Patents by Inventor Russell C. Watts
Russell C. Watts has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 8499879Abstract: A system for classifying an occupant using a reduced quantity of force sensors. The system includes one or more force sensors, an electronic control unit (“ECU”), and a vehicle safety system. The force sensors are, for example, i-Bolt™ sensors, or other suitable force sensors or force sensing systems. The ECU includes, among other things, an occupant classification module and a safety monitoring module. The occupant classification module receives signals from the force sensors, determines one or more moments about a fixed point of a vehicle occupant control volume, and determines an occupant classification metric based on a mass of the control volume and a center of gravity of the control volume. The occupant classification module uses the occupant classification metric to classify an occupant into one of a plurality of occupant classifications. Based on the occupant classification, the safety monitoring module controls one or more vehicle safety systems.Type: GrantFiled: August 13, 2010Date of Patent: August 6, 2013Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbHInventors: Darren (Shih Yuan) Lee, Russell C. Watts
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Publication number: 20110040451Abstract: A system for classifying an occupant using a reduced quantity of force sensors. The system includes one or more force sensors, an electronic control unit (“ECU”), and a vehicle safety system. The force sensors are, for example, i-Bolt™ sensors, or other suitable force sensors or force sensing systems. The ECU includes, among other things, an occupant classification module and a safety monitoring module. The occupant classification module receives signals from the force sensors, determines one or more moments about a fixed point of a vehicle occupant control volume, and determines an occupant classification metric based on a mass of the control volume and a center of gravity of the control volume. The occupant classification module uses the occupant classification metric to classify an occupant into one of a plurality of occupant classifications. Based on the occupant classification, the safety monitoring module controls one or more vehicle safety systems.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 13, 2010Publication date: February 17, 2011Applicant: ROBERT BOSCH GMBHInventors: Darren (Shih Yuan) Lee, Russell C. Watts
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Patent number: 7475903Abstract: A system and method of classifying an occupant in a seat. The system can include a plurality of sensors, and each sensor can be configured to produce an output related to a weight of an object in a seat of the vehicle. A controller can be configured to receive the output of each of the sensors when an occupant is in the seat, and perform a maximum likelihood ratio test to provide a signal indicative of the classification of the occupant. The maximum likelihood ratio test can incorporate the output of each sensor relating to the occupant, and can further incorporate data sets related to the outputs of each of the sensors in response to a plurality of test cases, for a specific class of occupants.Type: GrantFiled: April 8, 2005Date of Patent: January 13, 2009Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbHInventor: Russell C. Watts
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Patent number: 6940026Abstract: A method and system for estimating the weight of a seat occupant. In one embodiment, the system includes a linkage having one or more links; an actuator; a pivot driveably coupled between the links and the actuator; and a sensor coupled to the pivot and operable to sense a load at the pivot, where the sensed signal is processed to provide an output signal representative of seat occupant weight. The system provides weight estimation with reduced sensitivity to horizontal loads and may be implemented with seats having a fixed height or a plurality of powered and manual seat height adjustment mechanisms.Type: GrantFiled: December 9, 2002Date of Patent: September 6, 2005Assignee: Robert Bosch CorporationInventors: David Rundell, Russell C. Watts
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Patent number: 6782332Abstract: Method, apparatus and computer programs are described for compensating for the effect of temperature on the sensitivity of electrostatic ultrasound (US) transducers, particularly as used in an automotive occupancy sensing (AOS) systems for sensing the nature or type of occupant and the location of the occupant with respect to the vehicle interior. The invention permits the AOS to classify the occupancy state of the vehicle from a US echo signal substantially free of the effects of temperature on signal amplitude. A capacitive divider or voltage monitor is employed to measure the capacitance of the transducer. The voltage monitor output is used by the scaling algorithm of a compensator to determine the scaling factor to be applied to the US transducer signal to compensate for the effect of temperature on the transducer sensitivity.Type: GrantFiled: September 30, 2002Date of Patent: August 24, 2004Assignee: Robert Bosch CorporationInventors: Ralf Seip, Russell C. Watts
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Publication number: 20040108146Abstract: A method and system for estimating the weight of a seat occupant. In one embodiment, the system includes a linkage having one or more links; an actuator; a pivot driveably coupled between the links and the actuator; and a sensor coupled to the pivot and operable to sense a load at the pivot, where the sensed signal is processed to provide an output signal representative of seat occupant weight. The system provides weight estimation with reduced sensitivity to horizontal loads and may be implemented with seats having a fixed height or a plurality of powered and manual seat height adjustment mechanisms.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 9, 2002Publication date: June 10, 2004Applicant: Robert Bosch CorporationInventors: David Rundell, Russell C. Watts
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Publication number: 20040064280Abstract: Method, apparatus and computer programs are described for compensating for the effect of temperature on the sensitivity of electrostatic ultrasound (US) transducers, particularly as used in an automotive occupancy sensing (AOS) systems for sensing the nature or type of occupant and the location of the occupant with respect to the vehicle interior. The invention permits the AOS to classify the occupancy state of the vehicle from a US echo signal substantially free of the effects of temperature on signal amplitude. A capacitive divider or voltage monitor is employed to measure the capacitance of the transducer. The voltage monitor output is used by the scaling algorithm of a compensator to determine the scaling factor to be applied to the US transducer signal to compensate for the effect of temperature on the transducer sensitivity.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 30, 2002Publication date: April 1, 2004Applicant: Robert Bosch CorporationInventors: Ralf Seip, Russell C. Watts
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Patent number: 6470286Abstract: Method, apparatus and computer programs are described for compensating for the effect of temperature on the sensitivity of electrostatic ultrasound (US) transducers, particularly as used in an automotive occupancy sensing (AOS) systems for sensing the nature or type of occupant and the location of the occupant with respect to the vehicle interior. The invention permits the AOS to classify the occupancy state of the vehicle from a US echo signal substantially free of the effects of temperature on signal amplitude. A capacitive divider or voltage monitor is employed to measure the capacitance of the transducer. The voltage monitor output is used by the scaling algorithm of a compensator to determine the scaling factor to be applied to the US transducer signal to compensate for the effect of temperature oil the transducer sensitivity.Type: GrantFiled: November 1, 2001Date of Patent: October 22, 2002Assignee: Robert Bosch CorporationInventors: Ralf Seip, Russell C. Watts
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Publication number: 20020147558Abstract: Method, apparatus and computer programs are described for compensating for the effect of temperature on the sensitivity of electrostatic ultrasound (US) transducers, particularly as used in an automotive occupancy sensing (AOS) systems for sensing the nature or type of occupant and the location of the occupant with respect to the vehicle interior. The invention permits the AOS to classify the occupancy state of the vehicle from a US echo signal substantially free of the effects of temperature on signal amplitude. A capacitive divider or voltage monitor is employed to measure the capacitance of the transducer. The voltage monitor output is used by the scaling algorithm of a compensator to determine the scaling factor to be applied to the US transducer signal to compensate for the effect of temperature on the transducer sensitivity.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 1, 2001Publication date: October 10, 2002Applicant: Robert Bosch CorporationInventors: Ralf Seip, Russell C. Watts
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Patent number: 6314380Abstract: Method, apparatus and computer programs are described for compensating for the effect of temperature on the sensitivity of electrostatic ultrasound (US) transducers, particularly as used in an automotive occupancy sensing (AOS) systems for sensing the nature or type of occupant and the location of the occupant with respect to the vehicle interior. The invention permits the AOS to classify the occupancy state of the vehicle from a US echo signal substantially free of the effects of temperature on signal amplitude. A capacitive divider or voltage monitor is employed to measure the capacitance of the transducer. The voltage monitor output is used by the scaling algorithm of a compensator to determine the scaling factor to be applied to the US transducer signal to compensate for the effect of temperature on the transducer sensitivity.Type: GrantFiled: June 3, 1999Date of Patent: November 6, 2001Assignee: Robert Bosch Corporation Corp of DelawareInventors: Ralf Seip, Russell C. Watts