Method and apparatus for detecting the presence of a rear facing infant seat

1. Apparatus for detecting the presence of a rear-facing infant seat on a motor vehicle seat equipped with a seat belt that can be buckled or unbuckled, comprising:

a seat belt status sensor for determining if the seat belt is buckled;

a seat belt tension sensor for determining a tension on the seat belt;

a first seat belt position sensor for detecting a proximity of the seat belt to a bight area of the vehicle seat where bottom and back cushions of the vehicle seat meet; and

a control unit for detecting the presence of a rear-facing infant seat on the vehicle seat when:

(1) said seat belt status sensor determines that the seat belt is buckled,

(2) said seat belt tension sensor determines that said tension is above a predetermined threshold; and

(3) said first seat belt position sensor detects the proximity of the seat belt to said bight area.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said control unit detects the presence of an improperly secured rear-facing infant seat on the vehicle seat when:

(1) said seat belt status sensor determines that the seat belt is buckled,

(2) said seat belt tension sensor determines that said tension is below said predetermined threshold; and

(3) said first seat belt position sensor detects the proximity of the seat belt to said bight area.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said control unit determines that a rear-facing infant seat is not present when:

(1) said seat belt status sensor does not determine that the seat belt is buckled, or

(2) said first seat belt position sensor does not detect the proximity of the seat belt to said bight area.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said first seat belt position sensor comprises:

a strip of magnetic material attached to said seat belt; and

a proximity sensor disposed in said vehicle seat in said bight area for detecting the proximity of the strip of magnetic material to said bight area.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a second seat belt position sensor for detecting a proximity of the seat belt to a central portion of the back cushion of the vehicle seat, where said control unit distinguishes between said rear-facing infant seat and a normally seated occupant based on said first and second seat belt position sensors.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein said first and second seat belt position sensors comprise:

at least one strip of magnetic material attached to said seat belt;

a first proximity sensor disposed in said vehicle seat in said bight area for detecting the proximity of the strip of magnetic material to said bight area; and

a second proximity sensor disposed in the central portion of said back cushion for detecting the proximity of the strip of magnetic material thereto.

7. A method of detecting the presence of a rear-facing infant seat on a motor vehicle seat equipped with a seat belt that can be buckled or unbuckled, comprising the steps of:

determining if the seat belt is buckled;

determining a tension on the seat belt;

detecting a proximity of the seat belt to a bight area of the vehicle seat where bottom and back cushions of the vehicle seat meet; and

detecting the presence of a rear-facing infant seat on the vehicle seat when:

(1) said seat belt is determined to be buckled,

(2) the determined tension is above a predetermined threshold; and

(3) the proximity of the seat belt to said bight area is detected.

8. The method of claim 7 , including the steps of:

detecting the presence of an improperly secured rear-facing infant seat on the vehicle seat when:

(1) said seat belt is determined to be buckled,

(2) the determined tension is below said predetermined threshold; and

(3) the proximity of the seat belt to said bight area is detected.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the presence of a rear-facing infant seat is not detected when:

(1) said seat belt is not determined to be buckled, or

(2) the proximity of the seat belt to said bight area is not detected.

10. The method of claim 7 , including the steps of:

detecting a proximity of the seat belt to a central portion of the back cushion of the vehicle seat, and

distinguishing between an infant seat and a normally seated occupant based on the detected proximity of said seat belt to said bight area and said back cushion.