A seat heater (10) with a heating element (12) connected between a first (14) and a second (16) nodes comprises a third (18) and a fourth (20) node operatively connectable to a first and a second terminal, respectively, of a power supply. A first electric component (22) providing a controllable first conductance is connected between the first and the third nodes. A second electric component (24) providing a controllable second conductance is connected between the second and the fourth nodes. A control network (26) is connected to the electric components to control the respective conductances and has a mode of operation in which it applies an oscillating signal to the heating element by modulating the first and second conductances in such a way that a voltage drop variation between the third and first nodes is opposite to a voltage drop variation between the second and fourth nodes.

A detection device is used with a vehicle including a cabin, a ceiling, pillars, a driver seat, and a passenger seat. The detection device includes a detector disposed on the ceiling or the pillars of the vehicle and detecting an object in the cabin while not contacting the object, and a scanning unit that moves the detector for scan. The detection device can detect a temperature of the object accurately, and control air-conditioning comfortably to the object.

A seat heater, e.g. for a vehicle seat, comprises a heating element (10) for dissipating heat when a heating current flows across it and a temperature sensor (15) for providing a temperature signal indicative of the seat temperature. The seat heater comprises a common mode choke (16) with at least three windings. The heating element is connected in series between a first (16.1) and a second (16.2) thereof so as to be operatively connectable to a power source (12) via the common mode choke. The temperature sensor is connected to a third winding (16.3) of the at least three windings in such a way that the temperature signal may be received, e.g. by a temperature controller of the seat heater, via the third winding of the common mode choke.

Wireless occupancy sensors and methods for using the same are provided. In some embodiments, an occupancy sensor includes: a magnetometer that detects changes in a magnetic field when a vehicle moves over the magnetometer; an optical sensor that detects one or more objects in a field of view of the optical sensor; a transmitter for transmitting sensor data to a gateway device, and a processor that controls the magnetometer, the optical sensor, and the transmitter. In some embodiments, the processor is configured to: detect, using the magnetometer, that a change in the magnetic field is greater than a particular threshold value; in response to the magnetometer detecting that the change in the magnetic field is greater than the particular threshold value, activating the optical sensor; receive, using the optical sensor, the sensor data associated with the one or more objects in the field of view of the optical sensor; and transmit, using the transmitter, the sensor data to the gateway device.

The present disclosure relates to a method for determining the occupancy status of a seat of a motor vehicle, the method being implemented by a determination system comprising a seat, six interdigitated capacitive sensors, and a controller comprising a reference capacitance value and a threshold value for each interdigitated capacitive sensor, the method comprising a step of measuring three capacitance values for each interdigitated capacitive sensor, the following steps being implemented by the controller for the measured capacitance values: calculating a resulting capacitance value based on the measured capacitance values, calculating the difference between the resulting capacitance value and the reference capacitance value, comparing the calculated difference to the threshold value, determining the occupancy status of the seat, based on the result of the comparison.

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.

A passenger detection apparatus may include: an SBR (Seat Belt Reminder) sensor unit having a plurality of SBR sensors installed in respective seats of a vehicle, and connected in parallel to one another; and a control unit configured to detect a combined resistance value of the SBR sensor unit, compare the detected combined resistance value to resistance values of a combined resistance table which is preset and stored in an internal memory, and determine that a passenger corresponding to each boarding zone of the combined resistance table is on board, when the detected combined resistance value is not included in a grey zone.

A method of operating a capacitive sensing device for diagnosing a galvanic connection of at least one guard electrode. The capacitive sensing device includes at least one sense-guard capacitive sensor and a capacitive measurement circuit. The sense-guard capacitive sensor includes a first electrically conductive sense electrode and a first electrically conductive guard electrode and at least a second electrically conductive sense electrode, which is galvanically separated from the first sense electrode, and at least a second electrically conductive guard electrode. Each of the guard electrodes is proximally arranged to at least one of the sense electrodes and is galvanically separated from each of the sense electrodes. The method uses a calculated difference of imaginary parts of complex sense currents resulting from coupling mode measurements between at least two of the sense electrodes for assessing a status of the galvanic connection of the guard electrodes.

A system for capacitive object detection. In order to provide means for efficiently using the circuitry of an electrical heating device for capacitive object detection, the system includes: an elongate conductive element extending between a first terminal and a second terminal, wherein the first terminal is coupled to ground via a capacitive element and is connectable to an electrical power source, and the second terminal is connected to ground; and a detection circuit connected to at least one detection node disposed on the conductive element between the first and second terminal. The detection circuit is adapted to capacitively detect the presence of an object in the proximity of the conductive element based on an impedance associated with the object.

An electronic tag programmed with an identification in a seat belt assembly is identified by reading the programmed identification via an electronic device embedded in a seat. In response to identifying the electronic tag, a determination is made that an occupant has not fastened a seat belt of the seat belt assembly to secure the occupant in the seat.