Driver feeling adjusting apparatus

• US 7,987,032 B2
• Filed: 04/25/2007
• Issued: 07/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Uenuma, Kenya, Sakai, Tatsuo, Iwao, Keijiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Cuong H
• Application Number:
  US11/790,411
• Publication Number:
  US 20070255469A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,553 Days
• Field of Search: 701/36, 701/49, 701/41, 353/13, 297/216.1, 297/406, 297/61, 297/391, 297/40, 296/65.13
• US Class Current: 701/49
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/02246 Electric motors therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0244 with logic circuits
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/026 varying hardness or support of upholstery, e.g. for tuning seat comfort when driving curved roads
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0273 taking into account user data, e.g. knee height or physical state
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/986 Side-rests B60N2/2872, B60N2/885 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/99 adjustable
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2210/00 Sensor types, e.g. for passenger detection systems or for controlling seats

Abstract

A driver feeling adjusting apparatus includes a seat that is fixed to a vehicle and on which a driver is seated, a movable portion that is provided in the seat and that can be displaced in a vehicle lateral direction or a yaw direction, and a control unit that displaces the movable portion in an opposite direction to a direction of centripetal acceleration or a yaw rate in turning, and enables the driver to feel easy steering.

Claims

1. A driver feeling adjusting apparatus comprising:

a seat that is fixed to a vehicle and on which a driver is seated;

a movable portion that is provided in the seat and that can be displaced in a vehicle lateral direction or in a yaw direction; and

a control unit that displaces the movable portion in an opposite direction to a direction of a centripetal acceleration or a yaw rate, at turning, wherein the control unit automatically adjusts a moving direction of the seat,

wherein the movable portion comprises a pair of right and left side supports that are arranged on both sides of a rear surface of the seat, and

wherein the side supports are displaced in the yaw direction or the vehicle lateral direction with respect to other portions of the seat.

2. The driver feeling adjusting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit selectively controls a control pattern in which the movable portion is displaced in an identical direction to the direction of the centripetal acceleration or the yaw rate at turning and a control pattern in which the movable portion is displaced in the opposite direction to the direction of the centripetal acceleration or the yaw rate at turning, and continuously changes two patterns.

3. The driver feeling adjusting apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a selecting unit with which the driver selects from the two control patterns,

wherein the control unit controls the movable portion in a control pattern selected by the selecting unit.

4. The driver feeling adjusting apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a physical condition detector that detects a physical condition of the driver,

wherein the control unit switches the control patterns selectively or continuously based on an output from the physical condition detector.

5. The driver feeling adjusting apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a driving condition detector that detects a driving condition of the vehicle, wherein:

the control unit switches the control patterns selectively or continuously based on an output from the driving condition detector, and

the driving condition of the vehicle includes;

the yaw rate, and

an acceleration in the vehicle lateral direction.

8. The driver feeling adjusting apparatus according to claim 5, wherein:

when the acceleration in the vehicle lateral direction is detected by the driving condition detector, the control unit makes at least one of the following operations;

in a driving region of a low lateral acceleration, performing an opposite-phase driving on the seat to provide a relaxed driving feeling to the driver, and

in a driving region of a high lateral acceleration in which a turnability is important, performing an in-phase driving on the seat.

6. A driver feeling adjusting apparatus comprising:

a seat that is fixed to a vehicle and on which a driver is seated;

a movable portion that is provided in the seat and that can be displaced in a vehicle lateral direction or in a yaw direction; and

a control unit that displaces the movable portion in an opposite direction to a direction of a centripetal acceleration or a yaw rate, at turning, wherein the control unit automatically adjusts a moving direction of the seat,

wherein the control unit selectively controls a control pattern in which the movable portion is displaced in an identical direction to the direction of the centripetal acceleration or the yaw rate at turning and a control pattern in which the movable portion is displaced in the opposite direction to the direction of the centripetal acceleration or the yaw rate at turning, and continuously changes two patterns.

9. The driver feeling adjusting apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising a driving condition detector that detects a driving condition of the vehicle, wherein:

the control unit switches the control patterns selectively or continuously based on an output from the driving condition detector, and

the driving condition of the vehicle includes;

the yaw rate, and

an acceleration in the vehicle lateral direction.

10. The driver feeling adjusting apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising a selecting unit with which the driver selects from the two control patterns,

wherein the control unit controls the movable portion in a control pattern selected by the selecting unit.

11. The driver feeling adjusting apparatus according to claim 9, wherein:

when the acceleration in the vehicle lateral direction is detected by the driving condition detector, the control unit makes at least one of the following operations;

in a driving region of a low lateral acceleration, performing an opposite-phase driving on the seat to provide a relaxed driving feeling to the driver, and

in a driving region of a high lateral acceleration in which a turnability is important, performing an in-phase driving on the seat.

7. A driver feeling adjusting apparatus comprising:

a seat that is fixed to a vehicle and on which a driver is seated;

a movable portion that is provided in the seat and that can be displaced in a vehicle lateral direction or in a yaw direction; and

a control unit that displaces the movable portion in an opposite direction to a direction of a centripetal acceleration or a yaw rate, at turning, wherein the control unit automatically adjusts a moving direction of the seat, wherein;

the movable portion is a part of at least a rear surface of the seat, and

the part of at least the rear surface of the seat is displaced in the yaw direction or the vehicle lateral direction with respect to other portions of the seat.