Siemens Aktiengesellschaft

Continental Automotive Gmbh

Continental Automotive Systems Us, Inc.

Gerald Schicker

Gerd Winkler

Andreas Knueppel

Mathias Büchel

Bernhard Pfeffer

A vehicle occupant classification system categorizes vehicle occupants into various classes such as adult, child, infant, etc. to provide variable control for a vehicle restraint system such as an airbag. The classification system utilizes sensors that are installed in various locations in the vehicle. The sensors are used to generate a three-dimensional profile for the vehicle occupant. Various factors can affect the accuracy of this three-dimensional profile. Fuzzy logic is used to reduce some of the inaccuracies by providing multiple decision levels for various stages of the classification. Inaccuracies are also caused by sensors shifting within the system from their original position. This condition creates offset and the system evaluates this offset and generates a correction factor to provide a more accurate three-dimensional profile. Electrically erasable programmable read-only memory is used to reduce complications and inaccuracies associated with seat occupant weight sensors that have mounting configurations that vary depending upon the vehicle.

Vehicle occupant weight classification system

The recognition of seat occupancy of a seat is achieved by recording at least one measured signal by way of a seat occupancy sensor. The measured signal is allocated a weight signal by way of an allocation rule, which is representative of a weight with which the seat is occupied. The allocation rule is altered when the weight signal over the course of time is first greater than a given upper threshold and when further, during a given first duration the weight signal lies in a first weight range at a weight zero value. The allocation rule is altered such that the then current measured signal is allocated the weight signal reduced by a given percentage from the weight signal. The allocation rule is further altered when the weight signal lies around the weight zero value in a given second weight range during a given second duration, which is much longer than the first duration. The allocation rule is altered such that the then current measured signal is allocated a weight signal reduced by a given correction value.

Method and device for recognition of the seat occupancy of a seat

A method and a device allow to detect and optionally to indicate the improper use of a seat. For this purpose, an estimated value of a variable characteristic of a mass that rests on a seating area of a seat is determined depending on at least one force that acts upon the seating area and that is detected by one or more force sensors. The estimated value is found to be reliable or unreliable depending on the oscillation behavior of the measured signal of the at least one force sensor.

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Maxhuette, Germany

Gerald Schicker