System and method for detecting objects in vehicular compartments

A vehicle including at least one compartment, comprising:

• at least one component having a variable operation based on the presence on an animate object in the compartment;
• a presence detection system for detecting the presence of an animate object in the compartment, said presence detection system comprising
• a detector system arranged to generate an output signal indicative of the absence of an object in the compartment when an object is not situated in the compartment and a different output signal indicative of a particular object in the compartment when such an object is present in the compartment whereby different output signals are generated for different objects, said detector system comprising receiver means for receiving waves generated or modified by the object in the compartment when present such that in the absence of an object, the output signal generated by said detector system is indicative of the absence of an object and when an object is present, the output signal generated by said detector system is representative of the waves received by said receiver means;
• and
• processor means coupled to said receiver means for processing the output signal generated by said detector system when an object is present in the compartment, and representative of the waves received by said receiver means, to create a signal characteristic of the object in the compartment which is indicative of whether the compartment is occupied by a human occupant or empty, an inanimate object in the compartment, which is not part of the vehicle, being treated as if not present;
• and
• a reactive system coupled to said presence detection system for affecting said at least one component of the vehicle when the created signal is indicative of a human occupant.

A method for responding to the presence of a particular object in a vehicular compartment, comprising:

• detecting the presence of an object in the compartment by receiving waves generated or modified by an object located in the compartment;
• determining whether the compartment is occupied by a human occupant or an inanimate object treated as if the compartment is empty by converting the received waves into a signal characteristic of the object in the compartment which is indicative of whether the compartment is occupied by a human occupant or empty, an inanimate object in the compartment, which is not part of the vehicle, being treated as if not present;
• and
• controlling at least one vehicle component based on the determined presence of a human occupant in the compartment.

A method for determining whether an object in a vehicular compartment is animate or inanimate, comprising:

• defining a first class of objects as human occupants;
• defining a second class of objects as those inanimate objects treated as if not present for purposes of deployment of an occupant protection apparatus;
• training a pattern recognition system to recognize an object during operation of the vehicle as belonging to either the first class or the second class based on an output signal generated by the presence of the object;
• receiving waves from an object during operation of the vehicle;
• and
• inputting an output signal operatively generated from the received waves into the pattern recognition system to determine whether the object belongs to the first or second class.