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.

The load-detecting device 1 includes a base 2 engaged with a pair of S springs 100, and a load detection sensor unit SU that is mounted on the base 2 and includes a first electrode 52 and a second electrode 62 facing each other and being brought into contact with each other by pressing force of the seat cushion SC when a load is detected, The upper surface 47S of the load detection sensor unit SU that is pressed by the seat cushion SC when a load is detected is located at the same height as or higher than the upper ends 101 of the respective S springs 100, with which the base 2 is engaged, and the contact surface between the first electrode 52 and the second electrode 62 is located lower than the upper ends 101 of the respective S springs 100, with which the base 2 is engaged.

Disclosed herein is a device, methods, and systems for a specialized circuit and alert system for use with any motorized vehicle with an integrated electrical system. The circuit may connect to the vehicle electrical system through any available port. When the voltage in the electrical system is high the signal is deactivated, as is the case when the vehicle motor is running and charging the battery and electrical system. When it is low the signal is actuated. The system is further controlled by a switch connected to a sensor or other detection means, which activates the system based upon the presence or absence of an item. The whole of the system therefore operates to activate the system when an item is present and the engine is running, an alert signal is triggered when the vehicle engine is turned off. In the preferred embodiment a sensor is incorporated into a baby seat, and the circuit plugs into the cigarette lighter port.

The child car seat safety alarm is an alarm system. The child car seat safety alarm is configured for use with a child safety seat and a driver's seat. The child car seat safety alarm is configured to detect the weight of a first individual in the driver's seat. The child car seat safety alarm is configured to detect the weight of a second individual in the child safety seat. If the child car seat safety alarm detects the weight of the second individual in the child safety seat but does not detect the weight of the first individual, the child car seat safety alarm initiates a plurality audio and visual alarms to indicate that the second individual remains in the child safety seat. The child car seat safety alarm comprises a beacon module and a child safety seat module.

The present disclosure provides a wakefulness determination method for accurately determining wakefulness. The wakefulness determination method uses a respiration sensor that obtains respiratory data about respiration of a seated occupant, a calculation unit that calculates the respiratory data obtained from the respiration sensor, and a controller including a determination unit that determines a state of the seated occupant. The wakefulness determination method includes: obtaining, by the respiration sensor, respiratory data of the seated occupant; calculating, by the calculation unit, a degree of change in respiration from the obtained respiratory data; and determining, by the determination unit, wakefulness of the seated occupant by using a Bayesian filter where a probability of occurrence of drowsiness in the seated occupant for the degree of change in respiration is taken as a likelihood and the likelihood is multiplied by a prior probability of occurrence of drowsiness.

A system for detecting the presence of an occupant of a seat. The system includes a sensing mat that includes an upper conducting layer and a lower conducting layer. At least one of the conducting layers comprises a printed electronic circuit separated into conductive zones by at least one resistive zone. The mat also includes a plurality of sensing zones and each of the sensing zones include a conductive zone from the upper conducting layer and a conductive zone from the lower conducting layer. Each of the conducting layers are connected to a controller configured to detect a change in capacitance of each of the sensing zones resulting from a change in distance between the upper conducting layer and the lower conducting layer. The controller is connected to a vehicle network and is configured to provide data to the network that indicates the absence or presence of the occupant.

Techniques are disclosed for systems and methods to detect and/or classify a vehicle occupant, such as a passenger seated within the cockpit of a vehicle. An occupant classification system includes an occupant weight sensor, an occupant presence sensor, and a logic device configured to communicate with the occupant weight sensor and the occupant presence sensor. The logic device is configured to receive occupant weight sensor signals from the occupant weight sensor and occupant presence sensor signals from the occupant presence sensor, determine an estimated occupant weight and an occupant presence response based, at least in part, on the occupant weight sensor signals and the occupant presence sensor signals, and determine an occupant classification status corresponding to the passenger seat based, at least in part, on the estimated occupant weight and/or the occupant presence response.

Techniques are disclosed for systems and methods to detect and/or classify a vehicle occupant, such as a passenger seated within the cockpit of a vehicle. An occupant classification system includes an occupant weight sensor, an occupant presence sensor, and a logic device configured to communicate with the occupant sensors. The occupant weight sensor includes at least first and second conductive electrodes separated by a dielectric layer, top and bottom protective plastic layers configured to support the respective first and second conductive electrodes, and adhesive layers disposed between the plastic layers and the conductive electrodes and between the conductive electrodes and the dielectric layer. The top protective plastic layer is longer and/or wider than the first conductive electrode and the bottom protective plastic layer is longer and/or wider than the second conductive electrode to provide edge protection against electrical shorts for the first and second conductive electrodes.

Disclosed herein is a device, methods, and systems for a specialized circuit and alert system for use with any motorized vehicle with an integrated electrical system. The circuit may connect to the vehicle electrical system through any available port. When the voltage in the electrical system is high the signal is deactivated, as is the case when the vehicle motor is running and charging the battery and electrical system. When it is low the signal is actuated. The system is further controlled by a switch connected to a sensor or other detection means, which activates the system based upon the presence or absence of an item. The whole of the system therefore operates to activate the system when an item is present and the engine is running, an alert signal is triggered when the vehicle engine is turned off. In the preferred embodiment a sensor is incorporated into a baby seat, and the circuit plugs into the cigarette lighter port.

A vehicle seating assembly includes a lower leg support, a seat, and a seatback. A seat rotational member rotatably couples the lower leg support to the seat. A seatback rotational member rotatably couples the seat to the seatback.