the presence or absence of an occupant by weight, and a reception antenna 131 and a transmission antenna 132 embedded in the passenger seat 13. In addition to performing wireless communication with the transponder 121 provided in the child seat 12, it converts a signal received by the receiving antenna 131 based on a predetermined format and transmits the signal to the control unit 11.

In this embodiment, control of the deployment of the passenger airbag 3 by the control unit 11 will be described below. However, it goes without saying that the deployment control of the side airbag 4 is actually performed.

<Equipment Configuration of Control Unit and Sheet Sensor Unit> Next, the equipment configuration of the control unit 11 and the seat sensor unit 18 will be described with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram schematically showing a control unit 11 according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

In the figure, a communication interface (I / F) 10
Reference numeral 2 is connected to the sheet sensor unit 18 and performs predetermined serial communication (details will be described later). The sensor input interface (I / F) 103 includes an impact detection sensor 14
Is input. A changeover signal from the changeover switch 154 is input to the operation input interface (I / F) 104. Output interface (I / F) 10
Reference numeral 7 outputs a deployment signal to the passenger seat inflator 16 and the driver seat inflator 17. The status notification interface (I / F) 108 turns on / off the status display lamps 151 and 153 and the failure warning lamp 152 (it is also used to turn on / off a warning buzzer in a second embodiment described later). . A ROM (read only memory) 105 stores in advance a control program for controlling the deployment of a passenger airbag, a communication program with the seat sensor unit 18 and various fixed parameters, which will be described later in the present embodiment. A RAM (random access memory) 106 temporarily stores a working area, variable parameters, and the like when the control program operates.
These components are connected to each other by a bus 109 and are controlled by a CPU 101 that operates according to a control program stored in a ROM 105.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram schematically showing a sheet sensor unit 18 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

In the figure, a transmitting circuit 202 includes a transmitting antenna 1
32 transmits a predetermined frequency Fa. Receiver circuit 203
F and 203R receive external radio waves via the receiving antennas 131F and 131R. Communication interface (I
/ F) 206 is connected to the control unit 11 and performs predetermined serial communication (details will be described later). The ROM (read only memory) 204 includes receiving circuits 203F and 20F.
The control unit 1 converts the signal received by the 3R and the input signal from the occupant detection sensor 133 into a predetermined format.
1, a communication program to be transmitted to the PC 1 and various fixed parameters are stored in advance. The ROM 204 also stores a program capable of detecting a hardware failure of the child seat 13 and / or the occupant detection sensor 133. RAM (random access memory) 205
, A working area and a variable parameter at the time of operation of the communication program are temporarily stored. These components are connected to each other by a bus 209 and operate according to a communication program stored in a ROM 204.
It is controlled by 201.

<Communication Configuration Between Control Unit and Sheet Sensor Unit> Next, serial communication between the control unit 11 and the sheet sensor unit 18 will be described with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a communication format according to the first embodiment of the present invention. In the present embodiment, as an example, the control unit 11 and the sheet sensor unit 18
A protocol composed of 13 data bits and 2 parity bits shown in FIG. 5 is used for serial communication between them. Explaining the allocation of these bits, bit 0 and bit 1 are an occupant detection field indicating the detection result of the occupant in the passenger seat by the occupant detection sensor 133. Bits 2 to 7 are a child seat status field indicating the mounting status of the child seat 12. Bits 8 to 12 are reserved bits.
Bit 13 is an odd parity bit, and bit 14 is an even parity bit.
Using these parity bits, the control unit 11
The communication interface 102 detects a communication error by a general method. Further, in the present embodiment, the expression of "0" and "1" of each of these bits is represented by a difference in bit length. Serial data with such a configuration
It is assumed that the sheet is sent from the sheet sensor unit 18 to the control unit 11 at a predetermined cycle. An example is shown in FIG.

FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining an example of communication data according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 shows a state of the transmitted data "001000000001001011". Although the description of the specific content represented by the combination of “0” or “1” of each bit is omitted, the description of the data transmitted from the sheet sensor unit 18 to the control unit 11 will be described with reference to FIG. It will be described later.

<Communication Between Passenger Seat and Child Seat> Next, communication between the passenger seat 13 and the child seat 12 will be described. In the present embodiment, wireless communication is performed between the passenger seat 13 and the child seat 12 to detect whether the child seat 12 is mounted on the passenger seat 13 and, if so, in what state the child seat 12 is mounted. Use communication. In brief, a predetermined frequency Fa is constantly transmitted from the transmission antenna 132 on the passenger seat 13 side. When the child seat 12 is attached to the passenger seat 13,
Transponder 12 provided in child seat 12
1 receives the frequency Fa from the transmitting antenna 132,
A predetermined frequency Fb different from the frequency Fa is transmitted. This frequency Fb is transmitted to the receiving antenna 13 on the passenger seat 13 side.
Based on the state received by 1F and / or the receiving antenna 131R, the direction is detected together with the presence / absence of the attachment of the child seat 12. Further, in this embodiment, the transponder 121
And a structure driven passively by the Therefore, the frequency Fa has an output necessary and sufficient to drive the transponder 121. The reason for adopting such a configuration is that, when a general battery-driven transmission / reception circuit is used for the child seat 12, stopping the transmission / reception operation due to the battery capacity or severe handling is expected to be a major safety problem. That's because. Therefore, it is more preferable that the transponder 121 has a sealed structure in order to prevent a short circuit or the like due to liquid.
If such a problem can be solved, it goes without saying that, for example, the child seat may be provided with a transmitting circuit and the passenger seat side may be provided with a receiving circuit.

The transponder 121 is provided with a buzzer (and / or lamp) (not shown). When operation is started by a radio wave from the transmission antenna 132, a self-diagnosis is performed. For a predetermined time (and / or the lamp is always lit while the transponder 121 is operating). Thus, the user can determine whether or not the child seat has failed.

Next, referring to FIG. 7 and FIG.
And the configuration of the child seat 12 will be described.

FIG. 7 is a view for explaining an antenna provided on the passenger seat 13 as the first embodiment of the present invention.
The figure shows a state where the passenger seat 13 is viewed from above,
A transmitting antenna 132 for transmitting a signal of the frequency Fa output from the transmitting circuit 202 of the seat sensor unit 18 to the outside, and a receiving circuit 203F, 203R of the seat sensor unit 18 for receiving a signal received from the outside are provided inside the seat surface.
Are provided with receiving antennas 131F and 131R, respectively. In the present embodiment, as shown in the figure, the transmitting antenna 132 has a square shape substantially the same size as the seat surface, the receiving antenna 131F is the front half of the seat surface, and the receiving antenna 131R is the seat surface. It has a □ -shaped shape approximately the same size as the rear half of the surface. Receiving circuits 203F and 203R of the sheet sensor unit 18
Means that each receives the frequency Fb from the transponder 121, and the CPU 201 relatively compares the difference in the signal strength received by these two receiving circuits, so that the transponder 121 Determine if it is located. Regardless of which of the receiving antennas is located, if the signal strength in each of the receiving circuits is smaller than a predetermined threshold value, it is determined that the child seat 12 is not correctly mounted (displaced). to decide.

FIG. 8 is a view for explaining a transponder provided in the child seat 12 as the first embodiment of the present invention. The figure shows a state where the child seat 12 is viewed from above, and a transponder 121 is provided inside the seat seat surface or in front of the bottom.
Note that the child seat 12 is also provided with a seat belt 122.

<Mounting State of Child Seat> Next, the mounting state of the child seat 12 on the passenger seat 13 will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 9 is a view showing a variation of a mounted state of the child seat according to the first embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 3, (A) to (D) show the state where the child seat 12 is mounted on the passenger seat 13 or the state where the child seat 12 is placed on the passenger seat 13, respectively. 131R and the transponder 121 of the child seat 12 (both are indicated by solid lines). The arrow is the passenger seat 1
3 forward. Hereinafter, the states (A) to (D) will be described in order.

(A) shows a state in which the child seat 12 is normally mounted forward and the transponder 121 is located in the range of the receiving antenna 131F.
In this case, the sheet sensor unit 18
By receiving the frequency Fb from the transponder 121 by the 3F, it is detected that the child seat 12 is normally mounted forward.

(B) shows a state in which the child seat 12 is normally mounted rearward, and the transponder 121 is located in the range of the receiving antenna 131R. In this case, the sheet sensor unit 18 detects the frequency Fb from the transponder 121 by the receiving circuit 203R.
Is received, it is detected that the child seat 12 is normally mounted backward.

(C) shows a state in which the child seat 12 is mounted diagonally forward, and the transponder 121 is located in the range of the receiving antenna 131F. In this case, the seat sensor unit 18 Since the receiving circuit 203F cannot receive the predetermined signal strength due to the deviation, it is determined to be abnormal. The same determination is made also when the child seat 12 is displaced backward.

(D) shows a state in which the child seat 12 is placed horizontally, and the transponder 121 is located over both the receiving antennas 131F and 131R. In such a case, the sheet sensor unit 18 relatively compares the signal intensities obtained by the receiving circuits 203F and 203R, and determines that the child seat 12 is placed in the horizontal position.

<Judgment of Necessity of Airbag Deployment> Next, the necessity of airbag deployment of the airbag system according to the present embodiment will be specifically described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 10 is a view for explaining the necessity of airbag deployment in the airbag system according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

The vertical columns in the figure are the determination elements for determining whether or not the airbag deployment is necessary in the control unit 11. Less than,
To explain each element, "Child seat (C in the figure)
"S) Position shift" indicates a position shift of the child seat 13 detected by the sheet sensor unit 18.
The “input signal abnormality” indicates that the child sensor 13 and / or the occupant detection sensor 133
Represents a case where the signal input to is not a predetermined signal.
“Hard failure” indicates that the child seat 13 and / or the occupant detection sensor 1 detected by the seat sensor unit 18
Represents 33 hardware abnormalities. "CS forward detection"
The child seat 13 is controlled by the seat sensor unit 18.
Indicates that the device is detected to be mounted facing forward. "CS rearward detection" indicates a case where the seat sensor unit 18 detects that the child seat 13 is mounted backward. "No CS"
Indicates the case where the child seat 13 cannot be detected by the seat sensor unit 18 and the case where the seat sensor unit 18 detects that the hardware of the child seat 13 has completely failed. The above judgment factors are:
It is the content of the communication data of FIG.

The column on the side of FIG.
Is a judgment factor of the necessity of the airbag deployment.
In the following, when describing each element, “occupant detection” indicates a case where the presence of an occupant is detected by the occupant detection sensor 133.
“Occupant not detected” indicates a case where the occupant is not detected by the occupant detection sensor 133. "Occupant detection sensor failure"
Indicates a case where the hardware of the occupant detection sensor 133 has completely failed, that is, a case where no signal from the occupant detection sensor 133 is obtained. The above judgment factors are the contents of the communication data in FIG.

In the figure, "AB" denotes a passenger seat airbag 3, and "O" indicates that deployment is permitted, and "X" indicates that deployment is prohibited. "Status display" is a display state of the status display lamps 151 and 153, "ON" is lit (in this embodiment, the deployment of the passenger seat airbag 3 is prohibited), and "OFF" is off (assistant in this embodiment). (The deployment allowable state of the seat airbag 3). "Warning display" is a display state of the failure warning lamp 152, and "O
N "is lit (hard failure due to the complete failure or self-diagnosis function of the occupant detection sensor 133, hardware failure due to the self-diagnosis function of the child seat 13 in this embodiment),
“OFF” is off (in the present embodiment, the occupant detection sensor 13
3 and the normal operation of the sheet sensor unit 18).

Next, the contents of each column in FIG. 10 will be described.
In the case of “CS position shift”, the deployment of the passenger seat airbag 3 is prohibited regardless of the detection state of the occupant in the passenger seat 13. This is because it was detected that the child seat 12 was actually mounted facing forward or backward, although it was misaligned. It should be noted that, when the child seat 12 itself has the seat belt 122, priority is given to prohibiting the deployment of the passenger-side airbag 3 when the child seat 12, which is the most problematic for safety, faces backward because the child seat 12 itself has the seat belt 122. To do that. It should be noted that the allowable range of the positional deviation can be reduced by reducing the size of the receiving antennas 131F and 131R and adjusting the output of the transmission and / or reception signals.
In the case of “input signal abnormality”, the deployment of the passenger airbag 3 is allowed except when the occupant is not detected. This is, of course, to allow deployment when an occupant is detected, but to cope with the possibility that the occupant may be seated even when the occupant detection sensor 133 is completely failed. In the case of “hard failure”, the deployment of the passenger seat airbag 3 is allowed except when the occupant is not detected. This is, of course, to allow deployment when an occupant is detected, but to cope with the possibility that the occupant may be seated even when the occupant detection sensor 133 is completely failed. In the case of “CS forward detection”, the deployment of the passenger airbag 3 is permitted regardless of the detection state of the occupant in the passenger seat 13. This is because it has been detected that the child seat 12 is normally mounted facing forward. "CS
In the case of "backward detection", deployment of the passenger seat airbag 3 is prohibited regardless of the detection state of the occupant in the passenger seat 13. This is because it has been detected that the child seat 12 is normally mounted rearward. In the case of "no C / S", the passenger airbag 3 except when no occupant is detected.
Allow the deployment of It goes without saying that the deployment is allowed when the occupant is detected, but the occupant detection sensor 1
This is to cope with the possibility that the occupant may be seated even when 33 is a complete fail.

<State Determination Processing> Next, the state determination processing will be described with reference to FIGS. This processing is for preventing the control of the necessity of deployment of the passenger seat airbag 3 from being frequently switched due to a temporary change in the output from each state detection unit. Even if the output changes, the state change is determined only after a predetermined period of time. The configuration of the processing in the state determination processing (FIGS. 11 to 15) described below includes not only the occupant detection determination processing but also the child seat 1 in the present embodiment and other embodiments described later.
The same is used for detecting the presence / absence of No. 2, detecting the direction, and detecting the displacement. However, it goes without saying that the timer setting value is set to an appropriate value for each process.

FIGS. 11 to 13 are diagrams showing internal parameters used in the state determination processing according to the embodiment of the present invention (in the case of determination of occupant detection). FIG. 11 defines a flag SPPD indicating that the occupant detection sensor 133 has detected the presence of an occupant, and a flag XPPD indicating that the state with the occupant has been determined. FIG. 12 shows a set counter C for counting the continuation of the occupant detection state.
An SPPD and a reset counter CRPPD are defined. In FIG. 13, set timers TSPPD1 and TSPPD2 and reset timers TRPPD1 and TRPPD2 for determining the determination of the occupant detection state are defined, for example, 4 seconds and 8 seconds, respectively.

FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing a state determination time setting process according to the first embodiment of the present invention. This setting process is performed by turning on an ignition key (not shown).
This is executed by the control unit 11 in order to determine the occupant detection state in a short time at the time of the initial start.

In the figure, it is determined whether the operation is an initial start by turning on an ignition key (step S11). In the case of NO in step S11, 8 seconds (TSPPD2) is set as the state fixed set timer value (TSPPD), and 8 seconds (TRSPD).
Set PPD2) to the state confirmation reset timer value (TSPPD)
Set as On the other hand, if YES in step S11, 4 seconds are set in the respective timers as in step S12.

FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing the state determination processing according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The presence or absence of the occupant in the passenger seat 13 using the state determination time set by the processing of FIG. Control unit 1 to determine
1 is executed.

In the figure, the flag SPPD is set to 1 (1 indicates that there is an occupant) as the current output state of the occupant detection sensor 133.
It is determined whether or not (step S21). Step S21
If YES, add CSPPD by 1 and CR
The PPD is reset (Step S22). Next, the current CSPPD count value is compared with the TSPPD value currently set by the processing of FIG. 14 (step S2).
3) In the case of YES, it is not possible to confirm that there is an occupant yet, so the routine returns. On the other hand, if NO in step S23
In the case of, the presence of the occupant can be determined, so that XPPD is set to 1 (step S24) and the routine returns. On the other hand, if NO in step S21, CRPPD is incremented by 1 and CSPPD is reset (step S25). Next, the current count value of CRPPD is compared with the value of TRPPD currently set by the processing of FIG. 14 (step S26), and if YES, it is not possible to determine that there is no occupant yet, so the routine returns. On the other hand, step S26
In the case of NO, the absence of the occupant can be determined, and XPPD is reset to 0 (step S27), and the process returns.

<Switching processing of the passenger seat air bag deployment necessity>
FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing a process for switching whether or not the passenger seat airbag needs to be deployed as the first embodiment of the present invention. This switching process is executed by the control unit 11 based on the above-mentioned communication data received from the sheet sensor unit 18.

In the figure, when the ignition key is turned on and the process is started, it is determined whether or not the sheet sensor unit 18 is defective (step S31). If the answer is YES, the failure warning lamp 152 is turned on (step S31). S41),
The process proceeds to step S42 described below. On the other hand, if NO in step S31, it is determined that the input signal is abnormal (step S32). If YES, the process proceeds to step S42 described later to determine whether or not the output of the occupant detection sensor 133 is present.

If the input signal is not abnormal in step S32, it is determined in steps S33 to S35 whether or not the child seat 12 is present, and if so, it is sequentially determined whether the child seat 12 is facing forward or backward.

If there is no child seat 12 in step S33, it is determined whether or not the output of the occupant detection sensor 133 is present (step S42). If NO, the failure warning lamp 152 is turned on because the occupant detection sensor 133 is faulty. (Step S44), and the process proceeds to step S36 described later. On the other hand, if YES is determined in the step S42, it is determined whether or not the occupant is detected (step S43), and the process proceeds to a step S36 described later to allow the deployment of the passenger seat airbag 3. On the other hand, if NO in step S43, the deployment of the passenger airbag 3 is prohibited (step S45), and the status display lamps 151 and 153 are turned on (step S46).
To return.

If the child seat 12 is facing backward in step S34, the processing from step S45 described above is performed in the same manner.

If the child seat 12 is not facing forward in step S35, it indicates that the child seat 12 is out of position. In this case, it is determined whether or not there is an output of the occupant detection sensor 133 (step S).
38), if NO, the failure warning lamp 152 is turned ON because the occupant detection sensor 133 has failed (step S3).
9), the deployment of the passenger seat airbag 3 is prohibited (step S45). On the other hand, if YES is determined in the step S38, the process directly proceeds to a step S45 to prohibit the deployment of the passenger airbag 3. In step S46, the status display lamps 151 and 153 are blinked to notify the occupant of the displacement of the child seat 12. When the occupant grasps the displacement of the child seat 12 by blinking of the status display lamps 151 and 153, the status display lamps 151 and 153 are used as a guide for correcting the displacement.
It is intended to make it possible to use the lighting state of.
That is, when the child seat 12 is actually misaligned in the forward direction, the lamp is changed from the blinking state to the extinguished state by the operation of correcting the misalignment by the occupant. On the other hand, when the child seat 12 is actually displaced rearward, the lamp is changed from the blinking state to the constantly lit state by the operation of correcting the displacement by the occupant. The occupant uses these changes in the lighting state to determine when correcting the positional deviation.

<Occupant Detection Process in Seat Sensor Unit> Next, the occupant detection process in the seat sensor unit 18 will be described.

First, in consideration of the above-mentioned state of "no CS", the state where there is no child seat 12 includes the case where the child seat 12 has completely failed. It may not be possible to detect even if 12 is mounted backwards.
As described above, the transponder 121 is provided with a buzzer (and / or a lamp) (not shown) so that the user can grasp the operation state of the child seat 12, but in this case, as shown in FIG. Occupant detection sensor 1
When the passenger 33 detects the occupant, the deployment of the passenger airbag 3 is allowed, which is not preferable when a child is actually sitting on the child seat 12.

When the child seat 12 is not present, the occupant is not detected by the occupant detection sensor 133 except in a predetermined state by the occupant detection process described later, that is, the occupant is not detected. By outputting, the child seat 1 that is completely failed
2 prohibits the deployment of the passenger seat airbag 3 when the passenger is actually mounted on the passenger seat 3 and a baby is seated. Here, in the above state, the reason for prohibiting the deployment of the passenger seat airbag 3 regardless of the orientation of the child seat 12 is as follows.
Considering the impact on the infant when the passenger seat airbag 3 is deployed, the case where the child seat 12 is mounted rearward is more problematic than the case where the child seat 12 is mounted in a direction other than rearward. (However, the infant is assumed to be fixed to the child seat 12 by the seat belt 122).

Next, the occupant detection processing by the seat sensor unit 18 in the present embodiment will be specifically described.
When detecting the output of the occupant detection sensor 133 which is a weight sensor, the seat sensor unit
If it is larger than the threshold value, it is determined that the occupant is detected (occupant is present). In the case of the present embodiment, the sheet sensor unit 18 determines the weight of the child seat 12 as B (K
g), assuming that the maximum load of the infant that can be held and specified in advance in the child seat 12 is C (Kg), A> B
When the relationship of + C is established, it is determined that there is no occupant, and the control unit 11 is notified of no occupant detection according to the communication protocol of FIG. On the other hand, since the control unit 11 receives from the seat sensor unit 18 that no occupant has been detected,
In step S33, step S42, step S43, and step S45 in the flowchart of 6, the deployment of the passenger seat airbag 3 is prohibited.

In this embodiment, the operating state of the airbag system is notified to the occupant by a lamp. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and it goes without saying that audio output may be used together.

[0060]

Second Embodiment Next, a second embodiment using a vehicle speed signal from a vehicle speed sensor will be described. First, an outline of the present embodiment will be described. In the above-described airbag system, it is possible to prevent improper switching control of the necessity of airbag deployment due to the temporal superimposition of noise on various sensors. Therefore, assuming that the state of the occupant's seating position, posture, etc. will rarely change while the vehicle is running, the vehicle speed is incorporated into the judgment factor when switching the necessity of airbag deployment. is there. Hereinafter, the description of the same components as those of the above-described first embodiment will be omitted, and the description will focus on the features that are the features of the second embodiment.

FIG. 17 is a configuration diagram showing an outline of an airbag system as a second embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, the difference from the above-described FIG. 1 (first embodiment) is that the sensor input interface 103 of the control unit 11 uses a vehicle speed signal from a vehicle speed sensor 19 for detecting the vehicle speed of the automobile 1 and a later-described modification. A door open / close state signal from the door sensor 20 indicating the open / close state of the door is input, and a warning signal to the warning buzzer 155 (or a lamp) is output from the state notification interface 108 of the control unit 11. .

FIG. 18 is a flowchart for detecting a change in the output of the occupant detection sensor 133 in the flowchart showing the permission / prohibition processing of the switching control of the airbag deployment according to the second embodiment of the present invention. In practice, FIG.
A flowchart similar to the above is similarly present in the detection of the presence / absence of the child seat 12, the detection of the orientation, and the detection of the displacement.

In the figure, when the ignition key is turned on and the process is started, the control unit 11 initializes the switching by means of the switching control of the necessity of airbag deployment which will be described later. Flag (FL) is set to 0
(Step S61). Hereinafter, switching is permitted when FL = 0, and switching is prohibited when FL = 1. Next, in step S62, the current vehicle speed V is read from the vehicle speed sensor 19,
In step S63, in order to determine whether the vehicle is traveling based on the vehicle speed V, it is determined whether the speed is, for example, 5 km / h or more. If NO in step S63, the switching permission flag is set to 0, and the process returns to step S62. On the other hand, step S
In the case of YES in 63, the vehicle is currently running, and the permission / prohibition of the airbag deployment should not be switched, so that the switching permission flag is set to 1 and the process proceeds to step S66.

While the vehicle is running, the routine from step S66 to step S70 is looped. In step S66, it is determined whether the state switch 154 has been pressed by the occupant. The state changeover switch 154 is used to change the current allowance / prohibition state of the deployment of the passenger seat airbag 3 according to the occupant's will. If NO in step S66, the current vehicle speed V is read (step S67),
In step S68, it is determined whether the vehicle speed V is, for example, 3 Km / h or less. If NO in step S68, it is determined whether the detection state of the output of the occupant detection sensor 133 has changed (step S69). This indicates that the state of the occupant in the passenger seat 13 has changed (occupant detection / non-detection) for some reason, even though the vehicle is currently running.
If “NO” in the step S69, it indicates that there is no change in the state of the occupant, and the process returns to the step S66. On the other hand, if YES in step S69, it indicates that a change has occurred in the state of the occupant, and the current state of the passenger seat 13 is different from the current control state of permitting or prohibiting the deployment of the passenger seat airbag 3. The warning buzzer 155 is activated for a predetermined time A in step S70 in order to notify the occupant that the vehicle is operating, and the process returns to step S66.

If YES in step S66, the switch permission flag is set to 0 (step S70), and step S7
After the elapse of the predetermined time B in step 1, the process returns to step S62. The reason why the process waits for the predetermined time B in step S71 is to prevent frequent switching between permission and prohibition of deployment. If YES in step S66, the occupant is notified that the current state of the passenger seat 13 is different from the current control state of permitting or prohibiting the deployment of the passenger seat airbag 3 by the warning operation of step S70. As a result, the occupant operates the state change switch 15 in order to eliminate the difference.
4 is included. YES in step S68
In the case of, the vehicle is almost in a stopped state, so that the same processing as in step S71 and thereafter is performed.

Referring now to FIG. 19, a description will be given, with reference to FIG. 19, of a process for switching whether or not the passenger seat airbag needs to be deployed, which can be changed according to the state of the switching permission flag FL controlled by the process of FIG.

FIG. 19 is a flow chart showing a process of switching the necessity of deploying the airbag of the passenger seat according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 shows the first embodiment (FIG. 1).
This is basically the same as 6), and different parts will be described.

Prior to permitting the deployment of the passenger seat airbag in step S36C, it is first determined whether the deployment of the passenger seat airbag is currently prohibited (step S36A).
In the case of YES, it is determined whether or not the switching permission flag is 0 (step S36B), and in the case of YES, the deployment of the passenger airbag is switched to the allowable state in step S36C for the first time. On the other hand, if NO in step S36A, the process directly proceeds to step S36C because the deployment of the passenger seat airbag is already in an allowable state by the processing up to the present. If NO in step S36B, switching is prohibited (FL =
1) Since it has been performed, the process proceeds to step S45C so that the current deployment prohibition state is continued.

Prior to prohibiting the deployment of the passenger seat airbag in step S45C, it is first determined whether the deployment of the passenger seat airbag is currently permitted (step S45A).
In the case of YES, it is determined whether the switching permission flag is 0 (step S45B), and in the case of YES, the deployment of the passenger seat airbag is switched to the prohibition state in step S45C for the first time. On the other hand, if NO in step S45A, the process directly proceeds to step S45C because the deployment of the passenger seat airbag has already been prohibited by the processing up to the present. If NO in step S45B, switching is prohibited (FL =
Since 1) has been performed, the process proceeds to step S36C so that the current deployment allowable state is continued.

Next, a modification of the second embodiment will be described.

<Modification 1 of Second Embodiment> In this modification, in addition to the process of permitting / prohibiting the switching control in the above-described second embodiment, FIGS.
In the confirmation processing such as the occupant detection described with reference to FIG.
The vehicle speed V obtained from the vehicle speed sensor 19 is used (however, in this case, the timer set value in FIG. 13 is TSPPD1> TS
PPD2, TRPPD1> TRPPD2). Specifically, in step S11 of the state determination time setting process (FIG. 14), it is determined whether or not the current vehicle speed is a predetermined value. If the vehicle speed is equal to or higher than the predetermined value, timers TSPPD and TSPD for state determination are determined.
The RPPD is made longer than when the vehicle speed is lower than a predetermined value. This is because when the vehicle speed is running at or above the predetermined value, the possibility that the state of the occupant changes is low, and in that case, a long set time is also used to determine the state. This prevents careless switching of airbag deployment due to noise. It should be noted that the result of the determination processing of the present modified example using the vehicle speed V may be used in FIG. 16 in the first embodiment.

<Modification 2 of Second Embodiment> This modification has the same processing configuration as Modification 1 of the second embodiment, but differs from Step S1 of the state determination time setting processing (FIG. 14).
In step 1, it is determined whether or not the door on the passenger seat side of the vehicle is closed based on a door open / close state signal input from the door sensor 20. If the door is closed, a timer T for state determination is determined.
SPPD and TRPPD are made longer than when the door is open. This is because the fact that the door is closed means that the vehicle will be running, and it is unlikely that the state of the occupant will change. use. This prevents careless switching of airbag deployment due to noise. Note that the opening / closing state of the door is preferably detection of the door on the passenger seat, but is not limited to this.

[0073]

[Third Embodiment] Next, a third embodiment using an acceleration signal from an acceleration sensor will be described. To explain the outline of the present embodiment, first, consider a case where a large acceleration is applied for some reason while the vehicle is running, and, for example, the child seat 12 mounted on the passenger seat 13 is displaced from a predetermined position. In this case, in the airbag system according to the first embodiment described above, even when the vehicle is traveling, it is detected that the position of the child seat 12 has changed, and the switching control of the necessity of airbag deployment is inappropriate. May be done. Therefore, when switching the necessity of the airbag deployment, the acceleration is incorporated into the judgment element. The specific concept will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 20 is a diagram for explaining a process of permitting / prohibiting switching control of airbag deployment according to the third embodiment of the present invention. In the drawing, for example, when the position of the child seat 12 changes and the detection state of the child seat 12 changes from “present” to “absent”, if the output value of the acceleration sensor is larger than a predetermined threshold T, It is determined that the change in the detection state is caused by some unsteady cause (for example, sudden braking or collision), and the control before or after the change in the position of the child seat 12 is prohibited by prohibiting the switching of the airbag deployment. It is intended to maintain safety and improve safety. Hereinafter, the description of the same components as those of the above-described first and second embodiments will be omitted, and the description will focus on the features that are the features of the third embodiment.

FIG. 21 is a configuration diagram showing an outline of an airbag system as a third embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, the difference from the aforementioned FIG. 1 (first embodiment) is that the acceleration signal from the acceleration sensor 21 for detecting the acceleration of the automobile 1 is input to the sensor input interface 103 of the control unit 11, and Control unit 11
Warning buzzer 155 from the status notification interface 108
(A lamp may be used).

FIG. 22 is a flowchart for detecting a change in the output of the occupant detection sensor 133 in the flowchart showing the permission / prohibition processing of the switching control of the airbag deployment according to the third embodiment of the present invention. In practice, FIG.
A flowchart similar to the above is similarly present in the detection of the presence / absence of the child seat 12, the detection of the orientation, and the detection of the displacement. According to the flowchart of FIG.
The switching permission flag (switching permission when FL = 0, switching prohibition when FL = 1) is controlled to permit / prohibit the switching control of the airbag deployment in the same manner as in the embodiment.

In the figure, when the ignition key is turned on and the processing is started, the control unit 11 resets the switching permission flag (FL) to 0 as an initial setting (step S101). Next, the acceleration signal from the acceleration sensor 21 is read (step S102), and the occupant detection sensor 1
33 is read (step S103). In step S104, it is determined whether or not a change has occurred by comparing the output of the occupant detection sensor 133 that has been read this time with the previously read value. If NO in step S104,
It is determined that the state is the normal state, the switching permission flag is set to 0 (step S106), and the process returns to step S102. On the other hand, if step S104 is YES, it is determined whether the output of the acceleration sensor 21 read this time is larger than a predetermined threshold value T (step S105). The value is set to 0 (step S106), and the process returns to step S102.

If YES in step S105, it indicates that an unsteady state has occurred, so that the switching permission flag is set to 1 (step S107), the warning buzzer 155 is activated for a predetermined time A, and the occupant's attention is given. (Step S108).

Next, in step S109, it is determined whether or not the state switch 154 has been pressed. This is because, as a result of the warning operation of step S108, the occupant recognizes that the current state of the passenger seat 13 is different from the current control state of permitting or prohibiting the deployment of the passenger seat airbag 3, and the difference is recognized. This is for determining whether or not the occupant has pressed the state changeover switch 154 to eliminate it. As a specific example, it is assumed that when the occupant sitting in the passenger seat 13 in a wagon or the like moves to the rear seat, the driver accidentally applies sudden braking. In this case, since the occupant is initially seated in the passenger seat 13, the passenger airbag 3
Is the state of "permission of deployment", but according to the processing according to the present embodiment, the state of "permission of deployment" is continued even after the occupant moves to the rear seat. Therefore, it is assumed that the driver (or the occupant) who has grasped this state depresses the state changeover switch 154 to change the state of “deployment permitted” to the state of “deployment prohibited”. Therefore, in step S109, the state switch 15
When 4 is pressed, the switching permission flag is set to 0 (step S114), and the process returns to step S102.

On the other hand, if NO in step S109,
The acceleration signal from the acceleration sensor 21 and the output of the occupant detection sensor 133 are sequentially read (step S111, step S112), and it is detected whether the ignition key is OFF (step S110) or the output of the occupant detection sensor 133 Continue the routine from step S109 to step S113 until it detects that the switching permission flag has returned to the state at the time of 0 (step S113). In step S110, the ignition key is turned off.
In the case of F, the process ends. Step S113
If YES, that is, if the output of the occupant detection sensor 133 returns to the state when the switching permission flag is 0, the switching permission flag is set to 0 (step S114), and step S1 is performed.
Return to 02. Here, as a specific example of the case where the switching permission flag returns to 0 in step S113, a case where the posture of the occupant in the passenger seat 13 changes due to sudden braking and then returns to the normal sitting posture again. is assumed.
In the case where the presence or absence of the child seat 12 is detected according to the flowchart of FIG. 22, after the position of the child seat 12 on the passenger seat 13 is deviated from a predetermined position due to sudden braking, the sudden braking reaction and the occupant shift. It is assumed that the fixed position has been returned to the predetermined position.

The switching process of the passenger seat airbag deployment necessity, which is restricted by the permission / prohibition process of FIG. 22, is the same as the flowchart described in FIG. 19 of the second embodiment described above. Omitted.

[0082]

Fourth Embodiment In the present embodiment, it is the same as in the situation described in the above third embodiment that the switching control of the necessity of airbag deployment is prevented from being performed improperly. As means therefor, the acceleration sensor is used for detecting the occupant, detecting the presence / absence of the child seat 12, detecting the direction, and detecting the displacement in the switching process (FIG. 16) of the passenger seat air bag deployment necessity in the first embodiment. The acceleration signal obtained from 21 is used. Specifically, in the determination processing such as the occupant detection described in the first embodiment with reference to FIGS. 11 to 15, the processing illustrated in FIG. 23 is performed instead of the state determination time setting processing in FIG. 14. Do. In this modification, the acceleration signal from the acceleration sensor 21 is classified into two types, lateral acceleration and vertical acceleration.
The threshold values are TA and TB, respectively.

FIG. 23 is a flowchart for detecting a change in the output of the occupant detection sensor 133 in the flowchart showing the state determination time setting processing according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. Actually, a flowchart similar to that in FIG. 23 also exists in the detection of the presence / absence of the child seat 12, the detection of the orientation, and the detection of the displacement.

In the figure, when the ignition key is turned on and the process is started, the acceleration signal from the acceleration sensor 21 is read (step S131), and the occupant detection sensor 1
33 is read (step S132). In step S133, it is determined whether a change has occurred by comparing the output of the occupant detection sensor 133 that has been read this time with the previously read value. If NO in step S133,
TSPPD1 and TRPPD1 are set (step S1
37), return. On the other hand, in step S133, YE
In the case of S, it is determined whether the lateral acceleration is greater than the threshold value TA (step S134). Step S13
If YES in step 4, TSPPD2 and TRPPD2 are set (step S136), and the process returns. Step S
If NO in 134, the vertical acceleration is
It is determined whether or not the value is greater than YE (step S135).
In the case of S, TSPPD2 and TRPPD2 are set (step S136), and the process returns. On the other hand, step S1
If NO in step 35, TSPPD1 and TRPPD1 are set (step S137), and the process returns. Therefore,
Changes in the output of the occupant detection sensor 133 and the acceleration sensor 21
If the detection of the acceleration signal larger than the threshold value in the horizontal direction or the vertical direction occurs simultaneously, the setting value of the state determination timer is increased to perform the switching process of whether or not the airbag deployment is required. Time can be lengthened.

Except for the processing of FIG. 23 described above, the description is omitted because it is the same as that of the first embodiment. (However, in the case of this embodiment, the acceleration sensor 21 is included in the control unit 11 in the configuration diagram of the airbag system of FIG. It is needless to say that the acceleration signal of the present modification using the acceleration G may be used in FIG. 19 in the second embodiment.

<Modification of Fourth Embodiment> This modification is also
In the situation described in the third embodiment described above, it is the same to prevent inappropriate control for switching the necessity of airbag deployment. However, as a means, the setting processing of the state determination time is not the processing of the flowchart of FIG. 23 described in the fourth embodiment, but the processing of the flowchart of FIG. 14 described in the first embodiment. The processing in FIG. 24 is performed instead of the state determination processing. That is, in the present modified example, the acceleration signal obtained from the acceleration sensor 21 is used for the occupant detection, the detection of the presence or absence of the child seat 12, the detection of the orientation, and the determination processing of the detection of the displacement. This is because the unsteady state in the fourth embodiment described above, that is, the state in which the change in the output of the occupant detection sensor 133 and the detection of the acceleration signal larger than the threshold value from the acceleration sensor 21 occur simultaneously, This is because the control unit 11 may switch the necessity of deploying the airbag when the long-changed state continues for more than the fixed time (TSPPD2, TRPPD2) (however, the possibility that actually occurs is as follows). Considered quite low). Therefore, the necessity of deployment of the airbag is not switched as long as the above unsteady state continues.

FIG. 24 is a flowchart showing a state determination process as a modification of the fourth embodiment of the present invention (in the case of occupant detection determination). Actually, a flowchart similar to that in FIG. 24 is similarly provided for the detection of the presence / absence of the child seat 12, the detection of the orientation, and the detection of the displacement.

In FIG. 24, when the ignition key is
When the processing is started at N, initialization is performed (step S151), an acceleration signal from the acceleration sensor 21 is read (step S152), and the occupant detection sensor 133 is set.
Is read (step S153). Step S1
At 54, it is determined whether or not a change has occurred by comparing the output of the occupant detection sensor 133 that has been read this time with the previously read value. If NO in step S154, the process proceeds to step S161. On the other hand, YES in step S154
In the case of, it is determined whether the acceleration G is greater than the threshold value T (step S155). NO in step S155
In the case of, the process proceeds to step S161. On the other hand, step S
In the case of YES at 155, the current output value of the occupant detection sensor 133 obtained at step S153 is ignored, and the previous value is set as the current read value (step S156), and the process returns to step S152. Here, the meaning of the processing in step S156 will be described. By setting the output value of the occupant detection sensor 133 to the previous value, the determination of “change (YES)” is made again in step S154 in the next loop. Therefore, as long as the current acceleration G is larger than the predetermined threshold value T (corresponding to the above-mentioned unsteady state), the determination in step S155 becomes YES, and the loop of step S156 and step S152 is repeated. In this case, the processing after step S161 is not performed. In other words, the count processing from step S161 to step S137 is held. Therefore, it is possible to prohibit the switching of the necessity of the deployment of the airbag as long as the unsteady state continues. The processing after step S161 is the same as the processing after step S21 in FIG.

In this modified example, except for the processing of FIG. 24 described above, the description is omitted because it is the same as that of the first embodiment (however, in the case of this embodiment, the control unit in the configuration diagram of the airbag system of FIG. 1) Needless to say, the acceleration signal of the acceleration sensor 21 is input to the reference numeral 11.

[0090]

As described above, according to the present invention,
It is possible to provide a vehicle airbag system capable of safely controlling the necessity of deploying an airbag even when a failure occurs in a child seat. As a result, fail-safe performance when the child seat is mounted can be improved.

[0091]

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram illustrating an outline of an airbag system according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of an automobile provided with an airbag system as a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram schematically showing a control unit 11 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram schematically showing a sheet sensor unit 18 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a communication format according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of communication data according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an antenna provided in a passenger seat 13 as the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a transponder provided in the child seat 12 as the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a view showing a variation of a mounted state of the child seat as the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating the necessity of airbag deployment in the airbag system according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing internal parameters used in a state determination process as an embodiment of the present invention (in the case of determination of occupant detection).

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing internal parameters used for a state determination process as an embodiment of the present invention (in the case of determination of occupant detection).

FIG. 13 is a diagram showing internal parameters used for a state determination process as an embodiment of the present invention (in the case of determination of occupant detection).

FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing a state determination time setting process according to the first embodiment of the present invention (in the case of occupant detection determination).

FIG. 15 is a flowchart illustrating a state determination process according to the first embodiment of the present invention (in the case of determination of occupant detection).

FIG. 16 is a flowchart illustrating a process of switching whether or not a passenger seat airbag needs to be deployed as the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 17 is a configuration diagram illustrating an outline of an airbag system according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 18 is a flowchart illustrating a process of permitting / prohibiting switching control of airbag deployment according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 19 is a flowchart illustrating a process of switching the necessity of deploying a passenger seat airbag according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 20 is a diagram illustrating a process of permitting / prohibiting switching control of airbag deployment as a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 21 is a configuration diagram showing an outline of an airbag system as a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 22 is a flowchart illustrating a process of permitting / prohibiting switching control of airbag deployment according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 23 is a flowchart showing a state determination time setting process according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention (in the case of occupant detection determination).

FIG. 24 is a flowchart illustrating a state determination process as a modification of the fourth embodiment of the present invention (in the case of determination of occupant detection).

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Automobile 2 Driver's seat airbag 3 Passenger's seat airbag 4 Side airbag 5 Passenger's seat airbag storage 6 Steering wheel 9 Rear seat 10 Driver's seat 11 Control unit 12 Child seat 14 Impact detection sensor 15 Instrument panel 16 Passenger inflator 17 Driver inflator 18 Seat sensor unit 19 Vehicle speed sensor 20 Door sensor 21 Acceleration sensor 121 Transponder 131F, 131R Receiving antenna 132 Transmitting antenna 133 Occupant detection sensor 151, 153 Status display lamp 152 Failure warning lamp 154 Status switch 155 Warning buzzer 102, 206 Communication Interface 103 Sensor input interface 104 Operation input interface 107 Output interface 108 Status notification interface 105, 204 ROM 106, 205 RAM 109, 209 Bus 101, 201 CPU 202 Transmission circuit 203F, 203R Receiving circuit

Claims (3)

[Claims] An occupant detecting means for detecting whether or not an occupant is present by a weight sensor provided on a vehicle seat;
Child seat detection means for detecting whether the child seat is mounted on the vehicle seat,
When the presence of the occupant is detected by the occupant detection means, the deployment of the airbag is permitted, and when the presence of the child seat is detected by the child seat detection means, the deployment of the airbag is prohibited. An airbag system for a vehicle, wherein a threshold value for determining whether or not the occupant detection unit has detected the presence of an occupant is a value obtained by adding a weight of the child seat and a predetermined load. Airbag system for vehicles. 2. The load according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined load is a maximum load that the child seat can hold.
An airbag system for a vehicle as described in the above. 3. The vehicle according to claim 2, further comprising: a specification unit for specifying an orientation of the child seat mounted on the vehicle seat, wherein the deployment of the airbag is permitted when an output of the specification unit indicates a forward direction of the vehicle. 3. The airbag system for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the deployment of the airbag is prohibited when the rearward direction of the vehicle is indicated.