System and method for positioning a vehicle seat

• US 10,011,194 B1
• Filed: 03/08/2017
• Issued: 07/03/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lear Corporation
• Original Assignee: Lear Corporation
• Inventors: Scott, Ray, Kazyak, David, Henn, Karl, Pizana, Jasmine, Humer, Mladen, Yetukuri, Arjun
• Primary Examiner(s): Paige, Tyler D
• Application Number:
  US15/453,304
• Time in Patent Office: 482 Days
• Field of Search: 701 36
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/002 Seats provided with an occupancy detection means mounted therein or thereon detection means responsive to presence or absence of children B60N2/266
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/01 Arrangement of seats relative to one another
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0276 reaction to emergency situations, e.g. crash
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/06 slidable B60N2/12 , B60N2/2209 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/065 Rear seats
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/4228 due to impact coming from the rear
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/42736 of the whole seat
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0011 Rear collision or recoiling bounce after frontal collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01252 Devices other than bags
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0134 responsive to imminent contact with an obstacle , e.g. using radar systems

Abstract

A system and method for positioning a seat arrangement in a vehicle having a front seat arrangement and a rear seat arrangement includes moving the rear seat arrangement rearward relative to the vehicle when a plurality of criteria are met, including at least one criterion related to occupancy of the rear seat arrangement and at least one criterion related to a likelihood of impact into the vehicle from behind the vehicle. The rear seat arrangement is not moved rearward when at least one of the criteria is not met.

Claims

1. A method for positioning one or more seat arrangements in a vehicle having a front seat arrangement and a rear seat arrangement, the method comprising:

increasing a separation distance between the front seat arrangement and the rear seat arrangement when the rear seat arrangement is occupied and at least one criterion indicates a likelihood of an impact into the vehicle from behind the vehicle, and

wherein increasing the separation distance includes moving the rear seat arrangement rearward relative to the vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein increasing the separation distance further includes moving the front seat arrangement forward relative to the vehicle.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein moving the front seat arrangement forward includes moving the front seat arrangement forward by a predetermined amount based at least in part on at least one of a physique of an occupant of the front seat arrangement or a current position of the front seat arrangement.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising automatically tightening a seat belt of the rear seat arrangement when the rear seat arrangement is moved rearward to increase the separation distance.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle includes a first seat arrangement positioned on a first side of the vehicle and a second seat arrangement in the same row as the first seat arrangement and positioned on a second side of the vehicle opposite the first side of the vehicle, the method further comprising increasing a separation distance between the first seat arrangement and the second seat arrangement when both the first seat arrangement and the second seat arrangement are occupied and at least one criterion indicates a likelihood of an impact into the vehicle from the first side of the vehicle or the second side of the vehicle.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the at least one criterion indicates a likelihood of impact into the vehicle from the first side of the vehicle, and increasing the separation distance between the first seat arrangement and the second seat arrangement includes moving the second seat arrangement toward the second side of the vehicle.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising inhibiting movement of the first seat arrangement toward the first side of the vehicle when the at least one criterion indicates a likelihood of impact into the vehicle from the first side of the vehicle.

8. A method for positioning one or more seat arrangements in a vehicle having a front seat arrangement and a rear seat arrangement, the method comprising:

moving the rear seat arrangement rearward relative to the vehicle when a plurality of criteria are met, including at least one criterion related to occupancy of the rear seat arrangement and at least one criterion related to a likelihood of impact into the vehicle from behind the vehicle; and

not moving the rear seat arrangement rearward relative to the vehicle when at least one of the criteria is not met.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising automatically tightening a seat belt of the rear seat arrangement when the criteria are met.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising moving the front seat arrangement forward relative to the vehicle when the criteria are met.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein moving the front seat arrangement forward when the criteria are met includes moving the front seat arrangement forward by a predetermined amount based at least in part on at least one of a physique of an occupant of the front seat arrangement or a current position of the front seat arrangement.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the vehicle includes a first seat arrangement positioned on a first side of the vehicle and a second seat arrangement in the same row as the first seat arrangement and positioned on a second side of the vehicle opposite the first side of the vehicle, the method further comprising increasing a separation distance between the first seat arrangement and the second seat arrangement based at least on an occupancy of the first and second seat arrangements and a likelihood of an impact into the vehicle from the first or second side of the vehicle.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein increasing the separation distance between the first seat arrangement and the second seat arrangement includes moving the second seat arrangement toward the second side of the vehicle when there is a likelihood of impact into the vehicle from the first side of the vehicle.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising inhibiting movement of the first seat arrangement toward the first side of the vehicle when there is a likelihood of impact into the vehicle from the first side of the vehicle.

15. A system for positioning one or more seat arrangements in a vehicle having a front seat arrangement and a rear seat arrangement, the system comprising:

a control system including at least one controller and configured to control a relative position of the front seat arrangement to the rear seat arrangement based on a plurality of inputs, including moving the rear seat arrangement rearward relative to the vehicle based on at least one input indicative of occupancy of the rear seat arrangement and at least one input indicative of a likelihood of an impact into the vehicle from behind the vehicle.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the control system is further configured to control the relative position of the front seat arrangement to the rear seat arrangement by moving the front seat arrangement forward relative to the vehicle by a predetermined amount when the control system moves the rear seat arrangement rearward based on the inputs.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the inputs further include at least one input related to a physique of an occupant of the front seat arrangement and at least one input related to a position of the front seat arrangement, and

wherein the predetermined amount is based at least in part on the at least one input related to a physique of the occupant of the front seat arrangement and the at least one input related to the position of the front seat arrangement.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the control system is further configured to automatically tighten a seat belt of the rear seat arrangement when the control system moves the rear seat arrangement rearward based on the inputs.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the vehicle includes a first seat arrangement positioned on a first side of the vehicle and a second seat arrangement in the same row as the first seat arrangement and positioned on a second side of the vehicle opposite the first side of the vehicle, and wherein the control system is further configured to increase a separation distance between the first seat arrangement and the second seat arrangement when both the first seat arrangement and the second seat arrangement are occupied and at least one criterion indicates a likelihood of an impact into the vehicle from the first side of the vehicle or the second side of the vehicle.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the at least one criterion indicates a likelihood of impact into the vehicle from the first side of the vehicle, and the control system is configured to move the second seat arrangement toward the second side of the vehicle and inhibit movement of the first seat arrangement toward the first side of the vehicle.