Patent ID: 7119671

Claim:
A seat buckle sensor assembly comprising: a sensor housing; a single sensor at least partially disposed in said sensor housing; and said sensor housing being configured for attachment to a seat buckle housing of a seat buckle, said seat buckle comprising a lock pin having a magnet disposed on an end thereof, said lock pin movable through a switch zone extending between a first position of said lock pin wherein said lock pin achieves a locked condition and a second position of said lock pin wherein said lock pin achieves an unlocked condition; said sensor exhibiting a gray zone range of magnetic flux whereby flux imparted to said sensor beyond a first end of said gray zone range of magnetic flux causes said sensor to provide a first output and flux imparted to said sensor beyond a second end of said gray zone range of magnetic flux causes said sensor to provide a second output different from said first output, said gray zone range of magnetic flux being within a switch zone range of magnetic flux imparted by said magnet to said sensor as said lock pin travels through said switch zone, whereby said first output is provided as said lock pin travels through said switch zone before said lock pin achieves said locked condition and said second output is provided by said sensor as said lock pin travels through said switch zone before said lock pin achieves said unlocked condition.