Safety Implementation System and Method for Controlling Seat Functions via Car Armrest Screen

Abstract

This invention provides a system and method for safely controlling seat functions via an armrest screen in an automotive vehicle. The system includes a control device communicatively connected to a seat controller, comprising control, calculation, display, and user interface functions for comprehensive system management and user interaction; a touchscreen display with a screen; a sensor module connected to the touchscreen display and signal-connected to the control device, used to collect occupant pressure values ​​in real time; and a stop component located on the touchscreen display, signal-connected to the sensor module and the control device, which triggers the sensor module to send a seat stop command to the control device, forcibly stopping seat movement in emergency situations. This invention aims to allow users to stop seat movement in any situation via the armrest screen.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of seat safety control equipment technology, and more specifically, to a system and method for implementing seat function safety control via an automotive armrest screen. Background Technology

[0002] With the continuous advancement of automotive technology and consumers' demand for more advanced intelligent functions, the field of intelligent automotive cockpits has experienced significant development. The goal of this field is to provide passengers with greater convenience, comfort, and safety. The installation of armrest screens in the rear seats of mid-to-large-sized passenger vehicles has become a trend, as they can replace traditional physical buttons and switches, offering a wider range of functions and more intuitive user interaction. However, this technological advancement also brings new challenges, particularly regarding the functional safety of seat controls. Seat position adjustment is a critical function, but because seat movement involves the user's personal safety, it must be strictly controlled and monitored. This adjustment process must ensure that the user is not injured under any circumstances, especially in emergency situations, such as when adjusting the seat position with a single button.

[0003] Previously, the functional safety of armrest screens in existing technologies did not receive sufficient attention. Automakers often focused on the functionality and user experience of the armrest screens, neglecting the safety of seat controls in emergency situations. Therefore, there are currently no clearly defined safety measures for issues such as screen failure, screen malfunction, or chip failure, which could potentially lead to the risk of personal injury to users.

[0004] To address these issues, this invention patent proposes an innovative method and system to ensure the functional safety of seat position adjustment. The method and system are designed to ensure that, in any situation, including screen malfunction, the user can immediately stop the seat movement via the armrest screen, thereby reducing the potential risk of personal injury. This technological background highlights the importance of safety and user experience in the field of automotive smart cockpits to meet growing consumer expectations. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This invention provides a system and method for safely implementing the function of controlling the seat with a car armrest screen, aiming to solve the safety problem of adjusting the seat with the armrest screen, ensure the functional safety of seat position adjustment, and reduce the potential risk of personal injury.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a system and method for safely implementing the function of controlling the seat via a car armrest screen, comprising:

[0007] A system for ensuring the safety of car armrest screen-controlled seat functions, characterized in that the system comprises:

[0008] A seat controller, which is mounted on the seat, is used to adjust the seat position;

[0009] The control device is communicatively connected to the seat controller, and the control device includes control, calculation, display, and user interface functions to control the safe movement of the seat;

[0010] A touchscreen display, wherein the touchscreen display is equipped with a display through which the user interacts with the seat controller;

[0011] A sensor module is connected to the touch screen display and the control device, and the sensor module is used to collect the user's pressure value in real time;

[0012] A stop component is provided on the touch screen display. The stop component is connected to the sensor module and the control device. The stop component can trigger the sensor module and send a stop command to the control device to stop the movement of the seat in case of an emergency.

[0013] In one embodiment, the stop component includes an icon, which is set on the display and has the word "stop" on it. The icon is red and its size is not less than 30mm x 15mm. When the user touches the icon, it triggers the control device to issue a command to stop the seat from moving.

[0014] In one embodiment, when the seat moves:

[0015] If the touchscreen display is in operation, the icon will be displayed on the display immediately;

[0016] If the touchscreen display is not in operation, it will immediately start and display the icon on the display.

[0017] In one embodiment, the control device includes an MCU main control unit, a system-on-a-chip, an on-screen display chip, and a screen touch / display chip.

[0018] In one embodiment, the MCU main control unit is used to monitor and centrally control the working status of the on-chip system chip, the on-screen display chip, and the screen touch / display chip in real time.

[0019] The screen touch / display chip is used to detect the position of the touch area and send a position signal;

[0020] The system-on-a-chip is used to output icons and control the screen touch / display chip to display images and acquire touch signals.

[0021] The on-screen display chip is used to detect in real time whether the icons output by the system-on-chip are correct.

[0022] In one embodiment, the screen touch / display chip stores the correct icon. When the on-screen display chip detects an error in the icon output by the system-on-chip, it immediately sends an error command to the MCU main control unit. The MCU main control unit then controls the on-screen display chip to output a pre-stored correct stop icon to the screen touch / display chip.

[0023] In one embodiment, the MCU master control unit is equipped with a watchdog mechanism. The MCU master control unit monitors the status of the on-chip system chip through the watchdog mechanism. When an error occurs in the on-chip system chip, the MCU master control unit controls the on-screen display chip to output a stop icon to the screen touch / display chip.

[0024] In one embodiment, the MCU main control unit also monitors the status of the screen touch / display chip, the touch screen display, and the sensor module. If the status of the screen touch / display chip, the touch screen display, and the sensor module is reported as faulty, the MCU main control unit will directly output a seat stop moving command to the seat controller to stop the seat moving.

[0025] In one embodiment, when the sensor module is located near the icon, if the touch function of the display fails and the sensor module detects that the pressure value exceeds a threshold, it will trigger a stop-motion command to stop the seat from moving.

[0026] A method for implementing functional safety of a car armrest screen-controlled seat, used in the aforementioned car armrest screen-controlled seat functional safety implementation system, comprising:

[0027] Step S101: When a user touches the icon area of ​​the display, the MCU main control unit enters the judgment mode to determine whether there is a touch signal in the screen touch / display chip. If there is a touch signal, proceed to step S102; if there is no touch signal, proceed to step S103.

[0028] In step S102, the MCU main control unit receives the touch area position signal from the screen touch / display chip and the pressure value from the sensor module, and determines whether the touch position is within the icon. If yes, proceed to step S106; otherwise, no feedback is given.

[0029] Step S103: The MCU main control unit determines whether the screen touch / display chip reports an error. If yes, proceed to step S106; otherwise, proceed to step S104.

[0030] In step S104, the MCU main control unit determines whether the pressure value identified by the sensor module is greater than the preset value. If yes, proceed to step S106; otherwise, proceed to step S105.

[0031] Step S105: Determine if the sensor module reports an error. If yes, proceed to step S106; otherwise, do not provide feedback.

[0032] In step S106, the MCU main control unit sends a command to stop the seat from moving.

[0033] The present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0034] 1. Emergency Stop Protection: The addition of an icon button provides a simple and intuitive design improvement, allowing users to immediately stop the seat movement in any situation, including screen malfunction. This is an important safety measure to prevent the risk of personal injury that may occur during seat movement.

[0035] 2. Self-diagnostic mechanism: A self-diagnostic mechanism is introduced, allowing the system to automatically detect the screen's working status. If a screen malfunction or other problem is detected, the system can take appropriate measures, such as disabling the seat movement function or issuing a warning signal, to ensure user safety.

[0036] 3. Redundancy Design: Through redundancy design, the availability of seat control can be maintained even if one component or part of the system fails. This redundancy design increases the reliability of the system and reduces the potential risks of failure to users. Attached Figure Description

[0037] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the control device system of a car armrest screen control seat function safety realization system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating a method for safely implementing the function of controlling the seat via a car armrest screen according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0039] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the sensor module of a car armrest screen control seat function safety realization system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0040] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the stop component of a car armrest screen control seat function safety realization system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0041] Among them, 110 is a system-on-a-chip; 120 is an on-screen display chip; 130 is a screen touch / display chip; 140 is a touch screen display; 150 is a sensor module; 160 is an MCU main control unit; 200 is a force sensor; and 300 is a stop component. Detailed Implementation

[0042] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions. The described embodiments are some embodiments of this application, but not all embodiments. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and intended to explain this application, and should not be construed as limiting this application. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this application without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0043] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a control device system for a car armrest screen-controlled seat function safety implementation system according to an embodiment of the present invention. The car armrest screen-controlled seat function safety implementation system includes:

[0044] A seat controller, which is mounted on the seat, is used to adjust the seat position;

[0045] The control device is communicatively connected to the seat controller, and the control device includes control, calculation, display, and user interface functions to control the safe movement of the seat;

[0046] A touch screen display 140 is provided with a display through which the user interacts with the seat controller;

[0047] Sensor module 150, such as Figure 3 As shown, the sensor module 150 is connected to the touch screen display 140 and the control device, and the sensor module 150 is used to collect the user's pressure value in real time.

[0048] Stop component 300, such as Figure 4 As shown, the stop component 300 is disposed on the touch screen display 140. The stop component 300 is connected to the sensor module 150 and the control device. The stop component 300 can trigger the sensor module 150 and send a command to the control device to stop the seat from moving, thereby stopping the seat from moving in case of an emergency.

[0049] In one embodiment, the stop component 300 includes an icon, which is set on the display and has the word "stop" on it. The icon is red and its size is not less than 30mm x 15mm. When the user touches the icon, it triggers the control device to issue a command to stop the seat from moving.

[0050] In one embodiment, when the seat moves:

[0051] If the touch screen display 140 is in working condition, the icon will be displayed on the display immediately;

[0052] If the touch screen display 140 is not in operation, the touch screen display 140 will immediately start and display the icon on the display.

[0053] In one embodiment, the control device includes an MCU (Microcontroller Unit) main control unit 160, a system-on-a-chip 110, an on-screen display chip 120, and a screen touch / display chip 130.

[0054] Furthermore, the MCU main control unit 160 meets the functional safety ASIL B (Automotive Safety Integrity Level B) requirements.

[0055] In one embodiment, the MCU main control unit 160 is used to monitor and centrally control the working status of the on-chip system chip 110, the on-screen display chip 120 and the screen touch / display chip 130 in real time.

[0056] The screen touch / display chip 130 is used to detect the position of the touch area and send a position signal;

[0057] The system-on-chip 110 is used to output icons and control the screen touch / display chip 130 to perform image display and touch signal acquisition.

[0058] The on-screen display chip 120 is used to detect in real time whether the icons output by the system-on-chip chip 110 are correct.

[0059] In one embodiment, the screen touch / display chip 130 stores the correct icon. When the on-screen display chip 120 detects an error in the icon output by the system-on-chip chip 110, it immediately sends an error command to the MCU main control unit 160. The MCU main control unit 160 then controls the on-screen display chip 120 to output a pre-stored correct stop icon to the screen touch / display chip 130.

[0060] In one embodiment, the MCU main control unit 160 is equipped with a watchdog mechanism. The MCU main control unit 160 monitors the status of the on-chip system chip 110 through the watchdog mechanism. When the on-chip system chip 110 encounters an error, the MCU main control unit 160 controls the on-screen display chip 120 to output a stop icon to the screen touch / display chip 130.

[0061] In one embodiment, the MCU main control unit 160 also monitors the status of the screen touch / display chip 130, the touch screen display 140, and the sensor module 150. If the status of the screen touch / display chip 130, the touch screen display 140, and the sensor module 150 is reported as faulty, the MCU main control unit 160 will directly output a seat stop moving command to the seat controller to stop the seat moving.

[0062] In one embodiment, such as Figure 3 , Figure 4 As shown, the sensor module 150 is located near the icon. When the touch function of the display fails, if the sensor module 150 detects that the pressure value exceeds the threshold, it will trigger a stop-motion command to stop the seat from moving.

[0063] Specifically, the sensor module 150 is equipped with a force sensor 200, which is located near the icon.

[0064] Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating a method for implementing the safety of a car armrest screen controlling seat functions according to an embodiment of the present invention. The system for implementing the safety of a car armrest screen controlling seat functions includes:

[0065] Step S101: When a user touches the icon area of ​​the display, the MCU main control unit 160 enters the judgment mode to determine whether the screen touch / display chip 130 has a touch signal. If there is a touch signal, proceed to step S102; if there is no touch signal, proceed to step S103.

[0066] In step S102, the MCU main control unit 160 receives the touch area position signal sent by the screen touch / display chip 130 and the pressure value of the sensor module 150, and determines whether the touch position is within the icon. If yes, proceed to step S106; otherwise, no feedback is given.

[0067] In step S103, the MCU main control unit 160 determines whether the screen touch / display chip 130 reports an error. If yes, proceed to step S106; otherwise, proceed to step S104.

[0068] In step S104, the MCU main control unit 160 determines whether the pressure value identified by the sensor module 150 is greater than the preset value. If yes, proceed to step S106; otherwise, proceed to step S105.

[0069] Step S105: Determine whether the sensor module 150 reports an error. If yes, proceed to step S106. If no, do not provide feedback.

[0070] In step S106, the MCU main control unit 160 sends a command to stop the seat from moving.

[0071] Specifically, the preset value of the pressing force needs to be set in advance. In this embodiment, the preset value is set to 5N. Different preset values ​​of the pressing force can be set in different scenarios.

[0072] Specifically, during operation, the MCU main control unit 160 simultaneously receives the touch area position signal from the screen touch / display chip 130 and the pressure value signal from the sensor module 150. If the screen touch / display chip 130 detects a touch, it feeds back the location of the touch area to the MCU main control unit 160. If the MCU main control unit 160 determines that the touch occurred within the icon area, it sends a seat stop command to the seat controller. If the touch position signal output by the screen touch / display chip 130 is not within the icon area, the MCU main control unit 160 does not respond regardless of the value output by the sensor module 150. If the screen touch / display chip 130 does not output any signal, but the sensor module 150 detects a pressure value greater than or equal to a preset value, the MCU main control unit 160 will also respond and send a seat stop command. This ensures that even if the screen touch / display chip 130 malfunctions but is not detected, the seat movement can still be stopped immediately, protecting passenger safety—a double-insurance mechanism. When the preset value is 5N, the force setting is relatively large, avoiding the possibility of accidental triggering. The addition of sensor module 150 also ensures that the seat stop command can be triggered even if the user is wearing gloves in an emergency. Furthermore, if either the screen touch / display chip 130 or the sensor module 150 outputs an error signal, the MCU main control unit 160 will also respond and issue a seat stop command. The above redundant design for the armrest screen's "stop" signal triggering greatly reduces the possibility of the user attempting to stop the seat movement but it not responding, meeting functional safety design requirements.

[0073] The present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0074] 1. Emergency Stop Protection: The addition of an icon button provides a simple and intuitive design improvement, allowing users to immediately stop the seat movement in any situation, including screen malfunction. This is an important safety measure to prevent the risk of personal injury that may occur during seat movement.

[0075] 2. Self-diagnostic mechanism: A self-diagnostic mechanism is introduced, allowing the system to automatically detect the screen's working status. If a screen malfunction or other problem is detected, the system can take appropriate measures, such as disabling the seat movement function or issuing a warning signal, to ensure user safety.

[0076] 3. Redundancy Design: Through redundancy design, the availability of seat control can be maintained even if one component or part of the system fails. This redundancy design increases the reliability of the system and reduces the potential risks of failure to users.

[0077] In the description of this application, it should be noted that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments according to this application. For ease of description, the dimensions of the various parts shown in the drawings are not drawn to actual scale. Techniques, methods, and devices known to those skilled in the art may not be discussed in detail, but where appropriate, such techniques, methods, and devices should be considered part of the specification. In all examples shown and discussed herein, any specific values ​​should be interpreted as merely exemplary and not as limitations. Therefore, other examples of exemplary embodiments may have different values. It should be noted that similar reference numerals and letters in the following drawings denote similar items; therefore, once an item is defined in one drawing, it need not be further discussed in subsequent drawings.

[0078] It should be noted that, in this application, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. It should also be noted that the scope of the methods and apparatuses in the embodiments of this application is not limited to performing functions in the order shown or discussed, but may also include performing functions substantially simultaneously or in the reverse order, depending on the functions involved. For example, the described methods may be performed in a different order than described, and various steps may be added, omitted, or combined. Furthermore, features described with reference to certain examples may be combined in other examples.

[0079] Furthermore, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "connection" and "driving" used in the description of this application should be interpreted broadly. They can refer to direct connections, connections through an intermediate medium, or relationships within two elements. Those skilled in the art can understand their specific meaning in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0080] The above embodiments are provided for those skilled in the art to implement or use this application. Those skilled in the art can make various modifications or changes to the above embodiments without departing from the spirit of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application is not limited to the above embodiments, but should be the maximum scope that conforms to the innovative features mentioned in the claims.

Claims

1. A safety implementation system for controlling seat functions via a car armrest screen, characterized in that, The automotive armrest screen control seat function safety implementation system includes: A seat controller, which is mounted on the seat, is used to adjust the seat position; The control device is communicatively connected to the seat controller. The control device includes control, calculation, display, and user interface functions to control the safe movement of the seat. The control device includes an MCU main control unit, a system-on-a-chip chip, an on-screen display chip, and a screen touch / display chip. A touchscreen display, wherein the touchscreen display is equipped with a display through which the user interacts with the seat controller; A sensor module is connected to the touch screen display and the control device, and the sensor module is used to collect the user's pressure value in real time; A stop component is provided on the touch screen display. The stop component is signal-connected to the sensor module and the control device. The stop component can trigger the sensor module and send a command to the control device to stop the seat from moving, thus stopping the seat from moving in an emergency. The MCU main control unit is used to monitor and centrally control the working status of the system-on-chip (SoC), the on-screen display chip, and the screen touch / display chip in real time. The screen touch / display chip detects the touch area position and sends a position signal. The SoC outputs icons and controls the screen touch / display chip to display images and acquire touch signals. The on-screen display chip detects the correctness of the icons output by the SoC in real time. When the on-screen display chip detects an error in the icon output by the SoC, it immediately sends an error command to the MCU main control unit, which then controls the on-screen display chip to output the correct icon to the screen touch / display chip. The chip outputs a pre-stored correct stop icon; the MCU main control unit is equipped with a watchdog mechanism, which monitors the status of the on-chip system chip. When an error occurs in the on-chip system chip, the MCU main control unit controls the on-screen display chip to output a stop icon to the screen touch / display chip; the MCU main control unit also monitors the status of the screen touch / display chip, the touch screen display, and the sensor module. If the status of the screen touch / display chip, the touch screen display, and the sensor module is reported as faulty, the MCU main control unit will directly output a seat stop movement command to the seat controller to stop the seat movement.

2. The automotive armrest screen control seat function safety implementation system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The stop component includes an icon, which is set on the display screen. The icon has the word "stop" on it, is red in color, and is no less than 30mm x 15mm in size. When the user touches the icon, it will trigger the control device to issue a command to stop the seat from moving.

3. The automotive armrest screen control seat function safety implementation system according to claim 2, characterized in that, When the seat moves: If the touchscreen display is in operation, the icon will be displayed on the display immediately; If the touchscreen display is not in operation, it will immediately start and display the icon on the display.

4. The automotive armrest screen control seat function safety implementation system according to claim 2, characterized in that, When the sensor module is located near the icon, if the touch function of the display fails and the sensor module detects that the pressure value exceeds the threshold, it will trigger a stop-motion command to stop the seat from moving.

5. A method for implementing the functional safety of a car armrest screen-controlled seat, used in the car armrest screen-controlled seat functional safety implementation system according to any one of claims 1-4, comprising: Step S101: When a user touches the icon area of ​​the display, the MCU main control unit enters the judgment mode to determine whether there is a touch signal in the screen touch / display chip. If there is a touch signal, proceed to step S102; if there is no touch signal, proceed to step S103. In step S102, the MCU main control unit receives the touch area position signal from the screen touch / display chip and the pressure value from the sensor module, and determines whether the touch position is within the icon. If yes, proceed to step S106; otherwise, no feedback is given. Step S103: The MCU main control unit determines whether the screen touch / display chip reports an error. If yes, proceed to step S106; otherwise, proceed to step S104. In step S104, the MCU main control unit determines whether the pressure value identified by the sensor module is greater than the preset value. If yes, proceed to step S106; otherwise, proceed to step S105. Step S105: Determine if the sensor module reports an error. If yes, proceed to step S106. If no, do not provide feedback. In step S106, the MCU main control unit sends a command to stop the seat from moving.

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