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:
May. 06, 2003
Filed:
Feb. 15, 2000
Scott M. Morell, White Lake, MI (US);
Siemens VDO Automotive Corporation, Auburn Hills, MI (US);
Abstract
A system for measuring the weight of a seat occupant is used to control airbag deployment. The system includes a seat bottom that receives a vertical seat occupant weight force. The seat is divided into four quadrants, a front right quadrant, a left front quadrant, a left rear quadrant, and a right rear quadrant. Each quadrant includes a sensor that generates a weight signal corresponding in magnitude to the seat occupant weight in the respective quadrant. Each weight signal is comprised of a vertical force component and an error component induced by braking or deceleration forces acting on the seat bottom in a non-vertical direction. The sensors are orientated within their respective quadrants such that two sensors generate a positive error reading and two sensors generate a negative error reading. When the weight signals from each quadrant are added together to determine the total seat occupant weight, the error is eliminated as the positive and negative error components cancel each other out. The seat occupant weight is determined by adding the vertical force components from each of the weight signals together.