VEHICLE SEAT ADJUSTMENT ASSEMBLY

• US 20140265477A1
• Filed: 06/10/2014
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lear Corporation
• Original Assignee: Lear Corporation
• Inventors: Yetukuri, Arjun, Hein, David A., Locke, Gerald S.
• Granted Patent: US 9,434,276 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 297/217.3
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0228 Hand-activated mechanical switches B60N2/0229 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/10 tiltable B60N2/12 , B60N2/2875 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/16 height-adjustable
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/224 Stepwise movement mechanisms, e.g. ratchets
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/232 provided with memory locks
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/806 movable or adjustable
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/809 vertically slidable
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/838 Tiltable
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/919 Positioning and locking mechanisms B60N2/16, B60N2/18, B60N2/22, B60N2/225 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes

Abstract

A vehicle seat adjustment assembly has an actuator adapted to move a component of the vehicle seat assembly, and a generally planar sensor array in communication with the controller and accessible from an outer surface of the vehicle seat assembly. The sensor array has a plurality of adjacent sensors accessible from an outer surface of the vehicle seat assembly. A controller is in communication with the actuator for controlling the actuator and in communication with the sensor array. The controller is configured to control the actuator to move the component in response to receiving a signal indicative of a touch input of the sensor array by a user such that the movement of the component correlates with the input to the sensor array.

Claims

1. A vehicle seat adjustment assembly comprising:

at least one actuator adapted to move a component of a vehicle seat assembly along a path;

a generally planar sensor array accessible from an outer surface of the vehicle seat assembly, the sensor array having a plurality of adjoining sensors arranged in at least one column and at least two rows; and

a controller in communication with the at least one actuator for controlling the at least one actuator and in communication with the sensor array, the controller configured to control the at least one actuator to move the component along the path in response to receiving a signal indicative of a touch input by a user when a pattern of adjacent sensors in the array are activated by the user, the pattern corresponding with the path.

2. The vehicle seat adjustment assembly of claim 1 wherein the path is further defined as a first path;

wherein the pattern is further defined as a first pattern;

wherein the at least one actuator is adapted to move the component along a second path; and

wherein the controller is further configured to control the at least one actuator to move the component along the second path in response to receiving a second signal indicative of a touch input by a user when a second pattern of adjacent sensors in the array are activated by the user, the second pattern corresponding with the second path.

3. The vehicle seat adjustment assembly of claim 2 wherein the second path intersects the first path.

4. The vehicle seat adjustment assembly of claim 2 wherein the second path is nonparallel with the first path.

5. The vehicle seat adjustment assembly of claim 2 wherein the first pattern is linear and the first path is linear;

and

wherein the second pattern is arcuate and the second path is arcuate.

6. The vehicle seat adjustment assembly of claim 2 wherein the at least one actuator is adapted to move the component along a third path;

and

wherein the controller is further configured to control the at least one actuator to move the component along the third path in response to receiving a third signal indicative of a touch input by a user when a third pattern of adjacent sensors in the array are activated by the user, the third pattern corresponding with the third path.

7. The vehicle seat adjustment assembly of claim 1 wherein the controller is configured to control the at least one actuator to move the component along the path in a first direction based on the pattern being activated;

and

wherein the controller is configured to control the at least one actuator to move the component along the path in a second direction opposite to the first direction based on a reverse of the pattern of the adjacent sensors in the array being activated by a user.

8. The vehicle seat adjustment assembly of claim 1 wherein the pattern is linear and the path is linear.

9. The vehicle seat adjustment assembly of claim 8 wherein the pattern is arcuate and the path is arcuate.

10. The vehicle seat adjustment assembly of claim 1 wherein the controller is further configured to control the at least one actuator to move the component a longer distance along the path in response to receiving the signal indicative of the touch input by the user when a number of adjacent sensors activated in the pattern increases.

11. The vehicle seat adjustment assembly of claim 1 wherein the controller is further configured to control the at least one actuator to move the component a longer distance along the path in response to receiving the signal indicative of the touch input by the user when a time of activation of one of the adjacent sensors activated in the pattern increases.

12. The vehicle seat adjustment assembly of claim 11 wherein the one of the adjacent sensors activated in the pattern is a last sensor activated by the user in the pattern.

13. The vehicle seat adjustment assembly of claim 1 wherein the planar sensor array is positioned on the outer surface of the vehicle seat assembly.

14. The vehicle seat adjustment assembly of claim 1 wherein the actuator is further adapted to move the component of the vehicle seat assembly relative to a remaining portion of the vehicle seat assembly.

15. The vehicle seat adjustment assembly of claim 14 further comprising a a support structure of the vehicle seat assembly, the support structure being the remaining portion of the vehicle seat assembly.

16. The vehicle seat adjustment assembly of claim 15 further comprising a head restraint, the head restraint being the component of the vehicle seat assembly.

17. A vehicle seat adjustment assembly comprising:

an actuator adapted to move a component of a vehicle seat assembly;

a generally planar sensor array accessible from an outer surface of the vehicle seat assembly, the sensor array having a plurality of contiguous sensors positioned on an outer surface of the vehicle seat assembly; and

a controller in communication with the actuator for controlling the actuator and in communication with the sensor array, the controller configured to control the actuator to move the component in response to receiving a signal indicative of a touch input of the sensor array by a user such that movement of the component correlates with the input to the sensor array.

18. The vehicle seat adjustment assembly of claim 17 wherein each sensor in the sensor array is a capacitive sensor.

19. A vehicle seat assembly comprising:

a support structure;

a seat assembly component supported by the support structure and being movable relative to the support structure between a first position and a second position;

an actuator connected to the component and adapted to move the component between the first position and the second position;

a controller in communication with the actuator and configured to control the actuator; and

a generally planar sensor array in communication with the controller and positioned on an outer surface of the vehicle seat assembly, the sensor array having a first region and a second region adjoining the first region to sense a tactile input of the first region and second region being sequentially activated by a user;

wherein the controller is configured to receive a signal indicative of the tactile input from the sensor array and command the actuator to move the component in response to the tactile input by the user.

20. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 19 wherein the controller is configured to command the actuator to move the component at least a portion of a distance between the first and second position in response to receiving the signal indicative of the tactile input.