Seatbelt assistance systems, vehicles, and methods
AssigneesToyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorGeoffrey David Gaither
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems, vehicles, and methods for seatbelt assistance. A system may include a sensor. The sensor may be configured to detect a physical property of a user sitting on a seat. The system may further include a motor. The motor may be configured to extend a seatbelt part towards a body center of the user. The system may further include an electronic control unit (ECU). The ECU may be coupled to the sensor and the motor. The ECU may be configured to receive the detected physical property of the user. The ECU may be further configured to prompt the motor to extend the seatbelt part towards the body center of the user based on the detected physical property of the user.
Claims20
A vehicle seatbelt system comprising:
- a sensor configured to detect a physical property of a user sitting on a seat, the physical property of the user including a body shape of the user;
- a motor configured to move a seatbelt part;
- and
- an electronic control unit (ECU) coupled to the sensor and the motor and configured to:
- receive data relating to the detected physical property of the user, and
- command the motor to move the seatbelt part towards a body center of the user based on the detected body shape of the user.
A vehicle comprising:
- a seatbelt assembly;
- a first sensor configured to detect a physical property of a user sitting on a seat, the physical property of the user including a body shape of the user;
- a second sensor configured to detect a position of the seat;
- a motor configured to move a part of the seatbelt assembly;
- and
- an electronic control unit (ECU) coupled to the first sensor, the second sensor, and the motor and configured to:
- receive first data relating to the detected physical property of the user,
- receive second data relating to the detected position of the seat, and
- command the motor to move the part towards a body center of the user based on the detected body shape of the user and the detected position of the seat.
A method for putting a seatbelt on a user, the method comprising:
- detecting, by a sensor, a physical property of the user sitting on a seat, the physical property of the user including a body shape of the user;
- receiving, by an electronic control unit (ECU) coupled to the sensor, data relating to the detected physical property of the user;
- and
- actuating, by the ECU, a motor to extend a seatbelt part towards a body center of the user based on the detected body shape of the user.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.