Sensor Application Using UWB Communication: In-Vehicle Seat Occupancy Detection

Abstract

UWB(ultra-wideband) technology has recently attracted attention owing to its ability to accurately measure distance and enable communication. Currently, applications such as sensors capable of recognizing situations are being considered, moving beyond communication and distance measurement. In this study, we developed a UWB-based sensor application system that detects whether a person is seated in a car. With this system, it is possible to send an alert to the driver's smartphone if the driver leaves the car with a child in the back seat without a separate seat detection sensor. The proposed sensor system uses changes in the channel status of the vehicle, which are recognized when the UWB communication device performs the communication function, to detect whether all seats in a car are occupied. The proposed system, using the DW1000 module, demonstrated detection performance of 93 % or more in the case of one receiver, 97 % in the case of two receivers, and 100 % in the case of four receivers for all nine scenarios where four people were seated in a car in different combinations of seats.

Performance Comparison between UWB Communication and UWB Radar in In-Vehicle Seat Occupancy Detection Application

“…를 감지하여 운전자에게 알려줄 수 있을 뿐만 아니라, 주 차된 차에 도난 상황이 발생할 경우, 운전자에게 알려줄 수 있어 필수적으로 장착되고 있다. UWB 기술을 차량 내 탑승자 감지 센서로 응용하는 방법은 크게 UWB 펄스를 송신한 후 주변 물체에 맞고 돌아온 펄스를 이용하는 UWB 레이다 방식의 센서와 UWB 통신기기 간에 정보를 교환할 때 발생하는 CIR(channel impulse response)이 주변 상황의 변화에 따라 변화되는데, 이를 이용하는 UWB 통 신 방식의 센서로 나눌 수 있다 [1]∼ [3] .…”