System and method for moving a headrest based on anticipatory sensing

• US 20030015898A1
• Filed: 09/03/2002
• Published: 01/23/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: American Vehicular Sciences LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Automotive Technologies International Incorporated
• Inventors: Breed, David S.
• Granted Patent: US 6,746,078 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 297/216.12
• 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 2/0028 of a body part, e.g. of an arm or a leg
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/003 characterised by the sensor mounting location in or on the seat
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/853 characterised by their adjusting mechanisms, e.g. electric motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2210/12 Capacitive; Electric field
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2210/18 Infrared
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2210/20 Radar
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2210/24 Cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2210/26 Ultrasonic, e.g. sonar
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01536 using ultrasonic waves

Abstract

System and method for moving a headrest against which an occupant can rest his or her head in which an anticipatory crash sensor detects an impending crash based on data obtained prior to the crash and a movement mechanism moves the headrest upon detection of an impending crash by the crash sensor. The crash sensor may produce an output signal when an object external from the vehicle is approaching the vehicle at a velocity above a design threshold velocity. The crash sensor may be any type of sensor designed to provide an assessment or determination of an impending impact prior to the impact, i.e., from data obtained prior to the impact Thus, the crash sensor can be an ultrasonic sensor, an electromagnetic wave sensor, a radar sensor, a noise radar sensor and a camera, a scanning laser radar and a passive infrared sensor.

Claims

1. A vehicle, comprising.

a seat including a movable headrest against which an occupant can rest his or her head;

an anticipatory crash sensor arranged to detect an impending crash involving the vehicle based on data obtained prior to the crash, and

a movement mechanism coupled to said crash sensor and said headrest and arranged to move said headrest upon detection of an impending crash involving the vehicle by said crash sensor.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein said crash sensor is arranged to produce an output signal when an object external from the vehicle is approaching the vehicle at a velocity above a design threshold velocity.

3. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein said movement mechanism is arranged to move said headrest from an initial position to a position more proximate to the head of the occupant.

4. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a determining system for determining the location of the head of the occupant, said movement mechanism being arranged to move said headrest from an initial position to a position more proximate to the determined location of the head of the occupant.

5. The vehicle of claim 4, wherein said determining system includes a wave-receiving sensor arranged to receive waves from a direction of the head of the occupant.

6. The vehicle of claim 4, wherein said determining system comprises

transmitter means for transmitting radiation to illuminate different portions of the head of the occupant;

receiver means for receiving a first set of signals representative of radiation reflected from the different portions of the head of the occupant, said receiver means providing a second set of signals representative of the distances from said headrest to the nearest illuminated portion the head of the occupant; and

a processor comprising computational means to determine the headrest vertical location corresponding to the nearest part of the head to said headrest from said second set of signals from said receiver means.

7. The vehicle of claim 6, wherein said transmitter means and said receiver means are arranged in said headrest.

8. The vehicle of claim 4, wherein said determining system comprises a sensor selected from a group consisting of an electric field sensor, a capacitance sensor, a radar sensor, an optical sensor, a camera, a three-dimensional camera, a passive infrared sensor, an ultrasound sensor, a stereo sensor, a focusing sensor and a scanning system.

9. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a processor coupled to said crash sensor and said movement mechanism and arranged to determine the motion required of said headrest to place said headrest proximate to the head, said processor means providing the motion determination to said movement mechanism upon detection of an impending crash involving the vehicle by said crash sensor.

10. The vehicle of claim 9, further comprising a system for determining the location of the head of the occupant relative to said headrest, said determining system being coupled to said processor.

11. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein said crash sensor comprises an ultrasonic sensor.

12. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein said crash sensor comprises an electromagnetic wave sensor.

13. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein said crash sensor comprises measuring means for determining the distance from the vehicle to an external object whereby the velocity of the external object is calculatable from successive distance measurements.

14. The vehicle of claim 13, wherein said measuring means comprise means for measuring time of flight of a pulse.

15. The vehicle of claim 13, wherein said measuring means comprise means for measuring a phase change.

16. The vehicle of claim 13, wherein said measuring means comprise means for measuring a Doppler radar pulse.

17. The vehicle of claim 13, wherein said measuring means comprise means for performing range gating of an ultrasonic pulse, an optical pulse or a radar pulse.

18. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein said crash sensor comprises an ultrasonic transmitter and two ultrasonic receivers.

19. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein said crash sensor comprises pattern recognition means for recognizing, identifying or ascertaining the identity of external objects.

20. The vehicle of claim 19, wherein said pattern recognition means comprises a neural network.

21. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein said crash sensor comprises a radar sensor.

22. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein said crash sensor comprises a noise radar sensor.

23. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein said crash sensor comprises a camera.

24. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein said crash sensor comprises a scanning laser radar.

25. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein said crash sensor comprises a passive infrared sensor.

26. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising at least one sensor arranged within said headrest for determining that the head is in contact with said headrest, said movement mechanism moving said headrest to a contacting position with the head when said crash sensor detects an impending cash involving the vehicle.

27. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein said crash sensor is arranged at a rear of the vehicle to detect a rear impact.

29. The vehicle of claim 28, wherein said crash sensor means is arranged to produce an output signal when an object external from the vehicle is approaching the vehicle at a velocity above a design threshold velocity.

30. The vehicle of claim 28, wherein said movement means is arranged to move said headrest from an initial position to a position more proximate to the head of the occupant.

31. The vehicle of claim 28, further comprising determining means for determining the location of the head of the occupant relative to said headrest, said movement means being arranged to move said headrest from an initial position to a position more proximate to the determined location of the head of the occupant.

32. The vehicle of claim 31, wherein said determining system includes a wave-receiving sensor arranged to receive waves from a direction of the head of the occupant.

33. The vehicle of claim 31, wherein said determining means comprise

transmitter means for transmitting radiation to illuminate different portions of the head of the occupant;

receiver means for receiving a first set of signals representative of radiation reflected from the different portions of the head of the occupant, said receiver means providing a second set of signals representative of the distances from said headrest to the nearest illuminated portion the head of the occupant; and

a processor arranged to determine the headrest vertical location corresponding to the nearest part of the head to said headrest from said second set of signals from said receiver means.

34. The vehicle of claim 33, wherein said transmitter means and said receiver means are arranged in said headrest.

35. The vehicle of claim 31, wherein said determining system comprises a sensor selected from a group consisting of an electric field sensor, a capacitance sensor, a radar sensor, an optical sensor, a camera, a three-dimensional camera, a passive infrared sensor, an ultrasound sensor, a stereo sensor, a focusing sensor and a scanning system.

36. The vehicle of claim 28, further comprising a processor coupled to said crash sensor means and said movement means for determining motion required of said headrest to place said headrest proximate to the head, said processor providing the motion determination to said movement means upon detection of an impending crash involving the vehicle by said crash sensor means.

37. The vehicle of claim 36, further comprising determining means for determining the location of the head of the occupant relative to said headrest, said determining means being coupled to said processor.

38. The vehicle of claim 28, wherein said crash sensor means comprise an ultrasonic sensor

39. The vehicle of claim 28, wherein said crash sensor means comprise an electromagnetic wave transducer.

40. The vehicle of claim 28, wherein said crash sensor means are arranged to determine the distance from the vehicle to an external object whereby the velocity of the external object is calculatable from successive distance measurements.

41. The vehicle of claim 40, wherein said crash sensor means comprise means for measuring time of flight of a pulse.

42. The vehicle of claim 40, wherein said crash sensor means comprise means for measuring a phase change.

43. The vehicle of claim 40, wherein said crash sensor means comprise means for measuring a Doppler radar pulse.

44. The vehicle of claim 40, wherein said crash sensor means comprise means for performing range gating of an ultrasonic pulse, an optical pulse or a radar pulse.

45. The vehicle of claim 28, wherein said crash sensor means comprise an ultrasonic transmitter and two ultrasonic receivers.

46. The vehicle of claim 28, wherein said crash sensor means comprise pattern recognition means for recognizing, identifying or ascertaining the identity of external objects

47. The vehicle of claim 46, wherein said pattern recognition means comprises a neural network.

48. The vehicle of claim 28, further comprising at least one sensor arranged within said headrest for determining that the head is in contact with said headrest, said movement means moving said headrest to a contacting position with the head when said crash sensor means detect an impending cash involving the vehicle

49. The vehicle of claim 28, wherein said crash sensor means is arranged at a rear of the vehicle to detect a rear impact.

28. A vehicle, comprising:

a seat including a movable headrest against which an occupant can rest his or her head;

anticipatory crash sensor means for detecting an impending crash involving the vehicle based on data obtained prior to the crash; and

movement means coupled to said crash sensor and said headrest for moving said headrest upon detection of an impending crash involving the vehicle by said crash sensor means.

50. A method for protecting an occupant of a vehicle during a crash, comprising the steps of:

detecting an impending crash involving the vehicle based on data obtained prior to the crash; and

moving a headrest upon detection of an impending crash involving the vehicle to a position more proximate to the occupant.

51. The method of claim 50, wherein the step of detecting an impending crash comprises the step of determining the velocity of an external object approaching the vehicle and producing a crash signal when the object is approaching the vehicle at a velocity above a design threshold velocity.

52. The method of claim 50, further comprising the step of determining the location of the head of the occupant, the step of moving the headrest comprising the step of moving the headrest from an initial position to the position more proximate to the determined location of the head of the occupant.

53. The method of claim 52, wherein the step of determining the location of the head of the occupant comprises the steps of transmitting radiation to illuminate different portions of the head of the occupant, receiving at the headrest a first set of signals representative of radiation reflected from different portions of the head of the occupant, providing a second set of signals representative of the distances from the headrest to the nearest illuminated portion the head of the occupant, and determining the headrest vertical location corresponding to the nearest part of the head to the headrest from the second set of signals.

54. The method of claim 50, wherein the step of detecting an impending crash involving the vehicle comprises the step of transmitting waves outward from the vehicle, receiving returned waves and calculating the distance between the vehicle and external objects based on the difference between the transmitted and returned waves.

55. The method of claim 50, wherein the step of detecting an impending crash involving the vehicle comprises the step of determining the distance from the vehicle to an external object and the velocity of the external object from successive distance measurements.

56. The method of claim 55, wherein the distance is determined by measuring time of flight of a pulse

57. The method of claim 55, wherein the distance is determined by measuring a phase change.

58. The method of claim 55, wherein the distance is determined by measuring a Doppler radar pulse.

59. The method of claim 55, wherein the distance is determined by range gating an ultrasonic pulse, an optical pulse or a radar pulse

60. The method of claim 50, further comprising the step of recognizing, identifying or ascertaining the identity of external objects.

61. The method of claim 50, wherein the step of detecting an impending crash involving the vehicle comprises the step of arranging a crash sensor at a rear of the vehicle to detect a rear impact.