Vehicle seat

Abstract

A vehicle seat includes a first electrically powered device and a second electrically powered device. The first electrically powered device is for moving the first electrically powered seat to at least one of a first predetermined position and a first predetermined posture inside the vehicle. The second electric device is used for moving the second electric seat to at least one of a second preset position and a second preset posture inside the vehicle. Wherein, when a predetermined condition is satisfied, the vehicle seat controls the first electric device and the second electric device such that the first electric seat is in at least one of a first predetermined position and a first predetermined posture and the second electric seat is in at least one of a second predetermined position and a second predetermined posture.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a seat, and more particularly to a vehicle seat. Background Art

[0002] In recent years, efforts have been actively made to provide access to a sustainable transportation system that also takes into account vulnerable road users such as the elderly or children. To achieve this goal, research and development have been carried out to further improve traffic safety and convenience through the development of vehicle seats.

[0003] Especially for vans and minivans, with the popularization of autonomous driving, it is expected that the second seat will become an electric seat due to seat arrangements. When a child is sitting on the second seat, or when there is no one in the vehicle but there is luggage, it is necessary to move the seat to a position as close as possible to the driver's seat, and the second seat slides to the frontmost position. Conversely, when an adult gets in the car, it is not desired to move. Therefore, it is necessary to detect whether there is a child in the vehicle, whether a child seat is installed, or whether the vehicle is empty.

[0004] However, currently available membrane switches for detecting occupants cannot distinguish between adults, children, child seats, and luggage.

[0005] Although Patent Document 1 discloses that "if the rear seat on the driver's side is in a state where it can slide backward, the rear seat on the driver's side will be connected together and slide backward", it does not teach memorizing the positions and postures of other seats.

[0006] [Prior Art Documents]

[0007] [Patent Documents]

[0008] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2010 - 083297 Summary of the Invention

[0009] [Problems to be Solved by the Invention]

[0010] Regarding vehicle seats, current technologies cannot distinguish between adults, children, child seats, and luggage. Therefore, how to determine the occupant or item to control seat movement is a problem.

[0011] This case aims to solve the above problems by identifying the occupant or item on the second seat. Moreover, it further contributes to the development of a sustainable transportation system.

[0012] [Technical Means for Solving the Problems]

[0013] The present invention provides a vehicle seat, which includes a first electric device and a second electric device. The first electric device is used to move the first electric seat to at least one of a first predetermined position and a first predetermined posture inside the vehicle. The second electric device is used to move the second electric seat to at least one of a second predetermined position and a second predetermined posture inside the vehicle. Wherein, when a predetermined condition is satisfied, the vehicle seat controls the first electric device and the second electric device, so that the first electric seat is in at least one of the first predetermined position and the first predetermined posture and the second electric seat is in at least one of the second predetermined position and the second predetermined posture.

[0014] For the vehicle seat according to an embodiment of the present invention, the first electric device and the second electric device are controlled according to the objects placed on the first electric seat and the second electric seat.

[0015] For the vehicle seat according to an embodiment of the present invention, when the movement of the first electric seat causes contact with the second electric seat or an occupant sitting on the second electric seat, the second electric device moves the second electric seat in a direction away from the first electric seat.

[0016] [Advantages of the Invention]

[0017] In addition to the position and posture of one electric seat, when a predetermined condition is satisfied, the present invention moves the first electric seat to at least one of a first predetermined position and a first predetermined posture, and moves the second electric seat to at least one of a second predetermined position and a second predetermined posture. Since the vehicle seat controls the first electric device and the second electric device, by interlocking the first and second electric seats with each other, a diversified in-vehicle seat layout can be realized, increasing convenience.

[0018] To make the present disclosure more clearly understandable, specific embodiments are given below and will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings as follows. Description of the Drawings

[0019] Figure 1 is a block diagram of a vehicle seat according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 2 is a flowchart of a method for moving a seat according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 3A and Figure 3B is an example of moving a seat according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 4A and Figure 4B is an example of moving a seat according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 5A and Figure 5BThis is an example of the mobile seat according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Symbol Explanation

[0025] 10: Vehicle seat

[0026] 12: First electric device

[0027] 14: Second electric device

[0028] 30, 40, 50: Vehicles

[0029] 32, 42: Rear left seats

[0030] 322, 422: Child seats

[0031] 34, 46, 54: Driver's seats

[0032] 36, 48, 56: Remote control keys

[0033] 44: Passenger seats

[0034] 442: Luggage or items

[0035] 52: Rear right seats

[0036] 522: Adult occupants

[0037] P1: At the roof

[0038] P2: At the rear interior light

[0039] S202~S212: Steps Detailed Implementation Manner

[0040] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0041] Based on the fact that millimeter-wave radar placed above the vehicle interior is expected to be increasingly used as a standard for the in-vehicle baby prevention support system, the embodiments of the present invention distinguish between adults and children by judging the body type of the second seat passenger, and judge whether the passenger is a child, a child seat or luggage by detecting the heartbeat, and automatically move the second seat forward. In addition, the embodiments of the present invention use the second seat as a memory seat, and can customize the action settings and freely set the sliding amount of movement. Furthermore, similar to the memory seat of the driver's seat, the embodiments of the present invention can provide personal settings for each user by linking with the personal settings of the user, such as a remote control key (FOB key) or a personal assistant (PA).

[0042] Figure 1 This is a block diagram of a vehicle seat according to an embodiment of the present invention. Please refer to Figure 1, the vehicle seat 10 of this embodiment is, for example, installed or configured in a vehicle (not shown), used to detect the items placed on each seat in the vehicle, and move the seat according to the detection result. In this embodiment, the vehicle is, for example, an automobile powered by an internal combustion engine such as a diesel engine or a gasoline engine, an electric vehicle powered by an electric motor, or a hybrid vehicle with both an internal combustion engine and an electric motor.

[0043] The vehicle seat 10 includes a first electric device 12 for moving the first electric seat, and a second electric device 14 for moving the second electric seat. In some embodiments, the first electric seat is, for example, the driver's seat, and the second electric seat is, for example, the passenger's seat, but is not limited thereto.

[0044] The first electric device 12 and the second electric device 14 are, for example, motors controlled by relays or integrated circuits (ICs). Among them, the rotational speed of the motor is controlled by pulse-width modulation (PWM), so as to achieve the smooth operation of the motor and the smooth movement of the electric seat. The movement of the electric seat includes the forward and backward sliding of the seat position, the reclining of the seat back, etc., which are not limited herein.

[0045] In some embodiments, the vehicle seat 10 further includes an in-vehicle imaging device (not shown) for detecting the items placed on the seat. The in-vehicle imaging device is, for example, a millimeter-wave radar, a light detection and ranging (LiDAR), a sonar, an ultrasonic wave, an infrared ray and other sensors, or a camera or a video camera including a charge coupled device (CCD), a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) device or other types of photosensitive devices, which are not limited herein. The in-vehicle imaging device is, for example, configured on the instrument panel, the center console, the rearview mirror, the interior light, the roof of the vehicle, etc., for taking in-vehicle images including the vehicle seat 10 and other seats.

[0046] In some embodiments, the vehicle seat 10 further includes a processing device (not shown) for controlling the operation of the first electric device 12 and the second electric device 14. The processing device is implemented, for example, by a processor such as an Electronic Control Unit (ECU), a Central Processing Unit (CPU), etc. executing a program, or by hardware such as a Large Scale Integration (LSI), an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), etc., or can also be implemented by a combination of software and hardware. The implementation manner thereof is not limited in this embodiment.

[0047] Figure 2 It is a flowchart of a method for a mobile seat according to an embodiment of the present invention. Please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 simultaneously. The seat moving method of this embodiment is applicable to Figure 1 the vehicle seat 10, and is used to move the seat so that the child sitting on the seat is closer to the driver. The following describes the detailed steps of the seat moving method of this embodiment in combination with each element in the vehicle seat 10.

[0048] In step S202, when the trigger conditions such as the door unlocking are met, the vehicle seat 10 starts the in-vehicle monitoring.

[0049] In some embodiments, the trigger conditions include various trigger operations such as detecting a switch operation, a Display Audio (DA) host operation, or a voice operation. In other embodiments, the trigger conditions further include detecting that the vehicle key is close, detecting the key signal of a remote control key (FOB key), detecting that the driver sits in the driver's seat, detecting that the vehicle is ignited and started, etc., and there is no limitation here.

[0050] In addition, in some embodiments, the vehicle seat 10 implements in-vehicle monitoring by shooting in-vehicle images through a camera, a video camera, etc., or by detecting in-vehicle objects through sensors such as a millimeter wave radar, a lidar, an ultrasonic wave, an infrared ray, etc., and there is no limitation here.

[0051] In step S204, the vehicle seat 10 determines the items placed on each seat according to the in-vehicle monitoring result. Among them, the vehicle seat 10 determines whether there are items placed on each seat according to the monitoring results such as the recognition result of the in-vehicle image, the radar detection result, the infrared detection result, etc.

[0052] In step S206, the vehicle seat 10 further determines whether the item placed on the left rear seat is a child, luggage, or a child seat. Among them, if it is determined that the item is not a child, luggage, or a child seat (for example, it is determined that the item is empty or an adult), the process ends. In some embodiments, the vehicle seat 10 determines whether the item on the seat is an adult or a child by detecting the shape and size of the item placed on the seat in the in-vehicle image, or determines whether the item is a child, a child seat, luggage, or other objects by detecting the heartbeat of the item, which is not limited herein.

[0053] In step S206, if it is determined that the item is a child, luggage, or a child seat, then in step S208, the vehicle seat 10 further determines whether there is a request to move to the monitoring position. If no request to move to the monitoring position is detected, the process ends.

[0054] In some embodiments, detecting "unlocking with the remote control key" can be regarded as a request. In addition, detecting the use of the monitoring position switch and selecting one of multiple positions for the memory seat can also be regarded as a request.

[0055] In step S208, if it is determined that there is a request to move to the monitoring position, then in step S210, the automatic operation of the driver's seat and the left rear seat towards the monitoring position starts.

[0056] In some embodiments, if there is luggage or a child seat carrying a child on the left rear seat (the first seat), by moving the left rear seat forward to the first predetermined position and / or the first predetermined posture, and moving the driver's seat (the second seat) backward to the second predetermined position and / or the second predetermined posture, the driver can clearly see the luggage or the child on the driver's seat.

[0057] In step S212, when the driver's seat and the left rear seat move to the personally set position / posture, the automatic operation stops. The personally set position / posture is, for example, preset by the driver and stored in the storage device of the vehicle seat 10, and the identity of the driver is identified using the remote control key or the authentication of the personal assistant, so as to select the seat position / posture suitable for the current driver to perform the moving operation on the driver's seat and the left rear seat.

[0058] For example, Figure 3A and Figure 3B are examples of the movable seat of the first embodiment of the present invention. Please refer to Figure 3A In the first embodiment, detection devices such as cameras and radars are arranged at P1 on the roof inside the vehicle 30 and / or at P2 of the rear interior light to detect the item placed on the seat. Please refer to Figure 3B, when the detection device detects that a child seat 322 (Condition 1) carrying a child is on the left rear seat 32 (the first seat), and it is determined by the remote control key 36 that a specific occupant (i.e., the driver) has a driving intention (Condition 2), then the driver's seat 34 (the second seat) is moved backward by an electric device, and at the same time, the left rear seat 32 is moved forward by the electric device so that the child seat 322 can be close to the driver.

[0059] In some embodiments, the driver's seat 34 is, for example, moved to the rear seat monitoring driving position (sliding position, tilt angle, height / tilt) set by the driver who owns the remote control key 36, so that the position / pose of the moved driver's seat 34 can conform to the driver's body shape or driving preference. In some embodiments, a personal assistant that uses an in-vehicle camera device for identity authentication can also be used to replace the remote control key 36 to determine the rear seat monitoring driving position, and there is no limitation here.

[0060] Figure 4A and Figure 4B are examples of the movable seats of the second embodiment of the present invention. Please refer to Figure 4A , in the second embodiment, detection devices such as cameras and radars are arranged at the roof P1 and / or the rear interior light P2 in the vehicle 40 to detect the objects placed on the seats. Please refer to Figure 4B , when the detection device detects that a child seat 422 (Condition 1) carrying a child is on the left rear seat 42 (the first seat), there is luggage 442 on the front passenger seat 44 (the second seat) and no other passengers will be carried (Condition 2), and it is determined by the remote control key that a specific occupant (i.e., the driver) has a driving intention (Condition 3), then the front passenger seat 44 is moved forward by an electric device, and at the same time, the left rear seat 42 is moved forward by the electric device so that the child seat 422 can be close to the driver. In this embodiment, since the front passenger seat 44 (the second seat) has been moved forward, the left rear seat 42 can be moved further forward compared with the first embodiment. In addition, even when there is no object on the front passenger seat 44 (the second seat), it can be determined that Condition 2 is satisfied.

[0061] In addition, in this embodiment, the driver's seat 36 is also moved backward by an electric device to the rear seat monitoring driving position (sliding position, tilt angle, height / tilt) set by the driver who owns the remote control key, so that the driver can be closer to the child seat 422, and the position / pose of the moved driver's seat 36 can conform to the driver's body shape or driving preference.

[0062] Figure 5A and Figure 5B are examples of the movable seats of the third embodiment of the present invention. Please refer to Figure 5AIn the third embodiment, a camera, radar or other detection device is arranged in the roof P1 and / or the rear interior light P2 of the vehicle 50 to detect the objects placed on the seats. Figure 5B When the detection device detects that there is an adult passenger 522 in the right rear seat 52 (first seat) (condition 1), the remote control key determines that a specific passenger (i.e., the driver) has the intention to drive (condition 2), and it is determined that the rear seat monitoring driving position (sliding position, tilt angle, height / tilt) set by the specific passenger who owns the remote control key will squeeze the legs of the passenger in the right rear seat 52 and come into contact with the legs of the passenger in the right rear seat 52 (condition 3), the driver's seat 54 is moved backward by the electric device, and at the same time, the right rear seat 52 is moved away from the driver's seat 54 (i.e., backward) by the electric device, so that the position / posture of the driver's seat 54 after movement can conform to the driver's body shape or driving preference, and will not squeeze the legs of the passenger in the right rear seat 52.

[0063] In summary, the vehicle seat of the present invention uses sensors such as radar and cameras to determine whether the second seat occupant is an adult, child, child seat, or luggage. If an adult is detected, the second seat remains in place. However, if a child is detected, a child seat is installed, or luggage is loaded, the second seat can be moved forward to accommodate the need to move the second seat closer to the driver's seat. Furthermore, by configuring the second seat as a memory seat, the movement settings can be customized and the sliding movement amount can be freely set. Similar to the driver's seat memory seat, this can be linked to the user's personal settings (e.g., a remote key or personal assistant) to provide personalized settings for each user.

[0064] Although the present disclosure has been disclosed above with reference to the embodiments, they are not intended to limit the present disclosure. Any person skilled in the art may make some modifications and improvements without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present disclosure shall be determined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A vehicle seat, characterized in that, Comprising: A first electric device that moves a first electric seat to at least one of a first predetermined position and a first predetermined posture inside the vehicle; A second electric device that moves a second electric seat to at least one of a second predetermined position and a second predetermined posture inside the vehicle, wherein When a predetermined condition is satisfied, the first electric device and the second electric device are controlled such that the first electric seat is in at least one of the first predetermined position and the first predetermined posture and the second electric seat is in at least one of the second predetermined position and the second predetermined posture.

2. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, characterized in that, Comprising: Controlling the first electric device and the second electric device according to loads placed on the first electric seat and the second electric seat.

3. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, characterized in that, Comprising: When the movement of the first electric seat causes contact with the second electric seat or an occupant sitting on the second electric seat, the second electric device moves the second electric seat away from the first electric seat.

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