System and methods for voice-controlled seat adjustment

• US 10,007,478 B2
• Filed: 06/26/2015
• Issued: 06/26/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Wang, Tony, Wu, Frank, Tong, Rose
• Primary Examiner(s): Rudolph, Vincent
• Assistant Examiner(s): BRINICH, STEPHEN M
• Application Number:
  US14/751,310
• Publication Number:
  US 20160379631A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,096 Days
• Field of Search: 704275, 704230-231, 704246-255, 704 9
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/02246 Electric motors therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0228 Hand-activated mechanical switches B60N2/0229 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/16 Sound input; Sound output speech processing G10L
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/223 Execution procedure of a spoken command

Abstract

A control system for a vehicle having a seat with a first moveable portion and an adjustment actuator coupled with the first moveable seat portion includes a voice input device, a touchscreen input device, and a controller in communication with the adjustment actuator, the voice input device, and the touchscreen input device. The controller has a processor programmed to interpret a first adjustment command from one of a voice command received from the voice input device and a manual command received from the touchscreen input device, carry out a first seat adjustment by causing the adjustment actuator to move the first moveable seat portion according to the first adjustment command, and to present information related to the first adjustment command on the touchscreen.

Claims

1. A control system for a vehicle having a seat with first and second moveable portions and first and second adjustment actuators respectively coupled with the first and second moveable seat portions, the system comprising:

a voice input device;

a touchscreen input device;

a first position sensor coupled with the first moveable portion;

a second position sensor coupled with the second moveable portion; and

a controller in communication with the first and second adjustment actuators, the voice input device, and the touchscreen input device, the controller including a processor programmed to;

interpret a first adjustment command from one of a voice command received from the voice input device and a manual command received from the touchscreen input device;

carry out a first seat adjustment by causing the adjustment actuator to move the first moveable seat portion according to the first adjustment command;

determine a position of the first moveable portion based on communication from the first position sensor and to override the first seat adjustment based on a finding that the determined position of the first moveable portion has reached at least one predetermined movement limit, the at least one predetermined movement limit being one of an end of a predetermined range of motion for the first moveable portion or an end of a safe range of positions for the first moveable portion determined from input received from the first position sensor and the second position sensor; and

present information related to the first adjustment command on the touchscreen.

2. The control system of claim 1, wherein the information related to the first adjustment command includes an image of a vehicle seat, including a representation of the first moveable portion, and at least one adjustment indicator image associated with the representation of the first moveable portion.

3. The control system of claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to interpret the first adjustment command from the manual command based on a detected interaction with the image of the vehicle seat presented on the touchscreen input device.

4. The control system of claim 1, wherein:

the controller is in communication with the position sensor; and

the processor is further programmed to;

process information for a default seat configuration;

interpret the first adjustment command as a default position command; and

upon interpreting the default position command, carry out the first seat adjustment further based on comparison of the determined position of the first moveable seat portion and the information for the default seat configuration.

5. The control system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further programmed to:

interpret a stop command from the at least one of the voice command and the manual command; and

upon interpretation of the stop command, cause the adjustment actuator to stop moving the first moveable seat portion.

6. The control system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further programmed to:

enter a seat adjustment mode and cause an interactive seat image to be displayed on the touchscreen input device after interpreting an adjustment initiation command from one of the voice command and the manual command;

carry out the first seat adjustment only when in the seat adjustment mode; and

terminate the seat adjustment mode and remove the interactive seat image after a predetermined non-action period.

7. The control system of claim 6, wherein the processor is further programmed to enter the seat adjustment mode and carry out the first seat adjustment based on the adjustment initiation command and the first adjustment command being interpreted from different ones of the voice command and the manual command.

8. The control system of claim 7, wherein:

the processor is further programmed to carry out a second seat adjustment based on interpretation of a second adjustment command from either the voice command or the manual command only when in the seat adjustment mode; and

wherein interpretation of either of the first and second adjustment commands precludes the non-action period.

9. The control system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to:

interpret a second adjustment command; and

carry out a second seat adjustment by causing the adjustment actuator to at least one of;

reverse movement of the first portion of the seat;

stop moving the first portion of the seat; and

move a second portion of the seat, based on interpretation of a second adjustment command from one of the voice command or the manual command.

10. The control system of claim 9, wherein the processor is configured to carry out the first and second seat adjustments based on interpretation of the first and second adjustment commands from different ones of the voice command and the manual command.

11. A control system for an adjustable vehicle seat, comprising:

a microphone;

a touchscreen;

a first position sensor coupled with a first seat portion;

a second position sensor coupled with a second seat portion; and

a controller in communication with the seat, the microphone, the touchscreen, the first seat portion, and the second seat portion and programmed to;

begin a first adjustment of the seat upon interpreting a first adjustment command based on input received from one of the microphone and the touchscreen and to stop the first adjustment upon interpreting a stop command received from the other of the microphone and the touchscreen; and

determine a position of the first seat portion based on communication from the first position sensor and to override the first seat adjustment based on a finding that the determined position of the first seat portion has reached at least one predetermined movement limit, the at least one predetermined movement limit being one of an end of a predetermined range of motion for the first seat portion or an end of a safe range of positions for the first seat portion determined from input received from the first position sensor and the second position sensor.

12. The control system of claim 11, wherein the controller is programmed to begin the first adjustment of the seat upon interpreting the first adjustment command based on input received from one of the microphone and the touchscreen and to stop the first adjustment upon interpreting the stop command from the other of the microphone and the touchscreen.

13. The control system of claim 11, wherein the processor is further programmed to:

enter a seat adjustment mode after interpreting an adjustment initiation command received from one of the voice input device and the touchscreen; and

cause the actuator to move the first portion of the seat only when in the adjustment mode; and

terminate the seat adjustment mode after a predetermined non-action period.

14. A method for adjusting a vehicle seat, comprising:

receiving an adjustment initiation command from one of a voice input device and a physical input device;

entering a seat adjustment mode in response to the adjustment initiation command;

receiving an adjustment command from the other of the voice input device and the physical input device;

when in the seat adjustment mode, causing an actuator to move a first moveable seat portion according to the adjustment command; and

while causing the actuator to move the first moveable seat portion, determining a position of the first moveable seat portion based on communication from a first position sensor coupled with the first moveable seat portion and stopping moving the first moveable seat portion based on a finding that the determined position of the first moveable seat portion has reached at least one predetermined movement limit, the at least one predetermined movement limit being one of an end of a predetermined range of motion for the first moveable seat portion or an end of a safe range of positions for the first seat portion determined from input received from the first position sensor and a second position sensor coupled with a second moveable seat portion.

15. The method of claim 14, further including:

while causing the actuator to move the first moveable seat portion according to the adjustment command, receiving a stop command from the other of the voice input device or the physical input device; and

causing the actuator to stop movement of the first moveable seat portion in response to the stop command.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

receiving position information from the first position sensor; and

prior to causing the actuator to move the first moveable seat portion according to the adjustment command, determining that movement of the first seat portion according to the adjustment command is a permitted seat adjustment.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

interpreting the adjustment command to include instructions to return to a default seat configuration;

retrieving information on the default seat configuration, including a default position of the first moveable seat portion, from a memory device;

receiving information on an instantaneous position of the first moveable seat portion from the first position sensor; and

determining that the instantaneous position of the first seat portion and the default position of the first seat portion are different;

wherein, when the adjustment command includes instructions to return to a default seat configuration and when the instantaneous position and the default position are different, causing the actuator to move the first moveable seat portion according to the adjustment command includes moving the first seat portion toward the default position.

18. The method of claim 14:

wherein the physical input device is a touchscreen display; and

the method further comprises;

upon entering the seat adjustment mode, causing an image of a vehicle seat, including a representation of the first moveable portion, to be presented on the touchscreen display; and

upon receiving an adjustment command from one of the voice input device and the physical input device when in the seat adjustment mode, causing at least one adjustment indicator image to be presented on the touchscreen display along with the representation of the first moveable portion.