Occupant-recognition system for vehicle seat
First Claim
1. A vehicle seat for vehicle seat user recognition, the vehicle seat comprisinga plurality of pneumatic bladders,a plurality of pressure sensors, wherein each of the pressure sensors is coupled to a corresponding pneumatic bladder, anda seat controller coupled to the plurality of pneumatic bladders and the plurality of pressure sensors,wherein the seat controller comprises an entry/exit detection module configured to detect user entry into a vehicle, an inflation control module configured to inflate the plurality of pneumatic bladders to a measurement pressure in response to detection of the user entry, and a pressure measurement module configured to measure, in response to inflation of the plurality of pneumatic bladders to the measurement pressure, a pressure value in each of the plurality of pneumatic bladders using the plurality of pressure sensors to generate a pressure map comprising a plurality of pressure map elements and each pressure map element includes the pressure value generated by a corresponding pressure sensor and identify a current user based on the pressure map.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A vehicle seat includes a seat bottom and a seat back. The seat back is coupled to the seat bottom and arranged to extend in an upward direction away from the seat bottom. The vehicle seat further includes an electronics system.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A vehicle seat for vehicle seat user recognition, the vehicle seat comprising
a plurality of pneumatic bladders, a plurality of pressure sensors, wherein each of the pressure sensors is coupled to a corresponding pneumatic bladder, and a seat controller coupled to the plurality of pneumatic bladders and the plurality of pressure sensors, wherein the seat controller comprises an entry/exit detection module configured to detect user entry into a vehicle, an inflation control module configured to inflate the plurality of pneumatic bladders to a measurement pressure in response to detection of the user entry, and a pressure measurement module configured to measure, in response to inflation of the plurality of pneumatic bladders to the measurement pressure, a pressure value in each of the plurality of pneumatic bladders using the plurality of pressure sensors to generate a pressure map comprising a plurality of pressure map elements and each pressure map element includes the pressure value generated by a corresponding pressure sensor and identify a current user based on the pressure map.
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10. A seat controller for vehicle seat user recognition, the seat controller comprising
an entry/exit detection module configured to detect user entry into a vehicle, an inflation control module configured to inflate a plurality of pneumatic bladders of a vehicle seat to a measurement pressure in response to detection of the user entry, and a pressure measurement module configured to measure, in response to inflation of the plurality of pneumatic bladders to the measurement pressure, a pressure value in each of the plurality of pneumatic bladders using a plurality of pressure sensors to generate a pressure map, each of the pressure sensors is coupled to a corresponding pneumatic bladder and the pressure map comprises a plurality of pressure map elements, each pressure map element including the pressure value generated by a corresponding pressure sensor and identify a current user based on the pressure map.
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15. A method for vehicle seat user recognition, the method comprising the steps of
detecting, by a seat controller, user entry into a vehicle, inflating, by the seat controller, a plurality of pneumatic bladders of a vehicle seat to a measurement pressure in response to detecting the user entry, measuring, by the seat controller in response to inflating the plurality of pneumatic bladders to the measurement pressure, a pressure value in each of the plurality of pneumatic bladders using a plurality of pressure sensors to generate a pressure map, wherein each of the pressure sensors is coupled to a corresponding pneumatic bladder and wherein the pressure map comprises a plurality of pressure map elements, each pressure map element including the pressure value generated by a corresponding pressure sensor, and identifying, by the seat controller, a current user based on the pressure map.
Specification