VEHICULAR ENTERTAINMENT STAGE

• US 20120203378A1
• Filed: 02/03/2012
• Published: 08/09/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: John C. Yank III
• Original Assignee: John C. Yank III
• Inventors: YANK, John C. III
• Granted Patent: US 8,983,634 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/275
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/01 Arrangement of seats relative to one another
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/02246 Electric motors therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/02258 characterised by the mounting of the electric motor for adjusting the seat
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0244 with logic circuits
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/14 rotatable, e.g. to permit easy access B60N2/10 , B60N2/2869 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/986 Side-rests B60N2/2872, B60N2/885 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 3/06 of footrests

Abstract

Provided herein is a vehicular stage with individual seats and seat control system and method for controlling a movement of a seat, the seat control system including: a motor configured to move the seat in at least one direction; a control computer, which is disposed remotely with respect to the seat, and which is configured to output control commands for controlling the movement of the seat; and a microcontroller, which is connected to the motor and the control computer and configured to receive the control commands from the control computer and to control the motor to move the seat in the at least one direction based on the control commands received from the control computer.

Claims

1. A seat control system for controlling a movement of a seat, the seat control system comprising:

a motor configured to move the seat in at least one direction;

a control computer, which is disposed remotely with respect to the seat, and which is configured to output control commands for controlling the movement of the seat; and

a microcontroller, which is connected to the motor and the control computer and configured to receive the control commands from the control computer and to control the motor to move the seat in the at least one direction based on the control commands received from the control computer.

2. The seat control system of claim 1, further comprising a seatbelt sensor connected to the control computer and configured to sense whether a seatbelt of the seat is being used, and

the microcontroller is further configured to control the movement of the seat based on whether the seatbelt is being used.

3. The seat control system of claim 1, further comprising a stop button configured to receive a stop command from a user, and

if the stop command is received from the user, the stop button is configured to send a stop signal to the microcontroller, and the microcontroller controls the motor to stop.

4. The seat control system of claim 1, wherein the movement of the seat is a rotation about an axis extending through the seat in a vertical direction.

5. The seat control system of claim 4, further comprising a rotation indicator configured to receive a rotation status signal from the microcontroller and provide an indication of a state of rotation of the seat from based on the rotation status signal received from the microcontroller.

6. The seat control system of claim 1, further comprising a speaker configured to receive an audio signal from the microcontroller and output sound based on the audio signal received from the microcontroller.

7. The seat control system of claim 1, further comprising a shaft, which is connected to the seat and driven by the motor, wherein the shaft corresponds to an axis of rotation about which the seat is rotatable.

8. The seat control system of claim 1, further comprising a frame for the seat, wherein the motor and the microcontroller are attached to the frame.

9. The seat control system of claim 1, further comprising a communication cable which connects the control computer to the microcontroller.

10. A method of controlling a seat from a control computer located remotely from the seat, the method comprising:

receiving a command from the control computer;

determining a control signal based on the control command received from the control computer;

outputting the control signal to at least one seat control circuit based on the determining of the control signal; and

controlling the seat with the at least seat control circuit based on the output control signal.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one seat control circuit corresponds to a motor for moving the seat.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the moving of the seat comprises rotating the seat by a number of degrees based on the output control signal.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one seat control circuit corresponds to a speaker for outputting a sound from the seat.