The present invention relates to a method for determining occupancy inside a motor vehicle using a presence sensor. The method includes periodically determining the occupancy and determining a value representative of a quantity of vibration of the vehicle. The method also includes suspending the periodic determination of the occupancy. The suspension is triggered on the basis of the value representative of the quantity of vibration.

A computer-implemented method for automated evaluation of crash test data includes reading a data set with crash test data from a plurality of available data sets. The method proceeds by extracting from the data set time-dependent force signals that are attributable to a seatbelt tensioner of a passenger restraint system of a vehicle and calculating changes in force F.sub.i from the force signals at fixed or determinable time intervals between 0.05 ms and 0.15 ms, up to a fixed or determinable time threshold between 20 ms and 30 ms, starting from the time of vehicle impact on the barrier. The method then includes checking whether the force change F.sub.i reaches or exceeds a fixed or determinable threshold value within the time threshold in at least one of the time intervals.

An image is received from an image sensor including an occupant's head and a webbing. A center line of the occupant is determined. A webbing payout length is determined based on the center line. A safety device is adjusted based at least in part on the webbing payout length.

A car seat seatbelt timer apparatus for alerting a user to a child's presence in a car seat includes a car seat with a buckle that releasably joins a pair of seatbelt segments together. When the buckle is closed, a switch is moved into an activated position, which initiates a timer. Once the timer reaches a predetermined time interval, an audible alarm is generated to notify a user that the buckle has been closed for the length of time of the predetermined time interval. A notification is also sent to a remote electronic device after the predetermined time interval elapses.

An occupant protection system includes: arm rests that are disposed on first and second width direction sides of a seat back and are rotatable between a substantially vertical storage position and a substantially horizontal use position; slide members that are slidable along the arm rests and have belt guides; a retractor that takes up webbing of a belt; and an electronic control unit that, (i) in a state before an occupant is seated in a vehicle seat, causes the arm rests to be held in the storage position and causes the slide members to slide in the seat upward direction above the head of the occupant, and that, (ii) when the occupant is seated, causes the arm rests to rotate to the use position, causes the slide members to slide toward base sides of the arm rests, and causes the webbing to be taken up by the retractor.

A monitoring system for a vehicle having a seat and a restraint with seatbelt webbing includes a webbing length sensor coupled with the restraint, a position sensor, and a processor. The processor is in communication with the webbing length sensor and the position sensor and is programmed to output a signal based on a determination that an extended webbing length is outside an acceptable range of webbing length for an occupant size category assigned using the position sensor.

A seat belt lock with a Hall sensor for detection of a locking state of a seat belt lock having a metal seat belt lock frame arranged in a housing. The seat belt lock frame has an upper part and a lower part, connected to a define slit-like channel. A spring-loaded locking device for an inserted seat belt latch is mounted on the seat belt lock frame. A spring-loaded ejector for the inserted seat belt latch is arranged in the channel. The Hall sensor interacts with a permanent-magnetic component, whose distance relative to the Hall sensor is changeable based on translatory movement of the ejector in the case of actuation of the locking mechanism. The Hall sensor is arranged on or in the seat belt lock frame and is covered by a metal shielding element, which extends essentially parallel to the seat belt lock frame and forms a flow concentrator.

An image is received from an image sensor including an occupant's head and a webbing. A center line of the occupant is determined. A webbing payout length is determined based on the center line. A safety device is adjusted based at least in part on the webbing payout length.

Aspects hereof relate to an operator protection apparatus having at least one over-center linkage. In some aspects, an operator protection apparatus can be raised and lowered by an operator from a seated position, for example, on a terrain working vehicle. Additionally, the at least one over-center linkage may automatically lock in the operator protection apparatus in a raised position. Accordingly, a mechanical force is then required to overcome the lock, and allow the operator protection apparatus to return to a lowered position.

Method for detecting seatbelt positioning in a vehicle having a seatbelt assembly and the image sensor and vehicle having the same. The seatbelt assembly includes belt webbing with a predefined webbing pattern. An image sensor is configured to take an image of at least a portion of the belt webbing. A controller is operatively connected to the image sensor and has a processor and tangible, non-transitory memory on which is recorded instructions for executing a method for detecting positioning of the belt webbing. The controller is configured to determine a latch status of the seatbelt assembly as being latched or unlatched. If the latch status is latched, the controller is configured to take an image of at least a portion of the belt webbing with the image sensor. The method includes determining if the belt webbing is in a preferred position based at least partially on said image.