Patent ID: 8445792

Claim:
A load detection device comprising: a load sensor provided at a support portion that is positioned at a rear portion of a seat for a vehicle, the seat including a seatback at the rear portion of the seat, the load sensor detecting a load applied to the support portion that is a part of a plurality of support portions supporting the seat; a load detecting portion detecting a portion of a load of a seat occupancy of the seat based on an output from the load sensor and outputting a detected load value; a longitudinal inclination angle detecting portion detecting a longitudinal inclination angle of the vehicle; a load correcting portion correcting, depending on the longitudinal inclination angle of the vehicle, the detected load value of the portion of the load of the seat occupancy detected by the load detecting portion based on a relationship between the detected load value of the seat occupancy of the seat and the longitudinal inclination angle of the vehicle; wherein the longitudinal inclination angle detecting portion determines an inclination state of the vehicle to be one of plural inclination states which are classified in a stepwise manner on a basis of the detected longitudinal inclination angle of the vehicle, and the load correcting portion corrects the detected load value of the portion of the load of the seat occupancy detected by the load detecting portion depending on the inclination state determined by the longitudinal inclination angle detecting portion; wherein the load detecting portion obtains the outputs of the load sensors each predetermined sampling period and outputs the detected load value, and wherein the longitudinal inclination angle detecting portion outputs the inclination state and the predetermined sampling period is specified to be elongated in a case where an ignition switch of the vehicle is turned off and the longitudinal inclination angle detecting portion outputs the longitudinal inclination angle and the predetermined sampling period is specified to be shortened in a case where the ignition switch is turned on.