An object position determining system, applied to a vehicle, comprising: at least one light source, configured to emit light; at least one optical sensor, configured to sense optical data generated based on reflected light of the light; and a processing circuit, configured to compute distance information between the optical sensor and at least one object which generates the reflected light, and real time vehicle orientation data; wherein the processing circuit determines at least one position of the object according to the distance information and the real time vehicle orientation data.

A seat assembly may include a seat, a first bladder assembly connected to the seat, a second bladder assembly connected to the seat, and/or an electrical control unit (ECU) configured to independently control the first bladder assembly and the second bladder assembly. The ECU may be configured to maintain a level of inflation of the first bladder assembly to provide a hugging effect to a user of the seat while inflating and deflating the second bladder assembly to guide breathing of said user.

An illustrative device capable of detecting a bearing force includes a support rigid by tension and at least one plate that is elastically deformable by the bearing force from a bent conformation in which the plate exhibits a convex bearing face on which the bearing force to be detected is directly exerted and to a more flattened conformation in which the convex bearing face is more flattened. The illustrative device further includes a spring capable of permanently straining the plate to its bent conformation, a guiding mechanism mounted on the support and capable of guiding the free distal end of the plate in translation along a translation axis at right angles to the direction of indentation, and a sensor capable of detecting a displacement of the free distal end along the translation axis to detect the bearing force.

The present invention relates to systems, methods, and apparatus that facilitate exercise in vehicles. In particular, the present invention provides active exercise in passenger and navigation areas in vehicles by incorporating force sensors in the environment surrounding the passenger and/or navigator in the vehicle. The present invention applies the principles of isometric training and interacts with a remote or on-board computer platform to track, measure and provide instruction to the passage and/or navigator engaged in such isometric training.

A vehicular safety alert assembly includes a first sensing unit that may be positioned on a driver's seat in a vehicle. Thus, the first sensing unit may detect when a driver sits in the driver's seat. The first sensing unit is in electrical communication with the vehicle's alarm system. A second sensing unit may be positioned on a child seat in the vehicle. Thus, the second sensing unit may detect when a child is sitting in the child seat. The second sensing unit is electrically coupled to the first sensing unit. The first sensing unit generates an alarm sequence when the second sensing unit detects the child and the first sensing unit does not detect the driver. The vehicle's alarm system emits an audible alarm when the alarm sequence is generated. Thus, the driver is alerted that the child is unattended in the vehicle.

The present invention relates to an anti-abandonment system comprising: a first sensor (2) associable with a restraining device (R) placed in the vehicle, a second sensor (3) associable with a fastening tab or with a fastening buckle of a safety belt of the vehicle. The anti-abandonment system comprises a control unit connected to the first and second sensors and configured to perform a control procedure comprising the steps of: determining, as a function of the signal emitted by the first sensor, the presence of a child and/or an infant on the restraining device; determining, as a function of the signal emitted by the second sensor, a fastened or unfastened condition of the safety belt, defining an alarm condition in the event that the control unit determines the presence of a child and/or an infant on the restraining device and at the same time the unfastened condition of the safety belt. The present invention also regards a process for warning of a potentially hazardous situation relative to the presence of an infant/child inside a vehicle.

The invention relates to a padding for a motor vehicle seat having a sheet for measuring multizone pressure. The sheet has a flexible support layer, with a first electrode having first contact elements, a second electrode having second contact elements and a plurality of intermediate contact elements having piezoresistive properties, each of the intermediate elements being inserted between a first and a second element to form a plurality of pressure sensors. The support layer is made of mesh. The first electrode is made from conductive ink printed on the support layer. The second electrode is made from printed conductive ink, and the intermediate contact elements are made from printed conductive ink with less conductivity than the inks of the electrodes.

A method for occupancy detection for at least one vehicle seat, using at least one transmit antenna and a plurality of receive antennas, includes: emitting a detection signal with each transmit antenna onto at least one vehicle seat, which detection signal is a frequency-modulated continuous-wave radar signal, and receiving with each receive antenna a reflected signal; recording sample data representing the reflected signal, the sample data having M channels, with M=N1.Math.N2, where N1 is the number of transmit antennas and N2 is the number of receive antennas; for each channel, removing a component from the sample data that corresponds to a reflection from a static object; and applying a frequency estimation method to the sample data to at least implicitly determine at least one angle of arrival θ.sub.i corresponding to a position of an occupant on a vehicle seat.

A system and method for classifying a type of interaction between a human user and a mobile communication device within a defined volume, based on multiple sensors. The method may include: determining a position of the mobile communication device relative to a frame of reference of the defined volume, based on: angle of arrival, time of flight, or received intensity of radio frequency (RF) signals transmitted by the mobile communication device and received by a phone location unit located within the defined volume configured to wirelessly communicate with the mobile communication device; obtaining at least one sensor measurement related to the mobile communication device from various non-RF sensors; repeating the obtaining, to yield a time series of sensor readings; and using a computer processor to classify the type of interaction into one of many predefined types of interactions, based on the position and the time series of sensor readings.

An assist handle assembly for use in an interior of a vehicle is provided. The assist handle assembly includes an assist handle configured to be gripped by a user, a connector configured to secure the assist handle assembly to a structural component in the interior of the vehicle, a proximity sensor assembly coupled to the assist handle for generating a sensed signal indicative of a user gripping the assist handle, and a controller controlling one or more vehicle devices based on the sensed signal.