Occupant determination apparatus using load sensor

摘要

A load sensor detects a load of an occupant on a seat of a vehicle and provides a load signal. A determination section determines a physical size of the occupant by classifying the load signal into a subject class among a plurality of classes ordered from small to large based on threshold loads and performs an inter-class transition of the subject class from a transition source class into a transition destination class based on change of the received load signal. When (i) both the transition source class and the transition destination class belong to an airbag-inflating class that enables inflating of an airbag, and, simultaneously, (ii) the transition destination class is smaller than the transition source class and immediately adjacent to the transition source class, the determination section makes the determined class remain in the transition source class.

主权项

1. An occupant determination apparatus in a vehicle to control an airbag to protect an occupant, comprising:
a load sensor to detect a load of the occupant who is seated in a seat of the vehicle and provide the detected load as a load signal; and a determination section to
determine (i) presence or absence of the occupant and (ii) a physical size of the occupant by classifying the load signal into a subject class among a plurality of classes, which are ordered from small to large according to the physical size, based on predetermined threshold loads, the subject class being stored as a determined class, andperform an inter-class transition of the determined class from a transition source class being a present class into a transition destination class based on change of the received load signal, wherein: the plurality of classes include at least two airbag-inflating classes each enabling inflating of the airbag; and the determination section prohibits the inter-class transition of the determined class from the transition source into the transition destination class when
(i) both the transition source class and the transition destination class belong to the at least two airbag-inflating classes, and, simultaneously,(ii) the transition destination class is smaller than the transition source class and immediately adjacent to the transition source class.