Occupant determination apparatus using load sensor

An occupant determination apparatus comprising:

• a load sensor to detect a load of an occupant who is seated in a seat of a vehicle and provide the detected load as a load signal;
• and
• a computer having a determination section to receive the load signal and determine (i) presence or absence of the occupant and (ii) a physical size of the occupant by classifying the load signal into a subject class among a plurality of classes, which are ordered from small to large according to the physical size, based on predetermined threshold loads, the subject class being stored as a determined class,
• wherein:
• the determination section performs an inter-class transition that permits the determined class to transition from a present class to an adjacent class that is immediately adjacent to the present class (i) when the load signal equal to or larger than a first threshold load, which is defined between the present class and the adjacent class that is larger than the present class, continues being received for a first threshold time, or (ii) when the load signal smaller than a second threshold load, which is defined between the present class and the adjacent class that is smaller than the present class, continues being received for a second threshold time,
• wherein:
• a plurality of threshold times including the first threshold time and the second threshold time are assigned to inter-class transitions each that permit the determined class to transition from the present class to the adjacent class being referred to as a transition destination class;
• the plurality of classes include airbag-inflating classes that each enable inflating of an airbag and a none-airbag-inflating class that disables inflating of the airbag;
• the plurality of threshold times include (i) a third threshold time that is defined for the inter-class transition between the airbag-inflating classes;
• (ii) a fourth threshold time that is defined for the inter-class transition from the airbag-inflating class into the none-airbag-inflating class;
• and (iii) a fifth threshold time that is defined for the inter-class transition from the none-airbag-inflating class into the airbag-inflating class;
• and
• the third threshold time between the airbag-inflating classes is designated to be longer than the fourth threshold time from the airbag-inflating class into the none-airbag-inflating class, whereas the fourth threshold time from the airbag-inflating class into the none-airbag-inflating class is designated to be longer than the fifth threshold time from the none-airbag-inflating class into the airbag-inflating class.

An occupant determination apparatus comprising:

• a load sensor to detect a load of an occupant who is seated in a seat of a vehicle and provide the detected load as a load signal;
• and
• an occupant-class determiner to receive the load signal and determine (i) presence or absence of the occupant and (ii) a physical size of the occupant by classifying the load signal into a subject class among a plurality of classes, which are ordered from small to large according to the physical size, based on a plurality of threshold loads that are predetermined, the subject class being stored as a determined class,
• wherein:
• the occupant-class determiner performs an inter-class transition that permits the determined class to transition from a present class to an adjacent class that is immediately adjacent to the present class
• (i) when the load signal, which is equal to or larger than a first threshold load, continues being received for a first threshold time regardless of whether the load signal varies and fluctuates up and down around a first separate threshold load,
• the first threshold load which is defined between the present class and the adjacent class that is larger than the present class,
• the first separate threshold load which is defined to be larger than the first threshold load among the plurality of threshold loads, or
• (ii) when the load signal, which is smaller than a second threshold load, continues being received for a second threshold time regardless of whether the load signal varies and fluctuates up and down around a second separate threshold load,
• the second threshold load which is defined between the present class and the adjacent class that is smaller than the present class,
• the second separate threshold load which is defined to be smaller than the second threshold load among the plurality of threshold loads.