Occupant and infant seat detection in a vehicle supplemental restraint system

Claim 2

The method set forth in claim 1 wherein said step (a) comprises the step of: providing a sensor (16 or 60) at said predetermined vehicle seat position for sensing occupancy as a function of weight supported at said predetermined vehicle seat position.

Claim 3

The method set forth in claim 1 or 2 comprising the additional step of: (d) providing an array (60) of sensors at said predetermined seat position for providing electrical output signals as a function of weight supported at said predetermined seat position, and wherein said steps (a) and (b) comprise the steps of sensing when said predetermined seat position in unoccupied and sensing when said predetermined seat position is occupied by a rear-facing infant seat as a function of said electrical signals.

Claim 4

The method set forth in claim 3 wherein said step (d) comprises the step of providing a plurality of individual sensors (60a, 60b.....60i) disposed in said array (60).

Claim 5

The method set forth in claim 4 wherein each of said sensors (60a, 60b.....60i) comprises a permanent magnet (64), a Hall effect sensor (66) and means (69) resiliently separating said magnet from said sensor.

Claim 6

The method set forth in claim 1 wherein said step (a) comprises the steps of: (a1) providing optically readable means (40 or 50) at said predetermined vehicle seat position (12), and (a2) providing optical reading means (52) opposed to said predetermined vehicle seat position for sensing occupancy when said optically readable means is blocked by an occupant.

Claim 7

The method set forth in claim 1 wherein said step (b) comprises the step of: providing magnetic means (30) at a predetermined position on said infant seat (24), and magnetic sensor means (20) at a predetermined position at said vehicle seat position (12) coordinated with said predetermined position on said infant seat so as to sense placement of said infant seat at said predetermined vehicle seat position in a rear-facing orientation.

Claim 9

The method set forth in claim 8 comprising the additional step of: (e) providing means (38) for the vehicle operator to override said step (c) and enable activation of said air bag independent of said steps (a) and (b).

Claim 10

An automotive vehicle supplemental restraint system (10) that includes: an air bag (36) positioned within a vehicle opposite a predetermined vehicle seat position (12), means (34) for activating the air bag in the event of vehicle impact, and deployment control means for preventing activation of the air bag when the seat is unoccupied or occupied by a rear-facing infant seat, said deployment control means comprising: first means (18 or 40 or 50 or 60) for positioning at said predetermined vehicle seat position to sense occupancy of said seat position, second means (20 or 42 or 48 or 60) for disposition at said predetermined vehicle seat position for indicating disposition of a rear-facing infant seat at said predetermined vehicle seat position, and third means (32 or 70) coupled to said first and second means for inhibiting deployment of said air bag when a rear-facing infant seat is disposed at said predetermined vehicle seat position, and otherwise enabling deployment of said air bag when said predetermined vehicle seat position is occupied as indicated by said first means and said second means does not indicate a rear-facing infant seat at said predetermined vehicle seat position.

Claim 11

The system set forth in claim 10 wherein said first means comprises a weight sensor (18 or 60).

Claim 12

The system set forth in claim 11 wherein said first and second means together comprises a plurality (60) of weight sensors (60a, 60b....60i) disposed at said predetermined seat position, and wherein said third means (70) comprises circuit means coupled to said sensors for detecting both occupancy, occupancy by an infant seat and orientation of the infant seat at said predetermined seat position.

Claim 13

The system set forth in claim 12 wherein each of said sensors (60a, 60b.... 60i) comprises a permanent magnet (64), sensing means (66) for generating said output signal as a function of magnetic field strength, and means (69) resiliently spacing said magnet with respect to said magnetic sensing means.

Claim 14

The system set forth in claim 13 wherein said magnetic sensing means (66) comprises a Hall effect sensor.

Claim 15

The system set forth in claim 14 wherein each said Hall effect sensor (66) comprises a linear Hall effect sensor.

Claim 16

The system set forth in claim 13, 14 or 15 wherein said magnetic sensing means (66) is constructed and arranged to provide an analog electrical output signal that varies as a continuous function of spacing between said magnet and said sensing means.

Claim 17

The system set forth in claim 13, 14 or 15 wherein said array (60) of sensors comprises an array of said permanent magnets (64) disposed in a flexible matrix, a sheet (69) of flexible resilient material underlying said matrix and forming said resiliently spacing means, and a plurality of said magnetic sensing means (66) respectively aligned with said magnets.

Claim 18

The system set forth in claim 10 or 11 wherein said second means comprises fourth means (30 or 42 or 48) permanently affixed to the infant seat at a predetermined position on said infant seat, and fifth means (20 or 52) at said predetermined seat position for cooperating with said fourth means to detect orientation of an infant seat at said predetermined seat position.

Claim 19

The system set forth in claim 18 wherein said fourth means comprises a permanent magnet (30) affixed to said infant seat (24), and said fifth means comprises magnetic sensing means (20) at said predetermined seat position for sensing disposition of said magnet (30) overlying said sensing means (20) and thereby detecting infant seat orientation.

Claim 20

The system set forth in claim 18 wherein said fourth means comprises optically readable indicia (42 or 48) on said infant seat, and said fifth means comprises optical reading means (52) at said vehicle seat position.