Supervised and unsupervised seat folding

• US 7,965,170 B2
• Filed: 07/14/2006
• Issued: 06/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lear Corporation
• Original Assignee: Lear Corporation
• Inventors: Nathan, John F., Kennedy, Karl
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu; Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): TUN, NAY L
• Application Number:
  US11/457,616
• Publication Number:
  US 20080021618A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,803 Days
• Field of Search: 296/63, 296/65.05, 296/65.09, 296/24.43, 296/3, 340/5.1, 340/5.61, 340/5.72, 340/5.62, 340/825.69, 297/335, 297/257, 701/49, 180/271, 180/287, 180/272, 180/273, 280/226.1
• US Class Current: 340/5.1
• 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 2/0237 using portable terminals, e.g. smartphones
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0244 with logic circuits
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0278 using sensors external to the seat for measurements in relation to the seat adjustment, e.g. for identifying the presence of obstacles or the appropriateness of the occupants position
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/3013 the back-rest being hinged on the vehicle frame
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/36 into a loading platform B60N2/065 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/42 Detection using safety edges
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/77 using wireless control
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/538 Interior lids

Abstract

Supervised and unsupervised seat folding of the type wherein supervised or unsupervised seating folding is permitted as function of whether a user is within a particular proximity to a seat being folded. The proximity being determined according to any number of parameters, such as but not limited whether the user is able to view the folding seat.

Claims

1. A method of folding a vehicle seat, the method comprising:

receiving a remotely transmitted request for seat folding from a key fob;

determining a proximity of the key fob to the vehicle;

permitting unsupervised seat folding if the key fob is within a first proximity to the vehicle;

requiring supervised seat folding if the key fob is within a second proximity to the vehicle;

requiring one-touch seat actuation if unsupervised seating folding is permitted and requiring continuous seat actuation if supervised seating folding is permitted;

requiring continuous manual depression of an electrical switch used in supervised seat folding if continuous seat actuation is required;

overriding unsupervised seat folding in response to determining an override event such that supervised seat folding is required in order to fold the vehicle seat between the first and second positions; and

defining the override event according to stability logic associated with preventing successive seat foldings within a predefined period of time.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining the override event according to the stability logic associated with preventing successive seat foldings within the predefined period of time and a status of an obstruction sensor used to sense for obstructions on the vehicle seat.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining the override event according to the stability logic associated with preventing successive seat foldings within the predefined period of time and a status of a seat fold travel sensor used to sense movement of the vehicle seat.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining the override event according to the stability logic associated with preventing successive seat foldings within the predefined period of time and a status of a seat belt latch sensor used to sense engagement of a seat belt used to restrain a passenger relative to the vehicle seat.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining the override event according to the stability logic associated with preventing successive seat foldings within the predefined period of time and a status of a seat belt tension sensor used to sense tensioning on a seat belt used to restrain a passenger relative to the vehicle seat.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the vehicle seat includes a shape memory alloy (SMA) element configured to facilitate seat folding, and wherein the method further comprises defining the override event according to the stability logic associated with preventing successive seat foldings within the predefined period of time and SMA protection logic used to protect operations of the SMA element.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising overriding the unsupervised seat folding according to SMA protection logic for thermal or electrical protection.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising remotely actuating a secondary seat element associated with the vehicle seat before permitting one-touch seat folding.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the secondary seat element is a temperature exchange element associated with heating or cooling the vehicle seat, the temperature exchange element being attached to the vehicle seat, and wherein the method further comprises shutting off the temperature exchange element before remotely actuating the secondary seat element.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising defining the first proximity to correspond with a distance sufficient to visually inspect the vehicle seat.

11. A method of folding a vehicle seat, the method comprising:

instigating folding of the vehicle seat upon receipt of a request from a key fob;

determining a proximity of the key fob used to request folding the vehicle seat based on a signal received from the key fob;

disabling an override of the seat folding if the key fob is within a first proximity; and

requiring continuous-touch of the key fob or a vehicle seat switch to disable the override of the seat folding if the key fob is beyond the first proximity.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising overriding seat folding in response to determining an override event, wherein the override event is defined according to stability logic associated which prevents successive seat foldings within a predefined period of time.

13. The method of claim 11 further comprising determining the key fob to be within the first proximity if the key fob is within three feet of the vehicle.

14. The method of claim 11 further comprising determining the key fob to be within the first proximity if the key fob is within five feet of a vehicle seat to be folded.

15. The method of claim 11 further comprising determining the override in the event a sensor senses the vehicle seat to be occupied, the override preventing folding of the seat.

16. A system for folding a vehicle seat, the system comprising:

a key fob having a button to request seat folding;

a seat actuation element configured to;

(i) facilitate folding the seat upon receiving signals indicating actuation of the button;

(ii) detect an override event;

(iii) override folding the seat upon detecting the override event unless one of the button is actuated while the key fob is within a first distance to the vehicle and the button is continuously actuated while the key fob is at a second distance, beyond the first distance to the vehicle; and

wherein the seat actuation element requires receipt of a signal from the key fob in order to determine whether the key fob is at each of the first and second distances.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the override event is defined according to stability logic associated with preventing successive seat foldings within a predefined period of time.

18. The system of claim 17 further comprising a vehicle mounted seat switch and wherein the seat actuation element is configured to permit seat folding if the override event is determined and the seat switch is used to instigate seat folding.

19. The system of claim 16 wherein the first distance is approximately three feet.