System and method for automatically tilting headrest for vehicle audio

Abstract

In at least one embodiment, a seating assembly is provided. The seatback receives an occupant in a vehicle. A headrest is coupled to the seatback. The headrest includes a motor, at least one sensor, and at least one controller. The motor rotates the headrest to orient a head of an occupant relative to one or more speakers located in the vehicle. The at least one sensor is configured to detect a position of the headrest. The at least one controller is programmed to control the motor to move the headrest to a predetermined position relative to the one or more speakers located in the vehicle to optimize a listening experience of the occupant in the vehicle.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] Aspects disclosed herein generally relate to systems and methods that provide an automatic reclining headrest. The disclosed systems and methods can provide an automatic reclining headrest to provide a vehicle audio experience to an occupant located in a vehicle. These aspects and other aspects are discussed in more detail below. BACKGROUND

[0002] Currently, headrests of today’s vehicles must be manually reclined to adjust accordingly to the height and posture of a vehicle occupant. In some instances, the operation of reclining a headrest can be difficult, inconvenient, or even time consuming when attempting to make the overall position of the headrest comfortable for a driver or passenger. Similarly, the position of the headrest can adversely affect the listening experience of an occupant in the vehicle. SUMMARY

[0003] In at least one embodiment, a seat assembly is provided. A seat back receives an occupant in a vehicle. A headrest is coupled to the seat back. The headrest includes a motor, at least one sensor, and at least one controller. The motor rotates the headrest to orient an occupant’s head relative to one or more speakers located in the vehicle. The at least one sensor is configured to detect a position of the headrest. The at least one controller is programmed to control the motor to move the headrest to a predetermined position relative to the one or more speakers located in the vehicle to optimize a listening experience of the occupant in the vehicle.

[0004] In at least one embodiment, a seat assembly is provided. A seat back receives an occupant in a vehicle. A headrest is coupled to the seat back. A motor rotates the headrest to orient an occupant’s head relative to one or more speakers located in the vehicle. At least one sensor is configured to detect a position of the headrest. At least one controller is programmed to control the motor to move the headrest to a predetermined position relative to the one or more speakers located in the vehicle to optimize a listening experience of the occupant in the vehicle.

[0005] In at least another embodiment, a method for moving a headrest in a vehicle is provided. The method includes rotating a headrest via a motor to orient an occupant’s head relative to one or more speakers located in the vehicle and detecting a position of the headrest. The method also includes controlling the motor via at least one controller to move the headrest to a predetermined position relative to the one or more speakers located in the vehicle to optimize a listening experience of the occupant in the vehicle. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0006] Embodiments of the present disclosure are particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed herein. However, other features of various embodiments will become more readily apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the drawings in which:

[0007] Figure 1 A side view of a seat relative to a speaker device in a vehicle is depicted in accordance with one embodiment;

[0008] Figure 2 A side view of a seat relative to a speaker device in a vehicle is depicted in accordance with one embodiment;

[0009] Figure 3 A detailed view of a headrest on a seat is depicted in accordance with one embodiment;

[0010] Figure 4 A side view of a seat relative to a speaker device in a vehicle is depicted in accordance with one embodiment;

[0011] Figure 5 A method for notifying an occupant of a position of a headrest in a vehicle is depicted in accordance with one embodiment; and

[0012] Figure 6 A method of controlling a headrest to move to a position that provides an optimal listening experience is depicted in accordance with one embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0013] Detailed embodiments of the application are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the application which can be embodied in various forms. The Figures are not necessarily to scale; some features can also have been enlarged or minimized for the sake of clarity. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present application.

[0014] One function of a vehicle headrest (or restraint device) is to support the head and neck of an occupant during a crash of the vehicle. For example, such a vehicle headrest limits the rearward movement of the head of a vehicle occupant relative to other parts of their body during a vehicle crash. This is done to prevent injury to the spine during a vehicle crash. It is known that a vehicle occupant can adjust the position of the headrest relative to their head to ensure that the head is comfortably positioned on the headrest. However, the adjustment of the headrest is typically manual and can result in the head no longer being in a position that allows the user to listen to audio played by the vehicle speaker system in an optimal listening experience. Similarly, a vehicle headrest is typically coupled to a seat back. The seat back can be tilted or moved to different positions depending on the position desired by the occupant, which can also affect the position of the headrest relative to the head of the occupant.

[0015] Vehicle headrests are now being developed with spatial audio in mind. These headrests are designed to not only appropriately mitigate spinal injuries during a collision but also ensure a maximum listening experience by positioning the occupant's head at the optimal angle to receive the sound beams transmitted from the vehicle's speakers. Therefore, in this regard, it may be desirable to automatically control the headrest's tilt so that it is aligned parallel to the speakers located on the dashboard, for example, when the occupant reclines their seatback. Conversely, it may be desirable to automatically control the headrest's tilt so that it is at least aligned parallel to the direction of the sound beams transmitted from the speakers located in the dashboard. These and other aspects are discussed in more detail below.

[0016] Figure 1 A speaker arrangement 100 (or system 100 ) is generally depicted within a vehicle 102 , according to one embodiment. Figure 1 A top view of a vehicle 102 is generally shown. Vehicle 102 includes a left front seat 104 and a right front seat 106. In one example, left front seat 104 may correspond to a driver's seat, while right front seat 106 may correspond to a passenger seat. Each of seats 104 and 106 typically includes a headrest 110 and a seatback 112. As will be discussed in more detail below, headrest 110 typically tilts or pivots relative to seatback 112 within vehicle 102.

[0017] The speaker arrangement 100 generally includes a plurality of speakers 120a–120b (or “120”) located on a dashboard or instrument panel 122 of the vehicle 102. It will be appreciated that any one or more of the speakers 120 may be positioned on a respective front pillar (or “A” pillar) 124 of the vehicle 102. An audio controller 130 is operably coupled to the speakers 120 and transmits an audio output signal to each of the speakers 120 in the vehicle 102. In turn, the speakers 120 transmit an audible version of the audio output signal into or therein an interior cabin 140 (or listening environment) of the vehicle 102. The plurality of speakers 120 may include any number of speaker types, such as mid-range speakers and tweeters. It is also contemplated that the speakers 120 may also include woofers or subwoofers. The specific type of speakers used within the speaker arrangement 100 may vary based on the desired criteria of a particular implementation.

[0018] The midrange speaker can radiate sound with a frequency between, for example, 250 and 2000 Hz. In addition, some midrange speakers can even radiate sound with a frequency between 250 and 3000 Hz. It will be appreciated that any other suitable frequency range is generally possible, depending on the specific application and system. The speaker 120 (or tweeter) 120 (e.g., a high-frequency speaker) radiates sound with a higher frequency than the sound radiated by the midrange speaker, for example between 2 and 20 kHz. It will be appreciated that the tweeter 120 can also radiate frequencies above 20 kHz. In general, a device including a tweeter that radiates frequencies above 20 kHz can be referred to as a high-resolution audio system.

[0019] In general, any one or more of the speakers 120 can be directional or non-directional. For any directional speaker 120, such a speaker transmits audio in a straight sound beam. For any non-directional speaker 120, such a speaker transmits audio in a controlled diffusion mode. Controlled diffusion can be achieved in any appropriate manner, for example, by using an acoustic lens, or by providing several midrange or full-range speakers in an array configuration (for example, several midrange or full-range speakers arranged in a line array). Another possibility of controlling the directionality of the sound energy emitted by a plurality of speakers 120 is to configure the audio controller 130 to perform digital signal processing (DSP) by controlling filters, equalizers and delays. For example, the audio controller 130 can perform digital signal processing by utilizing a finite impulse response (FIR) filter. It can be appreciated that the speakers 120 can be combined to transmit audio to the seats 104 and 106 in substantially equal parts. In another embodiment, various speakers 120 can be arranged to transmit audio primarily to the seats 104 rather than the seats 106. Similarly, the various speakers 120 may be arranged to transmit audio primarily to seats 106 rather than seats 104 .

[0020] Generally speaking, audio engineers can orient the speakers 120 located within the instrument panel 122 and / or A-pillars 124 to one or more predetermined angles thereof so that the audio transmitted to the driver in the seat 104 and the passenger in the seat 106 is heard at an optimal level to improve the listening experience of the driver and / or passengers. Determinations regarding positioning the speakers 120 on the instrument panel 122 and / or A-pillars 124 at optimal or predetermined angles can be performed during a tuning phase before the vehicle 102 is put into mass production. Generally, with respect to positioning the occupant's head on the headrest 110, it is desirable to ensure that the occupant's head remains in a parallel orientation or in the same plane with respect to the sound beams emitted from one or more of the speakers 120. In this regard, the headrest 110 remains perpendicular to the gravity vector 170 (see FIG. 1 ) extending from the roof 173 of the vehicle 102 to the floor 175 of the vehicle 102. Figure 2 and 4It can be advantageous to ensure that the occupant's head remains in a parallel orientation relative to the sound beams emitted by the loudspeakers 120 to ensure an optimal listening experience. This can generally ensure that the occupant experiences an optimal listening experience.

[0021] The user interface 132 can be operably coupled to the audio controller 130. Each seat 104, 106 can include at least one seat controller 208 ("seat controller 208"). The seat controller 208 can control movement of the headrest 110 and / or the seat back 112. The seat controller 208 can be operably coupled to the user interface 132 and / or the audio controller 130. Generally, the user interface 132 can receive a signal indicative of the position of the headrest 110. If the user interface receives a signal from the seat 104, 106 indicative that the headrest 110 is not positioned within a predetermined angle of the gravity vector 170, the user interface 132 can provide a visual and / or audible warning to the occupant to notify the occupant that their head can not be oriented in a position that enables the occupant to listen to audio within the vehicle 102 in an optimal listening experience. Similarly, the occupant can also select to have their respective headrest 110 moved to an optimal listening experience via one or more prompts, selections, switches on the user interface 132. In this regard, the user interface 132 provides control signals to the seat controller 208 over a bi-directional communication bus (e.g., via a controller area network (CAN)). In turn, the seat controller 208 automatically moves the headrest 110 to a position that provides the occupant with an optimal listening position. It can be appreciated that the user interface 132 can transmit signals to the audio controller 130 over the bi-directional communication bus. These aspects will be discussed in greater detail below.

[0022] Figure 2A side view of the seat 104, 106 relative to the speaker arrangement 100 in the vehicle 102 is depicted in accordance with one embodiment. The speaker 120 generally transmits audio (or a sound beam) along a first axis 150 that extends longitudinally through the vehicle 102 to a driver in the seat 104 and / or a passenger in the seat 106. The headrest 110 generally provides a face 160 that is oriented toward the sound beam that extends in an opposite direction relative to the first axis 150. In this regard, a second axis 172 is shown to illustrate that the headrest 110 is controlled to remain parallel or coplanar with the sound beam transmitted along the first axis 150. Thus, the second axis 172 can extend in a parallel relationship, but in an opposite direction relative to the first axis 150 to ensure that a head of an occupant positioned on the headrest 110 experiences an optimal listening experience. Accordingly, it can be advantageous for the headrest 110 (i.e., the face 160 of the headrest 110) to form a first angle (al), such as an angle of approximately 90 degrees between the second axis 172 extending from the face 160 and a gravity vector 170 to ensure that the occupant experiences an optimal listening experience. Alternatively or additionally, it can be advantageous for the headrest 110 to form a second angle (a2), such as a second angle between an angular position of the headrest 110 and a third axis 177 that extends parallel along a floor 175 of the vehicle 102 to ensure that the occupant experiences an optimal listening experience. The second angle can be an angle of approximately 90 degrees between the gravity vector 170 and the third axis 177. An audio engineer can use the first angle formed between the second axis 172 and the gravity vector 170 and / or the second angle formed between the third axis 177 and the gravity vector 170 to determine a predetermined position (e.g., angular position) of the headrest 110 to provide an optimal listening experience.

[0023] The headrest includes at least one sensor 212 ("sensor 212") positioned therein that is operably coupled to the seat controller 208. The sensor 212 can be implemented as an accelerometer to detect a tilt or inclination of the headrest 110 and / or the seat back 112 (e.g., the tilt of the headrest 110 also moves when the seat back 112 is pivotally moved or tilted in a fore-aft direction, etc.). For example, if the headrest 110 is tilted or rotated such that the second axis 172 and / or the third axis 177 is no longer perpendicular to the gravity vector 170 (e.g., the first angle and / or the second angle is no longer approximately equal to a predetermined angle, such as, for example, 90 degrees), then this condition corresponds to the headrest 110 no longer being in a position to provide an optimal listening experience for the occupant. Similarly, if the headrest 110 is tilted or rotated such that the second axis 172 and / or the third axis 177 is perpendicular to the gravity vector 170 (e.g., the first angle and / or the second angle is approximately equal to a predetermined angle (e.g., 90 degrees plus some tolerance)), then this condition corresponds to the headrest 110 being in a position to provide an optimal listening experience for the occupant.

[0024] As described above, the sensor 212 can be an accelerometer and is configured to measure a static angle (or first angle or tilt angle) between the second axis 172 and the gravity vector 170 (or relative to gravity) as a reference axis. If such a measurement (e.g., tilt angle) indicates that the first angle or the second angle is no longer 90 degrees, then this condition indicates that the headrest 110 is not in a position to provide an optimal listening experience for the occupant. If the output provided by the sensor 212 indicates that the first angle or the second angle is approximately 90 degrees (e.g., an angle of 90 degrees + / - a predetermined tolerance value), then this condition indicates that the headrest 110 is in a position to provide an optimal listening experience for the occupant.

[0025] In other words, the accelerometer measures the tilt (or tilt angle) of the headrest 110 relative to the gravity vector 170. During a configuration or adjustment phase, an engineer can program the accelerometer to define the gravity as a vector (or axis) as the gravity vector 170 when the headrest 110 is fixed to the seat 104, 106 and when the headrest 110 is positioned in a position to provide an optimal listening experience. The gravity vector 170 is the reference axis. In this case, when the headrest 110 is tilted or rotated, the accelerometer provides an output that indicates the tilt or rotation of the headrest 110 relative to the gravity vector 170. Thus, when the first angle (or second angle) between the second axis 172 and the gravity vector 170 (or between the third axis 177 and the gravity vector 170) is less than or greater than 90 degrees, this condition generally indicates that the headrest 110 is not in a position to provide an optimal listening experience. When the first angle (or second angle) is approximately equal to 90 degrees (while accounting for + / - a predetermined tolerance value), this condition corresponds to the position of the headrest 110 being in a position to provide an optimal listening experience for the occupant.

[0026] Figure 3 A detailed view of the headrest 110 is depicted in accordance with one embodiment. As shown, the headrest 110 defines an internal cavity 200. A mounting bracket 202 is located within the internal cavity 200. The mounting bracket 202 includes a first portion 204 and a second portion 206. A motor (e.g., a stepper motor) 210 is attached to the first portion 204 of the mounting bracket 202. A sensor 212 is located on a floor 213 of the internal cavity 200 of the headrest 110. It can be appreciated that the sensor 212 can be positioned anywhere within the headrest 110. As described above, the sensor 212 measures a static angle (e.g., first angle or second angle) relative to the gravity vector 170 to indicate whether the headrest 110 is in a position relative to the loudspeaker 120 to provide an optimal listening experience. The sensor 212 reports information corresponding to the first angle or the second angle to the seat controller 208.

[0027] The rod 214 is attached to a motor 210. The motor 210 rotates the rod 214 in response to receiving a control signal from a switch (not shown) that is actuated by the occupant to move the headrest 110. In one example, the switch can be positioned proximate to the seat 104, 106 (e.g., directly or indirectly on the seat 104, 106). It is also recognized that the position of the headrest 110 can be manually moved by the occupant. In this regard, the sensor 212 can continue to provide a measurement of the first or second angle relative to the seat controller 208. In another example, the user interface 132 can transmit a control signal to the seat controller 208 to control the motor 210 to move the headrest 110 to a predetermined position (e.g., a position of the headrest 110 where the first or second angle is approximately 90 degrees) to provide an optimal listening experience.

[0028] The first gear 220 is positioned on the rod 214 and is rotatably received by the first portion 204 of the mounting bracket 202. For example, the first portion 204 of the mounting bracket 202 includes a first recess 230 having a plurality of gear teeth 232 to engage with the gear teeth of the first gear 220. Thus, as the occupant actuates the switch to move the headrest 110, the teeth and the first gear 220 engage with the plurality of gear teeth 232 to allow the headrest to rotate or pivot in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction about a longitudinal axis 240. The longitudinal axis 240 extends outwardly from the rod 214. The second portion 206 of the mounting bracket 202 defines a second recess 250 for receiving the rod 214. The second recess 250 is defined by a radius to enable the rod 214 to rotate thereon.

[0029] The second portion 206 of the mounting bracket 202 includes a cavity (not shown) defined on an underside thereof. A support rod 260 supports the headrest 110 relative to the seat back 112. As the headrest 110 is tilted or moved in the manner described above, the headrest 110 also moves relative to the support rod 260 within the cavity formed by the underside of the second portion 206. The cavity formed on the underside of the second portion 206 of the mounting bracket 202 defines a total length / travel arc of the headrest 110. The support rod 260 is attached to the second portion 206 of the mounting bracket 202 and remains fixed thereto.

[0030] Further reference is made to Figure 2 and Figure 3The occupant can also choose to move their corresponding headrest 110 to a position that provides an optimal listening experience via one or more prompts or selections on the user interface 132. The user interface 132 provides a control signal to the seat controller 208, indicating a command to move their headrest 110 to a position that provides an optimal listening experience. The user interface 132 transmits a signal to the seat controller 208 via the communication bus to automatically move the headrest 110 to a position that provides an optimal listening position for the occupant. In this regard, the seat controller 208 can control the motor 210 to move the rod 214 to align the headrest 110 to a position that provides an optimal listening experience.

[0031] Figure 4 Depicted is another side view of the seats 104, 106 relative to the speaker arrangement 100 in the vehicle 102 according to one embodiment. Figure 2 As shown, speaker 120 transmits audio (or a sound beam) along a first axis 150 extending longitudinally through vehicle 102 toward a driver in seat 104 and / or a passenger in seat 106 . Headrest 110 generally presents a front face 160 facing the sound beam extending along first axis 150 .

[0032] like Figure 4 As shown, Figure 2 Compared to the position of the seat back 112 shown in FIG. 1 , the seat back 112 is tilted in a rearward direction. In this regard, the headrest 110 may not be parallel to the sound beam transmitted along the first axis 150 relative to the second axis 172 (or the first axis 150 may not be coplanar with the second axis 172). Consequently, the position of the seat back 112, and ultimately the headrest 110, may not be in a position that provides an optimal listening experience. However, in this regard, the system 100 allows the occupant to position the seats 104, 106 to meet the occupant's desired comfort level. Given that the front face 160 of the headrest 110 may not be parallel to the sound beam transmitted along the first axis 150, the occupant can, via a user prompt on the user interface 132, choose to position or move the headrest 110 to a position that provides an optimal listening position based on the angle or position of the seat back 112.

[0033] Figure 5 A method 300 for notifying an occupant of the position of a headrest 110 in a vehicle is depicted, according to one embodiment.

[0034] In operation 302 , the seat controller 208 receives a signal from the sensor 212 indicating the position of the headrest 110 (eg, information corresponding to a first angle between the second axis 172 and the gravity vector 170 or information corresponding to a second angle between the third axis 177 and the gravity vector 170 ).

[0035] In operation 304, the seat controller 208 determines whether the position of the headrest 110 corresponds to a predetermined position that enables the occupant to experience an optimal listening experience. In this case, when the first angle or the second angle is approximately 90 degrees, then this case indicates that the headrest 110 is positioned at a predetermined position that enables the occupant to experience an optimal listening experience. In this case, the method 300 returns to operation 302. If the seat controller 208 determines that the first angle or the second angle is not equal to 90 degrees, then this case indicates that the headrest is not positioned at a predetermined position that enables the occupant to experience an optimal listening experience. In this case, the method 300 moves to operation 306.

[0036] In operation 306, the seat controller 208 sends a signal to the user interface 132 that causes the user interface 132 to generate a visual and / or audio alert to the occupant to indicate that the position of the headrest 110 can not be at a position that enables the occupant to optimally experience audio.

[0037] Figure 6 A method 350 of controlling movement of the headrest 110 to a predetermined position that provides an optimal listening experience is depicted in accordance with one embodiment.

[0038] In operation 352, the seat controller 208 receives a signal from the user interface 132 that indicates a command to move the headrest 110 to a predetermined position that provides an optimal listening experience. Although the user interface 132 can be located in the dashboard 122, it can be appreciated that the user interface 132 can be located in any number of areas of the vehicle 102. Similarly, the user interface 132 can be implemented in a mobile device (not shown) that is wirelessly coupled to the vehicle 102. In this case, the user interface 132 can wirelessly transmit the command to the vehicle, where a vehicle controller (not shown) can transmit the command to the seat controller 208 via a data communication bus.

[0039] In operation 354, the seat controller 208 controls the motor 210 to rotate the headrest 110 to the predetermined position. In this case, the seat controller 208 controls the motor 210 to rotate the headrest 110 such that the first angle (or recline angle) formed between the second axis 172 and the gravity vector 170 is approximately 90 degrees, or such that the second angle formed between the third axis 177 and the gravity vector 170 is approximately 90 degrees.

[0040] In operation 356, the sensor 212 (or at least one sensor) measures the recline or inclination of the headrest 110 relative to the gravity vector 170 (e.g., measures the first angle or the second angle) as the headrest 110 is rotated.

[0041] In operation 358, the seat controller 208 stops controlling the motor 210 in response to the signal provided by the sensor 212 that the headrest 110 is in the predetermined position (or at the predetermined angle of inclination, e.g., 90 degrees + / - a tolerance value). In this case, the headrest 110 is in the predetermined position relative to the loudspeaker 120 to optimize the listening experience for the occupant in the vehicle 102. In this case, the second axis 172 extending from the headrest 110 is in the same plane as the sound emitted on the first axis 150.

[0042] It can be recognized that the controllers as disclosed herein can include various microprocessors, integrated circuits, memory devices (e.g., flash memory, random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), electrically programmable read only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM), or other suitable variations thereof), and software that cooperate with one another to perform the operations disclosed herein. Additionally, such controllers as disclosed herein can utilize one or more microprocessors to execute a computer program embodied in a non-transitory computer readable medium that is programmed to perform any number of the functions disclosed. Further, the controllers as provided herein include a housing and various numbers of microprocessors, integrated circuits, and memory devices (e.g., flash memory, random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), electrically programmable read only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM)) positioned within the housing. The one or more controllers as disclosed also include hardware-based inputs and outputs to respectively receive data from and transmit data to other hardware-based devices as discussed herein.

[0043] While the foregoing describes exemplary embodiments, these embodiments are not meant to describe all possible forms of the application. Rather, the words used in the specification are words of description rather than limitation, and it is understood that various changes can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the application. Additionally, features of the various embodiments can be combined to form further embodiments of the application.

Claims

1. A seat assembly comprising: a seat back configured to receive an occupant in the vehicle; a headrest coupled to the seat back; a motor that rotates the headrest to orient an occupant's head relative to one or more speakers located in the vehicle; at least one sensor configured to detect a position of the headrest; as well as at least one controller programmed to: The motor is controlled to move the headrest to a predetermined position relative to the one or more speakers located in the vehicle to optimize a listening experience for an occupant of the vehicle. 2 . The seat assembly of claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor comprises at least one accelerometer.

3. The seat assembly of claim 2 , wherein the at least one accelerometer is configured to transmit a first output signal indicative of an angle of inclination of the headrest relative to a first axis extending from a front face of the headrest and a gravity vector extending downward within the vehicle and from the headrest to a floor of the vehicle. 4 . The seat assembly of claim 3 , wherein the at least one controller is further programmed to receive the first output signal. 5 . The seat assembly of claim 4 , wherein the at least one controller is further programmed to determine that the headrest has not reached the predetermined position in response to the recline angle not being equal to a predetermined angle. 6 . The seat assembly of claim 5 , wherein the at least one controller is further programmed to determine that the headrest has reached the predetermined position in response to the recline angle being equal to a predetermined angle.

7. The seat assembly of claim 2, wherein the at least one accelerometer is located in the headrest.

8. The seat assembly of claim 1 , wherein the at least one controller is further programmed to receive a command from a user interface indicating a request to move the head restraint to a predetermined position relative to the one or more speakers located in the vehicle to optimize a listening experience for an occupant in the vehicle. 9 . The seat assembly of claim 8 , wherein the at least one controller is further programmed to receive the command from the user interface before controlling the motor to move the headrest to the predetermined position.

10. A seat assembly comprising: a seat for receiving an occupant in the vehicle; a headrest for attachment to the seat and including a motor for rotating the headrest to orient an occupant's head relative to one or more speakers located in the vehicle; at least one sensor configured to detect a position of the headrest; as well as at least one controller programmed to: The motor is controlled to move the headrest to a predetermined position relative to the one or more speakers located in the vehicle to optimize a listening experience for an occupant of the vehicle.

11. The seat assembly of claim 10, wherein the at least one sensor comprises at least one accelerometer.

12. The seat assembly of claim 11 , wherein the at least one accelerometer is configured to transmit a first output signal indicative of an angle of inclination of the headrest relative to a first axis extending from a front face of the headrest and a gravity vector extending downward within the vehicle and from the headrest to a floor of the vehicle.

13. The seat assembly of claim 12, wherein the at least one controller is further programmed to receive the first output signal. 14 . The seat assembly of claim 13 , wherein the at least one controller is further programmed to determine that the headrest has not reached the predetermined position in response to the recline angle not being equal to a predetermined angle. 15 . The seat assembly of claim 14 , wherein the at least one controller is further programmed to determine that the headrest has reached the predetermined position in response to the recline angle being equal to a predetermined angle.

16. The seat assembly of claim 11, wherein the at least one accelerometer is located in the headrest.

17. The seat assembly of claim 10, wherein the at least one controller is further programmed to receive a command from a user interface indicating a request to move the head restraint to a predetermined position relative to the one or more speakers located in the vehicle to optimize a listening experience for an occupant in the vehicle. 18 . The seat assembly of claim 17 , wherein the at least one controller is further programmed to receive the command from the user interface before controlling the motor to move the headrest to the predetermined position.

19. A method for moving a headrest in a vehicle, the method comprising: moving a headrest via a motor to orient an occupant's head relative to one or more speakers located in the vehicle; detecting a position of the headrest; as well as The motor is controlled via at least one controller to move the headrest to a predetermined position relative to the one or more speakers located in the vehicle to optimize a listening experience for an occupant in the vehicle.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising receiving a command from a user interface indicating a request to move the headrest to a predetermined position relative to the one or more speakers located in the vehicle to optimize a listening experience for an occupant in the vehicle.

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