Method for tilting a seat of a vehicle

• US 6,720,750 B2
• Filed: 07/25/2002
• Issued: 04/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies Incorporated (Visteon Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies Incorporated (Visteon Corporation)
• Inventors: Oh, Pahngroc, Pavlov, Kevin J., Stachowski, Stephen M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nappi, Robert E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MILLER, PATRICK L
• Application Number:
  US10/182,543
• Publication Number:
  US 20030098662A1
• Time in Patent Office: 628 Days
• Field of Search: 318/489, 318/478, 318/468, 318/470, 318/461-464, 318/466, 318/467, 318/456-458, 318/449, 318/450, 318/584-587, 318/626, 297/217.3, 297/216.19, 180/325, 180/326, 180/328, 180/330, 248/550, 248/651-654, 248/664, 248/352
• US Class Current: 318/466
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/02246 Electric motors therefor
• 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 2/0272 using sensors or detectors for detecting the position of seat parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/39 Seats tiltable to compensate for roll inclination of vehicles

Abstract

A method for tilting a seat of a vehicle based on a first threshold (low) and a first threshold (high) for a first parameter of the vehicle and a second threshold (low) and a second threshold (high) for a second parameter of the vehicle. The tilt angle of the seat is increased if the first parameter is greater that or equal to the first threshold (low) and the second parameter is greater than or equal to the second threshold (high) or if the parameter is greater than or equal to the first threshold (high) and the second parameter is greater than or equal to the second threshold (low).

Claims

1. A method for adjusting a tilt angle of a seat of a vehicle, comprising:

sensing a first parameter of the vehicle;

sensing a second parameter of the vehicle;

retrieving a first threshold_low for the first parameter, a first threshold_high for the first parameter, a second threshold_low for the second parameter, and a second threshold_high for the second parameter, wherein the first threshold_low is less than the first threshold_high and wherein the second threshold_low is less than the second threshold_high; and

increasing the tilt angle of the seat if the first parameter is greater than or equal to the first threshold_low and the second parameter is greater than or equal to the second threshold_high or if the first parameter is greater than or equal to the first threshold_high and the second parameter parameter is greater than or equal to the second threshold_low.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising maintaining the tilt angle of the seat if first threshold_low is less than or equal to the first parameter first threshold_high and second threshold_low is less than or equal to the second parameter is less than the second threshold_high.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said sensing a first parameter includes sensing a steering angle of a steering device of the vehicle.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said sensing a second parameter includes sensing a speed of the vehicle.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein said sensing a first parameter includes sensing a lateral acceleration of the vehicle.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said sensing a second parameter includes sensing a yaw rate of the vehicle.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein said retrieving includes retrieving from a memory device.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein said retrieving includes retrieving from an occupant of the vehicle.

7. A method for adjusting a tilt angle of a seat of a vehicle, comprising:

sensing a first parameter of the vehicle;

sensing a second parameter of the vehicle;

retrieving a first threshold_low for the first parameter, a first threshold_high for the first parameter, a second threshold_low for the second parameter, and a second threshold_high for the second parameter, wherein the first threshold_low is less than the first threshold_high and wherein the second threshold_low is less than the second threshold_high,

increasing the tilt angle of the seat if the first parameter is greater than or equal to the first threshold_low and the second parameter is greater than or equal to the second threshold_high or if the first parameter is greater than or equal to the first threshold_high and the second parameter is greater than or equal to the second threshold_low; and

retrieving a first threshold_med for the first parameter and a second threshold_med for the second parameter, wherein the first threshold_low is less than the first threshold_med is less than the first threshold_high and wherein the second threshold_low is less than the second threshold_med is less than the second threshold_high.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising increasing the tilt angle of the seat if the first parameter is greater than or equal to the first threshold_med and the second parameter is greater than or equal to the second threshold_med.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein said sensing a first parameter includes sensing a steering angle of a steering device of the vehicle.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said sensing a second parameter includes sensing a speed of the vehicle.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein said sensing a first parameter includes sensing a lateral acceleration of the vehicle.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said sensing a second parameter includes sensing a yaw rate of the vehicle.