Child seat and occupant differentiating device for motor vehicle, has light source transmitting light beam away by backrest and seat surface, where backrest acts as fixed reference point and occupant acts as textured elevation

摘要

The device (1) has an evaluation unit (4) connected with a receiver (3) and providing a separation profile from output signals of individual sensors (8) e.g. charge coupled device sensors. Light beam (5) from a light source (2) is transmitted away by a backrest and a seat surface of a motor vehicle. The backrest acts as a fixed reference point and an occupant or an article acts as a textured elevation in the profile so that a vacant seat, occupant and backward arranged child seat are differentiated based on the profile. The light beam is transmitted with varying wavelength. An independent claim is also included for a method for differentiating between a backward arranged child seat and an occupant in a motor vehicle.