EP0650869A1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Method and apparatus for sensing a rearward facing child seat
Assignee: ZF Passive Safety Systems US Inc
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Filing: 1994-11-01
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2014-11-01
Abstract
Abstract An apparatus (20) for preventing actuation of an air bag restraining device (90) of a vehicle includes a sensor (24, 26) that senses the presence of a child restraining seat (40) on an occupant seat (30) of the vehicle. A controller (22) is operatively connected to the sensor (24, 26) and to the air bag restraining device (90) for controlling actuation of the air bag and preventing actuation of the air bag when the sensor (24, 26) senses the child restraining seat (40) on the occupant seat (30).
Inventors
- 👤 Brian K. Blackburn
- 👤 Joseph F. Mazur
- 👤 Gregory S. Bayley
- 👤 Scott B. Gentry
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-27 15:07
CPC Classifications
B; B60; B60R; B60R21/00; B60R21/01; B60R21/015; B60R21/01512; B60R21/0153; B60R21/01534; B60N; B60N2/00; B60N2/24; B60N2/26; B60N2/28; B60N2/2803; B60N2/2806; B60N2/2857; B60N2/2863; B60R21/01516; B60R21/01536; B60R21/01556; B60R21/01566; B60R21/017; B60R21/0173; B60R21/02; B60R21/16; G; G06; G06K; G06K7/00; G06K7/08; G06K7/082; G06K7/087
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 27
Claim 1
Independent Claim
73 words
An apparatus for preventing actuation of an actuatable occupant restraining device of a vehicle, said apparatus comprising: sensing means for sensing the presence of a child restraining seat on an occupant seat of the vehicle; and control means operatively connected to said sensing means and to said actuatable occupant restraining device for preventing actuation of said actuatable occupant restraining device when said sensing means senses said child restraining seat on said occupant seat.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
89 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said sensing means includes an antenna coil for transmitting an EMF signal and an identification tag made from an amorphous material that changes magnetic permeability when subjected to an EMF energy signal from said antenna coil, changes in said magnetic permeability effecting generation of a return EMF signal, said tag being secured to said child restraining seat, said antenna coil being adapted to receive said return EMF signal from said tag and to transform said return EMF signal into a received electric signal.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
30 words
The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said sensing means includes bandpass filter means operatively connected to said antenna coil for passing only said received electric signal having a predetermined frequency.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
45 words
The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said control means further includes a discriminating circuit means for detection of said received electric signal passed by said bandpass filter and for providing an indication when said tag is within said generated EMF field of said antenna coil.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
50 words
The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said discriminating circuit means includes converter means operatively connected to said bandpass filter means for converting said passed received electric signal to a digital HIGH when said return EMF signal is present and a digital LOW when said return EMF signal is not present.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
58 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said sensing means includes means for sensing when said child restraining seat is in a rearward facing direction and wherein said control means prevents actuation of said actuatable occupant restraining device only when said sensing means senses that said child restraining seat is in a rearward facing direction on said occupant seat.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
14 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said occupant restraining device is an air bag.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
33 words
The apparatus of claim 1 further including an indicator means operatively connected to said control means, said control means actuating said indicator means when said occupant restraining device is prevented from being actuated.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
41 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said sensing means includes means for transmitting a signal and means for receiving a return signal, said return signal having a characteristic indicative of the presence of a child restraining seat on said occupant seat.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
36 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said sensing means includes means for receiving a signal from said child restraining seat having a characteristic indicative of the presence of a child restraining seat on said occupant seat.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
75 words
An apparatus for preventing actuation of an occupant air bag, comprising: means for detecting the presence of an identifiable device within an occupant location on an occupant seat of the vehicle and providing an electrical signal indicative of the presence of said identifiable device within said occupant location; and means for preventing actuation of said air bag when said signal from said detecting means indicates the presence of said identifiable device within said occupant location.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
149 words
An apparatus for preventing actuation of an air bag restraint when a child restraining seat is present on an associated occupant seat location, said apparatus comprising: identifiable tag means secured to said child restraining seat at a predetermined location for permitting identification of said child restraining seat and for permitting determination of whether said child restraining seat is rearward facing; sensing means for detecting the presence of said identifiable tag means within said associated occupant seat location and for providing an electrical signal indicative of (i) the presence of said identifiable tag means within said associated occupant seat location, and (ii) whether said child restraining seat is rearward facing; and means for preventing deployment of said air bag when said signal from said sensing means indicates (i) the presence of said identifiable tag means within said associated occupant seat location, and (ii) said child restraining seat is rearward facing.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
83 words
The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said sensing means includes an antenna coil for transmitting an EMF signal and wherein said identifiable tag means is made from an amorphous material that changes magnetic permeability when subjected to an EMF energy signal from said antenna coil, changes in said magnetic permeability effecting generation of a return EMF signal, said antenna coil being adapted to receive said return EMF signal from said tag and to transform said return EMF signal into a received electric signal.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
30 words
The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said sensing means includes bandpass filter means operatively connected to said antenna coil for passing only said received electric signal having a predetermined frequency.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
47 words
The apparatus of claim 14 wherein said means for preventing deployment includes a discriminating circuit means for detection of said received electric signal passed by said band pass filter and for providing an indication when said tag is within said generated EMF field of said antenna coil.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
50 words
The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said discriminating circuit means includes converter means operatively connected to said bandpass filter means for converting said passed received electric signal to a digital HIGH when said return EMF signal is present and a digital LOW when said return EMF signal is not present.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
37 words
The apparatus of claim 12 further including an indicator means operatively connected to said means for preventing deployment, said means for preventing deployment actuating said indicator means when said air bag restraint is prevented from being actuated.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
344 words
An apparatus for preventing actuation of an air bag restraint when a child restraining seat is present on an associated occupant seat location, said apparatus comprising: identifiable tag means secured to said child restraining seat at a predetermined location for permitting identification of said child restraining seat and for permitting a determination of whether said child restraining seat is rearward facing, said identifiable tag means being made from an amorphous material that changes magnetic permeability when subjected to an EMF energy signal, changes in said magnetic permeability effecting generation of a return EMF signal; sensing means for detecting the presence of said identifiable tag means within said associated occupant seat location and for providing an electrical signal indicative of (i) the presence of said identifiable tag means within said associated occupant seat location, and (ii) whether said child restraining seat is rearward facing, said sensing means including an antenna coil for transmitting an EMF energy signal to subject said tag to said EMF energy signal so that said tag produces an EMF return signal, said antenna coil receiving said return EMF signal from said tag and transforming said return EMF signal into a received electric signal; said sensing means further including bandpass filter means operatively connected to said antenna coil for passing said received electric signal having a predetermined frequency; converter means operatively connected to said bandpass filter means for converting said passed received electric signal to a digital HIGH when said return EMF signal from said tag is present and said child restraining seat is in a rearward facing direction and a digital LOW when said return EMF signal from said tag is not present; means for preventing deployment of said air bag when said signal from said converter means indicates (i) the presence of said identifiable tag means within said associated occupant seat location, and (ii) said child restraining seat is in a rearward facing direction; and indicator means operatively connected to said means for preventing deployment for actuating said indicator means when said air bag restraint is prevented from being actuated.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
58 words
A method for preventing actuation of an actuatable occupant restraining device of a vehicle, said method comprising the steps of: sensing the presence of a child restraining seat on an occupant seat of the vehicle; and preventing actuation of said actuatable occupant restraining device when said child restraining seat is sensed as being present on said occupant seat.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
100 words
The method of claim 19 wherein said step of sensing includes the steps of providing an antenna coil within the vehicle compartment and securing an identification tag to said child restraining seat, said tag being made from an amorphous material that changes magnetic permeability when subjected to an EMF energy signal from said antenna coil, changes in said magnetic permeability effecting generation of a return EMF signal, said method further comprising the steps of transmitting an EMF signal toward said tag, receiving said return EMF signal from said tag, and transforming said return EMF signal into a received electric signal.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of claim 20 wherein said step of sensing includes bandpass filtering said received electric signal and passing only said received electric signal having a predetermined frequency value.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
36 words
The method of claim 21 wherein said step of preventing actuation includes the step of discriminating any received electric signal passed for detection of said tag when said tag is subjected to said EMF energy signal.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
42 words
The method of claim 22 wherein said step of discriminating further includes converting said passed received electric signal to a digital HIGH when said return EMF signal is present and to a digital LOW when said return EMF signal is not present.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
53 words
The method of claim 19 wherein said step of sensing includes sensing when said child restraining seat is in a rearward facing direction and said step of preventing actuation of said actuatable occupant restraining device occurs only when said step of sensing senses said rearward facing child restraining seat on said occupant seat.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method of claim 19 further including the step of providing an indication to the vehicle occupants when said actuatable occupant restraining device is prevented from being actuated.
Claim 26
Independent Claim
53 words
An apparatus for warning of a rearward facing child restraining seat in a vehicle, said apparatus comprising: sensing means for sensing the rearward facing child restraining seat in the vehicle; and warning means operatively coupled to said sensing means for providing a warning indication upon detection of said rearward facing child restraining seat.
Claim 27
Independent Claim
41 words
A method for warning of a rearward facing child restraining seat in a vehicle, said method comprising the steps of: sensing the rearward facing child restraining seat; and providing a warning indication when the rearward facing child restraining seat is sensed.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
EP0458102A1
Cited
DE4212018A1
Cited
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