Automatic positioning apparatus and method for controlling attitude of vehicle mounted device

• US 5,164,645 A
• Filed: 07/23/1991
• Issued: 11/17/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Jidosha Denki Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Jidosha Denki Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Furuse, Takahisa, Yokoyama, Mitsuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Ro, Bentsu
• Application Number:
  US07/734,985
• Time in Patent Office: 483 Days
• Field of Search: 318/2, 318/488, 318/489, 318/675, 318/689, 318/264, 318/265, 318/266, 318/286, 318/466, 318/467, 318/468, 364/424.05, 180/6.2, 180/6.28
• US Class Current: 318/467
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/02246 Electric motors therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0248 with memory of positions
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/181 with power actuated adjustment, e.g. with position memory
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4061 Avoiding collision or forbidden zones

Abstract

An automatic positioning apparatus which comprises motors for actuating a vehicle mounted device, sensors for detecting position of the vehicle mounted device such as a seat, steering wheel or the like, and a control means which memorizes the position of the vehicle mounted device and drives it into the memorized position automatically and which sets a motor-suspensive zone, a renewal-prohibitive zone and a readjustment prohibitive zone in the vicinity of the memorized position, and stops the motors when the vehicle mounted device enters the motor-suspensive zone, prohibits to renewal the memorized position when the vehicle mounted device is within the renewal-prohibitive zone and prohibits an automatic action within the readjustment-prohibitive zone.

Claims

1. An automatic positioning apparatus for controlling the attitude of a vehicle mounted device, the apparatus comprising;

motor means for actuating the vehicle mounted device;

sensor means for detecting a position of said vehicle mounted device; and

a control means which memorizes the position of said vehicle mounted device detected by said sensor means at the time of presetting a set switch and controls said motor means to drive automatically said vehicle mounted device to the memorized position in response to the positioning operation of said set switch, and said control means also sets a motor-suspensive zone having a predetermined range in front and in rear of the memorized position and stops said motor means when the vehicle mounted device enters said motor-suspensive zone at the time of positioning said vehicle mounted device to said memorized position automatically according to the positioning operation of said set switch.

2. An automatic positioning apparatus for controlling the attitude of a vehicle mounted device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said control means further sets a renewal-prohibitive zone having a predetermined range in front and in rear of the memorized position and prohibits to renew the memorized position when said vehicle mounted device is within said renewal-prohibitive zone.

3. An automatic positioning apparatus for controlling the attitude of a vehicle mounted device as set forth in claim 2, wherein said control means further sets a readjustment-prohibitive zone having a predetermined range in front and in rear of the memorized position and prohibits said motor means to actuate the vehicle mounted device to the memorized position according to the positioning operation of said set switch once said vehicle mounted device stops within said readjustment-prohibitive zone.

4. An automatic positioning apparatus for controlling the attitude of a vehicle mounted device as set forth in claim 3, wherein

said motor means has a tilt motor for adjusting an inclination angle of a shaft of a steering wheel, a telescopic movement motor for actuating the steering wheel shaft back and forth telescopically, as slide motor for actuating a seat back and forth slidingly, a lift motor for adjusting height of the seat and a recliner motor for adjusting an reclination angle of a seat back of the seat;

and

said sensor means has a tilt sensor for detecting the inclination angle of the steering wheel shaft, a telescopic movement sensor for detecting the telescopic location of the steering wheel, a slide sensor for detecting the location of the seat, a lift sensor for detecting the height of the seat and a reclining sensor for detecting the reclination angle of the seat back of the seat.

5. In a method for controlling the attitude of a vehicle mounted device comprising the steps of;

memorizing a position of the vehicle mounted device at the time of presetting a set switch, via a memory means in response to the presetting operation of the set switch; and

driving said vehicle mounted device to the memorized position through motor means in response to a positioning operating of said set switch;

setting a motor-suspensive zone having a predetermined range in front and in rear of the memorized position; and

stopping the motor means when said vehicle mounted device enters said motor-suspensive zone at the time of positioning the vehicle mounted device to said memorized position automatically according to the positioning operation of said set switch.

6. In a method for controlling the attitude of a vehicle mounted device, comprising;

memorizing a position of the vehicle mounted device at the time of presetting a set switch, via a memory means in response to the presetting operation of the set switch; and

driving said vehicle mounted device to the memorized position through motor means in response to a positioning operation of said set switch;

setting a renewal-prohibitive zone having a predetermined range in front and in rear of the memorized position; and

prohibiting to renew the memorized position when said vehicle mounted device is within said renewal-prohibitive zone.

7. In a method for controlling the attitude of a vehicle mounted device comprising;

memorizing a position of the vehicle mounted device at the time of presetting a set switch, via a memory means in response to the presetting operation of the set switch; and

driving said vehicle mounted device to the memorized position through motor means in response to a positioning operation of said set switch;

setting a readjustment-prohibitive zone having a predetermined range in front and in rear of the memorized position; and

prohibiting the motor means to actuate said vehicle mounted device from the memorized position according to the positioning operating of said set switch once the vehicle mounted device stops within said readjustment-prohibitive zone.