Motor vehicle seat system, control arrangement, actuating arrangement, and process for control of a lumbar adjustment device of a motor vehicle seat

• US 7,172,247 B2
• Filed: 08/07/2003
• Issued: 02/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Brose Fahrzeugteile GmbH & Company KG Coburg
• Original Assignee: Brose Fahrzeugteile GmbH & Company KG Coburg
• Inventors: Carl, Ingo, Forkel, Michael, Beloch, Klaus, Woller, Alexander
• Primary Examiner(s): Nelson, Jr.; Milton
• Application Number:
  US10/636,292
• Publication Number:
  US 20050052060A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,279 Days
• Field of Search: 297/284.4, 297/284.1, 297/284.7, 297/284.8, 297/217.3, 297/463.1, 701/36, 701/49, 601/58, 601/86, 601/98, 318/590, 318/567, 318/460
• US Class Current: 297/284.7
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/02246 Electric motors therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0228 Hand-activated mechanical switches B60N2/0229 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0244 with logic circuits
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0272 using sensors or detectors for detecting the position of seat parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0273 taking into account user data, e.g. knee height or physical state
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/66 Lumbar supports
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/666 vertically adjustable
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/976 massaging systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2210/14 Inductive; Magnetic field
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2220/20 using a deterministic algorithm

Abstract

A motor vehicle seat system, control arrangement, actuating arrangement, and process are used to control a lumbar support device of a motor vehicle seat. The lumbar adjustment device has a first drive for adjustment in a first adjustment direction and a second drive for adjustment in a second adjustment direction. The adjustment directions differ from each other. A first adjustment position is ascertained in the first adjustment direction and the drive movement of the second drive is controlled as a function of at least one of the first adjustment position and the temporal change in the first adjustment position.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a lumbar adjustment device of a motor vehicle seat, the lumbar adjustment device having a first drive for adjustment in a first adjustment direction and a second drive for adjustment in a second adjustment direction, the method comprising:

simultaneously and automatically controlling a drive movement in the first adjustment direction and a drive movement in the second adjustment direction, wherein the adjustment directions differ from each other, and wherein a second adjustment position is ascertained in the second adjustment direction, and the drive movement in the first adjustment direction is controlled as a function of at least one of the second adjustment position and a temporal change in the second adjustment position.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the drive movement in the first adjustment direction is controlled as a function of the second adjustment position and a temporal change in the second adjustment position.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the drive movement in the first adjustment direction and the drive movement in the second adjustment direction form a massage pattern, that is run through for a predefinable period of time.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein a massage figure is altered as a function of at least one characteristic value of the group consisting of:

weight of seat occupant;

massage time;

trip duration;

vehicle speed and its temporal change;

frequency and extent of operation of a steering wheel;

gas pedal operating path;

clutch pedal operation;

bad road detection;

vehicle temperature;

user identification; and

operation of an actuating device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the motor vehicle seat includes a seat back having a lumbar support;

wherein at least one of the first adjustment direction and the second adjustment direction lie in a plane of the seat back for a massage function along the lumbar support; and

wherein the massage function is adjusted by controlling the adjustment movement in at least one of the first adjustment direction and the second adjustment direction as a function of measured position values.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first adjustment direction and the second adjustment direction lie in a plane of the seat back for a massage function along the lumbar support.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the massage function is adjusted by controlling the adjustment movement in the first adjustment direction and the second adjustment direction as a function of measured position values.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein one adjustment movement is composed of the drive movements in the first adjustment direction and the second adjustment direction;

and wherein the adjustment in the first adjustment direction is coordinated with the adjustment in the second adjustment direction.

9. The method of claim 1 or 8, wherein a first adjustment position is ascertained in the first adjustment direction;

and wherein the drive movement in the second adjustment direction is controlled as a function of at least one of the first adjustment position and a temporal change in the first adjustment position.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the drive movement in the second adjustment direction is controlled as a function of the first adjustment position and a temporal change in the first adjustment position.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein a coordination instruction is read out from storage, and a drive control variable pulse width modulation for dependent control of the drive is ascertained from at least one of the adjustment position and the temporal change in the adjustment position ascertained using the coordination instruction.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the drive control variable pulse width modulation for dependent control of the drive is ascertained from the adjustment position and the temporal change in the adjustment position ascertained using the coordination instruction.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of a direction of movement, a speed of movement and an acceleration of movement of the first adjustment drive is coordinated with at least one of an adjustment position and a temporal change in the adjustment position of the second drive.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein a direction of movement, a speed of movement and an acceleration of movement of the first adjustment drive is coordinated with at least one of an adjustment position and a temporal change in the adjustment position of the second drive.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein at least one of a direction of movement, a speed of movement and an acceleration of movement of the first adjustment drive is coordinated with an adjustment position and a temporal change in the adjustment position of the second drive.

16. A method for controlling a lumbar adjustment device of a motor vehicle seat, the lumbar adjustment device having a first drive for adjustment in a first adjustment direction and a second drive for adjustment in a second adjustment direction, the method comprising:

simultaneously and automatically controlling a drive movement in the first adjustment direction and a drive movement in the second adjustment direction, wherein the adjustment directions differ from each other, wherein the lumbar adjustment device has a third drive for adjustment in a third adjustment direction differing from the first adjustment direction and second adjustment direction, and the drive movement of the third drive is controlled as a function of at least one of an adjustment position and a temporal change in the adjustment position of at least one of the first adjustment direction and the second adjustment direction.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the drive movement of the third drive is controlled as a function of the adjustment position and the temporal change in the adjustment position of at least one of the first adjustment direction and the second adjustment direction.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the drive movement of the third drive is controlled as a function of at least one of the adjustment position and the temporal change in the adjustment position of the first adjustment direction and the second adjustment direction.

19. A motor vehicle seat system having a lumbar adjustment device comprising:

a lumbar support adjustable at least in the seat back depth and the seat back height;

a first drive for adjustment in a first adjustment direction;

a second drive for adjustment in a second adjustment direction;

a computing unit for simultaneously and automatically controlling a drive movement in the first adjustment direction and in the second adjustment direction;

driver elements to control drive energy of the drives;

sensors to ascertain at least one of an adjustment position and a temporal change in the adjustment position; and

an input device.

20. The motor vehicle seat system of claim 19, further comprising sensors to ascertain the adjustment position and the temporal change in the adjustment position.

21. A method for controlling a lumbar adjustment device of a motor vehicle seat, the lumbar adjustment device having a first drive for adjustment in a first adjustment direction and a second drive for adjustment in a second adjustment direction, the method comprising:

simultaneously and automatically controlling a drive movement in the first adjustment direction and a drive movement in the second adjustment direction, wherein the adjustment directions differ from each other, wherein a force acting on at least one of the first and second drive is ascertained from at least one drive movement.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein a back contour of a seat occupant is determined by ascertaining the force acting on the drive.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein from the back contour, at least one of a contour-specific adjustment position, a contour-specific massage pattern and a contour-specific predefinable period of time for the massage is determined.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein from the back contour a contour-specific adjustment position, a contour-specific massage pattern and a contour-specific predefinable period of time for the massage is determined.

25. A lumbar adjustment device comprising:

a first drive for adjustment in a first adjustment direction;

a second drive for adjustment in a second adjustment direction;

a computing unit for automatically controlling a drive movement in the first adjustment direction and in the second adjustment direction;

driver elements to control drive energy of the first drive and the second drive; and

sensors to ascertain at least one of an adjustment position and a temporal change in the adjustment position;

wherein the adjustment directions differ from each other.

26. The device of claim 25, wherein the computing unit is programmable and at least one massage pattern is programmable and storable.

27. The lumbar adjustment device of claim 25, further comprising sensors to ascertain an adjustment position and a temporal change in the adjustment position.

28. The device of claim 25, wherein a plurality of massage patterns are at least one of the following:

user selectable, changeable, and storable.

29. The lumbar adjustment device of claim 28, wherein a plurality of massage patterns are user selectable, changeable, and storable.

30. The device of claim 25 further comprising a transmitter for communication of a massage function via a bus system.

31. The device of claim 30, wherein the bus system is a local interconnect network-bus.