Patent ID: 6236035
Filing Date: 2001-05-22
Classification: B60R

Abstract:
An apparatus for determining an object characteristic of an object that may be located on a seat of a vehicle, said apparatus comprising:an array of emitting means on a portion of the vehicle, each emitting means for emitting a beam along a path on which the object may be located, each path being in a different direction;an array of receiving means on the portion of the vehicle, each receiving means for receiving beams emitted from said array of emitting means that are reflected from the object, each reflected beam received at said array of receiving means being indicative of distance between the portion of the vehicle and the object;means for determining relative intensities at each receiving means of each reflected and received beam;means for determining time-of-flight of each reflected and received beam between emission of the beam from said array of emitting means and reception of the beam at said array of receiving means; andmeans for processing each determined relative intensity and each determined time-of-flight to determine an object characteristic, and for providing a signal indicative thereof.