Patent ID: 6684973
Filing Date: 2004-02-03
Classification: B60R

Abstract:
An occupant detecting apparatus for detecting an occupant seated on a passenger seat of a vehicle with an airbag for said occupant, comprising:a load sensor provided in a bottom part of said seat; a plurality of first electric field sensors provided in the bottom part of said seat; a plurality of second electric field sensors provided in a rear part of said seat; and an airbag inflating permission control unit, connected to said load sensor and said first and second electric field sensors, for permitting inflation of said airbag in accordance with output signals of said load sensor and said first and second electric field sensors, wherein said airbag inflating permission control unit compares an output signal of said load sensor with first and second load reference values, compares an average value of output signals of said first electric field sensors with first and second electric field reference values, and compares an average value of output signals of said second electric field sensors with third and fourth electric field reference values, said first load reference value being higher than said second load reference value, said first electric field reference value being higher than said second electric field reference value, said third electric field reference value being higher than said fourth electric field reference value.