Seat control device and method

Abstract

The invention relates to a seat control apparatus and method. When the seat control device recognizes that the passenger sits on the rear seat, the seat control device recognizes whether the state of the passenger on the rear seat is a first specified state or not. When a rear seat occupant seated on a rear seat is in a first specified state, the apparatus identifies whether a state of a user seated on a front seat is a second specified state indicating negligence. And when the user is in a second specified state, the device determines control parameters based on the first body information of the passenger on the rear seat and the second body information of the user, and the control parameters comprise the sliding motion amount of the front seat and / or the rear seat and / or the rotation direction of the front seat. The apparatus provides the user with seat control information including the determined control parameters.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to and the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0151992 filed in the Korean Intellectual Property Office on November 6, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] The present invention relates to a seat control device and method, and more particularly, to a technique for performing sliding and / or rotating control on at least one seat included in a host vehicle. Background Art

[0004] Various components inside the vehicle may be operably connected to each other. The vehicle may include, for example, a seat control device that can quickly and accurately provide various functions by performing cooperative control between components inside the vehicle, thereby facilitating the user.

[0005] For example, the host vehicle may include a seat that can move forward and backward (e.g., slide) relative to the front side of the host vehicle in a fully automated manner. The seat can automatically move to a designated position when, for example, a single user input (e.g., a switch input) and / or a designated event (e.g., a door opening or closing condition) is recognized.

[0006] As another example, the vehicle may include a seat that can rotate 360 ​​degrees. The rotation of the seat in place may be defined as a swivel. The seat control device may perform swivel control of the seat in a specified direction (e.g., clockwise or counterclockwise).

[0007] With an infant or toddler in the interior of the vehicle, an emergency may occur (e.g., a situation where the infant or toddler requires adult care). In some cases, when an infant or toddler is in the back seat, a user sitting in the front seat may not be aware of the emergency. Summary of the invention

[0008] The present invention is intended to solve the above-mentioned problems arising in the prior art while completely retaining the advantages achieved by the prior art.

[0009] Various aspects of the present invention provide a seat control device and method that can quickly identify an emergency situation. When a user sitting in a front seat is unaware of an emergency situation of a rear seat passenger (e.g., an infant or toddler) sitting in the rear seat, the seat control device and method can provide a pop-up notification to the user that the front seat will be rotated.

[0010] Various aspects of the present invention also provide a seat control device and method that can store a user's body information in a memory. When an emergency situation is identified, the seat control device and method can determine the amount of movement of the front seat based on the body information stored in the memory.

[0011] Various aspects of the present invention also provide a seat control apparatus and method, in which rotation control of a front seat can be more easily performed by determining a movement amount of a steering wheel (ie, an amount by which the steering wheel is to be moved) based on body information of a user.

[0012] Various aspects of the present invention also provide a seat control device and method, which provides convenient use for users by determining the rotation direction of the front seats based on the sitting status (e.g., sitting position, sitting direction, sitting posture and / or volume) of rear seat passengers.

[0013] The technical problems to be solved by the present invention are not limited to the above problems. Through the following description, a person skilled in the art to which the present invention belongs should be able to more clearly understand other technical problems not mentioned herein.

[0014] According to one aspect of the present invention, a seat control device is provided. The seat control device includes a sensor unit, a drive unit, and a memory storing one or more instructions. The device further includes a controller, which is operably connected to the sensor unit, the drive unit, and the memory. When executed by the controller, the one or more instructions cause the seat control device to: when the sensor unit is used to identify that a rear seat passenger is sitting on the rear seat, identify whether the state of the rear seat passenger corresponds to a first specified state. When executed by the controller, the one or more instructions also cause the seat control device to: when the rear seat passenger sitting on the rear seat is in the first specified state, identify whether the state of the user sitting on the front seat corresponds to a second specified state indicating the user's negligence. When executed by the controller, the one or more instructions further cause the seat control device to: when the user is in the second specified state, determine a control parameter based on the first body information of the rear seat passenger and the second body information of the user, the control parameter including at least one of the sliding movement amount of the front seat, the sliding movement amount of the rear seat, the rotation direction of the front seat, or a combination thereof. Furthermore, when executed by the controller, the one or more instructions cause the seat control device to: provide seat control information including the determined control parameter to a user.

[0015] In an embodiment, when executed by a controller, the instructions may cause the seat control device to: when it is identified that a rear seat passenger needs care based on information about the emotional state of the rear seat passenger obtained using the sensor unit, identify that the state of the rear seat passenger corresponds to a first specified state.

[0016] In an embodiment, when executed by a controller, the instructions may cause the seat control device to: when a rear seat passenger is identified as a child under a specified age based on first body information of the rear seat passenger acquired using a sensor unit, identify that the state of the rear seat passenger corresponds to a first specified state.

[0017] In an embodiment, when executed by the controller, the instructions may cause the seat control device to: when the user is identified as being in an inattentive state based on the user's line of sight information acquired by the sensor unit, identify that the user's state corresponds to a second designated state.

[0018] In an embodiment, when executed by a controller, the instructions may cause the seat control device to: obtain driving information about the driving environment of the vehicle. When executed by the controller, the instructions may further cause the seat control device to: determine the control parameters when it is identified that automatic driving control of the vehicle can be performed based on the driving information.

[0019] In an embodiment, when executed by a controller, the instructions may cause the seat control device to determine a first sliding movement amount of a rear seat based on first body information acquired using a sensor unit. When executed by a controller, the instructions may further cause the seat control device to determine at least one of a second sliding movement amount of a front seat, a movement amount of a steering wheel, or a combination thereof based on second body information stored in a memory.

[0020] In an embodiment, when executed by a controller, the instructions may cause the seat control device to: identify information including at least one of a sitting position, a sitting posture, a sitting direction, a volume, or any combination thereof of a rear seat passenger based on the first body information. When executed by the controller, the instructions may further cause the seat control device to: determine a rotation direction of the front seat based on the identified information.

[0021] In an embodiment, the seat control device may further include an output unit. When executed by the controller, the instructions may cause the seat control device to: provide the seat control information including the predicted control results of the front seats and the rear seats to the user using the output unit. When executed by the controller, the instructions may further cause the seat control device to: control the front seats and the rear seats based on the control parameters using the drive unit when receiving an approval input corresponding to the seat control information from the user.

[0022] According to another aspect of the present invention, a seat control method is provided. The seat control method includes, when a sensor unit is used to identify that a rear seat passenger is sitting on the rear seat, a controller identifies whether the state of the rear seat passenger corresponds to a first specified state. The seat control method also includes, when the rear seat passenger sitting on the rear seat is in the first specified state, the controller identifies whether the state of the user sitting on the front seat corresponds to a second specified state indicating negligence of the user. In addition, the seat control method includes, when the user is in the second specified state, the controller determines a control parameter based on the first body information of the rear seat passenger and the second body information of the user, the control parameter including at least one of the sliding movement amount of the front seat, the sliding movement amount of the rear seat, the rotation direction of the front seat, or a combination thereof. The seat control method further includes, when the controller provides seat control information including the determined control parameter to the user.

[0023] In an embodiment, when the sensor unit is used to identify that there is a rear seat passenger sitting in the rear seat, identifying whether the state of the rear seat passenger corresponds to the first specified state may include: when it is identified that the rear seat passenger needs care based on information about the emotional state of the rear seat passenger obtained by the sensor unit, identifying by the controller that the state of the rear seat passenger corresponds to the first specified state.

[0024] In an embodiment, when the sensor unit is used to identify that there is a rear seat passenger sitting in the rear seat, identifying whether the state of the rear seat passenger corresponds to the first specified state may include: when the rear seat passenger is identified as a child under a specified age based on the first body information of the rear seat passenger obtained by the sensor unit, the controller identifies that the state of the rear seat passenger corresponds to the first specified state.

[0025] In an embodiment, identifying whether the state of a user sitting in the front seat corresponds to a second specified state indicating the user's inattention may include: when the user is identified as being in an inattention state based on the user's line of sight information obtained using the sensor unit, identifying by the controller that the user's state corresponds to the second specified state.

[0026] In an embodiment, determining the control parameter may include: obtaining, by the controller, driving information about the driving environment of the vehicle. Determining the control parameter may also include: determining, by the controller, the control parameter when it is identified that automatic driving control of the vehicle can be performed based on the driving information.

[0027] In an embodiment, determining the control parameter may include: determining, by the controller, a first sliding movement amount of the rear seat based on the first body information acquired by the sensor unit. Determining the control parameter may also include: determining, by the controller, at least one of a second sliding movement amount of the front seat, a movement amount of the steering wheel, or a combination thereof based on the second body information stored in the memory.

[0028] In an embodiment, determining the control parameter may include: the controller identifies at least one of the rear seat passenger's sitting position, sitting posture, sitting direction, volume, or a combination thereof based on the first body information. Determining the control parameter may also include: the controller determines the rotation direction of the front seat based on the identified information.

[0029] According to another aspect of the present invention, a computer-readable storage medium storing instructions is provided. When executed by at least one processor, the instructions cause the at least one processor to perform an operation. The operation includes identifying whether the state of the rear seat passenger corresponds to a first specified state when a rear seat passenger is identified as sitting on the rear seat using a sensor unit. The operation also includes identifying whether the state of the user sitting on the front seat corresponds to a second specified state indicating the user's negligence when the passenger sitting on the rear seat is in the first specified state. In addition, the operation includes determining a control parameter based on the first body information of the rear seat passenger and the second body information of the user when the user is in the second specified state, the control parameter including at least one of the sliding movement amount of the front seat, the sliding movement amount of the rear seat, the rotation direction of the front seat, or a combination thereof. The operation further includes providing seat control information including the determined control parameter to the user.

[0030] In an embodiment, when the sensor unit is used to identify that there is a rear seat passenger sitting in the rear seat, identifying whether the state of the rear seat passenger corresponds to the first specified state may include: when it is identified that the rear seat passenger needs care based on information about the emotional state of the rear seat passenger obtained using the sensor unit, identifying that the state of the rear seat passenger corresponds to the first specified state.

[0031] In an embodiment, when the sensor unit is used to identify that there is a rear seat passenger sitting in the rear seat, identifying whether the state of the rear seat passenger corresponds to the first specified state may include: when the rear seat passenger is identified as a child or infant under a specified age based on the first body information of the rear seat passenger obtained by the sensor unit, identifying that the state of the rear seat passenger corresponds to the first specified state.

[0032] In an embodiment, identifying whether the state of a user sitting in the front seat is a second designated state indicating the user's inattention may include: when the user is identified as being in an inattention state based on the user's line of sight information acquired using the sensor unit, identifying that the user's state corresponds to the second designated state.

[0033] In an embodiment, determining the control parameter may include: acquiring driving information about the driving environment of the host vehicle. Determining the control parameter may also include: determining the control parameter when it is identified that automatic driving control of the host vehicle can be performed based on the driving information. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034] The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood through the following detailed description presented in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0035] Figure 1 is a block diagram showing components of a seat control device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 2 is a block diagram showing components of a seat control device according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 3 is a conceptual schematic diagram showing the interior of the present vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 4 is a conceptual schematic diagram showing the operation of a seat control device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0039] Figure 5 is a flow chart of a seat control method according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0040] Figure 6 is a flow chart of a seat control method according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0041] Figure 7 A computing system associated with a seat control device and method according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0042] In the drawings, the same or similar reference numerals may be used for the same or similar components. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0043] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention are described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the accompanying drawings, the same or equivalent components are represented by the same numerals even if the components are shown in different drawings. In addition, in the following description, if it is considered that a detailed specific description of a well-known feature or function may unnecessarily obscure the main points of the present invention, its detailed description is omitted.

[0044] When describing components according to embodiments of the present invention, terms such as first, second, "A", "B", (a), (b), etc. may be used. These terms are intended only to distinguish one component from another. These terms do not limit the nature, order or sequence of the constituent components. Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical or scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as those commonly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention belongs. Terms defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having meanings consistent with the contextual meanings of the relevant field. Unless clearly defined in the present invention, these terms should not be interpreted as having ideal or overly formalized meanings.

[0045] The following will refer to Figures 1 to 7 The embodiments of the present invention are described in detail. In the following description, when a component, device, element, etc. of the present invention is described as having a purpose or performing an operation, function, etc., the component, device, or element should be considered as "configured to" meet the purpose or perform the operation or function in this article. As part of the device, each component, device, element, etc. can be implemented separately or include a processor and a memory, such as a non-transitory computer-readable medium.

[0046] Figure 1 is a block diagram illustrating components of a seat control device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0047] According to the embodiment, the seat control device 100 may include at least one of a sensor portion 110, a driving portion 120, a memory 130, a controller 140, or any combination thereof. Figure 1 The configuration of the seat control device 100 shown is illustrative, and the embodiments of the present invention are not limited thereto. For example, the seat control device 100 may further include Figure 1 Components not shown in the figure (for example, at least one of an input portion, an interface portion, a communication portion, a notification portion, or any combination thereof).

[0048] According to the embodiment, the sensor part 110 may include at least one sensor that acquires (or recognizes) various information on the driving state of the host vehicle and / or the state of the seat.

[0049] For example, the sensor unit 110 can obtain driving information about the driving state of the vehicle. The driving information may include information about automatic driving control. As an example, the driving information may include information about automatic driving control, and the information about automatic driving control includes information about the operation history of the automatic lane keeping system (ALKS) and information about the operation history of the front / rear / side collision avoidance assistance system. For example, the controller 140 can identify whether automatic driving control of the vehicle can be performed based on the driving information.

[0050] As another example, the sensor unit 110 may include at least one sensor for identifying whether a user is sitting on a seat in the vehicle, for example, at least one of a passenger sensing sensor, a pressure sensor, a camera, or any combination thereof. The controller 140 may utilize the at least one sensor to identify in real time whether a user is sitting on each seat included in the vehicle.

[0051] For example, the sensor portion 110 may acquire (or recognize) information about at least one occupant sitting inside the host vehicle.

[0052] As an example, the sensor unit 110 may acquire information (e.g., gaze information) about a user sitting in the front seat (or the first row of seats, which includes the driver's seat and the first row of passenger seats) of the vehicle. The controller 140 may identify whether the user is in a carelessness state based on the information about the user.

[0053] As an example, the sensor unit 110 may acquire information (e.g., body information) about a rear seat passenger sitting on a rear seat (or a second row seat, which is located behind the driver's seat and the first row passenger seat). The information about the rear seat passenger may include body information (e.g., age, size, sitting position, sitting direction, sitting posture, or any combination thereof) of the rear seat passenger. The information about the rear seat passenger may include information about the emotional state (e.g., crying state or smiling state) of the rear seat passenger.

[0054] According to an embodiment, the driving portion 120 may be configured to adjust the position of the seat.

[0055] For example, the driving unit 120 may include at least one driving device (eg, at least one motor) that adjusts at least one of a seat's tilt angle, a sliding position, a headrest angle, a leg rest angle, a rotation angle, or any combination thereof.

[0056] For example, the controller 140 can utilize the drive unit 120 to perform a sliding control for moving the front seat and / or the rear seat forward or backward. As another example, the controller 140 can utilize the drive unit 120 to perform a rotation control for rotating the front seat and / or the rear seat at a specified angle within 360 degrees relative to the vertical axis.

[0057] According to an embodiment, the memory 130 may store commands and / or data. For example, the memory 130 may store one or more instructions that, when executed by the controller 140, cause the seat control 100 to perform various operations.

[0058] In one example, the memory 130 and the controller 140 may be implemented as one chipset. The controller 140 may include at least one of a communication processor or a modem.

[0059] The memory 130 may store various information about the user. For example, the memory 130 may store the user's physical information (e.g., weight, height, length of the upper body, length of the lower body, etc.). The controller 140 may determine the amount of sliding motion for the sliding control of the front seat and / or the amount of movement of the steering wheel for facilitating the rotation control based on the user's physical information stored in the memory 130.

[0060] In an embodiment, the controller 140 may be operably connected to at least one of the sensor portion 110, the drive portion 120, the memory 130, or any combination thereof. The controller 140 may control the operation of at least one of the sensor portion 110, the drive portion 120, the memory 130, or any combination thereof.

[0061] The controller 140 may use the sensor unit 110 to identify whether a rear seat passenger is seated on the rear seat.

[0062] For example, the controller 140 can use various sensor devices included in the sensor unit 110 (e.g., a camera, a pressure sensor installed on the rear seat, an ultrasonic sensor, a rear occupant alert (ROA) sensor, or any combination thereof) to identify whether there are passengers sitting in the rear seat area.

[0063] In an embodiment, the controller 140 may identify whether the state of the rear seat passenger is a first designated state.

[0064] For example, in response to recognizing that the rear seat passenger is in a situation where the rear seat passenger needs care based on information about the emotional state of the rear seat passenger acquired using the sensor unit 110, the controller 140 may recognize that the state of the rear seat passenger corresponds to the first specified state. For example, the situation where care is needed may include a situation where the rear seat passenger is crying, a situation where the rear seat passenger's sitting position is recognized to be dangerous because it exceeds a specified range, a situation where the rear seat passenger's sitting posture falls within a specified posture and is therefore dangerous, a situation where the rear seat passenger's sitting direction is recognized to be dangerous because it exceeds a specified direction range, or any combination thereof.

[0065] For example, the controller 140 may identify that the state of the rear seat passenger corresponds to the first specified state in response to identifying that the rear seat passenger is a child under a specified age (e.g., an infant or a toddler) based on the first body information of the rear seat passenger acquired using the sensor portion 110. In other words, when a situation requiring care is identified (e.g., when the rear seat passenger is an infant or a toddler under a specified age and the rear seat passenger is in a dangerous state), the controller 140 may identify that the state of the rear seat passenger corresponds to the first specified state.

[0066] In an example, when a passenger sitting on a rear seat is in a first designated state, the controller 140 may identify whether the state of a user sitting on a front seat is in a second designated state indicating inattention.

[0067] As an example, the controller 140 may utilize at least one sensor device (e.g., a line of sight sensing sensor) included in the sensor unit 110 to obtain line of sight information of a user sitting in the front seat. The controller 140 may identify the line of sight direction of the user, whether the line of sight has changed, an object corresponding to the line of sight direction, etc. based on the line of sight information. The controller 140 may identify whether the user is in a negligent state based on the identified information. The negligent state may include a state in which the user does not recognize the state of the rear seat passenger (e.g., a state in which the line of sight direction continues to face forward). When it is identified that the user is in a negligent state, the controller 140 may identify that the user is in a second specified state.

[0068] In an embodiment, when the rear seat passenger corresponds to a first designated state and the user corresponds to a second designated state, the controller 140 can determine control parameters based on the first body information of the rear seat passenger and the second body information of the user, and the control parameters include the sliding movement of the front seats and the rear seats and the rotation direction of the front seats.

[0069] For example, the controller 140 may determine a first sliding movement amount of the rear seat based on the first body information of the rear seat passenger acquired using the sensor unit 110. For example, when a body part (e.g., a leg) of the rear seat passenger extends beyond the seat cushion of the rear seat, the first sliding movement amount may be determined so that the slider of the rear seat moves to the rearmost position. As another example, when the legs of the rear seat passenger do not extend beyond the seat cushion of the rear seat, the first sliding movement amount may be determined so that the sliding control of the rear seat is not performed.

[0070] In one example, the controller 140 may determine at least one of the second sliding movement amount of the front seat, the movement amount of the steering wheel, or any combination thereof based on the second body information of the user stored in the memory 130. The controller 140 may update and store the second body information using the sensor unit 110. For example, information including at least one of the sitting position, sitting posture, sitting direction, volume, or any combination thereof of the rear seat passenger may be identified based on the first body information, and the rotation direction of the front seat may be determined based on the identified information. For example, the controller 140 may determine the rotation direction (e.g., clockwise or counterclockwise) of the front seat based on the sitting position and / or sitting direction of the rear seat passenger to control the state of the seat so that the user can more easily approach the rear seat passenger when the rotation operation ends. For example, the controller 140 may predict whether the steering wheel will collide with the user's body when the front seat rotates based on the user's body size, etc. In this case, when it is expected that the steering wheel will collide with the user's body, the controller 140 may determine the movement amount of the steering wheel that the steering wheel can move forward to perform the rotation control more easily and safely.

[0071] In the example, the controller 140 may determine the control parameters only when the vehicle is capable of automatic driving control. For example, the controller 140 may use the sensor unit 110 to obtain driving information about the driving environment of the vehicle. Then, when it is identified that automatic driving control of the vehicle is capable based on the driving information, the controller 140 may determine the control parameters.

[0072] The controller 140 may provide the user with seat control information including the determined control parameters.

[0073] For example, the controller 140 may provide the user with seat control information including the expected control results of the front seats and the rear seats. In other words, when the control parameters are determined, the controller 140 may provide the user with seat control information including the expected seat control process and control results when the control is performed based on the control parameters. The controller 140 may provide the user with the seat control information through visual and / or auditory content using the output unit 150.

[0074] In the example, in response to receiving an approval input corresponding to the seat control information from the user, the controller 140 can control the front seats and / or the rear seats based on the control parameters using the drive unit 120. For example, when receiving the approval input from the user, the controller 140 can perform rotation control and / or sliding motion control on the front seats and / or the rear seats based on the determined control parameters. In addition, when receiving the approval input from the user, the controller 140 can move the steering wheel forward to safely and easily perform rotation control on the front seats.

[0075] According to an embodiment, the output part 150 may include a display device and / or an audio output device.

[0076] The controller 140 may provide various information regarding seat control to the user using the output portion 150 .

[0077] For example, the controller 140 may provide the user with seat control information including expected control results for the front seats and the rear seats through visual content using a display device.

[0078] Additionally or alternatively, the controller 140 may provide the user with seat control information including expected control results for the front seats and the rear seats through auditory content using an audio output device.

[0079] Figure 1 The components of the seat control device 100 shown are illustrative, and the embodiments of the present invention are not limited thereto. For example, the seat control device 100 may further include at least one of a switch (not shown), a communication unit (not shown), an interface (not shown), or any combination thereof.

[0080] In an example, when a user input (eg, a touch input) to a switch is received, the controller 140 may recognize that an approval input to the seat control is received.

[0081] Figure 2 is a block diagram illustrating components of a seat control device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0082] According to an embodiment, the seat control device (e.g., Figure 1 The seat control device 100 may include a rear seat passenger sensing sensor 212, a driver sight sensing device (or a driver sight sensing sensor) 214, an in-vehicle camera 216, an ROA 218, a controller 240 (e.g., Figure 1 , a controller 140), an automatic driving control device 280, an identity authentication unit (IAU) 290, or at least one of any combination thereof.

[0083] In an embodiment, the rear seat passenger sensing sensor 212, the driver's sight sensing device 214, the in-vehicle camera 216 and the ROA 218 are independent components, such as Figure 2 In other examples, one or more of the rear seat passenger sensing sensor 212, the driver's sight sensing device 214, the in-vehicle camera 216, and the ROA 218 may be integrated into a single device (e.g., Figure 1 The sensor unit 110 is implemented in the sensor unit 110).

[0084] The controller 240 may be operably connected to the rear seat occupant sensing sensors 212 , the driver gaze sensing device 214 , the in-vehicle camera 216 , the ROA 218 , the autonomous driving control device 280 , and / or the IAU 290 .

[0085] The controller 240 may use at least one of the rear seat passenger sensing sensor 212 , the in-vehicle camera 216 , the ROA 218 , or any combination thereof to identify whether there are passengers sitting in the rear seats.

[0086] For example, the controller 240 may identify first body information of the rear seat passenger using at least one of the rear seat passenger sensing sensor 212, the in-vehicle camera 216, the ROA 218, or any combination thereof. For example, the first body information may include at least one of the rear seat passenger's body size, volume, weight, body temperature, age, emotional state, sitting posture, sitting position, sitting direction, or any combination thereof.

[0087] The controller 240 may also use the driver's sight line sensing device 214 and / or the in-vehicle camera 216 to identify the second body information of the user sitting in the front seat. For example, the second body information may include at least one of the user's body size, volume, weight, body temperature, sight line, or any combination thereof. The controller 240 may use the second body information to identify whether the user is in a negligent state.

[0088] In the example, the controller 240 may identify whether the autonomous driving control of the vehicle is possible based on the driving information of the vehicle acquired through the autonomous driving control device 280 .

[0089] Using the IAU 290, the controller 240 can identify whether the person sitting in the front seat corresponds to the person stored in the memory (e.g., Figure 1 The user of the second body information in the memory 130).

[0090] Figure 3 : is a conceptual schematic diagram showing the interior of the present vehicle according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0091] According to an embodiment, the present vehicle may include at least one seat 322 , 324 and a steering wheel 310 located inside the vehicle.

[0092] In the example, the host vehicle may include front seats 322 and rear seats 324 .

[0093] The front row of seats 322 may include at least one seat including a driver's seat and / or a first row of passenger seats in the same row as the driver's seat.

[0094] The rear seats 324 may include at least one seat arranged at the rear side of each of the driver's seat and / or the first-row passenger seats.

[0095] In an example, a seat control device (e.g., Figure 1 The seat control device 100 may determine the amount of sliding movement for the sliding control of the front seat 322 and / or the rear seat 324 based on whether at least one specified condition is satisfied.

[0096] For example, when a rear seat occupant seated in rear seat 324 is larger than a specified size (e.g., when a portion of the rear seat occupant's body extends beyond the rear seat cushion), the seat controls may identify an amount of sliding movement to move the rear seat further rearward.

[0097] In an example, the seat control device may determine the movement amount of the steering wheel 310 based on the body information of the user sitting on the front seat 322 to perform rotation control of the front seat 322 more easily and safely.

[0098] Figure 4 : is a conceptual diagram showing the operation of the seat control device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0099] Referring to reference numeral 401, according to an embodiment, a seat control device (eg, Figure 1 The seat control device 100) can perform rotation control on the rotating seat 420 in a clockwise direction.

[0100] For example, the seat control device may rotate the swivel seat 420 clockwise with respect to the direction facing the front side of the vehicle.

[0101] In one example, when a right rear area of ​​a user who is a rear seat passenger sitting on the swivel seat 420 is identified with respect to the front-facing direction, the seat control device may rotate the swivel seat 420 clockwise by a designated angle within 180 degrees.

[0102] Referring now to reference numeral 402 , according to an embodiment, a seat control device may perform rotation control on a rotating seat 420 counterclockwise.

[0103] For example, the seat control device may rotate the swivel seat 420 counterclockwise with respect to the direction facing the front side of the vehicle.

[0104] In one example, when a left rear area of ​​a user who is a rear seat passenger sitting on the swivel seat 420 is identified with respect to the front-facing direction, the seat control device may rotate the swivel seat 420 counterclockwise by a designated angle within 180 degrees.

[0105] Figure 5 is a flowchart of a seat control method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0106] According to an embodiment, the seat control device (e.g., Figure 1 The seat control device 100) can perform Figure 5 For example, at least a portion of the components included in the seat control device (e.g., Figure 1 The sensor unit 110, the driving unit 120, the memory 130, the controller 140 and the output unit 150 may be configured to perform Figure 5 operation.

[0107] In some embodiments, operations S510 to S595 may be performed as follows. Figure 5 However, operations S510 to S595 are not necessarily performed in the order shown. Figure 5 For example, the order of the operations may be changed, and / or at least two operations may be performed in parallel. It should be noted that the contents corresponding to or repeated with the above contents may be in the following description of Figure 5 A brief description or can be obtained from Figure 5 Omitted from the description.

[0108] In operation S510, the seat control device may sense motion in an area including rear seats using the ROA system.

[0109] For example, the seat controls may utilize the ROA system to identify if motion is sensed in the rear seating area.

[0110] In operation S520, when the motion is sensed, the seat control device may identify whether a passenger is seated on the rear seat.

[0111] When a passenger is seated on the rear seat (“Yes” in operation S520 ), the seat control device may perform operation S530 .

[0112] On the other hand, when no passenger is seated on the rear seat ("No" in operation S520), the seat control device may end the operation.

[0113] In operation S530, the seat control device may identify whether the state of the rear seat passenger corresponds to a designated state.

[0114] For example, the seat controls may identify whether a rear seat occupant is crying based on the rear seat occupant's emotional state.

[0115] As another example, the seat control device may identify whether the rear seat passenger is a child under a specified age (eg, an infant or a toddler) based on acquisition of the rear seat passenger's body information.

[0116] When the rear seat passenger is in the designated state (YES in operation S530 ), the seat control device may perform operation S540 .

[0117] On the other hand, when the rear seat passenger does not correspond to the designated state ("No" in operation S530), the seat control device may end the operation.

[0118] In operation S540, the seat control device may identify whether the driver (or user) is in a negligent state.

[0119] For example, the seat control device can identify whether the driver is currently in an inattentive state based on the driver's line of sight information.

[0120] When the driver is in the inattention state (YES in operation S540 ), the seat control device may perform operation S550 .

[0121] On the other hand, when the driver is not in the inattentive state ("No" in operation S540), the seat control device may end the operation.

[0122] In operation S550, the seat control device may identify whether automatic driving is enabled.

[0123] For example, the seat control device can recognize whether automatic driving control of the vehicle is possible based on driving information acquired by the sensor unit.

[0124] When the automatic driving control is enabled ("YES" in operation S550), the seat control device may perform operation S560.

[0125] On the other hand, when the automatic driving control cannot be performed ("No" in operation S550), the seat control device may end the operation.

[0126] In operation S560, the seat control device may determine the sliding movement amount of the rear seat after sensing the body information of the rear seat passenger.

[0127] For example, when a part of the body of the rear seat passenger protrudes out of the seat cushion of the rear seat, the seat control device may determine the amount of sliding movement for moving the rear seat rearward to be large.

[0128] In operation S570, the seat control device may determine the sliding movement amount of the front seat based on the body information of the driver.

[0129] For example, the seat control device can determine the sliding movement amount of the front seat based on the driver's body information stored in the memory. The seat control device can determine the sliding movement amount of the front seat so that the sliding movement amount corresponds to such a distance that the driver can more easily approach the rear seat passenger when the rotation control of the front seat ends.

[0130] In operation S580, the seat control device may determine the rotation direction of the front seat by identifying the position of the rear seat passenger.

[0131] For example, when it is recognized that a rear seat passenger is seated on the left rear side of the driver with respect to the front side of the host vehicle, the seat control device may determine the rotation direction of the front seat to be the counterclockwise direction.

[0132] As another example, when it is recognized that a rear seat passenger is seated on the right rear side of the driver with respect to the front side of the host vehicle, the seat control device may determine the rotation direction of the front seat to be the clockwise direction.

[0133] In operation S585, the seat control device may provide a pop-up notification that the rotation operation is enabled.

[0134] For example, the seat control device may provide a pop-up notification including information that a rotation operation can be performed to the user through the output unit. For example, the pop-up notification may include information on the process of controlling the front seats and / or rear seats based on the control parameters determined by the seat control device and the predicted control results.

[0135] In operation S590, the seat control device may identify whether user approval for the rotation operation is received.

[0136] For example, the seat control device may identify whether an approval input (eg, a touch input and / or a voice input) is received from the user in response to the seat control information output through the output portion.

[0137] When user approval for the rotation operation is received (YES in operation S590 ), the seat control device may perform operation S595 .

[0138] On the other hand, when the user approval for the rotation operation is not received ("No" in operation S590), the seat control device may end the operation.

[0139] In operation S595, the seat control device may perform rotation control on the front seats.

[0140] For example, the seat control device may control the sliding movement of the front seats and / or the rear seats while performing rotation control on the front seats.

[0141] As another example, the seat controls may move the steering wheel forward during slew control to prevent the driver from colliding with the steering wheel.

[0142] Figure 6 is a flowchart of a seat control method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0143] According to an embodiment, the seat control device (e.g., Figure 1 The seat control device 100) can perform Figure 6 For example, at least a portion of the components included in the seat control device (e.g., Figure 1 The sensor unit 110, the driving unit 120, the memory 130, the controller 140 and the output unit 150 may be configured to perform Figure 6 operation.

[0144] In some embodiments, operations S610 to S640 may be performed as follows. Figure 6 However, operations S610 to S640 are not necessarily performed in the order shown. Figure 6 For example, the order of the operations may be changed, and / or at least two operations may be performed in parallel. It should be noted that the contents corresponding to or repeated in the above contents may refer to Figure 6 A brief description or can be obtained from Figure 6 Omitted from the description.

[0145] In operation S610, when it is recognized that a rear seat passenger is seated on the rear seat by the sensor portion, the seat control device may recognize whether the rear seat passenger is in a first designated state.

[0146] For example, the first designated state may include a state in which the rear seat passenger is crying and is a child under a designated age (eg, an infant or a toddler).

[0147] In operation S620, the seat control device may identify whether the state of the user sitting on the front seat is a second designated state.

[0148] For example, the second designated state may include a case where it is determined based on the line of sight information of the user that the user is in an inattentive state.

[0149] When the state of the user is the second designated state (“YES” in operation S620 ), the seat control device may perform operation S630 .

[0150] On the other hand, when the state of the user is not the second designated state ("No" in operation S620), the seat control device may end the operation.

[0151] In operation S630, the seat control device may determine a control parameter based on the first body information of the rear seat passenger and the second body information of the user.

[0152] For example, the control parameters may include a rotational direction, an amount of rotational movement, and / or an amount of sliding movement of the front seats.

[0153] As another example, the control parameter may include the amount of sliding movement of the rear seats.

[0154] As another example, the control parameter may include the amount of movement of the steering wheel.

[0155] In operation S640, the seat control device may provide the user with seat control information including the determined control parameter.

[0156] For example, the seat control device may provide the user with seat control information including expected control results of the front seats and the rear seats through visual content and / or auditory content.

[0157] In an example, when an approval input corresponding to the seat control information is received from a user, the seat control device may control the front seats and the rear seats based on the control parameters using the driving portion.

[0158] Figure 7 A computing system configured to implement a seat control apparatus and method according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0159] refer to Figure 7 , the computing system 1000 may include at least one processor 1100, a memory 1300, a user interface input device 1400, a user interface output device 1500, a storage device 1600, and a network interface 1700. The at least one processor 1100, the memory 1300, the user interface input device 1400, the user interface output device 1500, the storage device 1600, and / or the network interface 1700 may be interconnected via a bus 1200.

[0160] The processor 1100 may be a central processing unit (CPU) or a semiconductor device for processing instructions stored in the memory 1300 and / or the storage device 1600. The memory 1300 and the storage device 1600 may include various volatile or non-volatile storage media. For example, the memory 1300 may include a read-only memory (ROM) and a random access memory (RAM).

[0161] Therefore, the steps of the method or algorithm described in relation to the embodiments of the present invention may be directly implemented by hardware, software modules, or a combination thereof executed by the processor 1100. The software module may exist in a storage medium (e.g., the memory 1300 and / or the storage device 1600), such as RAM, flash memory, ROM, EPROM, EEPROM, registers, a hard disk, a solid state drive (SSD), a removable disk, or a CD-ROM.

[0162] The storage medium may be connected to the processor 1100. The processor 1100 may read information from the storage medium and may write information in the storage medium. In another example, the storage medium may be integrated with the processor 1100. The processor and the storage medium may exist in an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The ASIC may exist in a user terminal. In another example, the processor and the storage medium may exist in a user terminal as separate components.

[0163] Effects of the seat control device and method according to the embodiment of the present invention are as follows.

[0164] According to an embodiment of the present invention, for example, when a user sitting in the front seat does not clearly identify the situation of a rear seat passenger (e.g., an infant or toddler) sitting in the rear seat, the seat controls can be used to provide the user with a pop-up notification that the front seat will be rotated, thereby quickly identifying the emergency situation.

[0165] Embodiments of the present invention provide a seat control device and method that can store a user's body information in a memory. When an emergency situation is identified, the seat control device and method can determine the amount of movement of the front seat based on the body information stored in the memory.

[0166] Embodiments of the present invention may provide a seat control apparatus and method in which rotation control of a front seat may be more easily performed by determining a movement amount of a steering wheel (ie, an amount by which the steering wheel is to be moved) based on body information of a user.

[0167] An embodiment of the present invention may provide a seat control device and method, wherein the rotation direction of the front seats may be determined based on the seating status (e.g., seating position, seating direction, seating posture and / or volume) of rear seat passengers, thereby providing convenient use for users.

[0168] Furthermore, various effects directly or indirectly recognized through the specification can be provided.

[0169] The above description is a simple illustrative description of the technical spirit of the present invention. Without departing from the basic characteristics of the present invention, the present invention can be variously modified and changed by a person skilled in the art to which the present invention belongs.

[0170] Therefore, the embodiments of the present invention are provided to explain the spirit and scope of the present invention, rather than to limit them. The spirit and scope of the present invention are not limited by the embodiments. The scope of the present invention should be interpreted based on the attached claims, and all technical concepts within the scope equivalent to the claims should be included within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A seat control device, comprising: Sensor Department; Drive unit; a memory configured to store one or more instructions; as well as a controller operatively connected to the sensor portion, the drive portion, and the memory, Wherein, when executed by the controller, the instructions cause the seat control device to: When the sensor unit recognizes that a rear seat passenger is seated on the rear seat, it is determined whether the state of the rear seat passenger corresponds to a first specified state. when a rear seat passenger sitting on the rear seat is in a first designated state, identifying whether a state of a user sitting on the front seat corresponds to a second designated state indicating inattention of the user, when the user is in a second designated state, determining a control parameter based on first body information of a rear seat passenger and second body information of the user, the control parameter comprising at least one of a sliding movement amount of a front seat, a sliding movement amount of a rear seat, a rotation direction of a front seat, or a combination thereof, Seat control information including the determined control parameters is provided to the user.

2. The seat control device according to claim 1, wherein: When executed by the controller, the instructions cause the seat controls to: When it is recognized that the rear seat occupant needs care based on the information on the emotional state of the rear seat occupant acquired using the sensor portion, it is recognized that the state of the rear seat occupant corresponds to the first specified state.

3. The seat control device according to claim 1, wherein: When executed by the controller, the instructions cause the seat controls to: When the rear seat occupant is identified as a child under a specified age based on the first body information of the rear seat occupant acquired by the sensor portion, the state in which the rear seat occupant is identified corresponds to the first specified state.

4. The seat control device according to claim 1, wherein: When executed by the controller, the instructions cause the seat controls to: When it is recognized that the user is in the inattentive state based on the line of sight information of the user acquired by the sensor section, it is recognized that the state of the user corresponds to the second specified state.

5. The seat control device according to claim 1, wherein: When executed by the controller, the instructions cause the seat controls to: Acquiring driving information about the driving environment of the host vehicle; When it is recognized based on the driving information that automatic driving control of the vehicle is possible, the control parameter is determined.

6. The seat control device according to claim 1, wherein: When executed by the controller, the instructions cause the seat controls to: determining a first sliding movement amount of the rear seat based on first body information acquired using the sensor portion; At least one of a second sliding movement amount of the front seat, a movement amount of the steering wheel, or a combination thereof is determined based on the second body information stored in the memory.

7. The seat control device according to claim 1, wherein: When executed by the controller, the instructions cause the seat controls to: identifying information including at least one of a seating position, a seating posture, a seating direction, a volume, or a combination thereof of a rear seat passenger based on the first body information; The rotation direction of the front seat is determined based on the recognized information.

8. The seat control device according to claim 1, further comprising an output unit, wherein: When executed by the controller, the instructions further cause the seat control device to: providing the seat control information including the predicted control results of the front seats and the rear seats to the user by using an output unit; When an approval input corresponding to the seat control information is received from a user, the front seats and the rear seats are controlled based on the control parameters using a driving portion.

9. A seat control method, comprising: When the sensor unit recognizes that a rear seat passenger is seated on the rear seat, the controller recognizes whether the state of the rear seat passenger corresponds to a first specified state. identifying, by the controller, whether a state of a user sitting in the front seat corresponds to a second specified state indicating inattention of the user when a rear seat passenger sitting in the rear seat is in a first specified state; when the user is in a second designated state, determining, by the controller, a control parameter based on first body information of a rear seat passenger and second body information of the user, the control parameter comprising at least one of a sliding movement amount of the front seat, a sliding movement amount of the rear seat, a rotation direction of the front seat, or a combination thereof; The controller provides seat control information including the determined control parameters to the user.

10. The seat control method according to claim 9, wherein: When the sensor unit recognizes that a rear seat passenger is seated on the rear seat, recognizing whether the state of the rear seat passenger corresponds to the first specified state includes: When it is recognized that the rear seat occupant needs care based on the information on the emotional state of the rear seat occupant acquired by the sensor portion, it is recognized by the controller that the state of the rear seat occupant corresponds to the first specified state.

11. The seat control method according to claim 9, wherein: When the sensor unit recognizes that a rear seat passenger is seated on the rear seat, recognizing whether the state of the rear seat passenger corresponds to the first specified state includes: When the rear seat occupant is identified as a child under a specified age based on first body information of the rear seat occupant acquired by the sensor portion, the controller identifies that the state of the rear seat occupant corresponds to a first specified state.

12. The seat control method according to claim 9, wherein: Identifying whether the state of the user sitting on the front seat corresponds to a second specified state indicating inattention of the user includes: When it is recognized that the user is in the inattentive state based on the line of sight information of the user acquired by the sensor section, it is recognized by the controller that the state of the user corresponds to the second specified state.

13. The seat control method according to claim 9, wherein: Determine the control parameters including: Acquiring, by the controller, driving information about a driving environment of the host vehicle; When it is recognized that automatic driving control of the vehicle is possible based on the driving information, the control parameter is determined by the controller.

14. The seat control method according to claim 9, wherein: Determine the control parameters including: determining, by the controller, a first sliding movement amount of the rear seat based on the first body information acquired by the sensor unit; At least one of a second sliding movement amount of the front seat, a movement amount of the steering wheel, or a combination thereof is determined by the controller based on the second body information stored in the memory.

15. The seat control method according to claim 9, wherein: Determine the control parameters including: identifying, by the controller, information including at least one of a seating position, a seating posture, a seating direction, a volume, or a combination thereof of a rear seat passenger based on the first body information; The rotation direction of the front seat is determined by the controller based on the recognized information.

16. A computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon instructions which, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform operations comprising: When it is recognized by the sensor unit that a rear seat passenger is seated on the rear seat, identifying whether the state of the rear seat passenger corresponds to a first specified state; when a rear seat passenger sitting on the rear seat is in a first designated state, identifying whether a state of a user sitting on the front seat corresponds to a second designated state indicating inattention of the user; when the user is in a second designated state, determining a control parameter based on first body information of a rear seat passenger and second body information of the user, the control parameter comprising at least one of a sliding movement amount of a front seat, a sliding movement amount of a rear seat, a rotation direction of a front seat, or a combination thereof; Seat control information including the determined control parameters is provided to the user.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein: When the sensor unit recognizes that a rear seat passenger is seated on the rear seat, recognizing whether the state of the rear seat passenger corresponds to the first specified state includes: When it is recognized that the rear seat occupant needs care based on the information on the emotional state of the rear seat occupant acquired using the sensor portion, it is recognized that the state of the rear seat occupant corresponds to the first specified state.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein: When the sensor unit recognizes that a rear seat passenger is seated on the rear seat, recognizing whether the state of the rear seat passenger corresponds to the first specified state includes: When the rear seat occupant is identified as a child under a specified age based on the first body information of the rear seat occupant acquired by the sensor portion, the state in which the rear seat occupant is identified corresponds to the first specified state.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein: Identifying whether the state of the user sitting on the front seat corresponds to a second specified state indicating inattention of the user includes: When it is recognized that the user is in the inattentive state based on the line of sight information of the user acquired by the sensor section, it is recognized that the state of the user corresponds to the second specified state.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein: Determine the control parameters including: Acquiring driving information about the driving environment of the host vehicle; When it is recognized based on the driving information that automatic driving control of the vehicle is possible, the control parameter is determined.

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