Apparatus and method for evaluating a seat by using body pressure distribution

• US 10,449,883 B2
• Filed: 05/22/2017
• Issued: 10/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group), Kia Motors Corporation (Kia Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Inventors: Lee, Baek Hee, Kim, Yeong Sik, Kwak, Min Hyuk
• Primary Examiner(s): Fleming, Faye M
• Application Number:
  US15/601,084
• Publication Number:
  US 20180154808A1
• Time in Patent Office: 883 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/34 for pressure
• 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 2/0027 for detecting the position of the occupant or of occupant's body part
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0035 characterised by the sensor data transmission, e.g. wired connections or wireless transmitters therefor; characterised by the sensor data processing, e.g. seat sensor signal amplification or electric circuits for providing seat sensor information
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/914 Hydro-pneumatic adjustments of the shape
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2220/20 using a deterministic algorithm
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2230/20 Wireless data transmission
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 9/0041 Transmitting or indicating the displacement of flexible diaphragms

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to an apparatus and a method for evaluating a seat by using body pressure distribution. The apparatus includes: a body grid generator to generate body grids corresponding to body pressure data, which is measured while a driver is seated on a seat of a vehicle, based on the body pressure data and body information of the driver; a pressure analyzer to divide the body grids to a plurality of body grid areas based on body areas of the body pressure data and analyze the body pressure data included in the body grid areas; and a pressure evaluator to evaluate a body pressure for the seat based on the analyzed body pressure data of the body grid areas, and evaluate a hugging feeling of the driver for the seat based on the evaluated body pressure.

Claims

1. An apparatus for evaluating a seat by using body pressure distribution, the apparatus comprising:

a body grid generator configured to generate body grids corresponding to body pressure data, which is measured while a driver is seated on a seat of a vehicle, based on the body pressure data and body information of the driver;

a pressure analyzer configured to divide the body grids to a plurality of body grid areas based on body areas of the body pressure data and analyze the body pressure data included in the plurality of body grid areas;

a pressure evaluator configured to evaluate a body pressure for the seat based on the analyzed body pressure data of the plurality of body grid areas, and evaluate a hugging feeling of the driver for the seat based on the evaluated body pressure; and

an interface unit configured to display the body pressure data and the body grids on a display screen,

wherein the body grids are displayed such that the body grids overlap a screen of the body pressure data.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the body information includes a height of a shoulder of the driver in a seated state and a width of hips of the driver in the seated state, and

wherein the body grid generator is configured to set a body grid ratio based on the body information.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the body grid generator is configured to calculate coordinates of the body grids base on centers of gravity of the body grids calculated based on the body pressure data, and generate the body grids by connecting coordinates of a plurality of apexes determined by using the coordinates of the body grids by lines.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the body grid generator is configured to divide at least one body area of the plurality of the body areas into an upper back, a middle back, a lower back, a left side, and a right side.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pressure analyzer is configured to calculate pressure appearance ratios, strange-pressure appearance ratios, and pressure appearance evenness for the plurality of body grid areas.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the pressure analyzer is configured to extract a pressure generating cell from all cells in the plurality of body gird areas, and calculate a pressure appearance ratio for each body grid area of the plurality of body grid areas by comparing all the cells with the pressure generating cell.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the pressure analyzer is configured to extract a valley pressure cell, in which a difference between a pressure of the valley pressure cell and a pressure of an adjacent cell is greater than a reference value in each of the body grid areas, and the pressure analyzer is configured to calculate a strange-pressure appearance ratio for each of the body grid areas by comparing the pressure appearance cell with the valley pressure cell.

8. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the pressure analyzer is configured to calculate the pressure appearance evenness for the plurality of body grid areas by comparing an average body pressure of all the cells in each of the body grid areas with a body pressure of each of the cells.

9. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the pressure evaluator is configured to calculate a hugging feeling index of the driver for the seat based on the pressure appearance ratios, the strange-pressure appearance ratios, and the pressure appearance evenness for the plurality of body grid areas.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a corrector configured to;

remove noise from the body pressure data,

compare centers of gravity of the body grids with a center of gravity of the body pressure data, and

when a difference between the centers of gravity of the body grids and the center of gravity of the body pressure data exceed a specific range, correct locations of the body grids.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the body pressure data is received from sensors in the vehicle while the driver is seated on the seat of the vehicle.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the body pressure data is measured by sensors in the vehicle to be stored, while the driver is seated on the seat in advance.

13. A method for evaluating a seat by using body pressure distribution, the method comprising:

generating, by a body grid generator, body grids corresponding to body pressure data, measured while a driver is seated on a seat of a vehicle, based on the measured body pressure data and body information of the driver;

dividing, by a pressure analyzer, the body grids into a plurality of body grid areas based on body areas of the body pressure data and analyzing the body pressure data included in the plurality of body grid areas;

evaluating, by a pressure evaluator, a body pressure for the seat based on the analyzed body pressure data of the plurality of the body grid areas, and evaluating a hugging feeling of the driver for the seat based on the evaluated body pressure; and

displaying the body pressure data on a display screen, and displaying the body grids such that the body grids overlap the screen of the body pressure data.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of generating of the body grids further includes:

setting a body grid ratio based on the body information including a height of a shoulder of the driver in a seated state and a width of hips of the driver in the seated state.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of generating of the body grids further includes:

calculating centers of gravity of the body grids based on the body pressure data;

calculating coordinates of the body grids based on the centers of gravity of the body grids;

determining coordinates of apexes for the plurality of body areas of the body pressure data from the coordinates of the body grids; and

generating the body grids by connecting the coordinates of the apexes by lines.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of generating of the body grids further includes:

dividing at least one body area of the plurality of body areas into an upper back, a middle back, a lower back, a left side and a right side.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of analyzing of the pressure data includes:

extracting a pressure generating cell from all cells in the plurality of body gird areas, and calculating a pressure appearance ratio for each body grid area of the plurality of body grid areas by comparing all the cells with the pressure generating cell;

extracting a valley pressure cell, in which a difference between a pressure of the valley pressure cell and a pressure of an adjacent cell is greater than a reference value in each of the body grid areas, and calculating a strange-pressure appearance ratio for each of the body grid areas by comparing the pressure appearance cell with the valley pressure cell; and

calculating the pressure appearance evenness for the plurality of body grid areas by comparing an average body pressure of all the cells in each of the body grid areas with a body pressure of each of the cells.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

prior to analyzing the body pressure data, comparing a center of gravity of the body grids with a center of gravity of body the pressure data, and when a difference between the center of gravity of the body grids and the center of gravity of the body pressure data exceed a specific range, correcting locations of the body grids.