The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jan. 23, 2001
Filed:
Aug. 23, 1999
Ronald J. Fredricks, Grand Rapids, MI (US);
Other;
Abstract
A method and apparatus for use in locating a vehicle driver, passenger or object in the vehicle for controlling vehicle systems including the positioning of vehicle sideview mirrors in relation to the driver's eyes to maximize the view of traffic on either side of the vehicle or the characteristics of vehicle airbag deployment. The location of a driver's or passenger's eyes or the location of an infant's seat is derived from the adjustment by the driver (or passenger, if capable of doing so) of adjustable light beam(s) emanating from light source(s) or illuminated indicia, until it (or they) intersect the driver's or passenger's eyes or illuminate a target, e.g. a child or an infant's seat, in the front passenger's seat. From the angles of adjustment of the light beam(s) and other known coordinates of the vehicle, the location of the driver's or passenger's eyes or the target may be computationally derived as a set of Cartesian coordinates. The determined eye location of the driver may be used together with the known mounting locations of the driver's and passenger's sideview mirror assemblies to derive exterior sideview mirror pitch and azimuth adjustment signal sets correlated to the vehicle blind spots. The adjustment signals are applied to servo motors operating in a feedback control loop to correct the actual driver's side and passenger's side sideview mirror pitch and azimuth settings to properly reflect images of the driver's side and passenger's side vehicle blind spots to the driver's eyes. The determined eye locations of the driver and passenger or the target location of the infant's seat may be also or alternatively employed in the control of the airbag deployment system and in other vehicle safety and comfort systems. The relative fore-aft distance away from the airbag and the height of the person or target can be computed, and airbag deployment force and/or duration adjusted to compensate for deviation from the standard height and fore-aft distance.