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US 6,260,650 B1Granted
Apparatus and method for inducing seat belt usage by the driver of a vehicle
AssigneeVolvo Lastvagnar AB
InventorThomas Gustavsson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus for inducing seat belt usage by the driver of a vehicle, said apparatus comprising: a seat belt, said seat belt carrying a seat belt buckle, a latching clasp for releasable engagement of said buckle and a presence detector for acknowledging when said buckle is engaged in said latching clasp.
Claims12
An apparatus for inducing seatbelt usage by a driver of a vehicle including an engine, said apparatus comprising:
- a seat belt, said seat belt carrying a seat belt buckle;
- a latching clasp for releasable engagement of said seat belt buckle;
- a presence detector for acknowledging when said seat belt buckle is engaged in said latching clasp;
- and
- a vehicle control unit for controlling engine output power and speed of the vehicle,
- wherein said vehicle control unit is arranged to operate said vehicle in a first mode, if the presence detector has indicated that said seat belt buckle is engaged in said latching clasp,
- and in a second mode if the presence detector has indicated that said seat belt buckle is not engaged in said latching clasp,
- wherein in the first mode the speed of the vehicle is higher than an idle speed, and,
- wherein maximum speed of the second mode is more than 75% of maximum speed of the first mode.
6 more elements
An apparatus for inducing seatbelt usage by a driver of a vehicle including an engine, said apparatus comprising:
- a seat belt, said seat belt carrying a seat belt buckle;
- a latching clasp for releasable engagement of said seat belt buckle;
- a presence detector for acknowledging when said seat belt buckle is engaged in said latching clasp;
- and
- a vehicle control unit for controlling engine output power and speed of the vehicle,
- wherein said vehicle control unit is arranged to operate said vehicle in a first mode, if the presence detector has indicated that said seat belt buckle is engaged in said latching clasp,
- and in a second mode if the presence detector has indicated that said seat belt buckle is not engaged in said latching clasp,
- wherein in the first mode, the speed of the vehicle is higher than an idle speed, and,
- wherein a difference between maximum speeds of the first and second modes is less than 20 mph.
6 more elements
An apparatus for inducing seatbelt usage by a driver of a vehicle including an engine, said apparatus comprising:
- a seat belt, said seat belt carrying a seat belt buckle;
- a latching clasp for releasable engagement of said seat belt buckle;
- a presence detector for acknowledging when said seat belt buckle is engaged in said latching clasp;
- and
- a vehicle control unit for controlling engine output power and speed of the vehicle,
- wherein said vehicle control unit is arranged to operate said vehicle in a first mode, if the presence detector has indicated that said seat belt buckle is engaged in said latching clasp,
- and in a second mode if the presence detector has indicated that said seat belt buckle is not engaged in said latching clasp,
- wherein in the first mode, the speed of the vehicle is higher than an idle speed, and,
- wherein maximum engine power output of the second mode is more than 75% of maximum engine power output of the first mode.
6 more elements
A method for inducing seat belt usage by a driver of a vehicle, said method including the steps of:
- detecting the presence of a seat belt buckle in a latching clasp for releasable engagement of said seat belt by a presence detector for acknowledging when said seat belt buckle is engaged in said latching clasp;
- transmitting a signal from said presence detector to a vehicle control unit for controlling-engine output power and speed of the vehicle;
- and
- arranging said vehicle control unit to operate said vehicle in a first mode if the presence detector has indicated that said seat belt buckle is engaged in said latching clasp,
- and in a second mode if the presence detector has indicated that said seat belt buckle is not engaged in said latching clasp,
- wherein in the first mode, the speed of the vehicle is higher than an idle speed, and
- wherein maximum speed of the second mode is more than 75% of maximum speed of the first mode.
4 more elements
A method for inducing seat belt usage by a driver of a vehicle, said method including the steps of:
- detecting the presence of a seat belt buckle in a latching clasp for releasable engagement of said seat belt by a presence detector for acknowledging when said seat belt buckle is engaged in said latching clasp;
- transmitting a signal from said presence detector to a vehicle control unit for controlling engine output power and speed of the vehicle;
- and
- arranging said vehicle control unit to operate said vehicle in a first mode if the presence detector has indicated that said seat belt buckle is engaged in said latching clasp,
- and in a second mode if the presence detector has indicated that said seat belt buckle is not engaged in said latching clasp,
- wherein in the first mode, the speed of the vehicle is higher than an idle speed, and,
- wherein a difference between maximum speeds of the first and second modes is less than 20 mph.
4 more elements
A method for inducing seat belt usage by a driver of a vehicle, said method including the steps of:
- detecting the presence of a seat belt buckle in a latching clasp for releasable engagement of said seat belt by a presence detector for acknowledging when said seat belt buckle is engaged in said latching clasp;
- transmitting a signal from said presence detector to a vehicle control unit for controlling engine output power and speed of the vehicle;
- and
- arranging said vehicle control unit to operate said vehicle in a first mode if the presence detector has indicated that said seat belt buckle is engaged in said latching clasp,
- and in a second mode if the presence detector has indicated that said seat belt buckle is not engaged in said latching clasp,
- wherein in the first mode, the speed of the vehicle is higher than an idle speed, and,
- wherein maximum engine power output of the second mode is more than 75% of maximum engine power output of the first mode.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.