Importance

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Abstract

A passenger detection system for detecting seating status of a passenger on a seat of a vehicle in which structure of electrodes placed on the seat is improved, is proposed. A plurality of electrodes are placed apart on the upper side of the seat, and a weak alternating electric field is generated between a transmission electrode, selected from the electrodes plurality of and reception electrodes other than the transmission electrode, and displacement currents passing in the reception plurality of electrodes, caused by the weak alternating electric field are detected. The seating status of the passenger on the seat is determined by analyzing the detected displacement currents. An electrode structure is preliminarily formed by fixing the electrodes apart on an electrical insulating base material, and the electrode structure is placed between a cushion material and a covering material of the seat. Preferably, the electrode structure is fixed to one or more components of the seat. For example, the electrodes are formed of electrically conductive fabric and the electrodes are fixed to the base material by means of bonding by heating of thermoplastic resin or thermosetting resin. According to the system, installation of the electrodes on the seat can be performed efficiently and the seating status can be detected precisely with constant distances between the electrodes.

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First Claim