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.

Systems and methods are disclosed related to restraint device (e.g., seatbelt) localization. In one embodiment, the disclosure relates to systems and methods for seatbelt detection and modeling. A vehicle may be occupied by one or more occupants wearing one or more seatbelts. A camera or other sensor is placed within the vehicle to capture images of the one or more occupants. A system analyzes the images to detect and model seatbelts depicted in the images. Specifically, the system may scan the images and areas of the images that may correspond to seatbelts. The system may assemble candidate areas of the images that may correspond to seatbelts, and refine the candidate areas based on various constraints. The system may build models based on the refined candidate areas that indicate the seatbelts. The system may visualize the models indicating the seatbelts using the images.

A seat belt sensor assembly comprises a force sensor coupled to a seat belt webbing. The seat belt sensor assembly utilizes force readings from the force sensor indicating a force level above or below a predetermined threshold to determine if an action needs to be taken to control a vehicle system. Such vehicle systems could include, but are not limited to, an autonomous driving control system, an occupant health system, and a motorized seat belt retractor system. Controlling the vehicle systems could include, but is not limited to, sending audio, visual, and/or haptic warnings to vehicle occupants, including, in one embodiment, that the occupant's respiration rate is indicative of a dangerous health condition. The seat belt sensor assembly may be used in combination with a camera-based occupant monitoring system. In one embodiment, the occupant monitoring system can be used to selectively activate/deactivate discrete activation zones of the force sensor.

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.

A system to locate seat controls and belt buckles includes a vehicle having at least one seat. A seat belt system is provided with the at least one seat having a seat belt, a belt latch and a seat belt buckle. A haptic device is provided with the seat belt system, the haptic device generating a haptic signal.

An apparatus, method of manufacturing, and method of using a strain gage load cell anchor are provided that include a safety belt anchor for connecting a safety belt to a vehicle. The safety belt anchor may have a first anchor opening that connects the safety belt anchor to a safety belt, and the anchor may have a second anchor opening that connects the safety belt anchor to a vehicle. One or more strain gages may be provided on the safety belt anchor to measure a force applied to the safety belt anchor, such that the safety belt anchor operates as a strain gage load cell anchor.

An apparatus and method for improving the safety-relevant wear-comfort of a seatbelt worn by an occupant of a vehicle seat uses at least one sensor to detect the contour and/or position of the seatbelt, at least one actuator system for moving the seatbelt in order to change the contour and/or position, and at least one control module for controlling the actuator system. The control module is operative to control the actuator system automatically as a function of a deviation of the seatbelt contour/position, as detected by the sensor, from a predefined contour/position which reflects correct wear of the seatbelt.

A system and method for detecting a seat belt violation in a vehicle. The method may include receiving an image including a region of interest where a seat belt is visible if the seat belt is buckled. One or more first features may be extracted from the image. The one or more first features may be compared to one or more second features extracted from a plurality of sample images. It may be determined whether the seat belt is buckled in the image based upon the comparison.

A safety belt for a motor vehicle, the safety belt having markings that are optically detectable in the infrared spectral range. The marking comprises edge markings of the two edges of the safety belt, and the marking has a marking that is asymmetrical to the longitudinal axis of the safety belt. Further-more, the invention relates to a detection system for detecting a state of use of a corresponding safety belt.

A safety equipment monitoring system for a vehicle includes a vehicle processor for storing vehicle data including one or more of vehicle event data, vehicle occupant data, and restraint system data. The safety equipment monitoring system also includes a server communicatively coupled with the vehicle processor and configured to determine a baseline desired location of a restraint based on the vehicle occupant data and the restraint system data. The server is also configured to determine if any deviations to the desired location of the restraint have occurred based on one or more of vehicle event data and the restraint system data.