Vehicular awakening system

• US 10,372,125 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2017
• Issued: 08/06/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Watanabe, Masaya, Arikura, Satoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Previl, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US15/715,871
• Publication Number:
  US 20180088573A1
• Time in Patent Office: 679 Days
• Field of Search: 340575, 340902, 340901, 340903, 340906, 340988, 340989, 340436, 3406911, 3406913, 3406915, 340435, 340467, 340447, 3404574, 340576
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/914 Hydro-pneumatic adjustments of the shape
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/976 massaging systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/16 Tactile feedback to the driver, e.g. vibration or force feedback to the driver on the steering wheel or the accelerator pedal
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0061 for transition from automatic pilot to manual pilot and vice versa
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/06 indicating a condition of sleep, e.g. anti-dozing alarms
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 6/00 Tactile signalling systems, e.g. personal calling systems

Abstract

A vehicular awakening system having a drive control section capable of switching a drive state of a vehicle between automatic drive and manual drive; a pressing section capable of pressing a standard position between shoulder blades of a driver; and a pressing control section that activates the pressing section when the drive state of the vehicle is automatic drive or when said drive state of the vehicle is switched from automatic drive to manual drive by the drive control section.

Claims

1. A vehicular awakening system, comprising:

a drive control section capable of switching a drive state of a vehicle between automatic drive and manual drive;

a pressing section capable of protruding from a seat back such that, when shoulder blades of a driver are in contact with the seat back, the pressing section presses a standard position between the shoulder blades of the driver; and

a pressing control section that activates the pressing section when the drive state of the vehicle is automatic drive or when the drive state of the vehicle is switched from automatic drive to manual drive by the drive control section.

2. The vehicular awakening system according to claim 1, wherein the pressing section is configured to include:

an air bag that is arranged on an inside of the seat back in a seat in which the driver sits, and that is capable of expanding by being supplied with air to press the standard position; and

an air supply section capable of pressure-feeding air to the air bag based on control by the pressing control section.

3. The vehicular awakening system according to claim 2, wherein

the air bag is formed in a rectangular shape that covers the standard position when viewed from a front of the seat and extends in a seat up-down direction.

4. The vehicular awakening system according to claim 1, wherein

the pressing control section comprises a driver state detecting section capable of detecting a wakefulness level of the driver, and

the pressing section is configured so as to be capable of pressing the standard position when the drive state of the vehicle is automatic drive and the wakefulness level of the driver detected by the driver state detecting section is lower than a certain value.

5. The vehicular awakening system according to claim 4, wherein

the pressing control section further comprises an angle detecting section capable of detecting a tilting angle of the seat back in the seat in which the driver sits, and

the driver state detecting section is configured so as to be capable of detecting the wakefulness level of the driver when the angle detecting section has detected that the seat back is tilted to a seat rear side from a reference position.

6. The vehicular awakening system according to claim 4, wherein the driver state detecting section detects the wakefulness level by a degree-of-opening of eyes of the driver, or detects the wakefulness level based on a heart rate of the driver.

7. The vehicular awakening system according to claim 1, wherein

the pressing control section comprises a notifying section capable of notifying the driver that the drive state of the vehicle is being switched from automatic drive to manual drive by the drive control section, and

the pressing section is configured so as to be capable of pressing the standard position during a period from notification of the driver by the notifying section until the drive state of the vehicle is switched from automatic drive to manual drive.

8. The vehicular awakening system according to claim 1, wherein the pressing section is also capable of retracting toward the seat back.