Seat belt height system and method

• US 10,035,513 B2
• Filed: 04/24/2015
• Issued: 07/31/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Miller, Kenneth James, Perkins, William Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G
• Assistant Examiner(s): LI, CE LI
• Application Number:
  US14/695,301
• Publication Number:
  US 20160311399A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,194 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/037 for occupant comfort , e.g. for automatic adjustment of appliances according to personal settings, e.g. seats, mirrors, steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/161 characterised by additional means for controlling deployment trajectory
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01512 Passenger detection systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01554 Seat position sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/201 with the belt anchor connected to a slider movable in a vehicle-mounted track for passive restraint systems B60R22/06
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/08 related to drivers or passengers
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/181 with power actuated adjustment, e.g. with position memory

Abstract

A system for a vehicle includes a seat belt height adjuster and a sensor configured to determine eye location of a driver of the vehicle. A control module is in communication with the sensor and the seat belt height adjuster. The control module is programmed to adjust a position of the seat belt height adjuster based at least on the eye location.

Claims

1. A system for a vehicle, the system comprising:

a seat belt height adjuster;

a sensor configured to determine eye location of a driver of the vehicle;

a payout sensor that senses payout of a seatbelt relative to a retractor;

a control module in communication with the sensor, the payout sensor, and the seat belt height adjuster;

the control module being programmed to adjust a position of the seat belt height adjuster based at least on the eye location and payout of the seatbelt;

the control module sensing a triggering event of the vehicle and determining the eye position as a result of sensing the triggering event of the vehicle; and

an airbag module in communication with the sensor, the airbag module being programmed to adjust operation of the airbag module based at least on eye position and payout of the seatbelt.

2. The system as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a key and a memory storing a desired position of the seat belt height adjuster associated with the key.

3. The system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the control module is programmed with anthropometric data and is programed to compare at least the eye location with the anthropometric data to calculate the position of the seat belt height adjuster.

4. The system as set forth in claim 3 wherein the control module is programmed to determine a regression model of the anthropometric data and the eye location to calculate the position of the seat belt height adjuster based on the regression model.

5. The system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the seat belt height adjuster includes seat belt ring, a motor in communication with the control module, and a linear actuator disposed between the ring and the motor.

6. The system as set forth in claim 5 further comprising a seat belt supported on the seat belt ring.

7. The system as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a steering column, a steering column position adjuster, and a steering control module in communication with the sensor and the steering column position adjuster, the steering control module being programmed to adjust a position of the steering column based at least on the eye location.

8. The system as set forth in claim 1 further comprising an audio system in communication with the sensor, the audio system being programmed to adjust operation of the audio system based at least on the eye location.

9. The system as set forth in claim 1 further comprising an instrument panel display in communication with the sensor, the instrument panel display being programmed to adjust operation of the instrument panel display based at least on the eye location.

10. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the triggering event of the vehicle is ignition of the vehicle.

11. The system as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a fore-aft position sensor, a vertical position sensor, and a reclining sensor each in communication with the control module, the fore-aft position sensor configured to measure a fore-aft position of a seat bottom, the vertical position sensor configured to measure a vertical position of the seat bottom, and the reclining sensor configured to measure a reclining angle between a seat back and the seat bottom the control module being programmed to adjust the position of the seat belt height adjuster based at least on the fore-aft position, the vertical position, and the reclining angle.

12. The system as set forth in claim 11, further comprising at least one seat sensor configured to determine a position of a seat, wherein the airbag module is programmed to adjust operation of the airbag module based at least on the position of the seat.

13. A method comprising:

receiving a measurement of an eye location of a driver of a vehicle;

receiving a measurement of payout of a seatbelt relative to a retractor;

calculating a desired position of a seat belt height adjuster based on at least the measurement of the eye location and the measurement of the payout of the seatbelt;

instructing the seat belt height adjuster to move to the desired position;

sensing a triggering event of the vehicle and determining the eye position as a result of sensing the triggering event of the vehicle; and

adjusting operation of the airbag module based at least on the eye position and payout of the seatbelt.

14. The method as set forth in claim 13 further comprising receiving a measurement of a seat position and calculating the desired position based on at least the measurement of the seat position.

15. The method as set forth in claim 13 further comprising determining a regression model of anthropometric data and at least the eye location and calculating the desired position based on at least the regression model.

16. The method as set forth in claim 13 further comprising storing in memory the desired position associated with a key, and subsequently accessing the vehicle with the key and automatically moving the seatbelt height adjuster to the desired position as a result of the subsequent access.

17. The method as set forth in claim 13 further comprising instructing a steering column position adjuster to adjust a position of a steering column based at least on the measurement of the eye location.

18. The method as set forth in claim 13 further comprising instructing an audio system to operate based at least on the measurement of the eye location.

19. The method as set forth in claim 13 further comprising instructing an instrument panel display to operate based at least on the measurement of the eye location.