SEAT OCCUPANCY DETERMINATION APPARATUS AND SEAT OCCUPANCY DETERMINATION METHOD

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a seat occupancy determination apparatus and a seat occupancy determination method, which can accurately determine a state of seating on a vehicle seat.;SOLUTION: Seat occupancy sensors 2R, 2L for detecting loads to be applied to a seat cushion are installed on the vehicle seat. A controller 3 determines the seating state of the vehicle seat, based on detected signals from a buckle switch 65 of a seat belt device 6 and from the seat occupancy sensors 2R, 2L. The controller 3 adds up the loads detected by the pair of seat occupancy sensors 2R, 2L to calculate a total load. If the total load becomes a maximum load value around a point of time when the buckle switch 65 is turned on and if the total load then decreases within a prescribed period of time and remains not greater than a prescribed value for a prescribed period of time, the controller 3 determines that a child seat has been placed on the vehicle seat and fastened thereto by the seat belt device 6.;COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT