A capacitive detection system for detecting occupancy of a vehicle seat includes a signal generating unit and a signal evaluation unit. The vehicle seat has a seat heater member configured for receiving time-varying output signals of the signal generating unit. The signal evaluation unit is configured to generate an output signal that is indicative of the seat heater member to be defective, if the sensed capacitance of the seat heater member is less than a second predetermined threshold value for the sensed capacitance.

The present invention relates to a measurement arrangement for detecting an occupancy of a motor vehicle seat arrangement with at least one seat, which comprises a sensor arrangement with at least one sensor (10) for detecting a deformation of a lower side (21) facing away from the seating surface or of a force loading by a lower side (21) facing away from the seating surface of a seat cushion (20) of at least one seat of the motor vehicle seat arrangement, which is fastened on a structural element (40) of the motor vehicle.

A sensor-equipped seat includes: a sensor device, disposed between a seat frame and an opposite pressure receiving surface of a seat cushion; and an elastic support member, interposed between the seat frame and the sensor device and elastically supporting the sensor device. The sensor device includes: a sensor body, having a detection surface; and a housing, accommodating the sensor body, including a window frame for forming a window opening, exposing the detection surface of the sensor body at the window opening, and supported by the elastic support member. The elastic support member has an elastic modulus set equal to or greater than an elastic modulus of the seat cushion.

An in-seat experience system includes: a seat which includes a seat body, a sensor, and a seat controller allowed to acquire a measurement value from the sensor; an experience instruction device connected to the seat controller, configured to notify an occupant seated on the seat body a motion instruction and to store user identification information; and a server capable of communicating with the experience instruction device. The experience instruction device makes a determination based upon a measurement value of the sensor as to whether or not a first condition is satisfied, and to transmit a result of the determination to the server when at least the first condition is satisfied, and the server is allowed to increase a point score stored for the corresponding user identification information with a condition that the result of the determination that the first condition is satisfied is received from the experience instruction device.

A vehicle seat occupancy detection system includes at least one capacitive sensor member having at least one sensing electrode, an impedance measurement circuit for determining a complex impedance or a complex admittance of the at least one sensing electrode, an evaluation unit for generating an output signal based on a determined complex admittance of the at least one sensing electrode and comparison of the determined complex admittance to at least one predetermined value, and at least one electrically conductive ground connecting member that is intentionally electrically connected to the reference electrode and that is arranged in close proximity to the at least one sensing electrode. The at least one ground connecting member and the at least one sensing electrode are galvanically separated such that, when the seat gets wet, the sensing electrode is directly electrically connected to the reference electrode by the at least one ground connecting member.

Described are seat units with a seat pan (2) coupled to a seat back (3), inflatable cushions (5) positioned proximate the seat pan and/or the seat back, inflatable airbags (6) positioned proximate the inflatable cushions (5), and a pressure sensor (9) positioned over at least one of the seat pan (2) and the seat back (3) so that the inflatable cushions (5) and the inflatable airbags (6) are substantially covered by the pressure sensor (9). The pressure sensor (9) is configured to generate a pressure map, and a control unit (11) is configured to analyze the pressure map for at least one pressure irregularity within a pressure distribution, and adjust a pressure inside at least one of the inflatable cushions (5) and/or the inflatable airbags (6) to minimize the pressure irregularity within the pressure distribution.

A vehicle seat comprises a frame member provided on a floor of a vehicle, a seat part such as a seat cushion detachably attached to the frame member, a mechanical connector device provided on the frame member and the seat part for detachably attaching the seat part to the frame member; and an electric connector device provided on the frame member and the seat part for electrically connecting an electric component provided on the seat part to an electric component provided on the frame member.

The seat heater control device is provided for a vehicle including a vehicle body, a vehicle seat and a seat heater. The seat heater control device includes: an electrostatic sensor provided in the vehicle seat and configured to measure capacitance between the electrostatic sensor and the vehicle body; and a controller configured to control an operation and/or an operational temperature of the seat heater, based on a measured value of the electrostatic sensor. The controller is configured to cause the seat heater to operate at a relative higher temperature when the measured value of the electrostatic sensor is higher than a first threshold and lower than a second threshold. The controller is configured to cause the seat heater to operate at a relative lower temperature when the measured value of the electrostatic sensor is higher than the second threshold.

Described are passenger seat assemblies that include a passenger seat frame (212), a first passenger seat element (224) connected with the passenger seat frame, and a second passenger seat element (226) configured to removably connect with the first passenger seat element. Each of the first and second passenger seat elements includes a respective conductive touch fastener (228, 232) that, together, complete a circuit when the second passenger seat element is connected with the first passenger seat element. The circuit can be used as a sensor to determine whether the first and second passenger seat elements are connected.

A pressure sensing system (24), seat cushion (20) incorporating the pressure sensing system, and method of sensing a weight group associated with an occupant of an automotive seat are described. The pressure sensing system includes a layer of an electrically conductive foam (28) and a flexible printed circuit (26) that includes a flexible substrate (26a) and N horizontal sensing wires (26b) and M vertical sensing wires (26c) securely placed on a top surface of the flexible substrate. The horizontal sensing wires intersect with the vertical sensing wires and form N?M intersections. The layer of an electrically conductive foam is placed on top of the N horizontal sensing wires and the M vertical sensing wires. When a pressure is applied to the layer of the electrically conductive foam, each intersection generates in real time an electric flux density value to reflect a degree of a compression caused by the pressure to a corresponding point of the electrically conductive foam.