Lane departure feedback system

• US 9,517,777 B2
• Filed: 11/06/2014
• Issued: 12/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Hall, Amber LaVerne, Kolich, Michael, Fannin, Sean David, Godin, Keith Allen
• Primary Examiner(s): Badii, Behrang
• Assistant Examiner(s): Malhotra, Sanjeev
• Application Number:
  US14/534,285
• Publication Number:
  US 20160129920A1
• Time in Patent Office: 768 Days
• Field of Search: 700/264, 340/435, 340/905, 345/156, 348/140, 361/679.01, 297/15, 175/56, 601/47
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/665 using inflatable bladders
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/914 Hydro-pneumatic adjustments of the shape
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/99 adjustable
• 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: B60W 2040/0827 due to sleepiness
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/12 Lane keeping
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/08 related to drivers or passengers
• 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

Abstract

A lane departure warning system for a vehicle includes a positional input device and a seat having an inflatable bladder therein and a vibrational unit coupled with the bladder. A controller is communicatively coupled with the positional input device and with the vibrational unit and includes electronic circuitry programmed to detect a lane departure based on a signal from the positional input device and to cause the vibrational unit to vibrate in response thereto.

Claims

1. A lane departure warning system for a vehicle, comprising:

a positional input device;

a seat including;

a cushion;

a seat back coupled with the cushion;

a carrier assembly within one of the cushion and the seatback, the carrier assembly including a body;

an inflatable bladder;

a vibrational unit; and

a polymeric fastener that secures the inflatable bladder to the body of the carrier, wherein the vibrational unit is coupled with the bladder by being coupled with the polymeric fastener; and

a controller communicatively coupled with the positional input device and with the vibrational unit and including electronic circuitry programmed to detect a lane departure based on a signal from the positional input device and to cause the vibrational unit to vibrate in response thereto a frequency of between about 80 Hz and 115 Hz to replicate a vibration of a seat in a vehicle traveling over a highway rumble strip.

2. The lane departure warning system of claim 1, further including a vehicle audio system, wherein the controller is further communicatively coupled with the vehicle audio system and the electronic circuitry is further programmed to cause the audio system to output an audible tone in response to the detected lane departure.

3. The lane departure warning system of claim 2, wherein

the audio signal substantially matches the vibration frequency.

4. The lane departure warning system of claim 1, wherein:

the inflatable bladder is a first inflatable bladder and is positioned on a first side of the seat, the vibrational unit coupled therewith being a first vibrational unit;

the seat further includes a second inflatable bladder positioned on a second side of the seat, a second vibrational unit being coupled therewith;

the controller is further communicatively coupled with the second vibrational unit; and

the electronic circuitry is further programmed to determine a side of the vehicle to which the lane departure corresponds and to cause the one of the first and second vibrational units positioned on the side of the detected lane departure to vibrate in response thereto.

5. The lane departure warning system of claim 1, wherein:

the positional input device is a first positional input device;

the lane departure warning system further includes a second positional input device; and

the controller communicatively coupled with the first and second positional input devices and the electronic circuitry is programmed to detect the lane departure based on signals from the first and second positional input devices.

6. The lane departure warning system of claim 1, wherein the positional input device is one of:

a GPS receiver, an optical imager, and a vehicle yaw sensor.

7. A vehicle seating assembly, comprising:

a seat base;

a seatback coupled with the base;

a headrest coupled with the seatback;

a carrier disposed in an interior of at least one of the seat base, the seatback, and the headrest, and having an inflatable bladder coupled with the carrier by a polymeric connector and configured to move between a first position, wherein the bladder is deflated, and a second position, wherein the bladder is inflated; and

a vibrational unit coupled with the polymeric connector and configured to generate a vibration of a frequency between 80 Hz and 115 Hz to replicate a vibration of a seat in a vehicle traveling over a highway rumble strip.

8. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 7, wherein the vibrational unit includes an electric motor having an eccentric weight coupled with an output shaft thereof.

9. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 7:

further including bolsters extending laterally from one of the seatback and the seat; and

wherein the carrier, inflatable bladder, and polymeric connector are disposed within one of the bolsters.

10. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 7, further including a lane departure warning controller communicatively coupled with the vibrational unit and including electronic circuitry programmed to cause the vibrational unit to vibrate in response to a detected lane departure.

11. A motor vehicle, comprising:

a positional input device;

a seat having therein a carrier, an inflatable bladder coupled with the carrier by a polymeric fastener, and a vibrational unit coupled with the polymeric fastener; and

a lane departure warning controller communicatively coupled with the positional input device and with the vibrational unit and including electronic circuitry programmed to detect a lane departure based on a signal from the positional input device and to cause the vibrational unit to vibrate in response thereto at frequency of between about 80 Hz and 115 Hz to replicate a vibration of a seat in a vehicle traveling over a highway rumble strip.

12. The motor vehicle of claim 11, further including an audio system, the controller being further communicatively coupled with the audio system, and the electronic circuitry being further programmed to cause the audio system to output an audible tone in response to the detected lane departure.

13. The motor vehicle of claim 11, wherein

the audio signal substantially matches the frequency of the vibration.

14. The motor vehicle of claim 13, wherein:

the controller causes the vibrational unit to vibrate in response to the detected lane departure in a manner that replicates a vibration of a seat in a vehicle traveling over a highway rumble strip; and

the audio signal replicates a sound of a vehicle traveling over a highway rumble strip.

15. The motor vehicle of claim 11, wherein:

the inflatable bladder is a first inflatable bladder and is positioned on a first side of the seat, the vibrational unit coupled therewith being a first vibrational unit;

the seat further includes a second inflatable bladder positioned on a second side of the seat, a second vibrational unit being coupled therewith;

the controller is further communicatively coupled with the second vibrational unit; and

the electronic circuitry is further programmed to determine a side of the vehicle to which the departure corresponds and to cause the one of the first and second vibrational units positioned on the side of the detected lane departure to vibrate in response thereto.