Alert systems and methods for a vehicle with improved actuator placement

• US 9,421,908 B2
• Filed: 05/14/2013
• Issued: 08/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: McQueen, Diane K., Kiefer, Raymond J., Stebbins, Mark A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Swarthout, Brent
• Application Number:
  US13/894,279
• Publication Number:
  US 20130342334A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,197 Days
• Field of Search: 340/407.1, 340/575, 340/576, 340/903, 340/435, 297/217.1, 297/217.3
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B06B 1/16 operating with systems involving rotary unbalanced masses
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/80 Head-rests
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/986 Side-rests B60N2/2872, B60N2/885 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2002/981 Warning systems, e.g. the seat or seat parts vibrates to warn the passenger when facing a danger
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/008 for anti-collision purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/16 Tactile feedback to the driver, e.g. vibration or force feedback to the driver on the steering wheel or the accelerator pedal
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 6/00 Tactile signalling systems, e.g. personal calling systems

Abstract

A vehicle seat assembly is provided. The assembly includes a bottom seat member and a haptic alert assembly. The haptic alert assembly includes a first actuator incorporated into the bottom seat member. The first actuator is configured to generate at least a first portion of a haptic alert.

Claims

1. A vehicle seat assembly, comprising:

a bottom seat member comprising a seat pan with a first side and a second side, a first bolster positioned on the first side of the seat pan, and a second bolster positioned on the second side of the seat pan, the first bolster including a first foam body and the second foam body including a second foam body,

wherein the first bolster includes a first depression in the first foam body formed on a first top surface of the first bolster and a first wire passage extending through the first bolster to the first depression, and wherein the second bolster includes a second depression in the second foam body formed on a second top surface of the second bolster and a second wire passage extending through the second bolster to the second depression; and

a haptic alert assembly comprising a first actuator incorporated into the first depression of the first bolster of the bottom seat member and a second actuator incorporated into the second depression of the second bolster, the first actuator configured to generate at least a first portion of a haptic alert and second actuator configured to generate at least a second portion of the haptic alert,

wherein the first actuator is positioned in the first depression of the first bolster relative to the first top surface and the first foam body and the second actuator is positioned in the second depression of the second bolster relative to the second top surface and the second foam body such that the first portion and the second portion of the haptic alert are isolated from one another, and

wherein the first actuator includes a first housing with an extended first top wall surface and a first motor within the first housing, the first motor comprising a first rotatable eccentric mass configured to produce the first portion of the haptic alert by rotating about a first axis of rotation, the first portion of the haptic alert having a first peak amplitude in a vertical direction perpendicular to the first axis of rotation at least five times greater than a second peak amplitude in a horizontal direction parallel to the axis of rotation,

wherein the first motor operates at a frequency of approximately 55 Hertz to approximately 67 Hertz, the frequency being selected to reduce interactions with road vibration frequencies.

2. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 1, wherein the bottom seat member defines a hip point, and wherein the first actuator is laterally aligned with the hip point.

3. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 1, wherein the bottom seat member defines a hip point, and wherein the first actuator is positioned approximately 25 cm forward of the hip point.

4. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 1, wherein the bottom seat member defines a hip point, and wherein the first actuator is positioned between approximately 0 cm and approximately 25 cm forward of the hip point.

5. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 1, wherein the housing further comprises a bottom wall and a plurality of side walls coupling the extended top wall surface to the bottom wall, and wherein the extended top wall surface is at least approximately 50% larger in area than the bottom wall.

9. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 1, wherein the second actuator includes a second housing with an extended second top wall surface and a second motor within the second housing, the second motor comprising a second rotatable eccentric mass configured to produce the second portion of the haptic alert by rotating about a second axis of rotation, the second portion of the haptic alert having a third peak amplitude in the vertical direction at least five times greater than a fourth peak amplitude in the horizontal direction,

whereby a first difference between the first peak amplitude and the second peak amplitude and a second difference between the third peak amplitude and the fourth peak amplitude result in isolation between the first and second portions of the haptic signal to enable directional differentiation by an occupant of the seat assembly.

10. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 1, wherein the first bolster includes a first foam body with the first wire passage extending through an interior of the first foam body, and wherein the second bolster includes a second foam body with the second wire passage extending through an interior of the second foam body, and

wherein the vehicle seat assembly further comprises a wire harness with a first wire extending through the first wire passage in the first foam body into the first depression to the first actuator and a second wire extending through the second wire passage in the second foam body into the second depression to the second actuator.

11. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 5, wherein the first depression is formed with a plurality of steps to define a first portion that accommodates the side walls and a second portion that accommodates the extended top wall surface.

12. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 11, wherein the plurality of steps in the first depression further defines a third portion, above the second portion, that accommodates a topper pad.

6. A driver alert assembly, comprising:

a vehicle seat assembly comprising a bottom seat member having a seat pan with a first side and a second side, a first bolster positioned on the first side of the seat pan, and a second bolster positioned on the second side of the seat pan; and

a control module configured to declare a collision condition based on input signals received from one or more collision avoidance systems and to generate alert command signals based on the collision condition; and

a haptic alert assembly coupled to the control module and configured to generate a haptic alert based on the alert command signals, the haptic alert assembly including

a first actuator incorporated into a depression formed in a first top surface of the first bolster and configured to generate at least a first portion of the haptic alert, and

a second actuator incorporated into a depression formed in a second top surface of the second bolster and configured to generate at least a second portion of the haptic alert,

wherein the first actuator and the second actuator are respectively positioned in the first bolster and the second bolster such that vibrations generated from the first and second portions of the haptic alert are decoupled from one another, and

wherein the first actuator and the second actuator each includes a housing with an extended top wall surface and a motor within the housing, the motor comprising a rotatable eccentric mass configured to produce the haptic alert by rotating about a first axis of rotation, and

wherein the first and second portions of the haptic alert each has a first peak amplitude in a vertical direction and a second peak amplitude in a horizontal direction, the first peak amplitude being at least seven times greater than the second peak amplitude,

wherein the motor of at least one of the first and second actuators operates at a frequency of approximately 55 Hertz to approximately 67 Hertz, the frequency being selected to reduce interactions with road vibration frequencies.

7. The driver alert assembly of claim 6, wherein the bottom seat member defines a hip point, and wherein the first actuator is positioned between approximately 0 cm and approximately 25 cm forward of the hip point.

8. The driver alert assembly of claim 6, wherein the housing for each of the first and second actuators further comprises a bottom wall and a plurality of side walls coupling the top wall to the bottom wall, and wherein the top wall is at least approximately 50% larger in area than the bottom wall.