A system for detecting improper usage of a seatbelt of a vehicle includes a vehicle seat having a seat cushion and a seat back. A shoulder belt and a lap belt are intended to restrain an occupant sitting on the vehicle seat. The system includes a sensor module associated with the shoulder belt and the lap belt. The sensor module generates signals indicative of at least one parameter associated with the vehicle seat, the shoulder belt, and the lap belt when the occupant is sitting on the vehicle seat. The system also includes a controller that receives the signals indicative of the at least one parameter associated with the seat back, the shoulder belt, and the lap belt. The controller analyzes the received one or more signals, and determines whether the seatbelt is being used improperly by the occupant, based on the analysis.

In a method for operating a safety system of a motor vehicle, a corresponding safety system, and a motor vehicle equipped with such safety system, status signals from several sensor devices are captured by the safety system, wherein the status signals indicate respective status change of a functional unit of the motor vehicle. Thereafter, a chronological order of the status changes is determined and evaluated to detect a consistency or an inconsistency with the proper application of a seat belt of the motor vehicle. If an inconsistency is detected and it persists over a predetermined period of time, a control signal is transmitted by the safety system to a safety device of the motor vehicle.

A system and method for detecting seatbelt routing in a motor vehicle safety restraint system. The system includes a seatbelt buckle sensor, an occupant sensor, a seatbelt payout sensor, and a control module. The method includes sensing a presence of a seatbelt latchplate in the seatbelt buckle. Further, the method determines whether the seatbelt is buckled. Additionally, the method includes sensing a presence of occupant in a vehicle seat. Moreover, the method further includes determining whether the occupant is detected in the vehicle seat. The method senses a seatbelt payout length and compares the seatbelt payout length to a first seatbelt payout length threshold. Thereafter, the method determines seatbelt routing based on whether the seatbelt is buckled, an occupant is present, and a seatbelt payout length has exceeded the first seatbelt payout length threshold.

A seat belt module includes a buckle having an internal slider and an insertion hole through which a tongue of a seat belt is configured to be inserted and fastened so that the slider protrudes above the tongue to be externally exposed of the buckle in a response to an insertion of the tongue. The seat belt module also includes a sensor mounted in an internal space of a vehicle to detect the slider exposed to the outside.

A seat belt module includes a buckle having an internal slider and an insertion hole through which a tongue of a seat belt is configured to be inserted and fastened so that the slider protrudes above the tongue to be externally exposed of the buckle in a response to an insertion of the tongue. The seat belt module also includes a sensor mounted in an internal space of a vehicle to detect the slider exposed to the outside.

A seatbelt system for a vehicle comprises a webbing (28), a belt retractor, a belt reel (16) and a belt reel angle sensor (22) having a first gearwheel assembly (32) and a second gearwheel assembly (36). The belt reel angle sensor (22) includes a multi-stage gearing (58) having a first gear stage with a first reduction ratio and a second gear stage with a second reduction ratio. The belt reel angle sensor (22) further comprises a rotation angle sensor (64) and a rotation angle transmitter (34) associated with the rotation angle sensor (64) as well as a reference signal sensor (68) and a reference signal transmitter (38) associated with the reference signal sensor (68). The rotation angle transmitter (34) is associated with the first gearwheel assembly (32) and the reference signal transmitter (38) is associated with the second gearwheel assembly (36). Relative to the reference signal sensor (68), the second gearwheel assembly (36) has a parking position, a base position and a reference position at which the reference signal transmitter (38) generates a reference signal in the reference signal sensor (68). Moreover, a method for determining the webbing extension by means of such seatbelt system is described.

A restraint system for an occupant seat mounted in a motor vehicle includes a processor to produce at least one control signal to control either or both of an electronically controllable unit to disable or impede operation of the motor vehicle and a notification device to produce a notification unless, in sequence, a first sensor produces a first signal indicating detection of an occupant being seated in the occupant seat followed by at least one second sensor producing least one second signal indicating that a rotatable shaft of a web retractor coupled to a web of a restraint harness has rotated by at least a threshold amount followed by a third sensor producing a third signal indicating that a tongue of the restraint system is engaged with a buckle of the restraint system.

A seatbelt system comprising a buckle; a spool with a ratchet wheel and webbing that is windable onto or off of the spool as the spool rotates. A control mechanism is operatively engaged with a pawl located proximate the ratchet wheel. When the control mechanism is in a first condition, the pawl is disengaged from the ratchet wheel and the ratchet wheel and spool are rotatable to wind the webbing onto or off of the spool. When the control mechanism is in a second condition, the pawl is moved into engagement with the ratchet wheel and the ratchet wheel and spool are only able to rotate the webbing onto the spool. The control mechanism includes electronic switches and sensors that have to be actuated along with engaging the locking tongue in the buckle in order to move the pawl into engagement with the ratchet wheel.

A seatbelt retractor includes a retractor frame, a spool fixed for common rotation with a spool shaft, a seatbelt webbing wrapped around the spool, a reduction mechanism, and a sensor coupled to the reduction mechanism for sensing the movement of the spool.

A system for detecting seatbelt routing includes: a state module configured to, based on a series of images over a period of time from a camera of a vehicle facing a seat, determine and output a routing state of a seatbelt of the seat; and a remediation module configured to, based on the routing state of the seatbelt of the seat, selectively perform at least one remedial action.