A vehicle seat occupant classification system for use in a vehicle seat includes a weight-responsive sensor, at least one bracket member serving as a holder for the weight-responsive sensor, and an evaluation unit configured to evaluate a status of the at least one weight-responsive sensor. The bracket member is fixedly attached to the seat base. If a mechanical load at least corresponding to a first pre-determined threshold value is applied by a seat occupant, a portion of the vehicle seat comes into mechanical interaction with the at least one weight-responsive sensor, and is configured to change a status of the at least one weight-responsive sensor if a mechanical load at least corresponding to a second pre-determined threshold value is applied. Relative movement between the seat base and the at least one weight-responsive sensor is at least excluded for applied mechanical loads that are smaller than the first pre-determined threshold value.

A heat flux sensor is installed in such a way that heat flux emanating from a biological object present at a predetermined position is detectable. It is determined whether or not a biological object is present at the predetermined position by comparing sensing results of the heat flux sensor with determination criteria. The determination criteria is preset according to heat flux that can be sensed when a biological object is present at the predetermined position. When the sensing results of the heat flux sensor satisfy the determination criteria, in other words, when the heat flux sensed by the heat flux sensor is the heat flux emanating from a biological object, it is determined that a biological object is present at the predetermined position. Consequently, it is possible to realize accurate detection of a biological object.

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 method for performing an evasive maneuver of a motor vehicle in the event of an imminent collision with at least one collision object comprising at least the following: a) detecting that a collision with the at least one collision object is imminent, b) analyzing the at least one collision object and detecting whether a particularly sensitive upper region of the motor vehicle would be at least partially affected by the collision, and c) outputting a signal for initiating an evasive maneuver if a collision of the motor vehicle with the at least one collision object is imminent by which the particularly sensitive upper region of the motor vehicle would be at least partially affected.

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).

Provided is a security device, comprising: a sensor that senses a presence in a vehicle and generates a presence signal; an ignition state detection device that detects a state of the vehicle, and generates a status signal; and a rules processor that determines from the presence signal and the status signal whether an alarm or message is to be generated.

A vehicle passenger detection apparatus is configured to monitor an occurrence of a passenger entering into a vehicle from a vacant seat state or an occurrence of the vacant seat state due to the passenger exiting from the vehicle, and to determine by calculations whether a detection value of a load sensor is stable before the passenger entered the vehicle or after the passenger exited the vehicle. Updating of a passenger determination result is executed even in a state in which a determination result from a vibration change amount judgment section indicates a disturbance has occurred, when the vehicle entry and exit determination section determines that the detection value of the load sensor is stable before the passenger entered the vehicle or after the passenger exited the vehicle.

A passenger detection device includes: an input unit that receives a captured image of an interior space of a vehicle imaged by an imaging device and a load measured by a load sensor provided on a seat provided in the interior space of the vehicle; a determination unit that determines that a passenger is seated on the seat, in a case where the load is equal to or more than a predetermined threshold value; a detection unit that obtains a face determination degree indicating a certainty of a face of the passenger in the captured image from the captured image; and a threshold value changing unit that changes the threshold value according to the face determination degree.

A system, method, and device for protecting a vehicle occupant over a computerized network. There is an electronic seat pad with an occupant sensor, a driver sensor control module that detects proximity a driver's portable electronic computing device relative to the vehicle; and a key-location sensor that detects proximity of a vehicle key to the vehicle. There is a system management module that determines alert statuses and sends alert and safety notifications to a remote notification device, which automatically registers an alert if a threshold level of safety notifications are not received. There may be pressure, temperature, signal strength, CO2, IR, and other sensors. There is a state library that may be updated to identify additional dangerous states based on sensor readings.