Vehicular Component Adjustment System and Method

• US 20070120347A1
• Filed: 01/29/2007
• Published: 05/31/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: American Vehicular Sciences LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Automotive Technologies International Incorporated
• Inventors: Breed, David, DuVall, Wilbur, Johnson, Wendell
• Granted Patent: US 7,766,383 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/735
• 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: B60R 2021/2765 comprising means to control the venting
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/4816 for sensing locking of buckle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/4841 for sensing belt tension
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/4858 for sensing pressure on seat
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01516 using force or pressure sensing means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0152 using strain gauges
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01532 using electric or capacitive field sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01534 using electromagneticwaves, e.g. infrared
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01536 using ultrasonic waves
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01538 for image processing, e.g. cameras or sensor arrays

Abstract

Adjustment system for adjusting a vehicular component based on occupancy of a seat includes a support structure arranged underneath the seat to movably support the seat on a substrate in the vehicle, the support structure being structured and arranged to transfer a force exerted by the occupant on the support structure to the substrate, a sensor system arranged underneath the seat, optionally in connection with the support structure, for providing a variable output as a function of weight of the occupant, an adjustment system arranged in connection with the component for adjusting the component, and a processor for receiving outputs from the sensor system and directing the adjustment system to adjust the component based thereon. An object recognition or identification system or other morphological characteristic determining system may be used to determine that the occupant is one which requires adjustment of the component.

Claims

1. An adjustment system for adjusting a component of a vehicle based on occupancy of a seat, comprising:

a seat including a seat cushion assembly and seat back assembly defining a contact surface adapted to be in contact with an occupying item of said seat;

a support structure arranged underneath said seat cushion assembly and adapted to movably support said seat on a substrate in the vehicle, said support structure being structured and arranged to transfer a force exerted by the occupying item on said support structure to the substrate;

a sensor system arranged underneath said seat cushion assembly, optionally in connection with said support structure, for providing a variable output as a function of weight of the occupying item;

an adjustment system arranged in connection with the component for adjusting the component; and

a processor for receiving outputs from said sensor system and directing said adjustment system to adjust the component based thereon.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said sensor system is arranged in connection with said support structure to sense a force in or of said support structure.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said sensor system includes at least one strain gage transducer, each of said at least one strain gage transducer being mounted at a respective location on said support structure arranged to provide a measurement of the strain of said support structure at the location at which said strain gage transducer is mounted.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein said at least one strain gage transducer comprises a plurality of strain gage transducers.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein said support structure comprises two elongate slide mechanisms adapted to be mounted on the substrate and support members for coupling said seat to said slide mechanisms, said at least one strain gage transducer comprising a plurality of strain gage transducers, one of said strain gage transducers being arranged on at least one of said support members.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one wave sensor for receiving waves from an area of said seat and generating an output representative of waves received by said at least one wave sensor, said processor receiving outputs from said at least one wave sensor and directing said adjustment system to adjust the component based thereon.

7. The system of claim 6, further comprising a headrest attached to said seat, said at least one wave sensor being arranged in said seat back assembly or headrest and transmitting and receiving waves, said processor receiving outputs from said at least one wave sensor and determining a height of the occupying item of said seat and directing said adjustment system to adjust the component based thereon.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the component is an airbag.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the component is said seat, said adjustment system being at least one motor arranged to vary the position of said seat relative to the substrate.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the component is a headrest connected to said seat, said adjustment system being at least one motor arranged to adjust said headrest relative to said seat.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein said sensor system is arranged to convert displacement of said seat or a part thereof into pressure which is correlated to weight of the occupying item.

12. A vehicle including a substrate at least in part defining a passenger compartment of the vehicle, comprising:

a seat including a seat cushion assembly and seat back assembly defining a contact surface adapted to be in contact with an occupant of said seat, said seat being mounted on the substrate;

an adjustable component which interacts with or is interacted by an occupant of said seat and which is adjustable based on morphology of the occupant;

a support structure arranged to movably support said seat on the substrate, said support structure being structured and arranged to transfer a force exerted by the occupant on said support structure to the substrate;

a sensor system arranged underneath said seat cushion assembly, optionally in connection with said support structure, for providing a variable output as a function of weight of the occupant;

an adjustment system arranged in connection with said component for adjusting said component; and

a processor for receiving outputs from said sensor system and directing said adjustment system to adjust said component based thereon.

13. The vehicle of claim 12, wherein said sensor system is arranged in connection with said support structure to sense a force in or of said support structure.

14. The vehicle of claim 13, wherein said sensor system includes at least one strain gage transducer, each of said at least one strain gage transducer being mounted at a respective location on said support structure arranged to provide a measurement of the strain of said support structure at the location at which said strain gage transducer is mounted.

15. The vehicle of claim 12, further comprising at least one wave sensor for receiving waves from an area of said and generating an output representative of waves received by said at least one wave sensor, said processor receiving outputs from said at least one wave sensor and directing said adjustment system to adjust said component based thereon.

16. The vehicle of claim 12, wherein said component is an airbag.

17. The vehicle of claim 12, wherein said component is said seat, said adjustment system being at least one motor arranged to vary the position of said seat relative to the substrate.

18. The vehicle of claim 12, wherein said sensor system is arranged to convert displacement of said seat or a part thereof into pressure which is correlated to weight of the occupant.

19. A method for adjusting a component of a vehicle based on occupancy of a seat, the seat including a seat cushion assembly and seat back assembly defining a contact surface adapted to be in contact with an occupant of the seat;

comprising;

arranging a support structure underneath the seat cushion assembly to movably support the seat on a substrate in the vehicle, the support structure transferring a force exerted by the occupant on the support structure to the substrate;

determining weight of an occupant of the seat from displacement of the seat or a part thereof;

providing the determined weight and information about the occupant to a processor; and

adjusting the component based on the weight determination and the other information.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the weight of the occupant is determined by analysis of a force in or of the support structure caused by displacement of an occupant-contacting surface of the seat, further comprising:

receiving waves from an area of the seat; and

generating an output representative of the received waves to form the other information.