Vehicle seat

• US 10,730,524 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2017
• Issued: 08/04/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Faurecia Automotive Seating, LLC (Forvia SE)
• Original Assignee: Faurecia Automotive Seating, LLC (Forvia SE)
• Inventors: Frye, Dale J., Hotary, James T., Ketels, Cedric, Yukich, Rudy K., Lichtenwalner, Houstin L., Nishihara, H. Keith
• Primary Examiner(s): Lonsberry, Hunter B
• Assistant Examiner(s): Martinez Borrero, Luis A
• Application Number:
  US15/692,396
• Publication Number:
  US 20180065642A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,069 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0077 Devices for viewing the surface of the body, e.g. camera, magnifying lens
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02055 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular condition and temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0816 Measuring devices for examining respiratory frequency measuring frequency of electric signals G01R23/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/11 Measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof, e.g. head or hand tremor, mobility of a limb for measuring pulse A61B5/02 ;A61B5/1038 takes precedence; motion detection to correct for motion artifacts in physiological signals A61B5/721
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1103 Detecting eye twinkling
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14517 for sweat
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/441 Skin evaluation, e.g. for skin disorder diagnosis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6893 Cars
• 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 2/0248 with memory of positions
• 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: B60R 21/01512 Passenger detection systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2040/0818 Inactivity or incapacity of driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2040/0872 Driver physiology
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/043 Identity of occupants
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/215 Selection or confirmation of options
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/22 Psychological state; Stress level or workload
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/08 related to drivers or passengers

Abstract

An occupant support adapted for use in a vehicle includes a sensory system and a control system. The sensor system is configured to generate signals indicative of at least one of a physiological characteristic of the occupant.

Claims

1. An occupant support system for use in a vehicle, the occupant support comprising:

a sensor system configured to obtain occupant-body signals associated with physiological characteristics of an occupant of the occupant support system and behavioral signals associated with behavioral characteristics of the occupant, a plurality of vehicle systems configured to modify at least one of the physiological characteristics and the behavioral characteristics of the occupant, and a control system configured to;

organize the occupant-body signals and the behavioral signals into a plurality of experience levels, receive the occupant-body signals and the behavioral signals according to a selected one of the plurality of experience levels, determine occupant health data indicative of a plurality of physiological characteristics and behavioral characteristics of the occupant based on the occupant-body signals and the behavioral signals, determine occupant state data indicative of a state of the occupant based on the occupant health data and occupant non-driving activity data, compare the occupant state data to predetermined criteria defining one or more thresholds for the occupant state data defined by the selected experience level associated with a unique occupant data profile, identify a first vehicle system of the plurality of vehicle systems based on the occupant state data and the predetermined criteria, and activate at least one of the first vehicle system and a second vehicle system of the plurality of vehicle systems based on at least one of the occupant state data and input from the occupant, wherein the first and second vehicle systems are determined for activation according to the selected experience level.

2. The occupant support system of claim 1, wherein the control system is further configured to identify the occupant based on at least one of input from the occupant and the occupant health data and to associate the occupant health data and the occupant state data with the unique occupant data profile for the identified occupant.

3. The occupant support system of claim 2, wherein the control system is further configured to associate the activation of the activated vehicle system with the occupant health data and the occupant state data in the unique occupant data profile.

4. The occupant support system of claim 3, wherein the control system is further configured to receive supplemental occupant-body signals and supplemental behavioral signals after activating the activated vehicle system, determine supplemental occupant health data based on the supplemental occupant-body signals and the supplemental behavioral signals, determine supplemental occupant state data based on the supplemental occupant health data, identify a third vehicle system based on at least one of the supplemental occupant health data, the supplemental occupant state data, and the unique occupant data profile, and activate at least one of the first vehicle system, the second vehicle system, the third vehicle system, and a fourth vehicle system based on at least one of the supplemental occupant health data, the supplemental occupant state data, the unique occupant data profile, and input from the occupant.

5. The occupant support system of claim 4, wherein the control system is further configured to associate the activation of the second activated vehicle system with the supplemental occupant health data and the supplemental occupant state data in the unique occupant data profile.

6. The occupant support system of claim 2, wherein the control system is further configured to receive supplemental occupant-body signals and supplemental behavioral signals after the activation of the activated vehicle system, determine supplemental occupant health data based on the supplemental occupant-body signals and the supplemental behavioral signals, compare the occupant health data and the supplemental occupant health data, and associate changes to the occupant health data in the unique occupant data profile.

7. The occupant support system of claim 1, wherein the control system is further configured to receive secondary health data unique to the occupant from at least one of an input and an accessory device, associate the secondary data with the unique occupant data profile, determine a health score of the occupant based on the occupant health data, the unique occupant data profile, and predetermined criteria, and generate instructions to display the health score to the occupant.

8. The occupant support system of claim 1, wherein the control system is further configured to receive schedule data indicative of scheduled events of the occupant from at least one of an input and an accessory device and to prompt the occupant to perform an activity based on the schedule data.

9. The occupant support system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of vehicle systems includes a sound system, a lighting system, a ventilation system, a seat including an adjustable seat bottom and an adjustable seat back, a temperature system included in the seat, and a massage system.

10. The occupant support system of claim 9, wherein the sensor system includes an optical camera and a piezoelectric sensor.

11. The occupant support system of claim 10, wherein the sensor system further includes an electrode, a capacitive sensor, a load cell, a humidity sensor, and a thermistor.

12. The occupant support system of claim 1, wherein the occupant state data is indicative of a vigilance of the occupant and based on occupant health data that includes information indicative of a respiration rate of the occupant determined from signals received from a piezoelectric sensor and an electrode included in the sensor system, a posture of the occupant determined from signals received from a load cell and an optical camera included in the sensor system, an eye gaze of the occupant determined from signals received from the optical camera, and a head tilt of the occupant determined from signals received from the optical camera.

13. The occupant support system of claim 1, wherein the occupant state data is indicative of a motion sickness of the occupant and based on occupant health data that includes information indicative of a humidity around the occupant determined from signals received from a humidity sensor included in the sensor system, an eye closure of the occupant determined from signals received from an optical camera included in the sensor system, an eye blink rate of the occupant determined from signals received from the optical camera, a yawn rate of the occupant determined from signals received from the optical camera, and a breathing rate of the occupant determined from signals received from a piezoelectric sensor and an electrode included in the sensor system.

14. The occupant support system of claim 1, wherein the occupant state data is indicative of a stress of the occupant and based on occupant health data that includes information indicative of a humidity around the occupant determined from signals received from a humidity sensor included in the sensor system, a facial expression of the occupant determined from signals received from an optical camera included in the sensor system, a heart rate of the occupant determined from signals received from a piezoelectric sensor and an electrode included in the sensor system, and a fidget level of the occupant determined from signals received from the optical camera, a capacitive sensor, and a load cell included in the sensor system.

15. The occupant support system of claim 1, wherein the occupant state data is indicative of a drowsiness of the occupant and based on occupant health data that includes information indicative of an eye closure level of the occupant, an eye blink rate of the occupant, a yawn rate of the occupant, and a head tilt of the occupant, each determined from signals received from an optical camera included in the sensor system.

16. The occupant support system of claim 1, wherein occupant state data is indicative of a comfort of the occupant and based on occupant health data that includes information indicative of a humidity around the occupant determined from signals received from a humidity sensor included in the sensor system, a facial expression of the occupant determined from signals received from an optical camera included in the sensor system, a fidget level of the occupant determined from signals received from the optical camera, a capacitive sensor, and a load cell included in the sensor system, and a head tilt of the occupant determined from signals received from the optical camera.

17. A method of controlling a vehicle, the method comprising:

indicating to a driver of a vehicle that an autonomous driving mode of the vehicle is available, engaging autonomous driving mode of the vehicle in response to receiving an affirmative input from the driver, indicating to the driver that autonomous driving is engaged, monitoring the physiological and behavioral characteristics of the driver, determining occupant condition improvement instructions based on the monitored physiological and behavioral characteristics of the driver and driver activity unrelated to controlling the vehicle including at least one of interactions with another occupant and destination readiness, and activating an output based on the occupant condition improvement instructions.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising indicating to the driver that a manual driving mode of the vehicle is available and initiating an autonomous-driving mode to manual-driving mode transfer process.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the autonomous-driving mode to manual-driving mode transfer process includes verifying a body position of the driver, verifying an eye gaze of the driver, and verifying a hand position of the driver.