This content is not included in
your SAE MOBILUS subscription, or you are not logged in.
Direct Thermal Detection for Front Passenger Seat Airbag Suppression
Annotation ability available
Sector:
Language:
English
Abstract
Direct thermal detection of the passenger is considered for use in a system that would suppress deployment of the passenger-side airbag for a rear-facing infant seat. The temperature at the surface of the front passenger's seat is compared with the temperature at the surface of the driver's seat. If the two temperatures differ by more than a preset amount the airbag would be suppressed. It is shown that when the ambient temperature equals the passenger's skin temperature (at about 35 °C) seat surface temperature does not distinguish a normally seated adult from a rear facing infant seat. Attempts to circumvent this problem by adding a heater were either too slow or too insensitive for an airbag suppression system. However, direct thermal detection may add reliability to some other type of airbag suppression system, such as one based on passenger weight.
Recommended Content
Authors
Citation
Lambert, D., "Direct Thermal Detection for Front Passenger Seat Airbag Suppression," SAE Technical Paper 982293, 1998, https://doi.org/10.4271/982293.Also In
References
- Vollmer E. “Inflatable air bag safety device for motor vehicles,” 10 Nov 1992
- Blackburn B. K. Mazur J. F. Gentry S. B. “Occupant sensing apparatus,” 3 Aug 1993
- Steffens C. E. Jr. Vos T. H. Gentry S. B. Mazur J. F. Blackburn B. K. “Method and apparatus for controlling an actuatable restraining device in response to discrete control zones,” 9 May 1995
- Mazur J. F. Blackburn B. K. Gentry S. B. “Method and apparatus for sensing a rearward facing child restraining seat,” 3 Oct 1995
- Blackburn B. K. Mazur J. F. Gentry S. B. “Occupant sensing apparatus,” 27 Feb 1996
- Zeidler F. Petri V. Mickeler R. Meyer M. “Device for detecting seat occupancy in a motor vehicle,” 18 Mar 1997
- Yasuda T. Sato J. Ohashi M. “Capacitive occupancy detector apparatus,” 3 Jun 1989
- Browne A. L. Stephenson D. A. Kiel W. “Using seat mounted accelerometers to differentiate between normally seated passengers and infants in infant seats,” S.A.E. Paper 933092
- Corrado A. P. Decker S. W. Benbow P. K. “Automotive occupant sensor system and method of operation by sensor fusion,” 9 Jan 1996
- Breed D. S. Castelli V. Johnson W. C. DuVall W. E. Patel R. M. “Vehicle occupant position and velocity sensor,” 5 Aug 1997
- Tupman D. J. “Optical seat switch,” 28 Jul 1987
- Kamei J. H. Boon C. L. Stevens P. F. “Automotive occupant sensing device,” 18 Jun 1996
- Semchena J. H. Faigle E. M. Thompson R. J. Mazur J. F. Steffens C. E. Jr. “Apparatus and method for controlling an occupant restraint system,” 2 Jul 1996
- Takahashi H. Hamada M. Fujishima H. Naito M. Sasaki K. Tsuchiya J. Maeda T. “Air bag apparatus for passenger seat,” 30 Dec 1997
- Gentry S. B. Mazur J. F. Blackburn B. K. “Method and apparatus for detecting out of position occupants,” 19 Jul 1994
- Phen R. L. Dowdy M. W. Ebbeler D. H. Kim E-H. Moore N. R. VanZandt T. R. “Advanced air bag technology assessment,” Jet Propulsion Laboratory Report No. 98-3 April 1998
- Fung W. Parsons K. C. “Some investigations into the relationship between car seat cover materials and thermal comfort using human subjects,” J. Coated Fabrics 26 1996 147
- Xizhong Z. Zizhu D. Genhong Z. “Application of the heat flux meter in physiological studies,” J. Therm. Biol. 18 1993 473
- Arnaud F. Delhomme G. Dittmar A. Girard P. Metchiporouk L. Martelet C. Cespuglio R. Newman W. H. “A micro thermal diffusion sensor for non-invasive skin characterization,” Sensors and Actuators A 41-42 1994 240