Seat position sensing and adjustment

• US 9,610,862 B2
• Filed: 10/08/2015
• Issued: 04/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Faurecia Automotive Seating, LLC (Forvia SE)
• Original Assignee: Faurecia Automotive Seating, LLC (Forvia SE)
• Inventors: Bonk, Jeffery T, Frye, Dale J, Shinew, Matthew, Hogg, Christopher L
• Primary Examiner(s): WHITE, RODNEY BARNETT
• Application Number:
  US14/878,306
• Publication Number:
  US 20160101710A1
• Time in Patent Office: 544 Days
• Field of Search: 2972172, 297313, 297314, 2973441-34417, 2973541, 29735412
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0233 Touchscreens
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0248 with memory of positions
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0252 with relations between different adjustments, e.g. height of headrest following longitudinal position of seat
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0272 using sensors or detectors for detecting the position of seat parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0277 characterised by the calculation method or calculation flow chart of sensor data for adjusting the seat
• 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 2/06 slidable B60N2/12 , B60N2/2209 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/22 the back-rest being adjustable B60N2/2878 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2220/10 using a database
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2220/20 using a deterministic algorithm
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2230/30 Signal processing of sensor data

Abstract

A vehicle seat includes a seat foundation coupled to a floor of a vehicle, a seat bottom coupled to the seat foundation to move back and forth along a longitudinal axis relative to the floor, and a seat back coupled to the seat bottom to extend upwardly away from the seat bottom. The seat back pivots about an axis relative to the seat bottom.

Claims

1. An occupant-support sensing system comprising

an occupant support including a seat bottom adapted to couple to a floor to move back and forth along a longitudinal axis relative to the floor and a seat back coupled to the seat bottom and arranged to extend upwardly away from the seat bottom to pivot about an axis relative to the seat bottom,

a support-orientation unit including a floor-orientation accelerometer coupled to the floor in a fixed position relative to the floor and configured to sense a gravity-based incline angle of the floor and a seat-back accelerometer coupled to the seat back to move therewith relative to the seat bottom and the floor and configured to sense a gravity-based recline angle of the seat back, and

a support-motion controller coupled to the occupant support and the support-orientation unit and configured to calculate a floor-incline angle using data received from the floor-orientation accelerometer, an actual seat-back angle using data received from the seat-back accelerometer, and an adjusted seat-back angle using the floor-incline angle and the actual seat-back angle,

wherein the support-motion controller includes a position calculator configured to calculate the adjusted seat-back angle using the floor-incline angle and the actual seat-back angle and

wherein the position calculator calculates the adjusted seat-back angle by subtracting the floor-incline angle from the actual seat-back angle.

2. The occupant-support sensing system of claim 1, wherein the support-motion controller further includes a mover controller coupled to the position calculator to receive the actual seat-back angle and a seat-back actuator coupled to the seat back to control movement of the seat back relative to the seat bottom in response to a signal received from the mover controller.

3. The occupant-support sensing system of claim 2, wherein the seat-back actuator is a motor coupled to the seat back and configured to move the seat back relative to the seat bottom in response the signal received from the mover controller.

4. The occupant-support sensing system of claim 2, wherein the seat-back actuator is coupled to a seat-back locking mechanism and configured to engage a locking mechanism of the occupant support to block movement of the seat back relative to the seat bottom in response to the signal received from the mover controller.

5. An occupant-support sensing system comprising

an occupant support including a seat bottom adapted to couple to a floor to move back and forth along a longitudinal axis relative to the floor and a seat back coupled to the seat bottom and arranged to extend upwardly away from the seat bottom to pivot about an axis relative to the seat bottom,

a support-orientation unit including a floor-orientation accelerometer coupled to the floor in a fixed position relative to the floor and configured to sense a gravity-based incline angle of the floor and a seat-back accelerometer coupled to the seat back to move therewith relative to the seat bottom and the floor and configured to sense a gravity-based recline angle of the seat back, and

a support-motion controller coupled to the occupant support and the support-orientation unit and configured to calculate a floor-incline angle using data received from the floor-orientation accelerometer, an actual seat-back angle using data received from the seat-back accelerometer, and an adjusted seat-back angle using the floor-incline angle and the actual seat-back angle,

wherein the support-motion controller includes a position calculator configured to calculate the adjusted seat-back angle using the floor-incline angle and the actual seat-back angle and

wherein the support-motion controller is further configured to determine a rotational speed of the seat back relative to the seat bottom and predict a future adjusted seat-back angle using the actual seat-back angle, the floor-incline angle, and the rotational speed of the seat back.

6. The occupant-support sensing system of claim 5, wherein the support-motion controller includes a mover controller configured to compute an expected time delay between issuing a command to a seat-back actuator included in the support-motion controller and detecting the adjusted seat-back angle matches the future adjusted seat-back angle.

7. The occupant-support sensing system of claim 6, wherein the mover controller sends the command to the seat-back actuator at the expected time delay to cause the adjusted seat-back angle to match the future adjusted seat-back angle.

8. An occupant-support sensing system comprising

an occupant support including a seat bottom adapted to couple to a floor to move back and forth along a longitudinal axis relative to the floor and a seat back coupled to the seat bottom and arranged to extend upwardly away from the seat bottom to pivot about an axis relative to the seat bottom,

a support-orientation unit including a floor-orientation accelerometer coupled to the floor in a fixed position relative to the floor and configured to sense a gravity-based incline angle of the floor and a seat-back accelerometer coupled to the seat back to move therewith relative to the seat bottom and the floor and configured to sense a gravity-based recline angle of the seat back, and

a support-motion controller coupled to the occupant support and the support-orientation unit and configured to calculate a floor-incline angle using data received from the floor-orientation accelerometer, an actual seat-back angle using data received from the seat-back accelerometer, and an adjusted seat-back angle using the floor-incline angle and the actual seat-back angle,

wherein the seat back includes a backrest coupled to the seat bottom to rotate about the axis relative to the seat bottom and a headrest coupled to the backrest to move therewith and locate the backrest between the headrest and the seat bottom and the seat-back accelerometer is coupled to the backrest between the axis and the headrest.

9. The occupant-support sensing system of claim 8, wherein the seat-back accelerometer is located nearer to the axis than a midpoint between the axis and the headrest.

10. An occupant-support sensing system comprising

an occupant support including a seat bottom adapted to couple to a floor to move back and forth along a longitudinal axis relative to the floor and a seat back coupled to the seat bottom and arranged to extend upwardly away from the seat bottom to pivot about an axis relative to the seat bottom,

a support-orientation unit including a floor-orientation accelerometer coupled to the floor in a fixed position relative to the floor and configured to sense a gravity-based incline angle of the floor and a seat-back accelerometer coupled to the seat back to move therewith relative to the seat bottom and the floor and configured to sense a gravity-based recline angle of the seat back, and

a support-motion controller coupled to the occupant support and the support-orientation unit and configured to calculate a floor-incline angle using data received from the floor-orientation accelerometer, an actual seat-back angle using data received from the seat-back accelerometer, and an adjusted seat-back angle using the floor-incline angle and the actual seat-back angle,

wherein the support-orientation unit further includes a linear-position accelerometer coupled to the seat bottom to move therewith relative to the floor and configured to sense a gravity-based rotation angle of the linear-position accelerometer relative to the seat bottom.

11. The occupant-support sensing system of claim 10, wherein the support-motion controller is further configured to calculate a longitudinal position of the seat bottom relative to the floor using the floor-incline angle and the gravity-based rotation angle from the linear-position accelerometer.

12. The occupant-support sensing system of claim 11, wherein the support-orientation unit further includes a conversion unit coupled to the seat bottom to move therewith and configured to convert back and forth movement of the seat bottom into rotational movement and the linear-position accelerometer coupled to the conversion unit to rotate relative to the seat bottom as the seat bottom moves back and forth along the longitudinal axis.

13. The occupant-support sensing system of claim 12, wherein the conversion unit includes a roller configured to engage a stationary track included in the occupant support, a rotating shaft coupled to the roller to move therewith, a reduction unit having an input coupled to the rotating shaft to rotate therewith and an output coupled to the linear-position accelerometer to cause the linear-position accelerometer to rotate in response to rotation of the roller.

14. The occupant-support sensing system of claim 11, wherein the support-motion controller includes a position calculator configured to calculate the adjusted seat-back angle using the floor-incline angle and the actual seat-back angle and the longitudinal position using the floor-incline angle and the gravity-based rotation angle.

15. The occupant-support sensing system of claim 14, wherein the position calculator calculates the adjusted seat-back angle by subtracting the floor-incline angle from the actual seat-back angle and the longitudinal position by subtracting the floor-incline angle from the gravity-based rotation angle.

16. The occupant-support sensing system of claim 15, wherein the support-motion controller further includes a mover controller coupled to the position calculator to receive the adjusted seat-back angle and the longitudinal position and a linear-rail actuator coupled to the seat bottom to control movement of the seat bottom relative to the floor in response to a signal received from the mover controller.

17. An occupant-support sensing system comprising

an occupant support including a seat bottom adapted to couple to a floor to move back and forth along a longitudinal axis relative to the floor and a seat back coupled to the seat bottom and arranged to extend upwardly away from the seat bottom to pivot about an axis relative to the seat bottom,

a support-orientation unit including a floor-orientation accelerometer coupled to the floor in a fixed position relative to the floor and configured to measure and output accelerations relative to gravity of the floor and a seat-back accelerometer coupled to the seat back to move therewith and configured to measure and output accelerations relative to gravity of the seat back, and

a support-motion controller coupled to the occupant support and the support-orientation unit and configured to calculate a floor-incline angle using output accelerations of the floor-orientation accelerometer, an actual seat-back angle using output accelerations of the seat-back accelerometer, and an adjusted seat-back angle using the floor-incline angle and the actual seat-back angle.

18. The occupant-support sensing system of claim 17, wherein the support-orientation unit further includes a linear-position accelerometer coupled to the seat bottom to move therewith relative to the floor and configured to measure and output accelerations relative to gravity of the linear-position accelerometer, the support-motion controller is configured to calculate a rotation amount of the linear-position accelerometer, and the support-motion controller is configured to convert the rotation amount into a longitudinal position of the seat bottom relative to the floor.