Patent ID: 7039514

Claim:
A method of classifying an occupant of a motor vehicle seat, comprising the steps of: measuring and sampling a seated weight of the occupant to form a primary data set including an average weight, an average standard deviation of said average weight and an average longitudinal center-of-mass of the occupant; monitoring said average standard deviation of said primary data set to detect an initial period of weight measurement stability; classifying the occupant as a forward-facing child seat if: (1) said initial period of weight measurement stability is detected, and (2) the average weight during said initial period does not exceed a child seat threshold, and (3) the average longitudinal center-of-mass during said initial period is rearward of a reference point; and classifying the occupant as a rearward-facing child seat if: (1) said initial period of weight measurement stability is detected, and (2) the average weight during said initial period does not exceed a child seat threshold, and (3) the average longitudinal center-of-mass during said initial period is forward of said reference point.