Capacitive occupant detection system with improved discrimination capability

US10946769B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• IEE INTERNATIONAL ELECTRONICS & ENGINEERING S.A. · LU

Inventors

• Frank ALTHAUS · Neuhaus, DE
• Erik HOLZAPFEL · Prüm, DE
• David Hoyer · Ayl, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Jun 15, 2018
• Grant date: Mar 16, 2021
• Expiry date: Jun 15, 2038

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01G19/4142
• WIPO field: Transport
• WIPO sector: Mechanical engineering

Abstract

A capacitive seat occupancy detection and classification system with a capacitive sensor having at least two distinct antenna electrodes and a method of operating is proposed to reduce an impact of the sensor-to-object impedance ZSO on an object-to-ground impedance ZOG measurement that the system performs. By measuring the impedance between the different antenna electrodes by the system, additional information is obtainable that can be used to compensate the impact of the sensor-to-object impedance ZSO on the object-to-ground impedance. As one effect of combining both impedance measurement results, the proposed system is able to determine the object-to-ground impedance ZOG completely independent from wear of ISOFIX anchorages or human objects touching the electric ground of the vehicle, thus ensuring a stable classification of the object over the entire vehicle lifetime. The method further enables high-resolution seat occupancy classification.