An occupant detection method includes detecting a load acting on a seat for a vehicle with use of a load sensor provided at the seat, monitoring a seating sensor output outputted from a seating sensor forming a detection region at the seat, and determining that a child occupant is seated at a child restraint seat installed at the seat when a detection value of the load sensor is equal to or larger than a minimum value determining that an adult occupant is seated at the seat and equal to or smaller than a maximum value determining that the child occupant is seated at the child restraint seat, in a case where the seating sensor output indicates a state in which a seating load of an occupant is not applied to the detection region, the seating load corresponding to a load of the occupant while the occupant is seated.

A child seat system for a vehicle includes a child harness, with the harness comprising a plurality of straps provided in at least a three-point harness system, the sensor being arranged to detect when a selected strap is flaccid, whereby to assist in the alerting to a parent or carer that the harness is improperly fastened. The child seat system for a vehicle can provides a warning whether it be audible or visual warning; the warning can be directed through a Bluetooth device, for example reducing the volume of speakers in relation to the play back of songs/discussion or a radio broadcast or otherwise. The warning may be provided with a delay, whereby to enable a period of time to place a child within the seat, with regard to the presence of a seat sensor—such as a weight sensor or thermal sensor.

The present disclosure relates to a method for determining the occupancy status of a seat of a motor vehicle, the method being implemented by a determination system comprising a seat, six interdigitated capacitive sensors, and a controller comprising a reference capacitance value and a threshold value for each interdigitated capacitive sensor, the method comprising a step of measuring three capacitance values for each interdigitated capacitive sensor, the following steps being implemented by the controller for the measured capacitance values: calculating a resulting capacitance value based on the measured capacitance values, calculating the difference between the resulting capacitance value and the reference capacitance value, comparing the calculated difference to the threshold value, determining the occupancy status of the seat, based on the result of the comparison.

A system and method for determining when a child safety system is present in a passenger seat in a vehicle and restrained, including at least one of: a) two lower anchors each including a lower anchor sensor, or b) an upper anchor including an upper anchor sensor; an occupancy sensor; a seatbelt buckle sensor; a microprocessor control system in communication with at least one of the sensors. The microprocessor control system includes executable code to: provisionally determine whether the child safety system is detected in the passenger seat; determine whether at least one of: a) a strap is connected to each lower anchor and b) a tether is connected to the upper anchor; determine whether the seatbelt is buckled; and verify the presence of a child safety system in the passenger seat. Executable code can also be included to detect strap and tether tension.

An anchor attachment detection sensor for a vehicle including an anchor including an anchor attachment loop bar; a slide mount defining an opening, wherein the slide mount is positioned aft of the anchor attachment loop bar; a slide positioned in the opening of the slide mount, a plate secured to a first end of the slide, a spring, wherein the spring biases the plate against the anchor attachment loop bar; and a sensing device configured to transmit a control signal having a value, wherein the value of the control signal is based on a displacement of a portion of the slide.

A vehicle occupant alarm assembly includes a remote unit that is carried by a caregiver driving a vehicle. The remote unit broadcasts a location signal. A base unit is attachable to a child that is seated in a vehicle and the base unit is in remote communication with an extrinsic communication network. The base unit receives the location signal and the base unit transmits an alert signal to the extrinsic communication network when the location signal falls below a pre-determined signal strength. The remote unit receives an alert from the extrinsic communication network when the base unit transmits the alert signal to the extrinsic communication network. In this way the remote unit alerts the caregiver that the child may be unattended in the vehicle.

A child safety seat is provided and includes a base, a seat body and a notifying system. The seat body is movable relative to the base between a first position and a second position. The notifying system includes at least one actuated device, an actuating component and a notifying device. The at least one actuated device is disposed on one of the base and the seat body. The actuating component is disposed on another one of the base and the seat body and for actuating the at least one actuated device when the seat body reaches at least one of the first position and the second position. The notifying device is electrically connected to the at least one actuated device and configured to generate different types of notifying signals in response to the at least one actuated device when the seat body reaches the first position and the second position.

A safety system for preventing child abandonment in a motor vehicle is provided. The safety system includes a device installable on a child safety seat, a safety belt, or a seat belt shoulder strap. The device includes a presence sensor configured to detect child safety seat occupancy, and a radio transmitter configured to emit a radio signal within a predefined transmission range and functionally connected to the presence sensor to receive a child safety seat occupancy signal and insert presence information into the radio signal. The safety system includes warning signal receiving devices configured to detect the radio signal within the predefined transmission range and extract presence information from the radio signal, and warning emission means. The presence sensor is a capacitive sensor. Each warning signal receiving device is configured to trigger the warning emission means after initially extracting presence information and subsequently detecting an interruption of the radio signal.

A child safety seat may include a motion sensor, e.g., an accelerometer, and a pressure sensor, e.g., a air pressure sensor. The motion sensor is configured to detect a motion state of a vehicle where the child safety seat is installed, e.g., whether the vehicle is moving or non-moving. The pressure sensor is configured to detect a motion state of a door of the vehicle, e.g., a door open/close motion. Based on the information detected by the motion sensor and the pressure sensor, a controller determines whether an awareness scenario occurs.

A system includes a seat belt routing module and a user interface device (UID) control module. The seat belt routing module is configured to: determine a routing of a seat belt relative to an occupant in a vehicle seat based on input from a webbing payout sensor; and determine the seat belt routing based on an input from an in-cabin sensor. The in-cabin sensor includes at least one of a camera, an infrared sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, a radar sensor, and a lidar sensor. The UID control module is configured to control a user interface device to indicate that the seat belt is being worn improperly when: the seat belt routing determined using at least one of the webbing payout sensor and the in-cabin sensor is improper; and the seat belt routing determined using the webbing payout sensor corresponds to the seat belt routing determined using the in-cabin sensor.