Seat control device for vehicle

• US 20040036330A1
• Filed: 08/15/2003
• Published: 02/26/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Inventors: Taguchi, Tomoo, Itami, Yukihito, Ohtsubo, Tomonori, Yamasaki, Hirokazu
• Granted Patent: US 7,023,108 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 297/243
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0248 with memory of positions
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0277 characterised by the calculation method or calculation flow chart of sensor data for adjusting the seat
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0278 using sensors external to the seat for measurements in relation to the seat adjustment, e.g. for identifying the presence of obstacles or the appropriateness of the occupants position
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/067 by linear actuators, e.g. linear screw mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/123 and provided with memory locks
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2210/46 Electric switches
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2210/48 Piezoelectric
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2210/50 Inertial sensors

Abstract

When ingress intention of a passenger who is supposed to sit on a second seat is predicted, a distance between a first seat and the second seat is expanded automatically. Accordingly, taking time for access to the second seat can be avoided, thereby decreasing necessary time for having access and improving accessibility to the second seat. When a full-open mode is selected (Yes in S1); the passenger does not sit on the third-row seat (Yes in S2); the passenger does not sit on the second-row seat (Yes in S3); and a child seat is not installed on the second-row seat (Yes in S4), a second-row seat sliding motor is driven and a first-row seat driving mechanism operates. Accordingly, forward sliding of the second-row seat starts (S5), and a sliding door is driven backward to open fully.

Claims

1. A seat control device for a vehicle including a first seat and a second seat that are disposed in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and a seat driving mechanism that drives at least one of the first and second seats such that the one moves in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, comprising:

second-seat ingress prediction means for predicting ingress intention of a passenger who is supposed to sit on the second seat; and

seat driving control means that controls the seat driving mechanism such that a distance between the first seat and the second seat expands when said second-seat ingress prediction means predicts the ingress intention of the passenger who is supposed to sit on the second seat.

2. The seat control device for a vehicle of claim 1, wherein the vehicle includes a sliding door that slides in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle so as to open or close an ingress and egress opening located substantially at a side of the first seat, said second-seat ingress prediction means comprises door opening detecting means for detecting an opening degree of said sliding door, and said seat driving control means comprises first-seat driving control means that moves the first seat forward when said door opening detecting means detects an opening degree of the sliding door that is greater than a certain opening degree.

3. The seat control device for a vehicle of claim 1, wherein the vehicle includes a sliding door that slides in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle so as to open or close an ingress and egress opening located substantially at a side of the first seat and a door driving mechanism that drives said sliding door in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, said second-seat ingress prediction means comprises opening instruction means that instructs at least either a small opening mode to open said sliding door at a first opening degree or a large opening mode to open said sliding door at a second opening degree that is greater than said first opening degree, and said seat driving control means comprises first-seat driving control means that moves the first seat forward when said opening instruction means instructs said large opening mode.

4. The seat control device for a vehicle of claim 3, wherein the opening degree of said sliding door is configured such that the passenger can have access to the first seat through said ingress and egress opening when the sliding door opens at said first opening degree, while the passenger can also have access to the second seat through said ingress and egress opening when the sliding door opens at said second opening degree.

5. The seat control device for a vehicle of claim 1, wherein said second-seat ingress prediction means comprises ingress position detecting means for detecting an ingress position of the passenger at an ingress and egress opening located substantially at a side of the first seat, and said seat driving control means comprises first-seat driving control means that moves the first seat forward when said ingress position detecting means detects that said ingress position of the passenger is located at a side of said second seat.

6. The seat control device for a vehicle of claim 5, wherein said ingress position detecting means comprises a step position detecting switch that is located at a step portion below said ingress and egress opening and to detect a step position of the passenger.

7. The seat control device for a vehicle of claim 1, wherein said seat driving control means prohibits the driving of said seat driving mechanism under a certain condition.

8. The seat control device for a vehicle of claim 7, wherein said certain condition is that the passenger sits on the first seat.

9. The seat control device for a vehicle of claim 7, wherein said certain condition is that the passenger sits on the second seat.

10. The seat control device for a vehicle of claim 7, wherein said certain condition is that a child seat is installed on the first seat.

11. The seat control device for a vehicle of claim 1, further comprising:

a sliding door that slides in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle so as to open or close an ingress and egress opening at a side of the vehicle;

a door driving mechanism that drives said sliding door in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle;

egress prediction means for predicting egress intention of a passenger sitting on the second seat;

sliding door driving control means that controls said door driving mechanism such that the passenger sitting on the second seat can get off through said ingress and egress opening with the sliding door opened when said egress prediction means predicts the egress intention of the passenger.

12. The seat control device for a vehicle of claim 11, wherein said ingress and egress opening is located substantially at a side of the first seat.

13. The seat control device for a vehicle of claim 12, wherein said egress prediction means comprises walk-out detecting means for detecting a walk-out state of the first seat in which the passenger sitting on the second seat can get off through said ingress and egress opening, and said sliding door driving control means starts driving of the door driving mechanism when said walk-out detecting means detects the walk-out state of the first seat.

14. The seat control device for a vehicle of claim 13, wherein said walk-out detecting means includes seat sliding detecting means for detecting the first seat sliding forward by a certain amount or more.

15. The seat control device for a vehicle of claim 13, wherein said walk-out detecting means includes reclining detecting means for detecting a seat back of the first seat reclining forward by a certain amount or more.

16. The seat control device for a vehicle of claim 11, wherein said door driving mechanism is configured such that the opening degree of the sliding door is selectable between a full-open mode where the sliding door is opened at the greatest opening degree and a partial-open mode where the sliding door is opened at an opening degree smaller than the greatest opening degree, and said sliding door driving control means selects said full-open mode when said egress prediction means predicts the egress intention of the passenger.

17. The seat control device for a vehicle of claim 16, wherein the opening degree of the sliding door at said partial-open mode allows the passenger sitting on the first seat to get off through said ingress and egress opening, while the opening degree of the sliding door at said full-open mode allows the passenger sitting on the second seat to also get off through said ingress and egress opening.

18. The seat control device for a vehicle of claim 11, including driving state detecting means for detecting a driving state of the vehicle, wherein said sliding door driving control means prohibits driving of said door driving mechanism when said driving state detecting means detects the driving state of the vehicle.

19. A seat control device for a vehicle comprising:

a first-row seat including a driver'"'"'s seat;

a second-row seat disposed behind the first-row seat;

a third-row seat disposed behind the second-row seat;

a sliding door that slides in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle so as to open or close an ingress and egress opening located substantially at a side of said second-row seat;

a seat driving mechanism that drives said second-row seat in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle;

a door driving mechanism that drives said sliding door in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, wherein said sliding door is configured so as to be opened at a certain first opening degree and a second opening degree that is greater than said first opening degree by said door driving mechanism; and

a control unit that controls said seat driving mechanism and said door driving mechanism,

wherein said control unit includes third-row seat ingress prediction section for predicting ingress intention of a passenger who is supposed to sit on said third-row seat, and seat driving control section that controls said seat driving mechanism such that a distance between said second-row seat and said third-row seat expands when said third-row seat ingress prediction section predicts the ingress intention of the passenger who is supposed to sit on said third-row seat,

wherein said third-row seat ingress prediction section includes remote control operation section that instructs at least either a small opening mode to open said sliding door at said first opening degree or a large opening mode to open said sliding door at said second opening degree, and said seat driving control section drives said seat driving mechanism to move said second-row seat forward when said remote control operation section instructs said large opening mode.

20. The seat control device for a vehicle of claim 19, wherein said control unit further includes egress prediction section for predicting egress intention of a passenger sitting on said third-row seat, said sliding door is opened by said door driving mechanism such that the passenger sitting on the third-row seat can get off through said ingress and egress opening when said egress prediction section predicts the egress intention of the passenger, and said egress prediction section includes seat sliding detecting section for detecting said second-row seat sliding forward by a certain amount or more.