FORM 2
THE PATENTS ACT, 1970
(39 OF 1970)
AND
THE PATENTS RULES, 2003
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
(See Section 10; rule 13)
TITLE OF THE INVENTION “DETECTION OF WEARING OF SEATBELTS IN VEHICLES”
APPLICANT(S)
TATA MOTORS LIMITED
Bombay House, 24 Homi Mody Street,
Hutatma Chowk, Mumbai 400 001, Maharashtra, India; an Indian company.
PREAMBLE TO THE DESCRIPTION
The following specification particularly describes the invention and the manner in which it is to be performed.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to seatbelts used in vehicles, and more specifically related to detecting wearing of seatbelts in vehicles.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Seatbelts are used in a vehicle, such as a car, for safety of passengers of the vehicle. When an occupant of a seat of the vehicle, such as a driver of the vehicle, wears a seatbelt associated with the seat, the occupant may be prevented from flying out of the vehicle in case of a collision of the vehicle with another object. A driver of a vehicle has to wear a seatbelt associated with the driver’s seat, for example, by pulling the seatbelt over his body and fastening the seatbelt into a seatbelt buckle.
[0003] If the driver fails to wear the seatbelt, the occupant has to be prompted to wear the seatbelt. To detect that the driver is not wearing the seatbelt, the vehicle is to include a detection mechanism. Conventional mechanisms to detect non-wearing of the seatbelt by the driver may not be foolproof, and may not reliably indicate the non-wearing. For example, a conventional mechanism may detect that the seatbelt has been worn by the driver if a tongue of the seatbelt is buckled into the seatbelt buckle. The mechanism may not be able to detect whether the seatbelt is worn over the body of the driver. Hence, the mechanism may not detect the non-wearing if the driver, instead of wearing the seatbelt over his body, buckles the tongue into seatbelt buckle behind his back and lays his back on the seatbelt.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] A seatbelt wearing detection (SWD) system according to the present subject matter includes a signal transmitting element disposed on one of: a seatbelt and a steering wheel, and a signal sensing element disposed on the other of: the seatbelt and the steering wheel. The SWD system is to output an indication in response to

the absence of an obstacle between the signal transmitting element and the signal sensing element. The SWD system stops outputting the indication in response to the body of the driver being between the signal transmitting element and the signal sensing element. A control unit coupled to the SWD system receives the indication outputted by the SWD system. The control unit generates an alarm in response to non-receipt of the indication.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OFTHE DRAWINGS
[0005] The features, aspects, and advantages of the subject matter will be better
understood with regard to the following description, and accompanying figures.
The use of the same reference number in different figures indicates similar or
identical features and components.
[0006] Fig. 1 illustrates a vehicle in a condition in which a driver is seated in the
vehicle, according to an implementation of the present subject matter.
[0007] Fig. 2 illustrates a seatbelt, according to an implementation of the present
subject matter.
[0008] Fig. 3 illustrates a steering wheel, according to an implementation of the
present subject matter.
[0009] Fig. 4 illustrates a vehicle in which non-wearing of seatbelt by the driver is
to be detected, according to an implementation of the present subject matter.
[0010] Fig. 5 illustrates a method for detecting wearing of seatbelt in a vehicle,
according to an implementation of the present subject matter.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0011] The present subject matter relates to detection of wearing of seatbelts in vehicles. The present subject matter provides a foolproof technique for detecting non-wearing of seatbelt by a driver of a vehicle.

[0012] In accordance with an implementation of the present subject matter, a seatbelt wearing detection (SWD) system includes a signal transmitting element and a signal sensing element. The signal transmitting element may be disposed on a seatbelt associated with a driver’s seat and the signal sensing element may be disposed on a steering wheel. In an example, the signal transmitting element may be a magnet, which can emit a magnetic field, and the signal sensing element may be a magnetic sensor, which can sense the magnetic field of the magnet.
[0013] The SWD system may output an indication if there is no obstacle between the signal transmitting element and the signal sensing element, such as when the signal transmitting element faces the signal sensing element. For example, the magnetic sensor may output an electrical signal if it senses the magnetic field of the magnet, which may happen if there is no obstacle between the magnet and the magnetic sensor. An obstacle may be absent between the signal transmitting element and the signal sensing element when the seatbelt, and consequently the signal transmitting element, lies in front of the body of the driver. If the seatbelt is buckled into the seatbelt buckle without being worn by the driver, the driver’s body would block the signal transmitting element. Accordingly, the magnetic field of the signal transmitting element may not be sensed by the signal sensing element, and the SWD system may not output the indication.
[0014] A control unit may be coupled to the SWD system and may receive the indication outputted by the SWD system. If the SWD system does not send the indication to the control unit, which indicates that the seatbelt is not worn by the driver, the control unit may generate an alarm. The alarm may prompt the driver to wear the seatbelt.
[0015] The present subject matter provides a foolproof and a simple mechanism to detect the non-wearing of seatbelt by a driver of the vehicle. The present subject matter utilizes inexpensive and simple components, such as magnets and magnetic sensors, to achieve the detection.

[0016] The implementations herein and the various features and advantageous details thereof are explained more fully with reference to the non-limiting implementations that are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and detailed in the following description. It should be understood, however, that the following descriptions, while indicating preferred implementations and numerous specific details thereof, are given by way of illustration and not of limitation. Many changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the implementations herein without departing from the spirit thereof, and the implementations herein include all such modifications. The examples used herein are intended merely to facilitate an understanding of ways in which the implementations herein can be practiced and to further enable those skilled in the art to practice the implementations herein. Accordingly, the examples should not be construed as limiting the scope of the implementations herein.
[0017] Descriptions of well-known components and processing techniques are omitted so as to not unnecessarily obscure the implementations herein. Also, the various implementations described herein are not necessarily mutually exclusive, as some implementations can be combined with one or more other implementations to form new implementations.
[0018] Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to Figs. 1 through 5, where similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the figures, there are shown preferred implementations. Further, for the sake of simplicity, and without limitation, the same numbers are used throughout the drawings to reference like features and components. The implementations herein will be better understood from the following description with reference to the drawings.
[0019] Fig. 1 illustrates a vehicle 100 in a condition in which a driver 102 is seated in the vehicle 100, according to an implementation of the present subject matter.

The driver 102 is seated in a driver’s seat 104, hereinafter referred to as the seat 104. The seat 104 may have a seatbelt 106 associated therewith, which can be worn by the driver 102. To wear the seatbelt 106, the driver 102 may pull the seatbelt 106 over his body and buckle the seatbelt 106 into a seatbelt buckle (not shown in Fig. 1) associated with the seat 104. The seatbelt 106 may include a sash portion 108 that may go diagonally over the trunk of the body of the driver 102 and a lap portion 110 that may go over the waist of the driver 102.
[0020] The vehicle 100 may include a signal transmitting element 112 and a signal sensing element 114. The signal transmitting element 112 may be disposed on the lap portion 110 of the seatbelt 106, as illustrated. In an example, the signal transmitting element 112 may be a magnet, which is capable of emitting a magnetic field.
[0021] The signal sensing element 114 may be disposed on a steering wheel 116 of the vehicle 100. In an example, if the signal transmitting element 112 is a magnet, the signal sensing element 114 may be a magnetic sensor that is capable of sensing the magnetic field of the magnet. The magnetic sensor may generate a signal in response to sensing the magnetic field of the magnet. For example, the magnetic sensor may be a Hall sensor, which generates an electrical signal when it senses the magnetic field of the magnet. In another example, the magnetic sensor may include a reed switch, which may have contacts that contact each other under the influence of the magnetic field of the magnet. The magnetic sensor may output an electrical signal in response to the contacts coming into contact with each other. In the below explanation, the signal transmitting element 112 will be explained as a magnet and the signal sensing element 114 will be explained as a magnetic sensor.
[0022] As explained above, the signal sensing element 114 may generate an electrical signal in response to sensing the magnetic field emitted by the signal transmitting element 112. The signal sensing element 114 may sense the magnetic field of the signal transmitting element 112 if there is no obstacle between the signal

transmitting element 112 and the signal sensing element 114. This is because when there is no obstacle between the signal transmitting element 112 and the signal sensing element 114, the magnetic field of the signal transmitting element 112 is not prevented from reaching the signal sensing element 114. An obstacle may be absent between the signal transmitting element 112 and the signal sensing element 114 if the driver 102 wears the seatbelt 106 over his body. For instance, if the driver 102 is wearing the seatbelt 106, the signal transmitting element 112 would be ahead of the driver 102 in the vehicle movement direction 118, and there may be no obstacle between the signal transmitting element 112 and the signal sensing element 114. Therefore, if the driver 102 is wearing the seatbelt 106, the signal sensing element 114 may generate the electrical signal.
[0023] If the driver 102 does not wear the seatbelt 106, and if the seatbelt 106 is not buckled into the seatbelt buckle, the signal transmitting element 112, which may be on the lap portion 110, may be beside the thigh of the driver 102, such as to the left-hand side or right-hand side of the thigh, and not in front of the driver 102. Accordingly, the body of the driver 102 is present as an obstacle between the signal transmitting element 112 and the signal sensing element 114. Therefore, at least a part of the magnetic field of the signal transmitting element 112 is blocked by the body of the driver 102. Thus, the signal sensing element 114 may not sense the magnetic field of the signal transmitting element 112, and may not generate the electrical signal.
[0024] If the driver 102 does not wear the seatbelt 106, and has instead buckled the seatbelt 106 into the seatbelt buckle from behind his back, the signal transmitting element 112 would be blocked by the body of the driver 102, and the magnetic field of the signal transmitting element 112 may not reach the signal sensing element 114. Thus, no electrical signal may be generated if the seatbelt 106 is buckled into the seatbelt buckle from behind the driver’s back.

[0025] In an example, the strength of the signal transmitting element 112 (i.e., the intensity of the magnetic field that would be emitted by the signal transmitting element 112) and the sensitivity of the signal sensing element 114 may be such that the signal sensing element 114 cannot sense the magnetic field of the signal transmitting element 112 if there is a large obstacle, such as an entire human body, between the signal transmitting element 112 and the signal sensing element 114. However, if there is a small obstacle, such as a hand or belly of the driver 102, between the signal transmitting element 112 and the signal sensing element 114, the signal sensing element 114 may sense the magnetic field of the signal transmitting element 112.
[0026] The signal sensing element 114 may be connected to a control unit (not shown in Fig. 1) to receive the electrical signal from the signal sensing element 114. If the electrical signal is not received (which may mean that the driver 102 is not wearing the seatbelt 106), the control unit may generate an alarm. The alarm may prompt the driver 102 to wear the seatbelt.
[0027] In an example, the signal transmitting element 112 may be a coded magnet, which may generate a unique pattern of magnetic field. The coded magnet may be, for example, an array of magnets with a distinct combination of magnet polarities and magnetic intensities. Further, the signal sensing element 114 may be able to distinguish the magnetic field emitted by the signal transmitting element 112 from that emitted by another magnet. Also, the signal sensing element 114 may generate the electrical signal if it senses the magnetic field of the signal transmitting element 112, and not if it senses the magnetic field of another magnet. For example, the signal sensing element 114 may include a reed switch having contacts that close only if the magnetic field of the signal transmitting element 112 is sensed. In this manner, a pairing may be established between the signal transmitting element 112 and the signal sensing element 114. By virtue of the pairing, a scenario in which the driver 102 uses another magnet to cause generation of the electrical signal, and to

prevent generation of the alarm, can be prevented. Thus, the pairing increases reliability in the detection of non-wearing of the seatbelt 106.
[0028] Fig. 2 illustrates the seatbelt 106, according to an implementation of the present subject matter. The seatbelt 106 may include a tongue 202 that is to be buckled into a seatbelt buckle (not shown in Fig. 2) corresponding to the seatbelt 106. As illustrated, the signal transmitting element 112 may be disposed in the lap portion 110 of the seatbelt 106. Further, the signal transmitting element 112 may be provided as a strip, which may be rectangular in shape.
[0029] Fig. 3 illustrates the steering wheel 116, according to an implementation of the present subject matter. The signal sensing element 114 may be disposed on a lower half 302 of the steering wheel 116, as the lower half 302 tends to be closer to the signal transmitting element 112 when the driver 102 is wearing the seatbelt 106, thereby increasing the magnitude of the magnetic field that can be sensed by the signal sensing element 114.
[0030] Although the electrical signal is explained as being generated when there is no obstacle between the signal transmitting element 112 and the signal sensing element 114, in an example, the generation of the electrical signal may be stopped in the absence of an obstacle between the signal transmitting element 112 and the signal sensing element 114. For example, the signal sensing element 114 may include a reed switch having contacts that open under the influence of the magnetic field of the signal transmitting element 112. In accordance with the example, the control unit may generate the alarm if the control unit stops receiving the electrical signal from the signal sensing element 114.
[0031] Fig. 4 illustrates a vehicle 400 in which non-wearing of seatbelt by the driver is to be detected, according to an implementation of the present subject matter. The vehicle 400 may correspond to the vehicle 100.

[0032] The vehicle 400 includes a seatbelt wearing detection (SWD) system 402 to detect wearing and non-wearing of a seatbelt (not shown in Fig. 4) by the driver of the vehicle 400. The SWD system 402 may include a signal transmitting element 404, which may correspond to the signal transmitting element 112, and a signal sensing element 406, which may correspond to the signal sensing element 114. Accordingly, the signal transmitting element 404 may be disposed on the seatbelt and the signal sensing element 406 may be disposed on a steering wheel (not shown in Fig. 4) of the vehicle 400.
[0033] The SWD system 402 may output an indication in response to absence an obstacle or presence of a small obstacle, such as a human hand or belly, between the signal transmitting element 404 and the signal sensing element 406. The indication may be, for example, an electrical signal generated by the signal sensing element 406 in the absence of an obstacle between the signal sensing element 406 and the signal transmitting element 402. In the cases where the generation of the electrical signal is stopped when there is no obstacle between the signal transmitting element 404 and the signal sensing element 406, the indication may be the non-sending of the electrical signal.
[0034] The SWD system 402 may stop outputting the indication in response to the body of the driver being present between the signal transmitting element 404 and the signal sensing element 406. For instance, as explained earlier, the magnetic field of the signal transmitting element 404 may be prevented from being sensed by the signal sensing element 406 by the body of the driver, causing stoppage of generation of the electrical signal.
[0035] The vehicle 400 may also include a control unit 408. The control unit 408 may be implemented, for example, as one or more microprocessors, microcomputers, microcontrollers, digital signal processors, logic circuitries, and/or any devices that manipulate signals based on operational instructions. Among other capabilities, the control unit 408 may fetch and execute computer-

readable instructions included in a memory (not shown in Fig. 4). The functions of the control unit 408 may be provided through the use of dedicated hardware as well as hardware capable of executing machine-readable instructions. In an example, the control unit 408 may be include an electronic control unit (ECU) in the vehicle 300.
[0036] The control unit 408 is coupled to the SWD system 402 to receive the indication outputted by the SWD system 402. For example, the control unit 408 may be electrically connected to the signal sensing element 406 to receive the electrical signal generated by the signal sensing element 406. The control unit 408 may generate an alarm in response to non-receipt of the indication from the SWD system 402. In an example, the control unit 408 may generate the alarm by sending an alarm command to an alerting device 410. The alerting device 410 may be a device that provides an audio output, such as a buzzer or a loudspeaker, or a device that provides a visual output, such as a display device. In response to the alarm command, the alerting device 410 may generate an auditory output or a visual output. The output of the alerting device 410 may prompt the driver to wear the seatbelt.
[0037] The SWD system 402, the control unit 408, and the alerting device 410 may be referred to as being part of a seatbelt wearing prompting system 412, which prompts the driver to wear the seatbelt.
[0038] In an example, in addition to sending the alarm command, the control unit 408 may also instruct an engine control unit (not shown in Fig. 4) of the vehicle 400 to stop the vehicle 400. The instruction to the engine control unit may be provided if the driver does not wear the seatbelt even after elapsing of a predetermined period from the sending of the alarm command. Further, if it is detected that the driver is not wearing the seatbelt before starting of the vehicle 400, the control unit 408 may prevent starting of the vehicle 400. By stopping and by preventing starting of the vehicle 400, the control unit 408 ensures that the driver cannot drive the vehicle 400 without wearing the seatbelt.

[0039] In an example, the alarm may be generated for non-wearing of the seatbelt based on satisfaction of one or more conditions. For example, the alarm may be generated if the vehicle 400 is moving, and not if the vehicle 400 is stationary. To detect if the vehicle 400 is moving, the control unit 408 may be connected to a movement sensor 412, which may detect movement of the vehicle 400. The movement sensor 412 may be, for example, a wheel speed sensor or an antilock braking system (ABS) sensor in the vehicle 400.
[0040] As will be appreciated, the magnitude of the magnetic field of the signal transmitting element 404 that is sensed by the signal sensing element 406 may reduce with an increase in the distance between the signal transmitting element 404 and the signal sensing element 406. The distance between the two magnetic elements may increase during rotation of the steering wheel. For example, if the signal sensing element 406 is disposed on the lower half of the steering wheel, as illustrated in Fig. 3, the signal sensing element 406 is closest to the signal transmitting element 404 when the steering wheel is not rotated. The distance increases during rotation of the steering wheel from its neutral position. Therefore, when the steering wheel is rotated from its neutral position, the magnetic field sensed by the signal sensing element 406 is less even if the driver is wearing the seatbelt.
[0041] To prevent generation of a false alarm (which may indicate that the driver is not wearing the seatbelt even if he is wearing) during rotation of the steering wheel, in an example, the control unit 408 may be connected to a steering wheel sensor 414 of the vehicle 400, and may receive an angle of rotation of the steering wheel therefrom. The steering wheel sensor 414 may be, for example, part of an electric power assisted steering (EPAS) (not shown in Fig. 4) of the vehicle 400. The angle of rotation may be provided to the control unit 408 by an EPAS ECU (not shown in Fig. 4), which receives the angle from the steering wheel sensor 414. Further, the signal sensing element 406 may be a Hall sensor, which generates an electrical

signal of a magnitude depending on the distance between itself and the signal transmitting element 404. For example, the magnitude of the electrical signal may be inversely proportional to the distance between the Hall sensor and the signal transmitting element 404. Since the distance between the two magnetic elements changes with a change in the angle of rotation of the steering wheel, the magnitude of the electrical signal also changes with the change in the angle of rotation of the steering wheel.
[0042] The control unit 408 may utilize different thresholds of electrical signals for different angles of rotations of the steering wheel, and may generate the alarm if the electrical signal received for a particular angle of rotation is less than the threshold corresponding to that angle. For example, consider that a first angle is 30° and that a second angle is 60°. The magnitude of electrical signal that would be generated for the first angle of rotation of the steering wheel would be less than the magnitude of electrical signal that would be generated for the second angle, as the distance between the two magnetic elements would be more in the case of the second angle of rotation. Therefore, the threshold corresponding to the first angle may be greater than that corresponding to the second angle. Accordingly, the control unit 408 may generate the alarm if the magnitude of the electrical signal generated for the first angle of rotation is less than a first threshold corresponding to the first angle. Similarly, the control unit 408 may generate the alarm if the magnitude of the electrical signal generated for the second angle of rotation is less than a second threshold corresponding to the second angle. Here, the second threshold is less than the first threshold.
[0043] By utilizing different thresholds of electrical signals for different angles of rotations of the steering wheel, a reduction in the magnitude of the magnetic field sensed by the signal sensing element 406 due to the increase its distance from the signal transmitting element 404 is compensated for, and a false alarm generation is prevented.

[0044] In another example, to prevent generation of a false alarm due to turning of the vehicle 400, the control unit 408 may generate the alarm only when the vehicle 400 is travelling in a straight direction.
[0045] Although the signal transmitting elements 112 and 404 are explained as being disposed on a seatbelt and the signal sensing elements 114 and 406 are explained as being disposed on a steering wheel, in an example, the signal transmitting element may be disposed on the steering wheel and the signal sensing element may be disposed on the seatbelt.
[0046] Fig. 5 illustrates a method 500 for detecting wearing of seatbelts in a vehicle, according to an implementation of the present subject matter. It may be understood that steps of the method 500 may be performed by a programmed computing unit, such as the control unit 408, of the vehicle. The steps of the method 500 may be executed based on instructions stored in a non-transitory computer readable medium, as will be readily understood. The non-transitory computer readable medium may include, for example, digital memories.
[0047] The order in which the method 500 is described is not intended to be construed as a limitation, and any number of the described method blocks can be combined in any order to implement the method 500, or an alternative method. Additionally, individual blocks may be deleted from the method 500 without departing from the scope of the subject matter described herein. Furthermore, the method 500 can be implemented in any suitable hardware, non-transitory machine-readable instructions, or combination thereof. A person skilled in the art will readily recognize that steps of the method 500 can be performed by programmed computing devices. Herein, some examples are also intended to cover program storage devices, for example, digital data storage media, which are machine or computer-readable and encode machine-executable or computer-executable programs of instructions, wherein said instructions perform some or all of the steps

of the described method. The program storage devices may be, for example, digital memories.
[0048] At block 502, it is detected that an indication is not received from a seatbelt wearing detection (SWD) system of the vehicle. The SWD system includes a signal transmitting element disposed on a seatbelt of the vehicle and a signal sensing element disposed on a steering wheel of the vehicle. The SWD system is to provide the indication in response to the absence of an obstacle between the signal transmitting element and the signal sensing element, and is to stop providing the indication in response to a body of a driver of the vehicle being present between the signal transmitting element and the signal sensing element. The SWD system may be, for example, the SWD system 402. The absence of the indication from the SWD system may indicate that the driver of the vehicle is not wearing the seatbelt, as explained earlier.
[0049] In response to the detection, at block 504, an alarm may be generated, to prompt the driver to wear the seatbelt. The alarm may be provided as an alarm command to an alerting device, such as the alerting device 410, which may generate an audio or a visual output to prompt the driver to wear the seatbelt, as explained above.
[0050] The foregoing description of the specific implementations will so fully reveal the general nature of the implementations herein that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily modify and/or adapt for various applications without departing from the generic concept, and, therefore, such modifications and adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed implementations. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. Therefore, while the implementations herein have been described in terms of preferred implementations, those skilled in the art will

recognize that the implementations herein can be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of the implementations as described herein.

We Claim:
1. A seatbelt wearing prompting (SWP) system for a vehicle, the SWP system
comprising:
a seatbelt wearing detection (SWD) system comprising:
a signal transmitting element disposed on one of: a seatbelt and a steering wheel of the vehicle, the seatbelt being wearable over a body of a driver of the vehicle and configured to be buckled into a seatbelt buckle; and
a signal sensing element disposed on the other of: the seatbelt and the steering wheel, the SWD system being configured to:
output an indication in response to an absence of an obstacle between the signal transmitting element and the signal sensing element; and
stop outputting the indication in response to the body of the driver being between the signal transmitting element and the signal sensing element; and
a control unit coupled to the SWD system to receive the indication, the control unit being configured to generate an alarm in response to non-receipt of the indication.
2. The SWP system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the signal transmitting element is a magnet being capable of emitting a magnetic field and wherein the signal sensing element is a magnetic sensor being capable of generating a signal in response to sensing the magnetic field, the signal being the indication provided by the SWD system.
3. The SWP system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the magnetic sensor is a Hall sensor.
4. The SWP system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the magnetic sensor comprises a reed switch.

5. The SWP system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the magnet is a coded magnet
capable of generating a unique pattern of magnetic field and wherein the magnetic
sensor is to distinguish the magnetic field emitted by the magnet from that emitted
by another magnet.
6. A vehicle comprising:
a seatbelt;
a seatbelt buckle, the seatbelt being wearable over a body of a driver of the vehicle and configured to be buckled into the seatbelt buckle;
a steering wheel;
a seatbelt wearing detection (SWD) system comprising:
a signal transmitting element disposed on one of: the seatbelt and the steering wheel; and
a signal sensing element disposed on the other of: the seatbelt and the steering wheel, the SWD system being configured to:
output an indication in response to an absence of an obstacle between the signal transmitting element and the signal sensing element; and
stop outputting the indication in response to the body of the driver being between the signal transmitting element and the signal sensing element; and
a control unit coupled to the SWD system to receive the indication, the control unit being configured to generate an alarm in response to non-receipt of the indication.
7. The vehicle as claimed in claim 6, comprising:
a steering angle sensor to detect angle of rotation of the steering wheel, wherein a magnitude of the signal changes with a change in angle of rotation of the steering wheel, wherein the control unit is to:
generate the alarm in response to the magnitude of the signal being less than a first threshold in response to the angle of rotation being a first angle; and
generate the alarm in response to the magnitude of the signal being less than a second threshold in response to the angle of rotation being a second angle.

8. The vehicle as claimed in claim 6, comprising:
an antilock braking system (ABS) sensor to detect movement of the vehicle, wherein the control unit is to generate the alarm in response to a movement of the vehicle.
9. The vehicle as claimed in claim 6, comprising:
a wheel speed sensor to detect movement of the vehicle, wherein the control unit is to generate the alarm in response to a movement of the vehicle.
10. The vehicle as claimed in claim 6, wherein the signal transmitting element is disposed on a lap portion of the seatbelt.
11. The vehicle as claimed in claim 10, wherein the signal transmitting element is in the shape of a strip.
12. The vehicle as claimed in claim 6, wherein the signal sensing element is disposed on a lower half of the steering wheel.
13. A method for detecting wearing of seatbelts in a vehicle, the method performed by a control unit in the vehicle and comprising:
detecting non-receipt of an indication from a seatbelt wearing detection (SWD) system of the vehicle, wherein the SWD system comprises:
a signal transmitting element disposed on a seatbelt of the vehicle; and
a signal sensing element disposed on a steering wheel of the vehicle, the SWD system being configured to:
provide the indication in response to an absence of an obstacle between the signal transmitting element and the signal sensing element;

stop providing the indication in response to a body of a driver of the vehicle being present between the signal transmitting element and the signal sensing element; and
generating an alarm in response to the detection, to prompt wearing of the seatbelt.