Vehicle safety system with smart state detection sensors
AssigneeZf Active Safety and Electronics US LLC
InventorsMARCO BRACALENTE, KEITH MICIUDA
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A state detection sensor includes a housing and a position sensing component mounted in the housing. The position sensing component is being configured to provide position data in response to detecting the presence or position of vehicle structure relative to the sensor. The state detection sensor also includes an analog input component mounted in the housing. The analog input component is configured to provide external analog sensor data in response to an analog signal received from an external analog sensor to which the analog input component can be operatively connected. The state detection sensor further includes a component configured to communicate the position data and the external analog sensor data via a serial bus.
Claims18
A state detection sensor for a vehicle including a seat and a seatbelt associated with the seat, comprising:
- a housing configured to be mounted to the seatbelt buckle;
- a position sensing component mounted in the housing and being configured to provide position data in response to detecting the presence or position of structure of the seatbelt buckle relative to the sensor;
- an analog input component mounted in the housing and being configured to receive an analog signal from an external analog sensor;
- an analog to digital converter (ADC) component configured to receive the analog signal from the analog input component, digitize the analog signal, and provide digitized external analog sensor data;
- and
- a component configured to communicate the position data and the external analog sensor data via a serial bus.
A state detection sensing system for a vehicle seatbelt buckle, comprising:
- a sensor housing configured to be mounted to the seatbelt buckle;
- a position sensing component mounted in the sensor housing and being configured to provide digital buckle state data in response to detecting the presence or position of seatbelt buckle structure relative to the state detection sensor;
- a seat sensor external to the sensor housing and configured to be mounted to a vehicle seat, the seat sensor being configured to sense a seat condition and provide an analog signal indicative of the sensed seat condition;
- an analog input component mounted in the sensor housing and being configured to receive an analog signal from an external seat sensor to which the analog input component can be operatively connected;
- an analog to digital converter (ADC) component configured to digitize the analog signal from the external seat sensor, and to provide digitized seat sensor data;
- and
- a component mounted in the sensor housing and configured to communicate the buckle state data and the digitized seat sensor data via a serial bus.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.