Patent ID: 6920256

Claim:
An occupant classification system comprising: a seat upon which an occupant may sit or on which an object may be placed, the seat having one of a seat cushion and a seat back; a first set of optical fibers, the first set including individual fibers arranged parallel to one another, a second set of optical fibers arranged at a predetermined angle relative to the first set of optical fibers; each optical fiber having a measurable optical characteristic, the optical characteristics of the fibers changeable when a force is applied to a particular fiber; a third set of optical fibers, wherein a particular optical fiber of the third set of fibers extends from a transmitter associated with the first set of optical fibers to a receiver associated with the second set of optical fibers, and a processor responsive to an output signal from at least one optical fiber for generating a control signal determinative of a physical characteristic of an object or occupant on the seat.