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:
Jul. 17, 2001
Filed:
Sep. 10, 1999
Yoshitaka Oka, Osaka, JP;
Tsutomu Fukui, Wako, JP;
Nobuhiro Koyota, Wako, JP;
Takashi Inou, Wako, JP;
Kazutomo Isonaga, Wako, JP;
Other;
Abstract
A passenger detection system for precisely detecting the sitting condition of a passenger occupying a seat, who leans against the seat supporting section, and for suitably controlling the deployment/non-deployment of the side airbag based on the results of the detection process. The system comprises a seat having a seat supporting section in which an antenna electrode is provided; a voltage generation device for generating a high-frequency and low-voltage signal which induces a weak electric field around the antenna electrode; a current detection section for detecting a current which flows according to the generated weak electric field; and a control circuit for detecting a leaning condition of the passenger against the seat supporting section, based on a signal output from the current detection section; and an airbag apparatus including a side airbag unit positioned close to a door, the apparatus having a function of deploying the side airbag unit when a collision occurs. Data representing results detected by the control circuit is sent to the airbag apparatus so as to set the side airbag unit to one of the deployable and non-deployable states.