Disclosed are safety improvements for vehicles, including methods and systems of child seat detection in collaboration with a seat occupancy classification system. Corresponding systems, vehicles, and computer programs are also presented. In an aspect, a method includes receiving a current image showing a region of a vehicle seat currently captured inside the vehicle and retrieving one or more reference images, wherein at least one reference image is a previously stored first reference image of the vehicle seat being unoccupied. The method further includes determining a seat state of the vehicle seat by processing the current image and one or more reference images with a pre-trained machine learning classification network and determining, based on an output from the network, the seat state indicating at least whether the vehicle seat in the current image includes a mounted child seat. Finally, the method forwards the seat state to the seat occupancy classification system.

Provided are a vehicle electric seat (10) adjustment method, apparatus, and system, and a vehicle. The method includes: obtaining, in response to a position adjustment instruction for an electric seat (10), an image of a seat at a direct rear side of the electric seat (10) that is currently captured by a camera system (12) disposed on the electric seat (10); analyzing, whether the seat at the direct rear side is occupied by a passenger; when the seat at the direct rear side is occupied by the passenger, calculating, based on the image, a current distance of the electric seat (10) relative to the passenger on the seat at the direct rear side, and obtaining a predetermined seat adjustment safety distance; calculating a position adjustment parameter of the electric seat (10); and adjusting a position of the electric seat (10) based on the position adjustment parameter, to a target position.

Various implementations include seats and related systems for detecting user proximity and controlling one or more functions based on that proximity detection. In particular cases, the seats include an upper seat section with at least one two-dimensional (2D) contrast indicator that is detectable by a sensor system to indicate a position of the upper seat section.

A rear occupancy safety system for vehicles for detecting a child in a backseat or in a child seat. The system comprises one or more weight sensors integrated into the base of the backseat and into the base of the driver seat, a central controller, a user device with a preinstalled rear occupancy safety application, and a cloud server for storing emergency contact information. The weight sensors detect weight and a user is alerted on the application if weight is detected on the backseat but not on the driver seat for a predetermined time period. In cases when the weight is detected on the backseat but not on the driver seat exceeds the predetermined time period, then emergency contacts are alerted. The system can be integrated into the vehicle during manufacturing or retrofitted as an aftermarket system, improving the safety of passengers, especially children, in the backseat of vehicles.

A device which detects a child presence in a car seat and communicates an audible and mobile-device reminder to the driver that a child occupant is in the seat is disclosed. The system utilizes internal sensors to monitor various vehicle occupancy conditions to determine when a triggering event has occurred while the car seat occupancy sensor is engaged. Once triggered, the system will immediately notify the driver that the child remains in the car seat inside the vehicle, and will also sent follow-up alerts.

A device which detects a child presence in a car seat and communicates an audible and mobile-device reminder to the driver that a child occupant is in the seat is disclosed. The system utilizes internal sensors to monitor various vehicle occupancy conditions to determine when a triggering event has occurred while the car seat occupancy sensor is engaged. Once triggered, the system will immediately notify the driver that the child remains in the car seat inside the vehicle, and will also sent follow-up alerts.

A vital information measurement device and a vehicle seat which improves the durability of sheet-shaped sensors configured to detect vital information of a seated passenger can stably measure the heart rate of the seated passenger. A vehicle seat includes sheet-shaped sensors attached to a seat back, and can measure the heart rate of a seated passenger based on vital signals of the seated passenger detected by the sheet-shaped sensors. At each sheet-shaped sensor, a sensor overlap reduction section is provided to reduce partial overlapping of the sheet-shaped sensor when the seated passenger leans on the seat back. Specifically, each sheet-shaped sensor includes a first cutout extending toward the center of the sheet-shaped sensor at an outer peripheral portion of the sheet-shaped sensor, and a second cutout formed continuously from the first cutout and extending opposite to the center along the outer peripheral portion of the sheet-shaped sensor.

A capacitance measuring system detecting an occupant of a vehicle. A sensor/heater assembly is arranged in at least one of a seat or a steering wheel of a vehicle and includes a sensor and a heater arranged adjacent to the sensor. A measurement circuit is configured to output an excitation signal to the measurement circuit and the sensor/heater assembly, measure a resonant frequency of the measurement circuit and the sensor/heater assembly in response to the excitation signal; determine at least one capacitance value based on the resonant frequency; and determine whether a body part is in proximity to the sensor based on the at least one capacitance value.

A seating posture is stabilized for the shoulders of a passenger seated on a vehicle seat. A vehicle seat is provided with a seat back configured to support the seated person from the rear. A shoulder support portion of the seat back configured to support a corresponding one of the shoulders of the seated passenger includes an air cell configured to expand when air is supplied. When the air cell expands, one end portion of the shoulder support portion on the outside in the width direction of the vehicle seat moves more forward than the other end portion of the shoulder support portion on the inside in the width direction.

A distraction detection system includes using a first signal, e.g., EDP signals or vehicle speed, and an additional signal to determine whether a person is distracted. The distraction system can be part of a vehicle seating system, A vehicle seating system is described and includes a seat configured to support an occupant and to be mounted in a vehicle and occupant sensing system at least partially integrated into the seat to sense an occupant. The sensing system senses a first criterion with respect to the occupant. A controller is configured to receive the first criterion signal from the sensing system and a second criterion to determine a distraction state of the driver. The controller can also determine a false distraction state using the distraction state and other criterion in a vehicle. The controller outputs a control signal when the distraction state exceeds a distraction threshold and when distraction is confirmed.