MODULAR SEAT CONTROL SWITCH SYSTEM

• US 20110060506A1
• Filed: 09/09/2009
• Published: 03/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Harden, Matthew J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,688,162 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/49
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0228 Hand-activated mechanical switches B60N2/0229 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0264 characterised by the type of electrical connection, e.g. wiring, plugs or USB

Abstract

Some embodiments relate to a modular vehicle seat control system including a plurality of control units direct mounted to one or more other control system units through a bus system. The modular construction obviates the need for additional wiring, and enables a manufacturer to install one or more of the control units in any suitable arrangement by engaging the control units through rigidly mounted bus connectors. Suitable control units can comprise manually actuated components for controlling any of a wide variety of vehicle seat functions.

Claims

1. A modular electronic automobile seat controller, comprising:

a main control module adapted to fixedly mount to a vehicle seat frame, the main control module comprising at least one control face having at least one manually actuated electronic seat control; and

at least one bus member defined in a face of the main control module other than the control face, the at least one bus member being adapted to engage a complimentary bus member in a direct mounting relation, wherein the complimentary bus member can be operatively disposed on an optional expansion module and electronically communicating therewith, or operatively disposed on the vehicle seat frame and electronically communicating with an external circuit.

2. The controller of claim 1, wherein the bus member comprises one or more of a data bus line or a power supply bus line.

3. The controller of claim 1, wherein the bus members comprise one or more of a serial bus, parallel bus, a high performance parallel interface bus, an IEEE-488 bus, a small computer system interface bus, a serial attached small computer interface bus, an RS-232 bus, a universal serial bus, an IEEE 1394 bus.

4. The controller of claim 3, wherein the bus is adapted for bidirectional communication.

5. The controller of claim 1 wherein the main control module is adapted to control one or more of vehicle seat fore and aft motion, vehicle seat tilt, or vehicle seat height.

6. The controller of claim 1 further comprising a first optional expansion module adapted to control lumbar support members operatively disposed in the vehicle seat, the first optional expansion module comprising a bus member suitable for mating with a bus member of the main control module in a direct mounting relation including electronic communication.

7. The controller of claim 1 further comprising a second optional expansion module comprising a digital memory device, the second optional expansion module comprising a bus member suitable for mating with a bus member of the main control module in a direct mounting relation including electronic communication, and wherein the digital memory is in electronic communication with the bus member of the second optional expansion module.

8. The controller of claim 1, wherein an optional expansion module can comprise devices selected from one or more of a digital memory, a digital processor, a seat temperature controller, or an analog electronic controller device.

9. The controller of claim 1, wherein the main control module and one or more expansion modules are arranged according to a configuration selected from one or more of daisy chain, hub, or networked.

10. A modular bus for an electronic vehicle seat control system, comprising:

a male bus member operably disposed on a side of a first electronic seat control module and in electrical communication with at least one electronic component in the first seat control module, the male bus member defining an outer perimeter, and the male bus member comprising at least one electrical conductor; and

a female bus member operably disposed on a side of a second electronic seat control module and in electrical communication with at least one electronic component in the second seat control module, the female bus member defining an inner perimeter adapted to receive the male bus member in a mating relation, wherein the first electronic seat control module and the second electronic seat control module are joined in a direct mounted relation, the female bus member further comprising at least one electrical conductor adapted to mate with the corresponding at least one electrical conductor of the male bus member.

11. The modular bus of claim 10, wherein the outer perimeter of the male bus member defines a generally rectangular parallelepiped.

12. The modular bus of claim 10 further comprising at least one power supply conductor.

13. The modular bus of claim 10 further comprising at least one data conductor.

14. The modular bus of claim 10, wherein the bus is adapted for bidirectional communication.

15. The modular bus of claim 10, wherein the bus comprises one or more of a serial bus, parallel bus, a high performance parallel interface bus, an IEEE-488 bus, a small computer system interface bus, a serial attached small computer interface bus, an RS-232 bus, a universal serial bus, an IEEE 1394 bus.

16. The modular bus of claim 10, wherein the male and female bus members are adapted to join the first and second seat control modules in a direct mounting relation.

17. The modular bus of claim 10, wherein the bus is adapted to arrange electronic seat control modules in one or more of a daisy chain configuration, a hub configuration, or a networked configuration.

18. A modular electronic automobile seat controller assembly, comprising:

an automobile seat;

a main control module, the main control module comprising a first bus member and at least one control face having at least one manually actuated electronic seat control that controls a position of the seat; and

a first expansion module connectable to the first bus member, the first expansion module comprising an expansion module electronic seat control that controls an additional function of the seat.

19. The controller of claim 18, further comprising a second expansion module connectable to the main control module.

20. The controller of claim 19, further comprising a cap attachable to the main control module in place of one of the first expansion module or the second expansion module.