CAPACITIVE VEHICLE SEAT OCCUPANT DETECTOR

摘要

A method for detecting an occupant of a vehicle seat using a capacitive occupant detector equipped with a transmission antenna electrode and a reception antenna electrode having between them a space that can be occupied by an occupant of the vehicle seat comprises the steps: applying oscillating signals to the transmission antenna electrode and thereby inducing corresponding received oscillating signals in the reception antenna electrode, detecting the received oscillating signals and deciding on an occupancy state of the vehicle seat based upon capacitive coupling strength between the transmission antenna electrode and the reception antenna electrode through the space. At least one of the transmission and reception antenna electrodes comprises a first end portion, a second end portion and an intermediate portion resistively interconnecting the first and second end portion. The method comprises further determining capacitive coupling strengths between the end portions of the antenna electrode that comprises a first end portion, a second end portion and an intermediate portion and the other antenna electrode, as well as the derivation of an occupancy state of the vehicle seat based upon the capacitive coupling strengths determined.