Abstract: System and method for detecting the presence of an object in an aperture in which for modulated electromagnetic waves are directed from an edge of a frame defining the aperture and electromagnetic waves reflected from an opposite edge of the frame are received at substantially the same location. The phase change between the modulated electromagnetic waves and the reflected electromagnetic waves is measured wherein the presence of an obstacle in the aperture causes a variation in the phase change from a situation where an obstacle is not present. The system and method can be used in vehicles to determine the presence of obstacles in the path of a closing window, door, trunk lid, convertible top, or sunroof.

Abstract: Method and arrangement for obtaining and conveying information about occupancy of a passenger compartment of a vehicle including at least one wave-receiving sensor for receiving waves from the passenger compartment. Information about the occupancy of the passenger compartment is generated based on the waves received by the wave-receiving sensor(s) and transmitted, e.g., through a cellular phone system, to emergency response personnel to enable them to respond accordingly. The information about the occupancy of the passenger compartment may be generated by a processor applying pattern recognition techniques so that any occupants of the seat may be classified and such classification transmitted to the emergency response personnel. The wave received by the wave-receiving sensor(s) may also be used to determine the number of occupants in the vehicle and/or whether the occupants are moving after a crash.

Abstract: System for obtaining information about an object in the vehicle including one or more resonators or reflectors arranged in association with the object, each resonator emitting an energy signal upon receipt of a signal at an excitation frequency, a transmitter device for transmitting signals at least at the excitation frequency of each resonator, an energy signal detector for detecting the energy signal emitted by each resonator upon receipt of the signal at the excitation frequency, and a processor coupled to the detector for obtaining information about the object upon analysis of the energy signal detected by the detector. The information obtained about the object may be a distance between each resonator and the detector, which positional information is useful for controlling components in the vehicle such as the occupant restraint or protection device.

Abstract: Control system for controlling an occupant restraint device effective for protection of an occupant of the seat including a receiving device arranged in the vehicle for obtaining information about contents of the seat and generating a signal based on any contents of the seat, a different signal being generated for different contents of the seat when such contents are present on the seat, an analysis unit such as a microprocessor coupled to the receiving device for analyzing the signal in order to determine whether the contents of the seat include a child seat, whether the contents of the seat include a child seat in a particular orientation and/or whether the contents of the seat include a child seat in a particular position, and a deployment unit coupled to the analysis unit for controlling deployment of the occupant restraint device based on the determination by the analysis unit.

Abstract: Arrangements for a vehicle including ultrasonic transmitters for transmitting ultrasonic waves into the passenger compartment, each transmitter operating at a distinct transmitting frequency and positioned at a distinct location relative to the other transmitter(s), at least one receiver disposed so as to receive ultrasonic waves transmitted from a transmitter and modified by passing through the passenger compartment, and a processor operatively coupled to the receiver(s). Based on the received waves, the processor determines whether an object is located in the passenger compartment, controls deployment of a safety restraint device and/or determines the location of an object in the passenger compartment. Other arrangements include receivers arranged at different locations in the vehicle and which facilitate a distance measurement capability.

Abstract: Methods for controlling deployment of an occupant restraint device in a vehicle and determining whether an object is a child seat in which one ultrasonic transducer is arranged on a ceiling of the vehicle and another ultrasonic transducer is arranged at a different location in the vehicle, ultrasonic waves are transmitted from each transducer into the passenger compartment and received thereby, and the distance from each transducer to the object is calculated based on the time difference between the transmitted waves when transmitted from the transducer and the reflected waves when received at the transducer. Deployment of the occupant restraint device is controlled based on the calculated distances and/or a determination is made whether the object is a child seat based on the calculated distances.

Abstract: Arrangement and method for controlling a component in a vehicle in which at least one morphological characteristic of an occupant is measured and a current position of at least a part of a seat on which the occupant is situated is obtained. The component is controlled based on the measured morphological characteristic(s) and the current position of the seat. The component may be an occupant restraint device, such as an airbag whose inflation, deflation and/or deployment direction is/are controlled.

Abstract: Wireless sensing and communication system including sensors located on the vehicle or in the vicinity of the vehicle and which provide information which is transmitted to one or more interrogators in the vehicle using wireless radio frequency transmission technology. Power to operate the sensor may be supplied by the interrogator. The sensors include tire pressure, temperature and acceleration monitoring sensors, weight or load measuring sensors, switches, temperature, acceleration, angular position, angular rate, angular acceleration, proximity, rollover, occupant presence, humidity, presence of fluids or gases, strain, road condition and friction, chemical sensors and other similar sensors providing information to a vehicle system, vehicle operator or external site. The sensors provide information about the vehicle and its interior or exterior environment, about individual components, systems, vehicle occupants, subsystems, or about the roadway, ambient atmosphere, travel conditions and external objects.

Abstract: System for determining the occupancy of a seat in a vehicle using pattern recognition technologies and techniques that apply to any combination of transducers that provide information about seat occupancy, for example, weight sensors, capacitive sensors, inductive sensors, ultrasonic, optical, electromagnetic, motion, infrared and radar sensors. A processor is coupled to the transducers for receiving data therefrom and processes the data to obtain an output indicative of the seat's current occupancy state. A combination neural network is resident in the processor and is created from data sets, each representing a different occupancy state of the seat and being formed from data from the transducers while the seat is in that occupancy state. The combination neural network produces the output indicative of the current occupancy state of the seat upon inputting a data set representing the current occupancy state of the seat and being formed from data from the transducers.

Abstract: System and method for controlling operation of a vehicle or a component thereof based on recognition of a individual including a processor embodying a pattern recognition algorithm trained to identify whether a person is the individual by analyzing data derived from optical images and an optical receiving unit for receiving images including the person and deriving data from the images. The optical receiving unit provides the data to the algorithm to obtain an indication from the algorithm whether the person is the individual. A security system enables operation of the vehicle when the algorithm provides an indication that the person is an individual authorized to operate the vehicle and prevents operation of the vehicle when the algorithm does not provide an indication that the person is an individual authorized to operate the vehicle. A component adjustment system adjusts the component based on the recognition of the individual.

Abstract: Method and weight sensor for determining the weight of an occupant of a seat including a bladder having one or more chambers adapted to be arranged in a seat portion of the seat and one or more transducers for measuring the pressure in a respective chamber. The weight distribution of the occupant in a seat can be measured by using a multi-chambered bladder, measuring the pressure in each chamber and determining the weight distribution of the occupant therefrom. The position of the occupant and center of gravity can also be determined based on the weight distribution.

Abstract: Vehicular monitoring arrangement for monitoring an environment of the vehicle including at least one active pixel camera for obtaining images of the environment of the vehicle and a processor coupled to the active pixel camera(s) for determining at least one characteristic of an object in the environment based on the images obtained by the active pixel camera(s). The active pixel camera can be arranged in a headliner, roof or ceiling of the vehicle to obtain images of an interior environment of the vehicle, in an A-pillar or B-pillar of the vehicle to obtain images of an interior environment of the vehicle, or in a roof, ceiling, B-pillar or C-pillar of the vehicle to obtain images of an interior environment of the vehicle behind a front seat of the vehicle. The determined characteristic can be used to enable optimal control of a reactive component, system or subsystem coupled to the processor.

Abstract: Arrangement and method for monitoring tires mounted to the vehicle in which thermal radiation detecting devices are arranged external of and apart from the tires for detecting the temperature of the tires. The detected temperature of the tires is analyzed, e.g., relative to a threshold or as to the magnitude of a difference between mated tires, and an action is effected in response to the analysis. The thermal radiation detecting devices are preferably supplied with power wirelessly, e.g., through an inductive system, a capacitive system or a radio frequency energy transfer system.

Abstract: Arrangement and method in a vehicle for identifying an occupying item in which information or data about the occupying item is obtained and a pattern recognition system analyzes this information or data with respect to size, position., shape and/or motion to determine what the occupying item is whereby a distinction can be made as to whether the occupying item is human or an inanimate object. The information or data may be obtained by one or more receiver arrays which converts electromagnetic radiation into electrical signals such that the information or data about the occupying item is in the form of one or more electrical signals representative of an image of the occupying item.

Abstract: System and method for sensing one or more occupant characteristics of a vehicle occupant in which an electromagnetic energy signal is transmitted toward an occupant location within a vehicle and absorption of the energy signal by a vehicle occupant is detected, if such absorption occurs. An absorption signal indicative of the absorbed energy signal is detected and processed to determine the occupant characteristic(s). Occupant characteristics include the presence or absence of an occupant, size, location, biometric features such as a voice print, a hand print, a finger print, an iris scan and a facial feature, and type, e.g., a child seat. The occupant characteristic may be used to control a vehicular component such as an occupant protection device.

Abstract: Method and system for detecting the presence of the child seat on the seat including a receiving unit for receiving waves from a space above the seat and a signal-generating component which generates a signal based on the received waves which is indicative of the occupancy of the space above the seat. A different signal is generated for different occupants of the seat when the seat is occupied. A signal from the receiving unit representative of the received waves is analyzed, e.g., by a processor applying pattern recognition techniques, in order to generate the signal indicative of the occupancy of the seat and thereby enable a determination of whether a child seat is present in the seat and optionally the orientation thereof. A wave-emitter may be provided for emitting waves, e.g., ultrasonic or electromagnetic waves, into the space above the seat. One or more other systems or components in the vehicle, e.g.

Abstract: Arrangements for a vehicle including ultrasonic transmitters for transmitting ultrasonic waves into the passenger compartment, each transmitter operating at a distinct transmitting frequency and positioned at a distinct location relative to the other transmitter(s), at least one receiver disposed so as to receive ultrasonic waves transmitted from a transmitter and modified by passing through the passenger compartment, and a processor operatively coupled to the receiver(s). Based on the received waves, the processor determines whether an object is located in the passenger compartment, controls deployment of a safety restraint device and/or determines the location of an object in the passenger compartment. Other arrangements include receivers arranged at different locations in the vehicle and which facilitate a distance measurement capability.

Abstract: System and method for preventing vehicle accidents in which GPS ranging signals relating to a host vehicle's position on a roadway on a surface of the earth are received on a first communication link from a network of satellites and DGPS auxiliary range correction signals for correcting propagation delay errors in the GPS ranging signals are received on a second communication link from a station or satellite. The host vehicle's position on a roadway on a surface of the earth is determined from the GPS, DGPS, and accurate map database signals with centimeter accuracy and communicated to other vehicles. The host vehicle receives position information from other vehicles and determines whether any other vehicle from which position information is received represents a collision threat to the host vehicle based on the position of the other vehicle relative to the roadway and the host vehicle.

Abstract: System for determining the occupancy of a seat in a vehicle using a variety of transducers and pattern recognition technologies and techniques that applies to any combination of transducers that provide information about seat occupancy. These include weight sensors, capacitive sensors, inductive sensors, ultrasonic, optical, electromagnetic, motion, infrared, and radar among others. The system includes a processor coupled to the transducers for receiving the data from the transducers and processing the data to obtain an output indicative of the current occupancy state of the seat. An algorithm is resident in the processor and is created from a plurality of data sets, each representing a different occupancy state of the seat and being formed from data from the transducers while the seat is in that occupancy state.

Abstract: An occupant position sensor utilizing either ultrasonic, microwave or optical technologies, or seatbelt spool out and seat position sensors, are used as inputs to the primary vehicle crash sensor circuit to permit the longest possible sensing time before the occupant gets proximate to the airbag and is in danger of being injured by the deploying airbag. The sensor further disables the inflatable restraint system if the occupant is in danger of being injured by the system deployment. Separate systems are used for the driver and passenger to permit the optimum decision to be made for each occupant.