Automatic adjuster for automobile driver equipment

• US 4,707,788 A
• Filed: 07/10/1985
• Issued: 11/17/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/1984
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nippon Soken, Inc. (DENSO Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nippondenso Co., Ltd. (DENSO Corporation), Nippon Soken, Inc. (DENSO Corporation)
• Inventors: Taguchi, Masahiro, Nakano, Osamu, Onimaru, Sadahisa, Kuno, Akira, Ina, Toshikazu, Tashiro, Syuzaburo
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Gary
• Application Number:
  US06/753,553
• Time in Patent Office: 860 Days
• Field of Search: 364/424, 364/425, 318/466, 318/467, 296/65 R, 297/346
• US Class Current: 701/49
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/02246 Electric motors therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0248 with memory of positions
• 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 2210/22 Optical; Photoelectric; Lidar [Light Detection and Ranging]
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2210/46 Electric switches
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2220/10 using a database
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2220/20 using a deterministic algorithm
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/07 by electrically powered actuators

Abstract

An automatic adjuster for automobile driver equipment, such as a seat and mirrors, which sets the equipment at target positions for specific drivers in accordance with preset data. The automatic adjuster includes a plurality of keys having a different number of holes therein representing information indicative of individual drivers and carried by drivers for automobile access, a key sensor mounted in a key cylinder of the automobile for reading information on the keys when used for access to the automobile; a door sensor mounted in a door of the automobile for sensing the opening and closing of the door of the automobile; a computer connected with the key sensor and the door sensor for providing control outputs in response to outputs of the key sensor and the door sensor, the control outputs being responsive to the output of the door sensor indicative of the opening and closing of the door, and to the output of the key sensor indicative of the information read by the door sensor, and an actuator connected with the computer for adjusting the driver equipment based on the control outputs from the computer in such a manner that a moving speed of the driver equipment is switched in accordance with the state of use of the driver equipment.

Claims

1. An automatic adjuster for automobile driver equipment adjusted in accordance with a figure and dimensions of an individual driver, such as a seat and mirrors, comprising:

detachable information means having information indicative of said individual driver and carried by said driver for access to the automobile;

reading means mounted in said automobile for reading information on said information means when used for access to said automobile;

manual adjustment means for manually adjusting said driver equipment;

control means connected with said reading means and said manual adjustment means for providing control outputs in response to outputs of said reading means and said manual adjustment means, said control outputs being responsive to said outputs of said reading means indicative of the information read by said reading means, and responsive to said manual adjustment means to determine whether said driver equipment is being manually adjusted,

driving means connected with said control means for adjusting said driver equipment based on said control outputs from said control means to cause a moving speed of said driver equipment to be a first slow speed when said driver equipment is manually adjusted, and a second fast speed at least when said driver equipment is not being manually adjusted.

2. An automatic adjuster as claimed in claim 1, wherein said information means comprises a plurality of keys having a different number of holes in each key.

3. An automatic adjuster as claimed in claim 1, wherein said reading means comprises a key sensor.

4. An automatic adjuster as claimed in claim 1, further comprising sensing means mounted in said automobile and coupled to said control means, for sensing an opening and closing of a door of said automobile.

5. An automatic adjuster as claimed in claim 1, wherein said driving means comprises actuator means.

6. An automatic adjuster as claimed in claim 1, wherein said control means causes a moving speed of said driver equipment to be high during an automatic adjustment of said driver equipment, and to be low during manual adjustment of said driver equipment by said driver.

7. An automatic adjuster as claimed in claim 1, wherein said control means causes a moving speed of said seat is set to be low when said driver is detected as being seated.

8. An automatic adjuster as claimed in claim 1, wherein said control means comprises a microcomputer.

9. An automatic adjuster as claimed in claim 5, wherein said actuator means comprises pluralities of potentiometers and limit switches and motors.

10. In an automatic adjuster for automobile driver equipment adjusted in accordance with a figure and dimensions of a driver, such as a seat and mirrors, said automatic adjuster having information means carried by a driver and provided thereon with information indicative of said driver, reading means mounted in said automobile for reading the information on said information means when used for access to said automobile, control means responsive to said reading means for producing an output indicative of a target position of said driver equipment in correspondence with an output of said reading means, and driving means for adjusting said driver equipment to said target position in response to said output of said control means, the improvement which comprises:

detecting means, coupled to said control means, for detecting when said driver equipment is manually adjusted;

sensing means mounted in said automobile for sensing an opening of a door of said automobile;

said control means being connected to said sensing means and producing another output in response to an output of said sensing means indicative of the opening of said door, said control means being coupled to said detecting means and producing a further output when said driver equipment is selected as being manually adjusted; and

said driving means adjusting said driver equipment to said target position in response to said another output and said further output of said control means to cause a moving speed of said driver equipment to be (1) low when said door is sensed as not open and when driver equipment is detected as being manually adjusted and (2) high at least when said driver equipment is detected as being not manually adjusted.