Autonomous vehicle with reconfigurable seats

• US 9,199,553 B2
• Filed: 11/20/2013
• Issued: 12/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Cuddihy, Mark A., Rao, Manoharprasad K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheung, Calvin
• Assistant Examiner(s): WEEKS, MARTIN A
• Application Number:
  US14/085,166
• Publication Number:
  US 20150142273A1
• Time in Patent Office: 741 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/005 Arrangement or mounting of seats in vehicles , e.g. dismountable auxiliary seatsB60N2/02 takes precedence ; for railway vehicles B61D1/04
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/02 the seat or part thereof being movable, e.g. adjustable adjustable arm-rests B60N2/75; adjustable head-rests B60N2/806
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/02246 Electric motors therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/06 slidable B60N2/12 , B60N2/2209 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/3011 the back-rest being hinged on the cushion, e.g. "portefeuille movement"
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/3056 along longitunal axis

Abstract

A vehicle includes a passenger compartment with an instrument panel located near a front of the passenger compartment. The vehicle further includes at least one seat located in the passenger compartment. The seat can be stowed under the instrument panel for when the vehicle is operating in an autonomous mode.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

a passenger compartment having an instrument panel located near a front of the passenger compartment;

at least one seat located in the passenger compartment and configured to be stowed under the instrument panel for when the vehicle is operating in an autonomous mode; and

a steering wheel located in the passenger compartment, wherein the steering wheel is configured to move toward the instrument panel to allow the at least one seat to be stowed under the instrument panel.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein stowing the at least one seat includes folding the seat and moving the seat to a position under the instrument panel.

3. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein the seat is configured to slide along rails in the passenger compartment, and wherein moving the seat to the position under the instrument panel includes sliding the seat along the rails.

4. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising at least one motor operably attached to the seat and configured to move the seat to a position under the instrument panel.

5. The vehicle of claim 4, wherein the motor is configured to return the seat to an original position.

6. The vehicle of claim 4, wherein the motor is configured to move the seat when the vehicle is stationary.

7. The vehicle of claim 4, wherein the motor is configured to move the seat while the vehicle is moving and operating in the autonomous mode.

8. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising an accelerator pedal and a brake pedal under the instrument panel, wherein the accelerator pedal and the brake pedal are configured to move toward a front of the vehicle when the seat is stowed under the instrument panel.

9. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the at least one seat includes a front row of seats and a back row of seats, wherein the front row of seats is configured to be stowed under the instrument panel.

10. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the back row of seats is configured to move toward a front of the vehicle when the front row of seats is stowed under the instrument panel.

11. A vehicle comprising:

autonomous driving sensors;

an autonomous controller configured to receive signals generated by the autonomous driving sensors and control at least one vehicle subsystem according to the signals;

a passenger compartment having an instrument panel located near a front of the passenger compartment;

at least one seat located in the passenger compartment and configured to be stowed under the instrument panel for when the vehicle is operating in an autonomous mode; and

a steering wheel disposed on the instrument panel and configured to move away from an area under the instrument panel to allow the at least one seat to be stowed under the instrument panel.

12. The vehicle of claim 11, wherein stowing the at least one seat includes folding the seat and moving the seat to a position under the instrument panel.

13. The vehicle of claim 11, further comprising at least one motor operably attached to the seat and configured to move the seat to a position under the instrument panel and return the seat to an original position.

14. The vehicle of claim 13, wherein the motor is configured to move the seat while the vehicle is moving and operating in the autonomous mode.

15. The vehicle of claim 11, wherein the at least one seat includes a front row of seats and a back row of seats, wherein the front row of seats is configured to be stowed under the instrument panel and the back row of seats is configured to move toward a front of the vehicle when the front row of seats are stowed under the instrument panel.

16. A vehicle comprising:

autonomous driving sensors;

an autonomous controller configured to receive signals generated by the autonomous driving sensors and control at least one vehicle subsystems according to the signals;

a passenger compartment having an instrument panel located near a front of the passenger compartment;

a front row of seats located in the passenger compartment and configured to slide along rails located in the passenger compartment;

a back row of seats located in the passenger compartment, wherein the front row of seats is configured to be stowed under the instrument panel for when the vehicle is operating in an autonomous mode and the back row of seats is configured to move toward a front of the vehicle when the front row of seats are stowed under the instrument panel.

17. The vehicle of claim 16, further comprising an accelerator pedal and a brake pedal under the instrument panel, wherein the accelerator pedal and the brake pedal are configured to move toward a front of the vehicle when the front row of seats is stowed under the instrument panel.

18. The vehicle of claim 16, further comprising a steering wheel located in the passenger compartment, wherein the steering wheel is configured to move toward the instrument panel to allow the front row of seats to be stowed under the instrument panel.

19. The vehicle of claim 16, further comprising at least one motor operably attached to the front row of seats and configured to move the front row of seats to a position under the instrument panel.