Vehicle front seat adjustment based on anthropometric characteristics of a rear passenger

• US 9,815,385 B2
• Filed: 03/27/2015
• Issued: 11/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Lippman, Mark Allan, Gale, Allan Roy, Jayasuriya, Mangala A.
• Primary Examiner(s): INGRAM, THOMAS P
• Application Number:
  US14/671,032
• Publication Number:
  US 20160280161A1
• Time in Patent Office: 963 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/096 automatically adjusted according to anthropometric data of the user
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/002 Seats provided with an occupancy detection means mounted therein or thereon detection means responsive to presence or absence of children B60N2/266
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0244 with logic circuits
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0268 using sensors or detectors for adapting the seat or seat part, e.g. to the position of an occupant
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/037 for occupant comfort , e.g. for automatic adjustment of appliances according to personal settings, e.g. seats, mirrors, steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30196 Human being; Person
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30252 Vehicle exterior; Vicinity of vehicle

Abstract

A vehicle system includes a front row seat and at least one controller. The front row seat may be a driver seat or a front passenger seat. The at least one controller may respond to a signal, for example, a signal transmitted from a key fob or a signal indicative of movement of a rear door handle. In response to the signal, the controller may move the front row seat based on data indicative of a size of a rear passenger expected to be seated behind the front row seat before the expected rear passenger enters the vehicle. The size of the rear passenger may be determined via data from an external object sensor such as a blind spot detection optical sensor, lidar sensor or ultrasonic sensor.

Claims

1. A blind-spot detection system for a vehicle comprising:

a side view optical sensor arrangement of the blind-spot detection system configured to capture data about an expected driver side rear passenger before the expected driver side rear passenger enters the vehicle; and

at least one controller configured to move a driver seat based on a size of the expected driver side rear passenger that is derived from the data.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one controller is further configured to activate the side view optical sensor arrangement in response to a signal from a key fob.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one controller is further configured to activate the side view optical sensor arrangement in response to movement of a rear door handle.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein moving includes pivoting a seat back of the driver seat or translating a base of the driver seat.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one controller is further configured to move the driver seat based on a size of an expected driver.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the at least one controller further includes input channels configured to receive the data, output channels configured to provide driver seat position control commands to move the driver seat, and control logic configured to generate the driver seat position control commands based on the size of the expected rear passenger.

7. A method of automatically adjusting a front seat of a vehicle comprising:

capturing by a blind-spot optical sensor arrangement data indicative of a size of an expected driver side rear passenger prior to the expected driver side rear passenger entering the vehicle; and

moving by a controller the front seat prior to the expected driver side rear passenger entering the vehicle to a target position that is based on the size and front seat passenger data.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein moving the front seat includes pivoting a seat back of the front seat or translating a base of the front seat.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the data includes measurements based on average rear seat passenger anthropometric characteristics.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the capturing is in response to movement of a rear door handle.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the capturing is in response to a signal transmitted from a keyfob.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the front seat passenger data includes anthropometric characteristics of a front seat passenger.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein the front seat is a driver seat.

14. A vehicle comprising:

a blind-spot optical sensor system; and

at least one controller configured to, in response to a trigger signal, activate the blind-spot optical sensor system to capture data indicative of a size of an expected rear passenger before the expected rear passenger enters the vehicle, and move a steering wheel or accelerator pedal of the vehicle based on the size before the expected rear passenger enters the vehicle.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the trigger signal is transmitted from a key fob.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the trigger signal is generated in response to movement of a rear door handle.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the data includes measurements based on average rear seat passenger anthropometric characteristics.