Apparatus and method for detecting a child seat

摘要

According to the invention, the presence of a child seat mounted on a vehicle seat or the presence of a passenger seated in the vehicle seat is determined automatically. A child seat detecting apparatus incorporated into a vehicle seat is provided with a plurality of load sensors comprising stress sensors or the like, and a determining function for monitoring a relative change of each load detected by each load sensor and determining whether a child seat is mounted on the vehicle seat or whether a passenger is seated in the vehicle seat by the difference of the change of each load. Accordingly, this child seat detecting apparatus makes it possible to accurately determine whether a child seat is mounted on the vehicle seat or whether a person of small stature yet who does not require a child seat is seated in the vehicle seat.