VEHICLE SEAT APPARATUS

• US 20090160229A1
• Filed: 12/19/2008
• Published: 06/25/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation), University of Tokyo
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation), University of Tokyo
• Inventors: Mabuchi, Teiji, Fujimoto, Osamu, Matsui, Kei, Takehara, Shoichiro, Tabuchi, Yoshihiko, Suda, Yoshihiro, Yamaguchi, Daisuke, Koga, Takaaki
• Granted Patent: US 7,934,763 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 297/217.300
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/01 Arrangement of seats relative to one another
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0244 with logic circuits
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0273 taking into account user data, e.g. knee height or physical state
• 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 2/0292 Multiple configuration seats, e.g. for spacious vehicles or mini-buses
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/14 rotatable, e.g. to permit easy access B60N2/10 , B60N2/2869 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2002/022 the seat or seat part turning about or moving along a vertical axis
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2210/16 Electromagnetic waves
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2210/24 Cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2220/20 using a deterministic algorithm
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2230/20 Wireless data transmission

Abstract

A vehicle seat apparatus includes a vehicle seat; a swiveling drive unit that swivels the vehicle seat between a frontward-oriented position in which the vehicle seat faces the front of a vehicle and at least one of an outward-oriented position in which the vehicle seat is oriented in the outward direction of the vehicle and an inward-oriented position in which the vehicle seat is oriented in the inward direction of the vehicle; an occupant condition detection unit that detects the condition of an occupant in the vehicle; and a control unit that controls the swiveling drive unit based on the detection result obtained by the occupant condition detection unit. With this configuration, it is possible to further increase the comfort of a passenger compartment based on the condition of the occupants in the vehicle.

Claims

1. A vehicle seat apparatus, comprising:

a vehicle seat;

a swiveling drive unit that swivels the vehicle seat between a frontward-oriented position in which the vehicle seat faces a front of a vehicle and at least one of an outward-oriented position in which the vehicle seat is oriented in an outward direction of the vehicle and an inward-oriented position in which the vehicle seat is oriented in an inward direction of the vehicle;

an occupant condition detection unit that detects a condition of an occupant in the vehicle; and

a control unit that controls the swiveling drive unit based on a detection result obtained by the occupant condition detection unit.

2. The vehicle seat apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the swiveling drive unit is able to swivel the vehicle seat toward the outward-oriented position;

the occupant condition detection unit detects a condition of communication between an occupant seated in the vehicle seat and a person outside the vehicle; and

the control unit controls the swiveling drive unit so that the vehicle seat is swiveled toward the outward-oriented position, when the control unit determines that the occupant seated in the vehicle seat is communicating with a person outside the vehicle based on the detection result obtained by the occupant condition detection unit.

3. The vehicle seat apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the swiveling drive unit is able to swivel the vehicle seat toward the inward-oriented position;

the occupant condition detection unit detects a condition of communication between an occupant seated in the vehicle seat and another occupant in the vehicle; and

the control unit controls the swiveling drive unit so that the vehicle seat is swiveled toward the inward-oriented position, when the control unit determines that the occupant seated in the vehicle seat is communicating with the other occupant in the vehicle based on the detection result obtained by the occupant condition detection unit.

4. The vehicle seat apparatus according to claim 3, wherein:

the swiveling drive unit is able to swivel the vehicle seat toward the outward-oriented position; and

the control unit controls the swiveling drive unit so that the vehicle seat is swiveled toward the outward-oriented position, when the control unit determines that the occupant seated in the vehicle seat is not communicating with the other occupant in the vehicle based on the detection result obtained by the occupant condition detection unit.

5. The vehicle seat apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the swiveling drive unit is able to swivel the vehicle seat toward the outward-oriented position;

the occupant condition detection unit detects whether a personal space needs to be provided to an occupant seated in the vehicle seat; and

the control unit controls the swiveling drive unit so that the vehicle seat is swiveled toward the outward-oriented position, when the control unit determines that a personal space needs to be provided to the occupant seated in the vehicle seat based on the detection result obtained by the occupant condition detection unit.

6. The vehicle seat apparatus according to claim 5, wherein:

the occupant condition detection unit detects an arousal level of the occupant seated in the vehicle seat; and

the control unit controls the swiveling drive unit so that the vehicle seat is swiveled toward the outward-oriented position, when the control unit determines that the arousal level of the occupant seated in the vehicle seat has been decreased based on the detection result obtained by the occupant condition detection unit.

7. The vehicle seat apparatus according to claim 5, wherein:

the occupant condition detection unit detects a physical condition of the occupant seated in the vehicle seat; and

the control unit controls the swiveling drive unit so that the vehicle seat is swiveled toward the outward-oriented position, when the control unit determines that the occupant seated in the vehicle seat feels sick based on the detection result obtained by the occupant condition detection unit.

8. The vehicle seat apparatus according to claim 5, wherein:

the occupant condition detection unit detects whether at least one occupant in the vehicle is smoking; and

the control unit controls the swiveling drive unit so that the vehicle seat is swiveled toward the outward-oriented position, when the control unit determines that an occupant in the vehicle is smoking based on the detection result obtained by the occupant condition detection unit.

9. The vehicle seat apparatus according to claim 5, wherein:

the occupant condition detection unit detects whether occupants in the vehicle are quarreling; and

the control unit controls the swiveling drive unit so that the vehicle seat is swiveled toward the outward-oriented position, when the control unit determines that the occupants in the vehicle are quarreling based on the detection result obtained by the occupant condition detection unit.

10. The vehicle seat apparatus according to claim 5, wherein:

the occupant condition detection unit detects whether the occupant seated in the vehicle seat has a meal alone; and

the control unit controls the swiveling drive unit so that the vehicle seat is swiveled toward the outward-oriented position, when the control unit determines that the occupant seated in the vehicle seat has a meal alone based on the detection result obtained by the occupant condition detection unit.

11. The vehicle seat apparatus according to claim 5, wherein:

the occupant condition detection unit detects whether the occupant seated in the vehicle seat is using a cellular phone; and

the control unit controls the swiveling drive unit so that the vehicle seat is swiveled toward the outward-oriented position, when the control unit determines that the occupant seated in the vehicle seat is using the cellular phone based on the detection result obtained by the occupant condition detection unit.

12. The vehicle seat apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a vehicle outside condition detection unit that detects a condition outside the vehicle, wherein

the swiveling drive unit is able to swivel the vehicle seat toward the inward-oriented position, and

the control unit controls the swiveling drive unit so that the vehicle seat is swiveled from the frontward-oriented position or the outward-oriented position toward the inward-oriented position, when the control unit determines that the condition outside the vehicle is unsuitable for maintaining the vehicle seat in the frontward-oriented position or the outward-oriented position based on the detection result obtained by the vehicle outside condition detection unit.

13. The vehicle seat apparatus according to claim 12, wherein:

the vehicle outside condition detection unit detects whether it is noisy outside the vehicle; and

the control unit controls the swiveling drive unit so that the vehicle seat is swiveled from the frontward-oriented position or the outward-oriented position toward the inward-oriented position, when the control unit determines that it is noisy outside the vehicle based on the detection result obtained by the vehicle outside condition detection unit.

14. The vehicle seat apparatus according to claim 12, wherein:

the vehicle outside condition detection unit detects whether the vehicle is traveling in a daytime or at night; and

the control unit controls the swiveling drive unit so that the vehicle seat is swiveled from the frontward-oriented position or the outward-oriented position toward the inward-oriented position, when the control unit determines that the vehicle is traveling at night based on the detection result obtained by the vehicle outside condition detection unit.

15. The vehicle seat apparatus according to claim 12, wherein:

the vehicle outside condition detection unit detects brightness outside the vehicle; and

the control unit controls the swiveling drive unit so that the vehicle seat is swiveled from the frontward-oriented position or the outward-oriented position toward the inward-oriented position, when the control unit determines that the brightness outside the vehicle is equal to or lower than a predetermined reference value based on the detection result obtained by the vehicle outside condition detection unit.

16. The vehicle seat apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the swiveling drive unit is able to swivel the vehicle seat toward the inward-oriented position;

the occupant condition detection unit detects whether an occupant seated in the vehicle seat has a meal alone; and

the control unit controls the swiveling drive unit so that the vehicle seat is swiveled toward the inward-oriented position, when the control unit determines that the occupant seated in the vehicle seat has a meal with another occupant in the vehicle based on the detection result obtained by the occupant condition detection unit.

17. The vehicle seat apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the swiveling drive unit is able to swivel the vehicle seat toward the inward-oriented position;

the occupant condition detection unit detects a condition of an occupant seated in a child seat that is attached to a seat other than the vehicle seat; and

the control unit controls the swiveling drive unit so that the vehicle seat is swiveled toward the inward-oriented position, when the control unit determines that the vehicle seat needs to be swiveled toward the inward-oriented position based on the detection result obtained by the occupant condition detection unit.

18. A vehicle seat apparatus, comprising:

at least a pair of vehicle seats arranged next to each other in a width-direction of a vehicle;

a swiveling drive unit that swivels at least one of the pair of vehicle seats between a frontward-oriented position in which the vehicle seat faces a front of the vehicle and at least one of an outward-oriented position in which the vehicle seat is oriented in an outward direction of the vehicle and an inward-oriented position in which the vehicle seat is oriented in an inward direction of the vehicle;

an occupant condition detection unit that detects a condition of an occupant in the vehicle; and

a control unit that controls the swiveling drive unit based on a detection result obtained by the occupant condition detection unit.

19. The vehicle seat apparatus according to claim 18, wherein:

the swiveling drive unit is able to swivel at least one of the pair of vehicle seats toward the outward-oriented position;

the occupant condition detection unit detects a condition of communication between an occupant seated in one of the pair of vehicle seats and a person outside the vehicle; and

when the control unit determines that the occupant seated in one of the pair of vehicle seats is communicating with a person outside the vehicle based on the detection result obtained by the occupant condition detection unit, the control unit controls the swiveling drive unit so that the vehicle seat occupied by the occupant who is communicating with the person outside vehicle seat is swiveled toward the outward-oriented position.

20. The vehicle seat apparatus according to claim 18, wherein:

the swiveling drive unit is able to swivel at least one of the pair of vehicle seats toward the inward-oriented position;

the occupant condition detection unit detects a condition of communication between occupants seated in the pair of vehicle seats; and

when the control unit determines that the occupants seated in the pair of vehicle seats are communicating with each other based on the detection result obtained by the occupant condition detection unit, the control unit controls the swiveling drive unit so that at least one of the pair of vehicle seats is swiveled toward the inward-oriented position.

21. The vehicle seat apparatus according to claim 20, wherein:

the swiveling drive unit is able to swivel at least one of the pair of vehicle seats toward the outward-oriented position; and

when the control unit determines that the occupants seated in the pair of vehicle seats are not communicating with each other based on the detection result obtained by the occupant condition detection unit, the control unit controls the swiveling drive unit so that at least one of the pair of vehicle seats is swiveled toward the outward-oriented position.

22. The vehicle seat apparatus according to claim 18, wherein:

the swiveling drive unit is able to swivel at least one of the pair of vehicle seats toward the outward-oriented position;

the occupant condition detection unit detects whether a personal space needs to be provided to an occupant seated in one of the pair of vehicle seats; and

when the control unit determines based on the detection result obtained by the occupant condition detection unit that a personal space needs to be provided to the occupant seated in one of the pair of vehicle seats, the control unit controls the swiveling drive unit so that the vehicle seat occupied by the occupant who needs to be provided with a personal space is swiveled toward the outward-oriented position.

23. The vehicle seat apparatus according to claim 22, wherein:

the occupant condition detection unit detects an arousal level of the occupant seated in one of the pair of vehicle seats; and

when the control unit determines that the arousal level of the occupant seated in one of the pair of vehicle seats has been decreased based on the detection result obtained by the occupant condition detection unit, the control unit controls the swiveling drive unit so that the vehicle seat occupied by the occupant who feels sleepy is swiveled toward the outward-oriented position.

24. The vehicle seat apparatus according to claim 22, wherein:

the occupant condition detection unit detects a physical condition of the occupant seated in one of the pair of vehicle seats; and

when the control unit determines that the occupant seated in one of the pair of vehicle seats feels sick based on the detection result obtained by the occupant condition detection unit, the control unit controls the swiveling drive unit so that the vehicle seat occupied by the occupant who feels sick is swiveled toward the outward-oriented position.

25. The vehicle seat apparatus according to claim 22, wherein:

the occupant condition detection unit detects whether at least one occupant in the vehicle is smoking; and

when the control unit determines that an occupant in the vehicle is smoking based on the detection result obtained by the occupant condition detection unit, the control unit controls the swiveling drive unit so that at least one of the pair of vehicle seats is swiveled toward the outward-oriented position.

26. The vehicle seat apparatus according to claim 22, wherein:

the occupant condition detection unit detects whether occupants in the vehicle are quarreling; and

when the control unit determines that the occupants in the vehicle are quarreling based on the detection result obtained by the occupant condition detection unit, the control unit controls the swiveling drive unit so that at least one of the pair of vehicle seats is swiveled toward the outward-oriented position.

27. The vehicle seat apparatus according to claim 22, wherein:

the occupant condition detection unit detects whether the occupant seated in one of the pair of vehicle seats has a meal alone; and

when the control unit determines that the occupant seated in one of the pair of vehicle seats has a meal alone based on the detection result obtained by the occupant condition detection unit, the control unit controls the swiveling drive unit so that the vehicle seat which is occupied by the occupant who has a meal alone is swiveled toward the outward-oriented position.

28. The vehicle seat apparatus according to claim 22, wherein:

the occupant condition detection unit detects whether the occupant seated in one of the pair of vehicle seats is using a cellular phone; and

when the control unit determines that the occupant seated in one of the pair of vehicle seats is using the cellular phone based on the detection result obtained by the occupant condition detection unit, the control unit controls the swiveling drive unit so that the vehicle seat which is occupied by the occupant who is using the cellular phone is swiveled toward the outward-oriented position.

29. The vehicle seat apparatus according to claim 18, further comprising:

a vehicle outside condition detection unit that detects a condition outside the vehicle, wherein

the swiveling drive unit is able to swivel at least one of the pair of vehicle seats toward the inward-oriented position; and

when the control unit determines based on the detection result obtained by the vehicle outside condition detection unit that the condition outside the vehicle is unsuitable for keeping an occupant seated in one of the pair of vehicle seats, which is in the frontward-oriented position or the outward-oriented position, the control unit controls the swiveling drive unit so that the vehicle seat which is occupied by the occupant for whom the condition outside the vehicle is unsuitable is swiveled from the frontward-oriented position or the outward-oriented position toward the inward-oriented position.

30. The vehicle seat apparatus according to claim 29, wherein:

the vehicle outside condition detection unit detects whether it is noisy outside the vehicle; and

when the control unit determines that it is noisy outside the vehicle based on the detection result obtained by the vehicle outside condition detection unit, the control unit controls the swiveling drive unit so that at least one of the pair of vehicle seats is swiveled from the frontward-oriented position or the outward-oriented position toward the inward-oriented position.

31. The vehicle seat apparatus according to claim 29, wherein:

the vehicle outside condition detection unit detects whether the vehicle is traveling in a daytime or at night; and

when the control unit determines that the vehicle is traveling at night based on the detection result obtained by the vehicle outside condition detection unit, the control unit controls the swiveling drive unit so that at least one of the pair of vehicle seats is swiveled from the frontward-oriented position or the outward-oriented position toward the inward-oriented position.

32. The vehicle seat apparatus according to claim 29, wherein:

the vehicle outside condition detection unit detects brightness outside the vehicle; and

when the control unit determines that the brightness outside the vehicle is equal to or lower than a predetermined reference value based on the detection result obtained by the vehicle outside condition detection unit, the control unit controls the swiveling drive unit so that at least one of the pair of vehicle seats is swiveled from the frontward-oriented position or the outward-oriented position toward the inward-oriented position.

33. The vehicle seat apparatus according to claim 18, wherein:

the swiveling drive unit is able to swivel at least one of the pair of vehicle seats toward the inward-oriented position;

the occupant condition detection unit detects whether an occupant seated in one of the pair of vehicle seats has a meal alone; and

when the control unit determines that the occupant seated in one of the pair of vehicle seats has a meal with another occupant in the vehicle based on the detection result obtained by the occupant condition detection unit, the control unit controls the swiveling drive unit so that the vehicle seat occupied by the occupant who has a meal with the other occupant in the vehicle seat is swiveled toward the inward-oriented position.

34. The vehicle seat apparatus according to claim 18, wherein:

the swiveling drive unit is able to swivel at least one of the pair of vehicle seats toward the inward-oriented position;

the occupant condition detection unit detects a condition of an occupant seated in a child seat that is attached to one of the pair of vehicle seats or a seat other than the pair of vehicle seats; and

when the control unit determines that one of the pair of vehicle seats needs to be swiveled toward the inward-oriented position based on the detection result obtained by the occupant condition detection unit, the control unit controls the swiveling drive unit so that the vehicle seat that needs to be swiveled toward the inward-oriented position is swiveled toward the inward-oriented position.