VEHICLE SEAT WITH INTEGRATED SENSORS

• US 20150313475A1
• Filed: 11/25/2013
• Published: 11/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Faurecia Automotive Seating, LLC (Forvia SE)
• Original Assignee: Faurecia Automotive Seating, LLC (Forvia SE)
• Inventors: BENSON, Matthew K., MONTGOMERY, Sean M., BONK, Jeffery T., CUMMINGS, David L., BAUDU, Samuel, LOWELL, Dana R., DEXTER, Brian R., HAASE, Alexander S., BOUSSETTA, Radouane, DRUBETSKOY, Pioter, DACOSTA-MALLET, Anne-Isabelle
• Application Number:
  US14/443,460
• Publication Number:
  US 20150313475A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0205 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/021 Measuring pressure in heart or blood vessels A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0245 by using sensing means generating electric signals, i.e. ECG signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0816 Measuring devices for examining respiratory frequency measuring frequency of electric signals G01R23/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14551 for measuring blood gases
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14552 Details of sensors specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/18 for vehicle drivers or machine operators
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/318 Heart-related electrical modalities, e.g. electrocardiography [ECG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/329 Load diagnosis, e.g. cardiac stress tests
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/33 specially adapted for cooperation with other devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6893 Cars
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7278 Artificial waveform generation or derivation, e.g. synthesising signals from measured signals A61B5/327 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00742 by detection of the vehicle occupants' presence; by detection of conditions relating to the body of occupants, e.g. using radiant heat detectors
• 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: B60N 2/0022 for sensing anthropometric parameters, e.g. heart rate or body temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0023 for detection of driver fatigue
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0028 of a body part, e.g. of an arm or a leg
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0033 mounted on or in the foam cushion
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0035 characterised by the sensor data transmission, e.g. wired connections or wireless transmitters therefor; characterised by the sensor data processing, e.g. seat sensor signal amplification or electric circuits for providing seat sensor information
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2210/12 Capacitive; Electric field
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2210/18 : Infrared
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2210/24 : Cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2210/30 : Temperature sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2210/40 : Force or pressure sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2220/10 : using a database
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2220/20 : using a deterministic algorithm

Abstract

A vehicle seat in accordance with the present disclosure includes a seat bottom and a seat back. The seat back is coupled to the seat bottom and arranged to extend in an upward direction away from the seat bottom. The vehicle seat further includes an electronics system.

Claims

1. A vehicle seat sensor system for detecting and processing physiological parameters, comprising

a vehicle seat, configured to accommodate an occupant,

at least one oxymetry sensor integrated into a first portion of said seat, wherein the oxymetry sensor is configured to switch between, or select from, multiple wavelengths of light for transmission to an occupant area above a surface of the vehicle seat, and

a control system operatively coupled to the oxymetry sensor, wherein the control system processes signals produced by the at least one oxymetry sensor to determine a level of oxygen saturation for the occupant.

2. The vehicle seat sensor system according to claim 1, wherein the level of oxygen saturation is processed to determine at least one of a pulse transit time, blood pressure, respiration, respiration rate and respiration depth of the occupant.

3. The vehicle seat sensor system according to claim 2, wherein the oxymetry sensor comprises

a photodetector stage configured to detect reflected amounts of light from the occupant,

a processing stage, operatively coupled to the photodetector stage, for processing signals detected by the photodetector stage, wherein at least a portion of the processed signals are used to switch or select one or more of the multiple wavelengths of light for transmission, and

a light emission stage, operatively coupled to the processing stage, configured to emit light for transmission to the occupant area.

8. The vehicle seat sensor system according to claim 1, further comprising at least one electrocardiogram (ECG) sensor integrated into a second portion of said seat, wherein the ECG sensor is operatively coupled to the control system.

9. The vehicle seat sensor system according to claim 8, wherein the control system processes signals produced by the ECG sensor to determine at least one of a heart rate, heart rate variability, stress level, a pulse-transit time and blood pressure of the occupant.

10. The vehicle seat sensor system according to claim 9, wherein the control system is configured to determine heart beats via threshold and peak detection of the signals produced by the ECG sensor.

11. The vehicle seat sensor system according to claim 10, wherein the control system is configured to determine the reliability of signals produced by the ECG sensor by performing at least one of

peak analysis to the outputs,

root mean square of outputs to determine stronger signals, and

signal to noise ratio analysis on the outputs to determine more reliable signals.

12. The vehicle seat sensor system according to claim 8, wherein the control system is configured to determine heart-rate variability by transforming signals produced by the ECG sensor to form a heart rate variability spectrum and determining a ratio of high frequencies to lower frequencies in the spectrum.

13. The vehicle seat sensor system according to claim 12, wherein the ratio of high frequencies to lower frequencies is expressed by

14. The vehicle seat sensor system according to claim 13, wherein the control system is configured to determine a stress level based on a second ratio of high frequencies to lower frequencies in the spectrum.

15. The vehicle seat sensor system according to claim 14, wherein the second ratio of high frequencies to lower frequencies is expressed by

16. The vehicle seat sensor system according to claim 15, wherein the control system is configured to combine the signals produced by the ECG sensor and oximetry sensor to determine a pulse-transit time and blood pressure.

4. (canceled)

5. The vehicle seat sensor system according to claim 4, wherein the light emission stage comprises at least one LED bank operable in the 850 nm to 950 nm light range.

6. The vehicle seat sensor system according to claim 5, wherein the light emission stage further comprises at least one LED bank operable in the 600 nm to 1100 nm light range.

7. (canceled)

17. A method for detecting and processing physiological parameters from a vehicle seat sensor system, said method comprising the steps of

configuring at least one oxymetry sensor, integrated into a first portion of a vehicle seat to switch between, or select from, multiple wavelengths of light for transmission to an occupant area above a surface of the vehicle seat,

receiving signals from said at least one oxymetry sensor, and

detecting a level of oxygen saturation in a control system for the occupant in the vehicle seat based on the received signals.

18. The method according to claim 17, further comprising the step of processing the detected levels of oxygen saturation in a control system to determine at least one of a pulse transit time, blood pressure, respiration, respiration rate and respiration depth of the occupant.

19. The method according to claim 18, further comprising the steps of

configuring at least one electrocardiogram (ECG) sensor integrated into a second portion of said vehicle seat to receive electrical signals from said occupant and

receiving signals from said at least one ECG sensor.

20. The method according to claim 19, further comprising the steps of processing the received signals from the ECG sensor in a control system to determine at least one of a heart rate, heart rate variability, stress level, a pulse-transit time and blood pressure of the occupant.

21. (canceled)

22. A vehicle seat comprises

a seat bottom,

a seat back coupled to the seat bottom and arranged to extend in an upward direction away from the seat bottom, and

an electronics system configured to provide means for sensing a physiological attribute of an occupant sitting on the vehicle seat through clothing worn by the occupant so that a predetermined action may be taken in response to the physiological attribute detected by the electronics system.

23. The vehicle seat of claim 22, wherein the electronics system includes an electrocardiogram (ECG) system coupled to the vehicle seat to sense electrical signals in the occupant through the occupant'"'"'s clothing and covert the electrical signals to a heart rate of the occupant.

24. The vehicle seat of claim 23, wherein the ECG system is coupled to the seat back and configured to sense electrical signals through a torso included in the occupant.

25. The vehicle seat of claim 23, wherein the electronics system further includes an oximetry system coupled to the vehicle seat to sense oxygen in the occupant'"'"'s blood through the occupant'"'"'s clothing and convert the sensed oxygen content into a respiration rate.

26. The vehicles seat of claim 25, wherein the oximetry system is coupled to the seat bottom and configured to sense oxygen in the occupant'"'"'s blood through legs included in the occupant.