Patent ID: 7940187

Claim:
A sensor for determining the presence of a person within the confines of a wheelchair, the sensor comprising: a fabric shell configured to be slipped over the back support of the wheel chair, the fabric shell comprising: a front panel positioned to be adjacent the back of the person when the person is positioned within the wheelchair, the front panel comprising a pair of electrically conductive bands woven into the fabric of the panel, the bands spaced in a generally parallel vertical arrangement about the midsection of the back support of the wheelchair; a back panel positioned opposite the front panel and apart from the back of the person positioned in the wheelchair, the back panel comprising a holder for retaining sensor instrumentation, the back panel further comprising extensions of the bands on the front panel and including an electrical snap connector positioned through the back panel within the extensions of the bands, wherein the bands serve to provide a capacitance sensor that changes capacitance with and without the presence of the person in the wheelchair adjacent the front panel.