SEAT CONTROL DEVICE

• US 20090292425A1
• Filed: 05/20/2009
• Published: 11/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omron Automotive Electronics Company Limited (Nidec Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Omron Corporation
• Inventors: Kawakami, Toshihiro, Nagata, Tatsuki
• Granted Patent: US 8,078,366 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/49
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0244 with logic circuits
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0256 Arrangements for facilitating the occupant to get in or out of the vehicle, e.g. stowing a seat forward

Abstract

A seat control device has an input unit for performing at least one of an operation to incline and move a first seat, and a drive control unit for at least one of inclining and moving the first seat based on an output of the input unit. the seat control device has an open/close detection unit for detecting an opened or closed state of a door for getting on and off to and from the first seat, an angle detection unit for detecting an angle of a backrest of the first seat; and a seating detection unit for detecting presence/absence of seating at a second seat positioned behind the first seat. When the open/close detection unit detects that the door is in the opened state, the angle detection unit detects an angle of a backrest of the first seat. When the detected angle is larger than a predetermined angle, the seating detection unit detects the presence or absence of seating at the second seat. The drive control unit is driven based on the detection of absence of seating to return the backrest of the first seat to an original orientation.

Claims

1. A seat control device comprising:

an input unit for performing at least one of an operation to incline and move a first seat; and

a drive control unit for at least one of inclining and moving the first seat based on an output of the input unit;

the seat control device comprising;

an open/close detection unit for detecting an opened or closed state of a door for getting on and off to and from the first seat;

an angle detection unit for detecting an angle of a backrest of the first seat; and

a seating detection unit for detecting presence/absence of seating at a second seat positioned behind the first seat;

wherein when the open/close detection unit detects that the door is in the opened state, the angle detection unit detects an angle of a backrest of the first seat,

wherein when the detected angle is larger than a predetermined angle, the seating detection unit detects the presence or absence of seating at the second seat, and

wherein the drive control unit is driven based on the detection of absence of seating to return the backrest of the first seat to an original orientation.

2. The seat control device according to claim 1,

wherein when the seating detection unit detects absence of seating, the open/close detection unit detects whether the door is closed, and the drive control unit is driven based on the detection of the closed state of the door to return the backrest of the first seat to the original orientation.

3. The seat control device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a lock detection unit for detecting presence or absence of lock of the door;

wherein when the seating detection unit detects absence of seating, the lock detection unit detects whether the door is locked, and the drive control unit is driven based on the detection of the lock of the door to return the backrest of the first seat to the original orientation.

4. The seat control device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a timing unit for timing time;

wherein when the seating detection unit detects absence of seating, timing by the timing unit is started, and the drive control unit is driven based on the time timed by the timing unit exceeding a predetermined time to return the backrest of the first seat to the original orientation.

5. The seat control device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a storage unit for storing the angle of the backrest of the first seat when the open/close detection unit detects that the door is in the opened state;

wherein when returning the backrest of the first seat to the original orientation, the backrest is returned so that the angle of the backrest of the first seat becomes the angle stored in the storage unit.

6. The seat control device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a position detection unit for detecting a horizontal position of the first seat in place of the angle detection unit;

wherein when the open/close detection unit detects that the door is in the opened state, the position detection unit detects a horizontal position of the first seat, and

wherein when the detected position is beyond a predetermined position, the seating detection unit detects the presence or absence of seating at the second seat, and the drive control unit is driven based on the detection of absence of seating to return the first seat to an original position.

7. The seat control device according to claim 6,

wherein when the seating detection unit detects absence of seating, the open/close detection unit detects whether the door is in the closed state, and the drive control unit is driven based on the detection of the closed state of the door to return the first seat to the original position.

8. The seat control device according to claim 6, further comprising:

a lock detection unit for detecting presence or absence of lock of the door;

wherein when the seating detection unit detects absence of seating, the lock detection unit detects whether the door is locked, and the drive control unit is driven based on the detection of the lock of the door to return the first seat to the original position.

9. The seat control device according to claim 6, further comprising:

a timing unit for timing time;

wherein when the seating detection unit detects absence of seating, timing by the timing unit is started, and the drive control unit is driven based on the time timed by the timing unit exceeding a predetermined time to return the first seat to the original position.

10. The seat control device according to claim 6, further comprising:

a storage unit for storing a horizontal position of the first seat when the open/close detection unit detects that the door is in the opened state;

wherein when returning the first seat to the original position, the first seat is returned to the position stored in the storage unit.

11. The seat control device according to claim 2, further comprising:

a storage unit for storing the angle of the backrest of the first seat when the open/close detection unit detects that the door is in the opened state;

wherein when returning the backrest of the first seat to the original orientation, the backrest is returned so that the angle of the backrest of the first seat becomes the angle stored in the storage unit.

12. The seat control device according to claim 3, further comprising:

a storage unit for storing the angle of the backrest of the first seat when the open/close detection unit detects that the door is in the opened state;

wherein when returning the backrest of the first seat to the original orientation, the backrest is returned so that the angle of the backrest of the first seat becomes the angle stored in the storage unit.

13. The seat control device according to claim 4, further comprising:

a storage unit for storing the angle of the backrest of the first seat when the open/close detection unit detects that the door is in the opened state;

wherein when returning the backrest of the first seat to the original orientation, the backrest is returned so that the angle of the backrest of the first seat becomes the angle stored in the storage unit.

14. The seat control device according to claim 7, further comprising:

a storage unit for storing a horizontal position of the first seat when the open/close detection unit detects that the door is in the opened state;

wherein when returning the first seat to the original position, the first seat is returned to the position stored in the storage unit.

15. The seat control device according to claim 8, further comprising:

a storage unit for storing a horizontal position of the first seat when the open/close detection unit detects that the door is in the opened state;

wherein when returning the first seat to the original position, the first seat is returned to the position stored in the storage unit.

16. The seat control device according to claim 9, further comprising:

a storage unit for storing a horizontal position of the first seat when the open/close detection unit detects that the door is in the opened state;

wherein when returning the first seat to the original position, the first seat is returned to the position stored in the storage unit.