Abstract: Arrangement and method for classifying an occupying item in a seat includes at least one force sensor arranged to measure the force applied to the seat at time intervals, and a processor coupled to the force sensor(s) for receiving the force measurements therefrom. The processor analyzes the force measurements from each force sensor over time to discern patterns in the force measurements and analyzes any discerned pattern to determine if it approximates a known pattern indicative of an animate object or an inanimate object. The processor may be trained to discern patterns providing information about the occupying item by conducting tests in which different occupying items are placed in the seat and measurements of the force applied to the seat are obtained by the force sensor, before, during and after placement of the occupying item in the seat.

Abstract: Vehicle including a system for preventing injury to an occupant's head and neck during a rear impact includes a support structure for supporting the occupant including an upper body support portion for supporting the occupant's head and neck, the support structure having a plurality of different positions selectable by the occupant, and a positioning system for adjusting the position of the support structure prior to the rear impact such that the upper body support portion is closer to and preferably in contact with the occupant's head and neck during the rear impact. As a result, motion of the occupant's head and neck relative to the occupant's back is thereby reduced and preferably eliminated during the rear impact. Whiplash injuries are therefore reduced if not eliminated using the invention.

Abstract: Vehicular tire monitoring system includes an energy providing system arranged on the tire, and a sensor system arranged on the tire and coupled to the energy providing system to be provided with energy by the energy providing system. The sensor system obtains data about at least one property of the tire, such as pressure, and converts the data into signals. An communication system is arranged on a frame of the vehicle and wirelessly communicates with the sensor system to receive the signals from the sensor system and derives, from the signals, the data obtained by the sensor system. A reactive system on the frame of the vehicle may be responsive to the data obtained by the sensor system, e.g., a display to display the data about the tire such as its pressure, or a communications system which transmits data about the tire to a remote site.

Abstract: Method for obtaining information about an occupying item in a compartment in a vehicle includes obtaining a series of images of the compartment, each image being taken at a different time and at least one of which includes the occupying item, comparing a later obtained image from the series of images to at least one previously obtained image from the series of images to ascertain the presence of differences between the images, and analyzing the differences to obtain information about the occupying item. One way to compare images is to subtract the later obtained image from the previously obtained image to determine which image pixels have changed in value and analyze the changed pixels. This analysis may involve analyzing a leading edge of the changed pixels and/or analyzing a width of a field of the changed pixels.

Abstract: System and method for preventing whiplash injuries to an occupant, in particular, during rear impacts, includes a movable headrest associated with the seat and a system for positioning the headrest adjacent a head of the occupant in an impact involving the vehicle. This latter system includes an anticipatory crash sensor system arranged to produce an output signal when an external object is approaching a rear of the vehicle at a velocity above a predetermined velocity, a headrest movement system arranged to move the headrest and a sensor system arranged to determine when the headrest contacts or is proximate the occupant's head. Upon the determination of a pending rear impact between the object and the vehicle, the output signal is produced by the crash sensor system and the headrest is moved into a position in contact with or proximate the occupant's head as determined by the sensor system.

Abstract: Electronic system in a vehicle includes crash sensor systems each arranged to sense a crash involving the vehicle and occupant protection systems each including an occupant protection device arranged to protect an occupant in the event of a crash involving the vehicle. The crash sensor system(s) and the occupant protection system(s) are connected to a bus and supplied with power by the bus and communication through the bus. Each occupant protection device is actuated in the event of a crash involving the vehicle as sensed by a crash sensor system. Each occupant protection system may include a power supply for providing power to enable actuation of the occupant protection device, diagnostic circuitry for self-diagnosis, an occupant sensor and a controller for controlling actuation of the occupant protection device based on a signal received from a crash sensor system over the bus, and data from the occupant sensor.

Abstract: Method for controlling inflation of an airbag in a vehicle which protects an occupant from injury in a crash involving the vehicle includes sensing a crash, inflating the airbag to protect the occupant during the crash, sensing contact between the airbag and the occupant during inflation of the airbag, and adjusting the continued inflation of the airbag after contact of the airbag with the occupant based on the sensed contact. Contact between the airbag and the occupant may be sensed in a variety of ways. One way is to arrange or otherwise incorporate a sensor in connection with the airbag to sense contact between the airbag and the occupant during inflation of the airbag, the continued inflation of the airbag after contact of the airbag with the occupant being adjusted based on contact between the airbag and the occupant as sensed by the sensor.

Abstract: Imaging system and method for a vehicle includes an infrared source generating an infrared beam along a particular field-of-view in the vehicle, an infrared detector responsive to infrared radiation reflected from objects in the field-of-view of the infrared beam and which generates image signals from the reflected infrared radiation, and a processor responsive to the image signals from the detector. The processor includes face recognition software that images and identifies facial features of a person to detect a person's face and compares the detected image of the person's face with stored images, and causes a vehicle operation, e.g., ignition of the vehicle, to be performed if a particular person's face is identified. The processor may perform a frame subtracting process where the images when the infrared source is on are subtracted from the images when the infrared source is off so as to eliminate background.

Abstract: System for obtaining information about a vehicle or a component therein includes sensors fixed to a frame of the vehicle and arranged to generate and transmit a signal upon receipt and detection of a radio frequency (RF) signal and a multi-element, switchable directional antenna array. Each antenna element is directed toward a respective sensor and transmitter RF signals toward that sensor and receive return signals therefrom. A control mechanism controls transmission of the RF signals from the antenna elements, e.g., causes the antenna elements to be alternately switched on in order to sequentially transmit the RF signals and receive the return signals from the sensors.

Abstract: Tire monitoring arrangement including at least one tire condition sensor arranged on the tire to measure a condition of the tire and an energy generating mechanism or device arranged on the tread of the tire for generating electricity upon rotation of the tire. The energy generating mechanism is connected in a circuit with each tire condition sensor and powers the circuit and thus provides energy for the tire condition sensor(s). The tire condition sensor(s) and energy generating mechanism may be part of a tire monitor assembly which is affixed to an interior surface of the tire opposite the tread or inserted into the tire opposite the tread. Various tire condition sensors may be used including accelerometers, tire pressure sensors and tire temperature sensors. Various energy generating mechanisms may be used including a piezoelectric device, a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) piezoelectric polymer, and a flexible material whose flexure causes energy generation.

Abstract: Vehicle including an occupant protection apparatus for protecting an occupant in the event of an impact into a side of the vehicle and an electronic side impact crash sensor for detecting the side impact and which includes a sensor housing positioned to cause lateral movement of the sensor housing responsive to the side impact, a movable sensing mass within the sensor housing and move laterally relative to the sensor housing in response to the side impact, and a control unit connected to the crash sensor for activating the occupant protection apparatus. The crash sensor generates a signal representative of the movement of the sensing mass. The control unit includes a micro-processor and an algorithm processed by the micro-processor and configured to analyze the signal representative of the movement of the sensing mass and generate a deployment signal based thereon to initiate deployment of the occupant protection apparatus.

Abstract: Vehicle including sensors one of which is a motion-detecting crash sensor, a processing module for processing data generated by the sensors, the module being separate from most if not all of the sensors, and a data bus coupling the sensors and the module together and enabling transfer of data from the sensors to the module. Each sensor may be mounted at a different location on the vehicle and arranged to provide a measurement related to a time-varying state of the sensor or a measurement related to a time-varying state of the mounting location. A deployable occupant restraint may be arranged to deploy to protect an occupant of the vehicle during a crash involving the vehicle. The module determines deployment of the occupant restraint based on the diagnosed state of the vehicle.

Abstract: Vehicular seat including a weight determining system for obtaining an indication of the weight of an occupying item in the seat includes a seat support structure, a cushion arranged on the seat support structure, the cushion having an upper surface over which the occupying item is situated during occupancy of the seat and being arranged to deflect downward during occupancy of the seat, and a sensor system arranged to sense the downward deflection of the cushion and convert the downward deflection into an indication of the weight of the occupying item. The sensor system may include an elongate cable, a cable support retaining a first end of the cable and a displacement sensor arranged at a second end of the cable for measuring linear variations of the cable which are convertible into the indication of the weight of the occupying item.

Abstract: Method for controlling output of a classification algorithm which classifies an occupant of a seat in a vehicle in which a bladder or other type of weight sensor is arranged in a bottom cushion of the seat, data relating to the pressure exerted by the occupant on the bottom cushion is obtained from the weight sensor, the occupant is initially classified, a current classification is output using data from the weight sensor, the occupant is periodically re-classified using data from the weight sensor, and a classification change is allowed only upon obtaining evidence of a new classification which is greater than evidence of the current classification. The classification change may be enabled by determining a substantially consecutive period of time when the re-classification is unchanged and different from the current classification, and enabling the classification change upon when the consecutive period of time is greater than a threshold.

Abstract: Method and system for obtaining information about an object in a compartment in a vehicle includes directing illumination into the compartment, spatial or temporally modulating the illumination, receiving light reflected from an object in the compartment, and analyzing the reflected light to obtain information about the object. The compartment may be a passenger compartment of an automobile, the trunk of an automobile or the interior of a trailer of a truck. The illumination may be directed from a light source and the reflected light received at a receiver spaced apart from the light source. Analysis of the reflected light may therefore entail applying a triangulation calculation to enable a determination of a distance between the light source and illuminated point on the object. The same method and system can be adapted for monitoring the environment around the vehicle.

Abstract: System and method for obtaining information about components in a vehicle in which reflective devices are arranged in association with each component, a detector detects waves reflected by the reflective device(s), and a processor obtains information about the components from the detected waves. Reflection of waves from each reflective device is transformed into information about the reflective device, such as deriving the distance between the reflective device and the detector from the reflected waves and transforming this distance determination into a determination of the position of the component. In addition to or instead of the position of the component, the orientation of the component can be determined, or the presence of the component. Information derived from the reflective device(s) can be used to control any number and variety of vehicular systems, such as an occupant protection system.

Abstract: Vehicular system for determining the presence of an object in a passenger compartment of the vehicle includes a first image receiver arranged at a first location for obtaining a first two-dimensional view of a portion of the compartment, and a second image receiver arranged at a second location for obtaining a second two-dimensional view of the same portion of the compartment, the second image receiver being arranged relative to the first image receiver such that three dimensions of the portion of the compartment are encompassed by the first and second views. A processor receives images from the first and second image receivers and determines whether an object is present in the compartment based on the images. A reactive system, such as an airbag assembly, may be coupled to the processor and controlled thereby based on the determination of whether an object is present in the imaged portion of the compartment.

Abstract: Vehicle including a first substructure and a second substructure arranged such that an interior space is defined by or between the first and second substructures, and an arrangement for determining whether an object is present in the interior space. The arrangement includes ultrasonic transducers arranged on the second substructure and to transmit ultrasonic waves toward the first substructure and receive any waves reflected by objects in the interior space and a processor coupled to the ultrasonic transducers and arranged to determine whether an object is present in the interior space based on reception of waves by the ultrasonic transducers. If the vehicle is an automobile and the interior space is the passenger compartment therein, the first substructure can be the passenger seat and the second substructure can be the A-pillar, in which case, the processor determines the presence or absence of a passenger in the passenger seat.

Abstract: Method for protecting an occupant of a vehicle using an inflatable airbag includes sealing sheets of film to form a sealed airbag having interconnected compartments receivable of inflating gas and a port through which the compartments are inflated, and positioning the airbag, when in an uninflated state, into a recessed portion alongside the passenger compartment. The airbag is positioned to extend, when inflated, across a side of the passenger compartment between occupant seating positions on that side of the vehicle and a portion of the vehicle defining the passenger compartment. A pressurized gas source inflates the airbag so that when an accident is sensed and a determination is made to inflate the airbag, gas enters into and inflate the airbag through the port thereby causing the airbag to extend across the side of the passenger compartment.

Abstract: Information management and monitoring system and method for monitoring components on an apparatus during its operation includes a monitoring system including sensors for monitoring the components operation thereof, and a processing module arranged on the apparatus and to receive and process data about the monitored components from the sensors. The module derives information from the data about the monitored components to determine whether any component is operating in a non-optimal manner and/or to forecast failure of any component prior to such failure. The system also includes at least one remote entity interested in the operation or failure of any component. A wireless communication system is arranged on the apparatus and coupled to the module for enabling wireless communications of derived information from the module to each entity during operation of the apparatus, including information about the presence and identity of any non-optimally operating component or component forecast to fail.