VEHICLE SEAT ASSEMBLY AND METHOD OF OCCUPANT ACCOMMODATION

• US 20170282753A1
• Filed: 03/30/2016
• Published: 10/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lear Corporation
• Original Assignee: Lear Corporation
• Inventors: ZOUZAL, Winsen C., PATRICK, Gerald
• Granted Patent: US 9,896,002 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 2/0025 by using weight measurement
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/003 characterised by the sensor mounting location in or on the seat
• 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 2/0268 using sensors or detectors for adapting the seat or seat part, e.g. to the position of an occupant
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0273 taking into account user data, e.g. knee height or physical state
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/06 slidable B60N2/12 , B60N2/2209 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/22 the back-rest being adjustable B60N2/2878 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/995 Lower-leg-rests, e.g. calf-rests
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2230/10 Wired data transmission
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2230/30 Signal processing of sensor data

Abstract

A vehicle seating assembly is provided. The seat assembly includes a front seat assembly having a front seat bottom adapted to be mounted to the vehicle body and a front seat back adapted to be mounted to the vehicle body adjacent to the front seat bottom. A sensor cooperates with at least one of the front seat bottom and the front seat back. An actuator is disposed on at least one of the seat bottom and seat back. The seat assembly includes a rear seat assembly behind the front seat assembly. A vehicle seat controller receives an input indicative of a rear occupant seated information and convey a signal to an actuator to move a front seat assembly to an accommodation position in response to the input.

Claims

1. A vehicle seat controller programmed to:

receive a first input indicating a position of a front seat;

receive a second input indicating an occupant'"'"'s physical characteristic in a rear seat;

determine a current occupant space based on the first input;

determine a recommended occupant space based on the second input;

provide a signal to an actuator to move the front seat to an accommodation position when the recommended occupant space is less than the current occupant space.

2. A vehicle seating assembly comprising:

a front seat assembly comprising;

a front seat bottom adapted to be mounted to the vehicle body;

a front seat back adapted to be mounted to the vehicle body adjacent to the front seat bottom;

a sensor cooperating with at least one of the front seat bottom and the front seat back;

an actuator disposed on at least one of the seat bottom and seat back; and

a rear seat assembly behind the front seat assembly; and

a vehicle seat controller according to claim 1 in communication with the sensor and the actuator.

3. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 2 wherein the accommodation position decreases at least one of a relined angle of the front seat back and a fore-aft position of the front seat bottom to increase the recommended rear occupant space.

4. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 2 wherein the accommodation position is further defined as a reclined orientation of the seat back.

5. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 2 wherein the accommodation position is further defined as a fore-aft orientation of the seat bottom.

6. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 2 wherein said physical characteristic comprises the occupant'"'"'s height, and where the vehicle seat assembly further comprises an interface in communication with the controller for inputting the height.

7. A vehicle seat controller programmed to:

receive an input indicative of a rear occupant seated information; and

convey a signal to an actuator to move a front seat assembly to an accommodation position in response to the input.

8. A vehicle seating assembly comprising:

a front seat assembly comprising;

a front seat bottom;

a front seat back mounted adjacent to the front seat bottom;

a sensor cooperating with at least one of the front seat bottom and the front seat back;

an actuator disposed on at least one of the seat bottom and seat back; and

a rear seat assembly behind the front seat assembly;

a vehicle seat controller according to claim 7 in communication with the sensor and the actuator.

9. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 8 wherein the accommodation position is further defined as a reclined position of the front seat back.

10. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 8 wherein the accommodation position is further defined as a fore-aft position of the front seat bottom.

11. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 8 further comprising a wire harness connecting the controller and the front seat assembly.

12. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 8 wherein the rear occupant seated information includes an occupant height.

13. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 12 further comprising an interface in communication with the controller for inputting the occupant'"'"'s height.

14. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 8 wherein the rear occupant seated information includes moving a rear foot rest to a deployed position.

15. A method for controlling a seat assembly having a front seat and a rear seat positioned rearward of the front seat, the method comprising:

receiving a first input indicating rear occupant information of the rear seat; and

providing a signal to an actuator to move the front seat to an accommodation position in response to the first input.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

receiving a second input indicating a position of the front seat;

determining a recommended occupant space based on the second input; and

determining a current occupant space based on the second input,

wherein the signal is provided to the actuator to move the front seat to the accommodation position when the recommended occupant space is less than the current occupant space.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising moving the front seat to the accommodation position by decreasing at least one of a relined angle of a front seat back and a fore-aft position of a front seat bottom to increase the recommended occupant space.

18. The method of claim 15 further comprising receiving the first input via a user interface.

19. The method of claim 15 further comprising notifying a front seat occupant before moving the front seat to the accommodation position.

20. The method of claim 15 wherein the rear occupant information comprises a rear occupant height.