Seat control device, and seat control method

Abstract

To provide a seat control device which is highly effective in sleep onset relative to a conventional one.SOLUTION: A seat control device comprises: an inclination sensor (30) which acquires inclination information representing angle of inclination of a vehicle 100 with a seat (3) relative to a travel surface (R); a swing mechanism which swings the seat (3); and a controller (7) which controls the swing mechanism. The controller (7) executes swing adjustment processing which activates the swing mechanism to adjust swing of the seat 3 based on the acquired inclination information of the vehicle (100).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a seat control device and a seat control method. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent document 1 discloses a system configured to identify the road type or current road driving area of ​​a vehicle based on its geographical location, or identify the driving state of the vehicle based on its dynamics, select a predetermined seat position depending on the type of road, the area of ​​the road being driven on, or the driving situation, and control the movement of the seat or at least a part of it to obtain the selected seat position. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Special Publication No. 2023-505540 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the above-described conventional technology, a preset seat position is selected and the movement of the seat is controlled, so it is difficult to control the movement of the seat in accordance with the constantly changing state of the moving body.

[0005] An aspect of the present disclosure aims to realize a seat control device that is more effective at inducing sleep than conventional devices by controlling the movement of a seat in accordance with the constantly changing state of a moving object. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A seat control device according to aspect 1 of the present disclosure is a seat control device that controls a seat on which a passenger riding in a moving body sits, and is equipped with a first information acquisition unit that acquires tilt information indicating the tilt angle of the seat relative to the running surface of the moving body on which the seat is mounted, a rocking mechanism provided on the seat that rocks the seat, and a controller that controls the rocking mechanism, and the controller is configured to execute a rocking adjustment process that drives the rocking mechanism to adjust the rocking of the seat based on the acquired tilt information of the moving body.

[0007] A seat control method according to aspect 9 of the present disclosure is a seat control method for controlling a seat in which a passenger riding in a moving body sits, the method comprising: a rocking mechanism provided in the seat for rocking the seat; and a controller for controlling the rocking mechanism, wherein the controller executes a first information acquisition step for acquiring tilt information indicating the inclination angle of the moving body on which the seat is mounted relative to the running surface; and a rocking adjustment step for driving the rocking mechanism to adjust the rocking of the seat based on the acquired tilt information of the moving body. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a seat control device that is more effective in inducing sleep than conventional seat control devices can be realized. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the appearance of a seat control device. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a frame of a seat. [Figure 3] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example of a seat's rocking motion in the pitch direction. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing a swing range when the seat starts to swing. [Figure 5] FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating processing by the seat control device. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a sub-flowchart showing the swing adjustment process shown in FIG. 5. [Figure 7] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a vehicle tilt angle when the vehicle 100 is traveling on a slope. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] An embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail below.

[0011] (Overview of seat control device) 1 is a diagram showing an example of the appearance of a seat control device 1 according to the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 1, the seat control device 1 includes a seat 3, a motor 5, a controller 7, a vehicle tilt sensor 30, and a seat tilt sensor 40.

[0012] In the following description, the right direction in the example of Fig. 1 is referred to as the "front" of the seat 3, the left direction in the example of Fig. 1 is referred to as the "back" of the seat 3, and the right side as viewed from the rear is referred to as the "right direction," and the left side as viewed from the rear is referred to as the "left direction." Note that these directions indicate relative positional relationships in the example of Fig. 1, and it should be noted that the relative positional relationships and directions may change depending on the installation direction of the seat control device 1.

[0013] The seat 3 is a seat 3 on which a passenger riding in the vehicle 100 (see FIG. 7) sits, and is a support member that supports the user's body. The "vehicle 100" is an example of a "moving body" in the present disclosure. In the following, the seat 3 will be described as an example of a support member, but the support member is not limited to this, and may be realized as a bed, sofa, or other similar member on which a user can sit.

[0014] Although the seat control device 1 is described as being installed in the vehicle 100, it may be installed in a moving body other than the vehicle 100. For example, it may be installed in a taxi, a bus, a ship, an airplane, etc. Furthermore, the seat control device 1 is not limited to being installed in the driver's seat, but may also be installed in a passenger seat such as a front passenger seat or a rear seat.

[0015] (swing mechanism) The seat 3 is provided with a rocking mechanism. The rocking mechanism is a mechanism for rocking the seat 3. The rocking mechanism includes a seat surface 4, a back surface 6, a motor 5, a base 9, a fulcrum 11, a sector gear 13, and a pinion gear 20.

[0016] The seat 3 is fixed on a base 9 with a fulcrum 11 as an axis, and oscillates in a pitch direction 12, i.e., in the front-to-back direction, with the fulcrum 11 as an axis. Here, the "oscillation" of the seat 3 means that the seat 3 performs a reciprocating motion that alternates between a first movement and a second movement, which will be described later.

[0017] The rocking of the seat 3 has the effect of relaxing the seated user and stimulating the otoliths, which are involved in the user's sense of balance, to induce drowsiness (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the "sleep-inducing effect"). The rocking of the seat 3 is not limited to the pitch direction 12, but may also be configured to rock in the roll direction, i.e., left and right. Also, the seat 3 may be configured to rock in both the pitch direction 12 and the roll direction.

[0018] 2 is a diagram showing an example of the frame of the seat 3. The seat 3 has a seat surface 4 and a back surface 6, and the angle θ between the seat surface 4 and the back surface 6 can be adjusted by using a reclining function.

[0019] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the rocking motion in the pitch direction 12 described above. When rocking, the seat 3 alternately tilts backward as shown in a side view 301 and forward as shown in a side view 302. While not essential, it is desirable that the rocking motion be performed with the angle θ between the seat surface 4 and the back surface 6 fixed, as shown in FIG. 3. Furthermore, it is more desirable that the rocking motion be performed with the angle θ between the seat surface 4 and the back surface 6 fixed at, for example, 135°. As shown in each view of FIG. 3, the back surface 6 of the seat 3 may be configured to include a seat back 61 and a headrest 62.

[0020] 1, a motor 5 and a plurality of gears including a sector gear 13 are provided on a base 9 fixed to a floor surface 10. The motor 5 rotates a rotation shaft in a first rotation direction and a second rotation direction opposite to the first rotation direction under the control of a controller 7, thereby supplying power for rocking the seat 3 via a pinion gear 20 attached to the rotation shaft. As an example, the first rotation direction may be defined as left rotation (counterclockwise rotation) and the second rotation direction may be defined as right rotation (clockwise rotation), or vice versa.

[0021] (Vehicle tilt sensor) The vehicle inclination sensor 30 acquires inclination information indicating the inclination angle of the vehicle 100 relative to the traveling surface R (see FIG. 7). Specifically, the vehicle inclination sensor 30 detects the inclination angle of the vehicle 100 relative to the traveling surface R while the vehicle 100 is traveling. The traveling surface R is an example of the contact surface of the vehicle 100, and examples of the contact surface include the water surface if the moving body is a ship and a runway if the moving body is an aircraft. Note that the vehicle inclination sensor 30 may also detect the inclination angle of the vehicle 100 relative to the traveling surface R when the vehicle is stopped and the vehicle speed is zero.

[0022] The vehicle tilt sensor 30 is an example of a first information acquisition unit of the present disclosure. The vehicle tilt sensor may be provided at any location of the vehicle 100. The "any location" may be, for example, a seat 3 of the vehicle 100, a floor of the vehicle 100, a door pillar of the vehicle 100, or the like.

[0023] The vehicle tilt sensor 30 detects accelerations and angular velocities in three axial directions and performs arithmetic processing to sequentially measure the tilt angle of the vehicle 100. The vehicle tilt sensor 30 may be configured using a known device.

[0024] However, the vehicle tilt sensor 30 is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and may be configured to detect the tilt angle of the vehicle 100 relative to the horizontal plane of the body frame. Alternatively, the vehicle tilt sensor 30 may be a sensor that detects the tilt angle of the vehicle 100 based on a change in the direction of gravitational acceleration relative to the vehicle 100. In this case, the vehicle tilt sensor 30 may be configured using a known device based on MEMS technology.

[0025] In this embodiment, the inclination angle of the vehicle 100 with respect to the traveling surface R includes two angles: a roll angle of the vehicle 100 and a pitch angle of the vehicle 100. The vehicle inclination sensor 30 is configured to be able to acquire acceleration information indicating acceleration in either the front-rear direction (pitch direction) or the left-right direction (roll direction) of the vehicle 100.

[0026] In the example of FIG. 1 , a force is applied to the bottom of the seat 3 via the first plate 15 to which the sector gear 13 is fixed, the second plate 16, and the bracket 17. The angle between the first plate 15 and the second plate 16 and the angle between the second plate 16 and the bracket 17 are variable. The first plate 15 rotates within a certain range around a fulcrum 19. In other words, when the front of the first plate 15 is positioned upward, the rear is positioned downward, and when the rear of the first plate 15 is positioned upward, the front is positioned downward. As the sector gear 13 rotates left and right, the front of the first plate 15 moves up and down, and the seat 3 repeatedly moves back and forth around the fulcrum 19.

[0027] The fact that a force is applied in the vertical direction below the seat 3 indicates that the seat control device 1 has a rack and pinion mechanism that converts the rotational motion of the pinion gear 20 provided on the motor 5 into linear motion that moves the front of the seat 3 up and down.

[0028] The seat 3 performs a first operation of moving in a first movement direction in response to the rotation of the rotary shaft of the motor 5 in the first rotation direction. The seat 3 also performs a second operation of moving in a second movement direction in response to the rotation of the rotary shaft of the motor 5 in the second rotation direction. Here, the movement involves only a change in the angle of the seat 3 relative to the floor surface 10 on which the seat control device 1 is provided. The directions of the arrows in the pitch direction 12 in FIG. 1 are examples of the first movement direction and the second movement direction.

[0029] When the rotary shaft of the motor 5 rotates in the first rotation direction, the sector gear 13 rotates in the opposite direction to when the rotary shaft of the motor 5 rotates in the second rotation direction. For example, in FIG. 1, when the rotary shaft of the motor 5 rotates in the first rotation direction and the sector gear 13 rotates left (counterclockwise), the front of the first plate 15 is lifted upward and the seat 3 tilts backward. In this case, the movement of the seat 3 tilting backward is an example of a first movement in which the seat 3 moves in the first movement direction.

[0030] Furthermore, when the rotary shaft of the motor 5 rotates in the second rotation direction and the sector gear 13 rotates to the right (clockwise), the front of the first plate 15 is pushed downward, causing the seat 3 to tilt forward. In this case, the action of the seat 3 tilting forward is an example of a second action in which the seat 3 moves in the second movement direction.

[0031] In this embodiment, the controller 7 is configured to provide a predetermined pause period between the first and second movements to control the swing of the seat 3. Specifically, the seat 3 is temporarily stopped when it swings back from the first movement direction to the second movement direction, which is the opposite direction. The "predetermined pause period" is not limited to a specific period, and may be about 1 to 5 seconds, and more preferably about 2 to 3 seconds.

[0032] Furthermore, during the predetermined stop period, the period when the output torque of the motor 5 is zero may be considered to be included in the stop period even if the seat 3 moves slightly due to inertia. By providing a stop period in the rocking motion, it is possible to prevent the motor 5 from overheating. However, this configuration is not essential. In other words, it is not necessary to provide a predetermined stop period between the first operation and the second operation.

[0033] (seat tilt sensor) The seat inclination sensor 40 acquires seat inclination information indicating the inclination angle of the seat 3 relative to the mounting surface on which the seat 3 is mounted. Specifically, the seat inclination sensor 40 detects the inclination angle of the seat 3, i.e., the inclination angle of the frame of the seat 3. The seat inclination sensor 40 is an example of a second information acquisition unit of the present disclosure. Like the vehicle inclination sensor 30, the seat inclination sensor 40 may be provided at any location on the vehicle 100.

[0034] Similarly to the vehicle inclination sensor 30, the seat inclination sensor 40 detects acceleration and angular velocity in three axial directions and performs arithmetic processing to sequentially measure the inclination angle of the seat 3. The seat inclination sensor 40 may be configured using a known device.

[0035] Alternatively, the seat tilt sensor 40 may be a sensor that detects the seat tilt angle based on a change in the direction of gravitational acceleration relative to the vehicle 100. In this case, the seat tilt sensor 40 may be configured using a known device based on MEMS technology.

[0036] In this embodiment, the vehicle inclination sensor 30 and the seat inclination sensor 40 are provided as separate units. However, this is not limiting, and a single sensor may be configured to be able to acquire the inclination angle of the vehicle 100 relative to the running surface R and the inclination angle of the seat 3 relative to the mounting surface on which the seat 3 is mounted.

[0037] (Seat swing range) The swing range of the seat 3 will now be described with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the swing range when the seat 3 starts to swing. Note that Fig. 4 does not show the seat 3 in order to clearly show the swing range (swing angle).

[0038] As shown in FIG. 4, the seat control device 1 of the present disclosure preferably fixes the hip angle γ to 135° when rocking the seat 3. The hip angle γ is, in other words, the angle θ between the seat surface 4 and the back surface 6. In the following explanation, the "lying position" refers to a state in which the occupant's back surface 6 is tilted further back than the seated position when driving due to the reclining function. The "lying position" includes a state in which the back surface 6 is tilted further back than the seated position of passengers in the front passenger seat and rear seats, similar to the seated position when driving. The "lying position" also includes the maximum reclining position (the position in which the back surface 6 is tilted all the way back) due to the reclining function.

[0039] In the lying position, the seat 3 swings between a first tilted position (the occupant's position shown by the solid line in FIG. 4) and a second tilted position (the occupant's position shown by the dashed line in FIG. 4). The "first tilted position" is a position in which the back surface 6 is tilted up relative to the mounting surface (floor) on which the seat 3 is mounted, with the angle between the back surface 6 and the floor being 0° when the seat surface 4 and the back surface 6 are in a position where they are flat against the floor. More specifically, the first tilted position is a position in which the back surface 6 is tilted more toward the seat surface 4 than in the second tilted position, and the tilt angle of the seat 3 in the first tilted position is, for example, 30°.

[0040] The "second inclined position" is a position in which the back surface 6 is tilted relative to the mounting surface (floor) on which the seat 3 is placed. Specifically, the second inclined position is a position in which the back surface 6 is tilted more toward the mounting surface than in the first inclined position, and the inclination angle of the seat 3 in the second inclined position is, for example, 20°. In other words, the position of the seat 3 in the first inclined position can be said to be a position in which the back surface 6 is tilted so that the angle between the mounting surface (floor) and the back surface 6 is 150°. Furthermore, the position of the seat 3 in the second inclined position can be said to be a position in which the back surface 6 is tilted so that the angle between the mounting surface (floor) and the back surface 6 is 160°.

[0041] The first tilt position and the second tilt position may have a permissible range of rocking to improve the effect of helping the occupant fall asleep. For example, when the hip angle γ is 135°, the maximum tilt angle of the first tilt position is set to 30°. The minimum tilt angle of the second tilt position is set to 20°. In other words, when the hip angle γ is 135°, the permissible range of rocking of the seat 3 is between 30° and 20° with respect to the mounting surface (floor surface) on which the seat 3 is mounted, and the rocking of the seat 3 is performed within this range.

[0042] The 30° angle in the first tilt position and the 20° angle in the second tilt position are merely examples and may be changed as appropriate based on, for example, the occupant's personal data. "Occupant's personal data" refers to, for example, identification information (age, gender, etc.), health information (body type, heart rate, body temperature, etc.), and the like.

[0043] In addition, in both the first and second tilt positions, it is preferable that the occupant's lower legs be positioned lower than the head. This is because if the lower legs are positioned higher than the head, it is difficult to achieve the sleep-inducing effect. Furthermore, the hip angle γ is not limited to 135° and may be set appropriately within a range in which the occupant's lower legs are positioned lower than the head.

[0044] (Processing flow of the seat control device) The processing flow of the seat control device 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing the processing of the seat control device. As a premise for explaining each step, the rocking of the seat 3 in this embodiment is performed in the lying position.

[0045] In step S1, the controller 7 drives the motor 5 to start rocking the seat 3. In both cases, when the seat 3 is placed in a reclining position and when rocking of the seat 3 is started in step S1, this may be performed by pressing a button provided on the vehicle 100. For example, when the seat 3 is in a seat position for an occupant to drive, pressing a button provided on the vehicle 100 may cause the seat position to be changed to a reclining position, and then rocking may be started.

[0046] The seat position may be shifted to the reclining position by the occupant manually operating the reclining function of the seat 3. Alternatively, the seat 3 may be shifted to the reclining position and the rocking motion may be initiated via a mobile terminal such as a smartphone or laptop computer by short-range communication between the mobile terminal and a communication unit provided in the vehicle 100.

[0047] In step S2, the controller 7 executes a process of determining whether the rocking time of the seat 3 has reached a designated time since the rocking of the seat 3 started. The designated time is stored, for example, in a storage device (for example, a memory) provided in the vehicle 100, and the controller 7 determines whether the rocking time has reached the designated time based on the designated time stored in the memory. The designated time is set appropriately between 5 and 15 minutes, for example, but is not limited to this, and may be set to less than 5 minutes or 16 minutes or more.

[0048] In step S2, if the controller 7 determines that the rocking time of the seat 3 has not reached the designated time (step S2: NO), the rocking of the seat 3 continues until the rocking time reaches the designated time.

[0049] On the other hand, if the controller 7 determines in step S2 that the rocking time of the seat 3 has reached the specified time (step S2: YES), then in step S3, the controller 7 acquires inclination information indicating the inclination angle of the vehicle 100 relative to the driving surface, which is acquired by the vehicle inclination sensor 30.

[0050] In step S4, the controller 7 also acquires acceleration information acquired by the vehicle tilt sensor 30, which information indicates acceleration in the front-rear direction (pitch direction) and the left-right direction (roll direction) of the vehicle.

[0051] Furthermore, in step S5, the controller 7 acquires seat inclination information acquired by the seat inclination sensor 40, which indicates the inclination angle of the seat 3 with respect to the mounting surface (floor surface) on which the seat 3 is mounted.

[0052] In step S6, the controller 7 executes a rocking motion adjustment process based on the acquired tilt information, acceleration information, and seat tilt information. The rocking motion adjustment process will be described in detail later.

[0053] In step S7, the controller 7 executes a process to determine whether the occupant seated in the seat 3 has fallen asleep. The determination of whether the occupant has fallen asleep may be performed based on information detected by a known device. The detected information may include biological information of the occupant. The biological information of the occupant is information including at least one of biological information related to drowsiness, such as the occupant's heart rate, brain waves, pulse waves, number of blinks, and PERCLOS (Percent of Eyelid Closure).

[0054] The known device is not particularly limited as long as it can detect drowsiness of an occupant, and may be, for example, a DMS (Driver Monitoring System) configured with an in-vehicle camera, a drive recorder, or a wearable device such as a smart watch.

[0055] Alternatively, the controller 7 may perform short-distance communication with a smartphone or a wearable device capable of acquiring biometric information, acquire information from the device, and determine whether the occupant has fallen asleep. If the controller 7 determines that the occupant has fallen asleep, it stops rocking the seat 3.

[0056] On the other hand, if the controller 7 determines that the occupant has not fallen asleep (step S7: NO), it repeatedly executes the processes of steps S3 to S6.

[0057] (Swing adjustment processing) The above-mentioned sway adjustment process will be described in detail with reference to Fig. 6 and Fig. 7. Fig. 6 is a sub-flowchart diagram showing the sway adjustment process shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram showing the vehicle tilt angle when the vehicle 100 is traveling on a slope.

[0058] When the controller 7 executes the sway adjustment process in step S6 described above, in step S10 the controller 7 executes a "sway range determination process" to determine whether the angle obtained by adding the tilt angle of the seat 3 to the tilt angle of the vehicle 100 is within the range of the target value.

[0059] The "target value" is a numerical value set as the angle by which the seat 3 is swung. Specifically, it is a numerical value obtained by combining the above-mentioned swing range and swing width. The "swing width" is the range of angles between the first tilt position and the second tilt position of the seat 3 set in the swing range of the seat 3. The target value may be stored in a storage device (for example, a memory).

[0060] 4, when the hip angle γ is 135°, the range of rocking movement is set to a range of 10°, which is the difference between the tilt angle of the seat 3 in the first tilt position (30°) and the tilt angle of the seat 3 in the second tilt position (20°). A more preferable range for the rocking movement is 8°.

[0061] For example, consider the case where vehicle 100 is traveling on a traveling surface R with a tilt angle of 5°, as shown in Fig. 7. The target values ​​set for seat 3 shown in Fig. 7 are that the tilt angle of seat 3 in the first tilt position is 30° or less, the tilt angle of seat 3 in the second tilt position is 20° or more, and the swing range is 8° to 10°.

[0062] (1) When driving up a slope in a seat position where the inclination angle of the seat 3 in the first inclination position is 35° (the angle between the mounting surface (floor) and the back 6 is 145°) and the inclination angle in the second inclination position is 25° (the angle between the mounting surface (floor) and the back 6 is 155°).

[0063] In this case, the angle obtained by adding the tilt angle of the seat 3 to the tilt angle of the vehicle 100 is 150° for the first tilt position and 160° for the second tilt position. That is, the tilt angle at the first tilt position is 30°, and the tilt angle at the second tilt position is 20°, with a swing range of 10°. Therefore, the controller 7 determines that the angle obtained by adding the tilt angle of the seat 3 to the tilt angle of the vehicle 100 is within the target value range (step S10: YES).

[0064] (2) When driving up a slope in a seat position where the inclination angle of the seat 3 in the first inclination position is 30° (the angle between the mounting surface (floor) and the back 6 is 150°) and the inclination angle in the second inclination position is 20° (the angle between the mounting surface (floor) and the back 6 is 140°).

[0065] In this case, the sum of the tilt angle of the seat 3 and the tilt angle of the vehicle 100 corresponds to 155° for the first tilt position and 145° for the second tilt position. That is, the tilt angle at the first tilt position is 25°, and the tilt angle at the second tilt position is 15°, with a swing range of 10°. Therefore, the tilt angle of the seat 3 at the first tilt position is within the target value range, but the tilt angle at the second tilt position is outside the target value range. Therefore, the controller 7 determines that the sum of the tilt angle of the seat 3 and the tilt angle of the vehicle 100 is outside the target value range (step S10: NO).

[0066] In step S10, if the controller 7 determines that the angle obtained by adding the tilt angle of the seat 3 to the tilt angle of the vehicle 100 is outside the range of the target value, then in step S11, the controller 7 executes a "tilt angle adjustment process" to adjust the tilt angle of the seat 3.

[0067] For example, in the case of (2) above, the angle of the seat 3 in the second tilt position is too reclined, so the angle of the seat 3 in the second tilt position is adjusted to 20° or more. To adjust the angle of the seat 3, for example, the controller 7 drives the motor 5 to adjust the angle of the seat 3 in the second tilt position. After performing the tilt angle adjustment process, the controller 7 again performs the process of step S10.

[0068] On the other hand, if the controller 7 determines in step S10 that the angle obtained by adding the tilt angle of the seat 3 to the tilt angle of the vehicle 100 is within the range of the target value, then in step S12 the controller 7 executes acceleration determination processing. The "acceleration determination processing" is processing for determining whether the acceleration indicated by the acceleration information acquired by the vehicle tilt sensor 30 is within a predetermined threshold range. The "predetermined threshold range" is, for example, 0.01 m / s 2 ~0.06m / s 2 The range is set by the numerical value of 0.01 m / s. 2 ~0.02m / s 2 The range is set by the numerical value.

[0069] When the controller 7 determines that the acceleration of the vehicle 100 is within the predetermined threshold range (step S12: YES), it completes the sway adjustment process. When the sway adjustment process is completed, the controller 7 continues to sway the seat 3, and the process proceeds to step S7.

[0070] On the other hand, if the controller 7 determines that the acceleration of the vehicle 100 is outside the range of the predetermined threshold (step S12: NO), then in step S13, the controller 7 adjusts the output value of the motor 5 to adjust the rocking speed of the seat 3. The rocking speed is adjusted based on the acceleration information.

[0071] For example, when the brake pedal of the vehicle 100 is depressed and the traveling speed of the vehicle 100 is decelerated, acceleration occurs in a direction from the front to the rear of the vehicle 100. In this case, the direction of the second movement of the seat 3 moving in the second movement direction (forward) is a direction that cancels out the acceleration. Also, when the accelerator pedal of the vehicle 100 is depressed and the traveling speed of the vehicle 100 is accelerated, acceleration occurs in a direction from the rear to the front of the vehicle 100. In this case, the direction of the first movement of the seat 3 moving in the first movement direction (rearward) is a direction that cancels out the acceleration.

[0072] In this way, by adjusting the output value of the motor 5 in a direction that cancels out the acceleration, the acceleration generated in the vehicle 100 can be canceled out and the rocking speed can be stabilized.

[0073] In step S14, the controller 7 determines whether it is time to reverse the swing direction (pitch direction 12, i.e., the front-to-rear direction). The "reversal timing" is the timing after the seat 3 has completed swinging in the first movement direction and before the seat 3 starts swinging in a second movement direction different from the first movement direction. More specifically, it is the timing at which the seat 3 temporarily stops as it turns back from the first movement direction to the second movement direction, which is the opposite direction, during swinging. Note that the reversal timing also includes the timing before the seat starts swinging from the second movement direction to the first movement direction.

[0074] When the controller 7 determines that it is time to reverse the swing direction (step S14: YES), it changes the output value of the motor 5 to the output value adjusted in step S13, and completes the swing adjustment process. When the swing adjustment process is completed, it continues swinging the seat 3, and the process proceeds to step S7.

[0075] On the other hand, if the controller 7 determines that it is not time to reverse the swing direction (step S14: NO), it repeats the process of step S14 until it is time to reverse the swing direction.

[0076] (Variation) The following modifications can be applied to the present embodiment as appropriate. The modifications may be combined with each other as long as they are not technically inconsistent.

[0077] (Variation 1) In the above-described embodiment, the seat 3 is described as swinging in the pitch direction, but the swing direction of the seat 3 is not limited to the pitch direction. For example, the swing direction of the seat 3 may be the roll direction. Also, the swing direction may be a combination of the pitch direction and the roll direction.

[0078] (Variation 2) In the above-described embodiment, the rocking range determination process (step S10) and the tilt angle adjustment process (step S11) are performed based on information acquired by the vehicle tilt sensor 30 and the seat tilt sensor 40, but the present invention is not limited to this. An OCS (Occupant Classification System) may be used instead of the vehicle tilt sensor 30 and the seat tilt sensor 40. In particular, the rocking range and rocking width may be estimated from the load distribution of an occupant seated on the seat 3 and the load distribution of an occupant in a reclining position, and target values ​​may be set.

[0079] The load distribution of the occupant may be detected, for example, by a pressure sensor provided on the cushion portion of the seat surface 4 and the back surface 6, or on the frame of the seat 3. The load distribution of the occupant may also be detected, for example, by a capacitance sensor provided on the surface of the seat surface 4 and the back surface 6. Note that the detection device is not limited as long as it can detect the load distribution of the occupant.

[0080] According to the configuration of this modified example, even if the vehicle tilt sensor 30 and the seat tilt sensor 40 are not provided, the swing range determination process (step S10) and the tilt angle adjustment process (step S11) can be performed.

[0081] (Action and effect) As described above, according to this embodiment, the following advantageous effects can be obtained.

[0082] The seat control device 1 according to aspect 1 of the present disclosure is a seat control device 1 that controls a seat 3 on which an occupant riding in a moving body (vehicle 100) sits, and includes a first information acquisition unit (vehicle inclination sensor 30) that acquires tilt information indicating the tilt angle of the moving body (vehicle 100) on which the seat 3 is mounted relative to the running surface R, a rocking mechanism provided on the seat 3 that rocks the seat 3, and a controller 7 that controls the rocking mechanism, and the controller 7 is configured to execute a rocking adjustment process that drives the rocking mechanism to adjust the rocking of the seat 3 based on the acquired tilt information of the moving body (vehicle 100).

[0083] According to the above configuration, tilt information of a moving body (vehicle 100) equipped with a rocking mechanism can be acquired. Furthermore, the controller 7 can execute a rocking adjustment process to adjust the rocking of the seat 3 based on the acquired tilt information of the moving body (vehicle 100). This allows the rocking mechanism to rock within a certain range in accordance with the constantly changing state of the moving body (vehicle 100). Therefore, a seat control device 1 that is more effective at promoting sleep induction than conventional devices can be realized.

[0084] The seat control device 1 according to the second aspect of the present disclosure may be configured in the first aspect above such that the tilt information of the moving body (vehicle 100) is acquired from the moving body (vehicle 100) while it is moving.

[0085] According to the above configuration, tilt information can be acquired from a moving vehicle (vehicle 100) while it is moving. As a result, when the moving vehicle (vehicle 100) is moving, which is expected to have a sleep-inducing effect compared to when the vehicle is stopped, tilt information of the moving vehicle (vehicle 100) that changes from time to time can be acquired, and the sway adjustment process can be performed. Therefore, the sleep-inducing effect can be further improved.

[0086] The seat control device 1 according to aspect 3 of the present disclosure may be configured such that, in the above-mentioned aspect 1, the rocking adjustment process includes a process of driving the rocking mechanism to adjust the rocking speed of the seat 3 based on the acquired inclination information of the moving body (vehicle 100).

[0087] According to the above configuration, the rocking speed of the seat 3 can be taken into consideration when adjusting the rocking motion of the seat 3. This can further improve the sleep-inducing effect.

[0088] The seat control device 1 according to aspect 4 of the present disclosure may be configured such that, in aspect 3 above, the information acquired by the first information acquisition unit includes acceleration information indicating the acceleration of the moving body (vehicle 100) in either the forward / backward or left / right direction, and the rocking adjustment process includes a process of adjusting the rocking speed of the seat 3 based on the acquired acceleration information of the moving body (vehicle 100).

[0089] According to the above configuration, it is possible to take into account acceleration information when adjusting the rocking speed of the seat 3. As a result, for example, the rocking speed of the seat 3 is adjusted even when the moving body (vehicle 100) is accelerating or decelerating, making it easier for the occupant to feel a constant acceleration, further improving the effect of helping the occupant fall asleep.

[0090] The seat control device 1 according to aspect 5 of the present disclosure may be configured such that, in the above-mentioned aspect 4, the rocking adjustment process includes an acceleration determination process that determines whether the acceleration indicated by the acquired acceleration information is within a predetermined threshold range.

[0091] According to the above configuration, when adjusting the rocking speed of the seat 3, it is determined whether the acceleration is within a predetermined threshold range. As a result, if it is within the threshold, the rocking of the seat 3 continues without adjusting the rocking speed, and if it is outside the threshold, the rocking speed of the seat 3 is adjusted. Therefore, the rocking speed of the seat 3 is adjusted only when it is necessary to adjust the rocking speed of the seat 3, which makes it less likely that the occupant will feel uncomfortable. This makes it easier for the occupant to feel a constant acceleration, further improving the effect of falling asleep.

[0092] The seat control device 1 according to aspect 6 of the present disclosure may be configured such that, in any one of aspects 3 to 5 above, the adjustment of the rocking speed is performed after the rocking of the seat 3 in a first movement direction is completed and before the rocking of the seat 3 in a second movement direction different from the first movement direction is started.

[0093] According to the above configuration, the timing for adjusting the rocking speed can be set to after the rocking of the seat 3 in the first movement direction is completed and before the rocking of the seat 3 in the second movement direction is started. Generally, rocking the seat 3 at a constant rhythm is expected to improve the sleep induction effect. By controlling the rocking timing of the seat 3 as in the above configuration, it is possible to make it difficult for the occupant to sense a change in rhythm. Therefore, even when the rocking speed is adjusted, the occupant feels as if they are being rocked at a constant rhythm, further improving the sleep induction effect.

[0094] The seat control device 1 according to aspect 7 of the present disclosure may be configured in the above-described aspect 1, further comprising a second information acquisition unit (seat tilt sensor 40) that acquires seat tilt information indicating the tilt angle of the seat 3 relative to the mounting surface on which the seat 3 is mounted, and the controller 7 executes a swing range determination process that determines whether the angle obtained by adding the tilt angle of the seat 3 indicated by the acquired seat tilt information to the tilt angle of the moving body (vehicle 100) indicated by the acquired tilt information is within a range of target values ​​set as the angle for swinging the seat 3.

[0095] The above configuration makes it possible to acquire the tilt angle of the seat 3. It is also possible to determine whether the angle obtained by adding the tilt angle of the moving body (vehicle 100) to the acquired tilt angle of the seat 3 is within a range of target values ​​set as angles for rocking the seat 3. This allows the seat control device 1 to perform rocking that is highly effective in promoting sleep.

[0096] The seat control device 1 according to aspect 8 of the present disclosure may be configured such that, in the above-mentioned aspect 7, if the controller 7 determines in the swing range determination process that the angle obtained by adding the tilt angle of the seat 3 indicated by the acquired seat tilt information to the tilt angle of the moving body (vehicle 100) indicated by the acquired tilt information is within the range of the target value, the controller 7 drives the swing mechanism to swing the seat 3, and if it determines that the angle obtained by adding the tilt angle of the seat 3 indicated by the acquired seat tilt information to the tilt angle of the moving body (vehicle 100) indicated by the acquired tilt information is outside the range of the target value, the controller 7 executes a tilt angle adjustment process to adjust the tilt angle of the seat 3.

[0097] According to the above configuration, if the angle obtained by adding the inclination angle of the moving body (vehicle 100) to the acquired inclination angle of the seat 3 is outside the range of target values ​​set as angles for rocking the seat 3, that is, if there is a possibility that the sleep-inducing effect will be reduced, the inclination angle of the seat 3 can be adjusted. This makes it possible to adjust the inclination angle of the seat 3 even when the moving body (vehicle 100) is tilted due to traveling on a slope, for example. Therefore, the seat control device 1 can be made to perform rocking that is highly effective in inducing sleep.

[0098] A seat control method according to aspect 9 of the present disclosure is a seat control method for controlling a seat 3 on which a passenger riding in a moving body (vehicle 100) sits, and includes a rocking mechanism provided on the seat 3 for rocking the seat 3, and a controller 7 for controlling the rocking mechanism, wherein the controller 7 executes a first information acquisition step (steps S3, S4) for acquiring tilt information indicating the inclination angle of the moving body (vehicle 100) on which the seat 3 is mounted relative to the running surface, and a rocking adjustment step (step S6) for driving the rocking mechanism to adjust the rocking of the seat 3 based on the acquired tilt information of the moving body (vehicle 100).

[0099] [Software implementation example] The functions of the seat control device 1 (hereinafter referred to as "device") can be realized by a program that causes a computer to function as the device, and a program that causes a computer to function as each control block of the device. In this case, the device includes a computer having at least one control device (e.g., a processor) and at least one storage device (e.g., a memory) as hardware for executing the program. The control device and storage device execute the program, thereby realizing each function described in the above embodiment. The program may be non-transitory and may be recorded on one or more computer-readable recording media. The recording media may or may not be included in the device. In the latter case, the program may be supplied to the device via any wired or wireless transmission medium. In addition, some or all of the functions of each of the control blocks can be realized by logic circuits. For example, integrated circuits in which logic circuits that function as each of the control blocks are formed are also included in the scope of the present disclosure. In addition, the functions of each of the control blocks can also be realized by, for example, a quantum computer.

[0100] Furthermore, each process described in the above embodiment may be executed by AI (Artificial Intelligence). In this case, the AI ​​may run on the control device or on another device (for example, an edge computer or a cloud server).

[0101] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. Embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the technical means disclosed in different embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present disclosure. [Explanation of symbols]

[0102] 1 Seat control device 3 seats 7 Controller 30 Vehicle tilt sensor (first information acquisition unit) 40 Seat tilt sensor (second information acquisition unit) 100 vehicles

Claims

1. A seat control device that controls a seat in which a passenger riding in a moving body sits, a first information acquisition unit that acquires tilt information indicating an angle of tilt of the seat relative to a ground surface of the moving body on which the seat is mounted; a rocking mechanism provided in the seat for rocking the seat; a controller for controlling the swing mechanism; Equipped with The controller executes a swing adjustment process for adjusting the swing of the seat by driving the swing mechanism based on the acquired tilt information of the moving body; A seat control device characterized by:

2. The tilt information of the moving body is acquired from the moving body while it is moving. The seat control device according to claim 1 .

3. The swing adjustment process includes: and a process of adjusting the rocking speed of the seat by driving the rocking mechanism based on the acquired tilt information of the moving body. The seat control device according to claim 1 .

4. the information acquired by the first information acquisition unit includes acceleration information indicating acceleration in either a forward / backward direction or a left / right direction of the moving body, The swing adjustment process includes: a process of adjusting the rocking speed of the seat based on the acquired acceleration information of the moving body; 4. The seat control device according to claim 3,

5. The swing adjustment process includes: an acceleration determination process for determining whether the acceleration indicated by the acquired acceleration information is within a predetermined threshold range; 5. The seat control device according to claim 4.

6. The rocking speed is adjusted by is executed after the swinging of the seat in a first movement direction is completed and before the swinging of the seat in a second movement direction different from the first movement direction is started.

6. The seat control device according to claim 3, wherein the seat control device is a seat control device.

7. a second information acquisition unit that acquires seat inclination information indicating an inclination angle of the seat relative to a mounting surface on which the seat is mounted, The controller executes a swing range determination process for determining whether an angle obtained by adding the tilt angle of the moving body indicated by the acquired tilt information to the tilt angle of the seat indicated by the acquired tilt information is within a range of target values ​​set as angles for swinging the seat; The seat control device according to claim 1 .

8. The controller When it is determined in the swing range determination process that the angle obtained by adding the tilt angle of the seat indicated by the acquired seat tilt information to the tilt angle of the moving body indicated by the acquired tilt information is within the range of the target value, the swing mechanism is driven to swing the seat, When it is determined that the angle obtained by adding the inclination angle of the moving body indicated by the acquired inclination information to the inclination angle of the seat indicated by the acquired inclination information is outside the range of the target value, an inclination angle adjustment process is executed to adjust the inclination angle of the seat. The seat control device according to claim 7 .

9. A seat control method for controlling a seat in which a passenger riding in a moving body sits, comprising: a rocking mechanism provided in the seat for rocking the seat; a controller for controlling the swing mechanism; Equipped with The controller a first information acquisition step of acquiring tilt information indicating an angle of tilt of the moving body on which the seat is mounted with respect to a running surface; and a swing adjustment step of driving the swing mechanism to adjust the swing of the seat based on the acquired tilt information of the moving body. A seat control method comprising:

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