Load sensors are disposed on four corners of a seat cushion. An occupant decision section of an occupant detection ECU decides a type of an occupant on a vehicle seat based on loads detected by the load sensors. A CRS changing section that prohibits the occupant decision section from changing a decision to a decision result that an adult is seated in the vehicle seat and changes the decision to a decision result that a child seat is attached on the vehicle seat when an engagement of a tongue plate with a buckle of a seat belt device is detected by a buckle switch and a buckle load calculated by buckle load calculation section is less than a predetermined buckling load threshold in a case where the occupant decision section decides that an adult is seated in the vehicle seat.

A vehicle control system includes variable maneuvering limits based at least in part on whether the vehicle is carrying cargo (i.e., passengers or other cargo). The system can include a cargo classification system comprising one or more internal sensors, an imager, and an image interpreter. The cargo classification system can determine if the vehicle is carrying cargo and classify the cargo (e.g., passengers or other cargo). Based at least in part on this classification, the vehicle control system can set various vehicle maneuvering limits. When the vehicle is empty, the vehicle control system can maneuver the vehicle at, or near, the actual maneuvering limits for the vehicle (e.g., maximum longitudinal acceleration, braking and lateral acceleration that can be generated by the vehicle). When the vehicle is carrying cargo, the vehicle control system can maneuver the vehicle at a lower threshold to prevent passenger discomfort and/or cargo damage or discomfort.

a seat belt wearing encouragement apparatus includes a wearing state detecting unit to detect a wearing state of a seat belt; a wearing determination unit to determine whether the seat belt is worn, based on the wearing state; a vehicle speed detecting unit to detect a vehicle speed of the vehicle; a warning unit to warn the passenger; a warning command unit to issue a command to the warning unit to execute warning if the vehicle speed detecting unit has detected the vehicle speed exceeding a setting speed, and the wearing determination unit has determined that the seat belt is not being worn properly; and a vehicle speed limiting unit to limit the vehicle speed in a case where even after a predetermined time has elapsed since the warning was executed, the wearing determination unit still determines that the seat belt is not being worn properly.

A method for recognizing a seat occupancy of seats in a motor vehicle including a) preparing a checking sequence of the seats at least using a probability of occupancy of the seats, and b) sequentially checking the occupancy of the seats using the checking sequence prepared in step a).

A seat occupancy determination apparatus includes a seatbelt attachment detection device, a first load detection device and a second load detection device arranged under a vehicle seat and each detecting part of a load acting on the vehicle seat, a control processor obtaining a first load value and a second load value, the control processor including a sum load value calculation portion computing a sum load value, a no-occupancy determination portion, a slope way determination portion determining that a vehicle is stopped on a slope way, a seatbelt attachment determination portion, a tentative determination portion tentatively making a seat occupancy determination, a forward movement determination portion determining that the vehicle starts moving forward and runs steadily on a flat ground, and a definite determination portion determining that an adult is seated and determining that a child safety seat is fastened.

The invention relates to a seat-belt warning device comprising a device which detects a seat occupied by a passenger, a device which detects whether the seat-belt associated with a seat is being used, and a device which emits a warning signal. According to the invention, the device which detects seat occupancy by a passenger comprises an optical image-producing system comprising an image evaluation unit.

Methods and apparatus for determining seatbelt status are disclosed. An example seatbelt system for a mass transit vehicle includes a first seatbelt of a first seat that includes a first buckle and a first magnetically-responsive switch to detect a first tongue when the first seatbelt is in a fastened position. The example apparatus includes a second seatbelt of a second seat that includes a second buckle and a second magnetically-responsive switch to detect a second tongue when the second seatbelt is in the fastened position. The example apparatus includes a remote monitoring unit to indicate, when the first seat is occupied, if the first seatbelt is in the fastened positioned or an unfastened position. The remote monitoring unit is to indicate, when the second seat is occupied, if the second seatbelt is in the fastened positioned or the unfastened position.

A computer that may be programmed to: in response to receiving an indication that a vehicle is approaching a geofence boundary, retract slack in a webbing associated with a seat in the vehicle by actuating a seatbelt retractor; then receive measurement data from one or more sensors associated with the seat; using the data, determine whether an occupant occupies the seat; and when no occupant occupies the seat, then transmit an instruction to stop the vehicle.

A plus-two-point belt system is disclosed. The plus-two-point belt system includes a longitudinal webbing anchored at a first end to a seat and fixed at a second end to a retractor. The webbing is extendable from the retractor to allow an occupant to slip their arm under the webbing to provide a supplemental restraint. The webbing includes first and second portions where the second portion is retractably coiled on the retractor and the second portion has at least one conductive marker. A sensor is provided to sense the marker and a processor is provided to set an alarm when the marker is not detected.

A vehicle seat sensor unit includes a seat occupancy sensor configured for wirelessly communicating with a control unit, at least one first seat detection sensor member and at least one second seat detection sensor member. The first seat detection sensor member is arrangeable in one out of a lower vehicle seat portion of a vehicle seat that is mountable in a vehicle in a removable manner, and a vehicle cabin floor, and the second seat detection sensor member is attachable to the other one of the lower vehicle seat portion and the vehicle cabin floor. The first seat detection sensor member and the second seat detection sensor member are configured to physically interact if mutually arranged within a specific distance. The physical interaction results in a detectable change of a status of at least one out of the first seat detection sensor member and the second seat detection sensor member.