Device for controlling the posture of a driver

Abstract

Device for controlling the posture (10) of a driver, with which a vehicle is equipped, the device comprising: a memory (11) that stores position information of a seat according to the gender, stature, seat size and body type of a driver; an information collector (15) which detects the gender, stature, seat size and weight of the driver; a seat size section determiner (13) configured to determine the seat size section (A1, A2, A3) of the driver based on the detected stature and seat size of the driver; a body mass index (BMI) determiner (14) configured to determine the driver's body type segment based on the detected driver's gender, stature, and weight; and a controller (16) configured to determine the seat position according to the gender, stature, seat size section (A1, A2, A3) and body type section of the driver based on the position information of the seat stored in the memory (11).

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONField of the invention

[0001] The present invention relates to a device for controlling the posture of a driver, in particular an intelligent driver accommodation system (IDAS). Description of related technology

[0002] In many vehicle models, drivers are typically required to steer a vehicle using equipment and parts that are permanently installed in the vehicle by the manufacturer, such as a driver-operated steering wheel, accelerator pedal, brake pedal, clutch pedal, rearview mirror, and side mirrors to provide rearward visibility.

[0003] However, since every rider has a different height and riding posture, it is more comfortable for the rider if the equipment and components are positioned appropriately. To adjust the rider position, a seat can typically be moved backward or forward, a backrest can be adjusted to a comfortable angle, and the angle and height of a headrest can be adjusted.

[0004] The angle of the rearview mirror and side mirror can also be adjusted backward or forward, or left or right to change the angle of reflection. This allows the driver to adjust the angle of the rearview mirror and side mirrors according to their posture before starting to drive.

[0005] However, few drivers adopt a suitable driving position for their physical condition. In particular, quite a few drivers drive in a rigidly upright position because they have positioned their seat too close to the steering wheel. Others, on the other hand, drive in a nearly reclining position.

[0006] There is therefore a need for a technology that allows a driver's posture to be appropriately adjusted to prevent damage to the driver's health. Furthermore, there is a need for a technology that takes into account the environmental conditions of the ride (e.g., road type, traffic situations, etc.) and changes the driver's posture within a predetermined range to adapt the position to the specific environmental conditions of the ride without placing excessive strain on the driver's body.

[0007] Furthermore, there is a need for a technology that takes into account the environmental conditions of the ride (e.g., road type, traffic situations, etc.) as well as the condition of the driver to adjust the driver's posture within a predetermined limit in order to provide the driver with favorable health conditions.

[0008] DE 199 29 418 B4 describes an adjustment device for the ergonomic adjustment of a vehicle seat with several adjustable seat components.

[0009] DE 11 2005 003 122 T5 describes a vehicle seat arrangement in which a seat back section is selectively movable and a folding angle is variable. OVERVIEW OF THE INVENTION

[0010] The present invention has been conceived in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a driver posture control device that uses seat position information calculated based on the driver's gender and physical information. Furthermore, the present invention is to provide a posture control device that uses seat position information calculated based on the driver's gender and physical information, and driving environment information. Furthermore, the present invention is also to provide a posture control device that uses seat position information calculated based on the driver's gender and physical information, driving environment information, and driver health information.

[0011] The objects are achieved by a device for controlling a driver's posture with the features of claims 1, 6, or 11. Advantageous developments can be found in the subclaims. According to one aspect of the present invention, a device for controlling a driver's posture, with which a vehicle is equipped, includes: a memory that stores position information of a seat corresponding to the driver's gender, stature, seat size, and body type; an information acquirer configured to acquire the driver's gender, stature, seat size, and weight; a seat size portion determiner configured to determine the driver's seat size portion based on the acquired driver's stature and seat size;a body mass index determiner configured to determine the driver's body type segment based on the detected driver's gender, stature, and weight; and a controller configured to determine the seat position according to the driver's gender, stature, seat size segment, and body type segment based on the seat position information stored in the memory.

[0012] According to another aspect of the present invention, a driver posture control device equipped in a vehicle includes: a memory configured to store position information of a seat according to the driver's gender, stature, seat height, and body type; an information acquirer configured to acquire the driver's gender, stature, seat height, and weight; a seat size portion determiner configured to determine the driver's seat size portion based on the acquired driver's stature and seat height; a body mass index portion determiner configured to determine the driver's body type portion based on the acquired driver's gender, stature, and weight; a data acquirer configured to acquire driving environment information;and a controller configured to determine the seat position according to gender, stature, seat size, and body section based on the seat position information stored in the memory, and including the driving environment information acquired by the data collector when determining the seat position to determine the final position and height of the seat.;

[0013] According to another aspect of the present invention, a driver posture control device equipped in a vehicle includes: a memory configured to store position information of a seat according to the driver's gender, stature, seat height, and body type; an information acquirer configured to acquire the driver's gender, stature, seat height, and weight; a seat size determiner configured to determine the driver's seat size portion based on the acquired driver's stature and seat height; a body mass index portion determiner configured to determine the driver's body type portion based on the acquired driver's gender, stature, and weight; a data acquirer configured to acquire driving environment information and health information;and a controller configured to determine the seat position according to the gender, stature, seat size, and body section based on the seat position information stored in the memory and the driving environment information acquired by the data collector, to determine the final position and height of the seat and the angle of the backrest using the health information. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] The objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a driver posture control apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a posture control apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; and Fig. 3 is a graph showing a position section of a seat according to gender and body information of a driver according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0015] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Identical or similar parts are designated by identical reference numerals throughout the drawings. Detailed descriptions of well-known functions and structures included herein may be omitted to avoid obscuring the subject matter of the present invention.

[0016] It is understood that the term “vehicle” or “vehicular” or other similar terms used herein generally refer to motor vehicles such as passenger cars, including sports utility vehicles (SUVs), buses, trucks, various commercial vehicles, personal watercraft including various boats and ships, aircraft and the like, and also includes hybrid vehicles, electric vehicles, internal combustion engine vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (chargeable at a socket), hydrogen-powered vehicles and other alternative fuel vehicles (e.g., fuels derived from resources other than petroleum).

[0017] Fig. 1 is a block diagram of a driver posture control system configuration according to an embodiment of the present invention. As used herein, a vehicle electronic control unit (ECU) 20 is a control unit or controller for controlling a seat, mirror, or steering wheel of a vehicle. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. Fig. 1, a posture control system includes a posture control device 10, an ECU 20, a seat driver 30, a mirror driver 40, and a steering wheel driver 50.

[0018] The respective components are described below. A posture control device 10 controls a seat driver 30, a mirror driver 40, and a steering wheel driver 50 via the ECU 20 to determine a seat position based on seat position information calculated based on the driver's gender and body information, so that the position of the mirror and steering wheel can be determined according to the seat position. The position of the mirror and steering wheel, as well as the seat height and seatback angle, are determined according to the seat position in the form of a table in preliminary testing procedures.

[0019] The posture control device 10 can control the seat driver 30, the mirror driver 40, and the steering wheel driver 50 via the ECU 20 to determine the final seat position by incorporating driving environment information into the calculated position information of the seat based on the driver's gender and body information, and to determine the positions of the mirror and the steering wheel according to the seat position.

[0020] Furthermore, the posture control device 10 may control the seat driver 30, the mirror driver 40, and the steering wheel driver 50 via the ECU 20 to determine the final seat position by incorporating driving environment information and health information of the driver, to determine the seat position information calculated based on the driver's gender and body information, and to determine the positions of the mirror and the steering wheel according to the seat position.

[0021] In the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the ECU 20 is an electronic control unit configured to control all electronic devices of the vehicle. The ECU 20 controls the drivers of the relevant electronic devices based on control values received from the posture control device 10 and transmitted via, for example, Controller Area Network (CAN), Local Interconnect Network (LIN), and / or Flexray communication.

[0022] For example, the ECU 20 controls the seat driver 30 to adjust the seat height and the backrest angle according to first to nth control data / values A. 'A' in this embodiment of the present invention represents the control value that drives the seat driver 30. The ECU 20 controls the mirror driver 40 to adjust the angles of the rearview mirror and the left and right mirrors according to first or nth control data / values B. In this embodiment of the present invention, 'B' represents the control value that drives the mirror driver 40.

[0023] Further, the ECU 20 controls the steering wheel driver 50 to adjust the length and angle of the steering wheel shaft based on first to n-th control data / values C. In this embodiment of the present invention, 'C' represents the control value that drives the steering wheel driver 50.

[0024] Fig. 2 is a block diagram of a configuration of a driver posture control device. As can be seen from Fig. As can be seen from Fig. 2, the intelligent driver posture system unit 10 includes a memory 11, an information input unit 12, a seat size section determiner 13, a BMI section determiner 14, a data acquisition unit 15, and a controller 16.

[0025] The respective components are described below. The memory 11 is for storing graphs indicating the seating position according to the driver's gender, stature, seat height, and body mass index (BMI). That is, the memory stores information (e.g., graphs) of a linear distance from the center of the brake or accelerator pedal to the intersection of the seat and the seat back as the seat location according to the seat height and body mass index (BMI) to derive gender, stature, and leg length, as shown in Fig. 3. In this application, the term "stature" is used synonymously with height, contrary to usual practice. The graph is elaborately created by incorporating the driver's gender, stature, seat height, and BMI across gender and body types, and it is evident that it has a high degree of accuracy.

[0026] In addition, the memory 11 stores the table in which the position of the mirror and steering wheel is entered according to the seat position. The information input unit 12 then receives information regarding the driver's gender, stature, seat height, and weight from the vehicle driver. The controller 16 provides the driver with an auxiliary screen for inputting information on the screen display unit (not shown). For example, a male / female select button is provided for entering the driver's gender, stature, seat height, and weight directly using numerical values.

[0027] Thereafter, the seat size section determiner 13 determines the driver's seat size section based on a resultant value obtained by dividing the detected driver's seat size by the driver's stature. A seat size section herein is the section for estimating the driver's leg length and is categorized, for example, as section A1 (e.g., greater than 0.551 m), section A2 (0.550 m ~ 0.521 m), and section A3 (less than 0.520 m). This will be explained below using Fig. 3 described in detail.

[0028] Thereafter, a BMI section determiner 14 determines a section of the driver's BMI based on gender, stature, and weight input via the information input unit 12. In other words, the BMI section determiner 14 divides a BMI section into three sections, e.g., an obese section (e.g., BMI over 24), a normal section (e.g., BMI between 18.5 and 24), and an underweight section (e.g., BMI under 18.5) for male and female drivers. A more detailed explanation will be given below using Fig. 3. The method for calculating BMI is given in equation 1. BMI=weight / stature2; where kilograms are the unit of weight, and the unit of stature is height in meters. Data collector 15 then collects information regarding the vehicle type, driving conditions, and driver status. Data collector 15 can collect this information about the vehicle type through CAN, LIN, and / or Flexray communication.

[0029] In addition, the data acquisition unit 15 can also acquire road and traffic information related to the current location together with the vehicle's navigation system or via mobile communication or a wireless LAN communication system (WIBRO, WIFI, etc.) to an external server (e.g., Mozen server). Road information may refer to expressways, secondary roads, and rural roads, and driving information may include information related to driving conditions such as traffic jams or weather information (e.g., traffic jam sections within 10 km).

[0030] The data collector 15 can also collect information about the driver's health status from an external server (e.g., a Mozen server) via mobile communication or a wireless LAN communication system (WIBRO, WIFI, etc.). The Mozen server can manage information about the driver's health status directly from the driver or, with the driver's consent, from a hospital's patient monitoring server. The health information is information relevant to driving, for example, whether the driver has a herniated disc.

[0031] Next, the controller 16 determines the seating position using the seating position information according to the driver's gender and body information. The controller 16 adjusts the positions of the mirrors and steering wheel according to the determined seating position. The controller 16 recognizes the seating position according to the driver's gender and stature obtained from the driver via the information input unit 12; a seating height section determined by the seating height section determiner 13; and the driver's BMI section determined by the BMI section determiner 14 based on the graph of the driver's gender and body information stored in the memory 11. For example, if a female driver with a stature of 168 cm, a seating height of 75 cm, and a weight of 48 kg is analyzed, she is classified in a category of the underweight section 330, BMI 7.Therefore, a mean value in a seat position segment that is appropriate for this driver condition is determined as the seat location. For example, if the seat position segment is between 950 mm and 970 mm, the seat position is 960 mm.

[0032] The controller 16 also includes driving environment information, which is also taken into account when determining the location of the seat, to determine the final position of the seat, and adjusts the height of the seat according to the determined location of the seat based on the above criteria.

[0033] That is, the controller 16 recognizes the gender and stature of the driver input from the information input unit 12, the seat size section of the driver determined by the seat size section determiner 13, and the location of the seat corresponding to a body type section of the driver determined by the BMI section determiner 14 based on a graph constructed according to the gender and body information of the driver stored in the memory 11, and incorporates the driving environment information acquired by the information acquirer 15 at the recognized location of the seat to determine the final location of the seat, and adjusts the height of the seat accordingly.

[0034] For example, if the vehicle is in a traffic jam area, the controller 16 moves the seat position forward by a predetermined distance (e.g., 9 mm) and raises the seat height accordingly (e.g., 15 mm). What is classified as a traffic jam area depends on variable specifications. For example, if the driving speed on a road is less than 30 km per hour, the controller 16 determines the area as a traffic jam area; if it is less than 40 km / h on rural roads with a speed limit of 80 km / h, the area is determined as a traffic jam area; if it is less than 50 km / h on expressways with a speed limit of 100 km / h, the area can also be determined as a traffic jam area.

[0035] The reason for moving the seat position forward (i.e., toward the steering wheel) and raising the seat height in the congested area is that drivers often do not look forward for extended periods when traveling at slow speeds. This means that because vehicles are often moving in front of and behind, or to the left and right of, the vehicle in question, and drivers are more often looking in these other directions, the driver would normally adjust the seat position / height to improve their view. In addition, the controller 16 may incorporate driving environment information and / or health information to determine the final position, angle, and height of the seat.That is, the controller 16 detects the seat position according to the driver's gender and stature, which is acquired from the driver via the information input unit 12; the seat size segment determined by the seat size segment determiner 13; and the BMI segment determiner 14 based on the graph stored in the memory 11 according to the driver's gender and body information; and then incorporates the driving environment information acquired by the information acquirer 15 to determine the final seat location and height. The embodiment of the present invention may also incorporate the driver's health information acquired by the information acquirer 15 to determine the seatback angle.

[0036] For example, if a driver suffers from a herniated disc, the controller 16 moves the backrest forward by a predetermined angle, reducing the angle between the lower and upper body. The backrest angle satisfies the condition of "obesity > normal > underweight" according to the driver's body contour. For a driver with a herniated disc, it is generally uncomfortable to stretch their back. This is because the disc presses on the nerve when the spine is stretched. The backrest angle is adjusted to improve the driving experience for patients with a herniated disc.

[0037] In addition, if a driver has cardiovascular diseases (high blood pressure, heart attack, angina pectoris, etc.), the controller 16 is configured to move the seat proportionally backward by a predetermined angle and to increase the angle between the lower and upper body.

[0038] Fig. 3 is a graph illustrating a method of displaying the section of the seating position according to gender and body information of the driver. Fig. Figure 3 shows the driver's stature in the y-axis direction and the linear distance from the center of the brake pedal to the intersection point with the seat and backrest in the x-axis direction. A1 indicates the section in which the driver sits (corresponding to stature), whose value (e.g., seat height to stature ratio) is calculated as seat height divided by stature with a value greater than 0.551; A2 indicates the section in which the driver should sit properly, whose value is calculated as seat height divided by stature between 0.521 and 0.550; and A3 indicates the section in which the driver should sit properly, whose value is calculated as seat height divided by stature with a value less than 0.520.

[0039] Each of the sections A1, A2, and A3 is structured as represented by "300." The 'female' section is located to the left of the midline (i.e., the bold dashed line), and the 'male' section is located to the right of the midline. The 'female' and 'male' sections are further subdivided into three sections. That is, the 'female' and 'male' sections each contain an 'obesity' section 310, a 'normal' section 320, and an 'underweight' section 330. It is desirable to divide the 'normal' and 'underweight' sections into equal sections, but division into different sections based on the weighted division ratio is also possible.

[0040] For example, the horizontal axis of the linear distance between 310 of section A1 and 360 of section A3 is 20 mm, and the difference between the minimum and maximum values of the linear distance from the center of the brake pedal to the intersection point between the seat and backrest is 170 mm. As a result, sections A1, A2, and A3 each have a "300" structure. B1 and B2 relate to the limit value.

[0041] As described above, the present invention controls a driver's posture by using seat position information calculated based on the driver's gender and body information to ensure the driver maintains a health-appropriate driving posture. Furthermore, the present invention considers driving environment information and health information to determine a final, accurate position for the driver.

[0042] Furthermore, the control logic of the present invention may be embodied as a non-transitory computer-readable medium on a computer-readable medium with executable program instructions executed by the processor, controller, and the like. Examples of computer-readable media include ROMs, RAMs, compact disc (CD)-ROMs, magnetic tapes, floppy disks, USB flash drives, smart cards, and optical data storage devices. The computer-readable recording medium may also be distributed in network-coupled computer systems so that the computer-readable medium is stored and executed in a distributed manner, e.g., by a telematics server or a controller area network (CAN). REFERENCE SYMBOL 10 Device for controlling body posture 20 ECU 30 seat drivers 40 mirror drivers 50 steering wheel drivers 11 storage 12 Information input unit 13 Seat size section determinator 14 BMI section determinator 15 data entry clerks 16 Control A1 Seat size section A2 Seat size section A3 seat size section B1 limit B2 limit 300 Representation of the sections 310 Section Female Obesity 320 section normal female 330 Section Underweight female 340 Section Male Obesity 350 section normal male 360 section underweight male

Claims

[1] Device for controlling the posture (10) of a driver, with which a vehicle is equipped, the device comprising: a memory (11) that stores position information of a seat according to the gender, stature, seat size and body type of a driver; an information collector (15) which detects the gender, stature, seat size and weight of the driver; a seat size section determiner (13) configured to determine the seat size section (A1, A2, A3) of the driver based on the detected stature and seat size of the driver; a body mass index (BMI) determiner (14) configured to determine the driver's body type segment based on the detected driver's gender, stature, and weight; and a controller (16) configured to determine the seat position according to the gender, stature, seat size section (A1, A2, A3) and body type section of the driver based on the position information of the seat stored in the memory (11). [2] The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the position of the seat corresponds to the linear distance from the center of the brake pedal of the vehicle to the intersection point between the seat and the backrest. [3] The device according to claim 2, wherein the sitting position is expressed by a predetermined portion. [4] The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the seat size portion determinator (13) is configured to determine a portion (A1, A2, A3) of the seat size corresponding to the driver based on a value obtained by dividing the detected seat size of the driver by the stature of the driver. [5] The device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the controller (16) determines the sitting position according to the gender, stature, seat size section (A1, A2, A3) and body section based on the position information stored in the memory (11) and then adjusts the position of the mirror and the steering wheel according to the determined sitting position. [6] Device for controlling the posture (10) of a driver, with which a vehicle is equipped, the device comprising: a memory (11) that stores position information of a seat according to the gender, stature, seat size and body type of a driver; an information collector (15) configured to collect the gender, stature, seat size and weight of the driver; a seat size section determiner (13) configured to determine the seat size section (A1, A2, A3) of the driver based on the detected stature and seat size of the driver; a body mass index portion determiner (14) configured to determine the body type portion of the driver based on the detected gender, stature, and weight of the driver; a data collector (15) configured to collect driving environment information; and a controller (16) configured to determine the seat position according to the gender, stature, seat size, and body section based on the seat position information stored in the memory (11) and the driving environment information acquired by the data acquisition unit (15) when determining the seat position, in order to determine the final position and height of the seat. [7] The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the position of the seat corresponds to the linear distance from the center of the brake pedal of the vehicle to the intersection point between the seat and the backrest. [8] The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the sitting position is expressed by a predetermined portion. [9] The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the seat size portion determinator (13) determines a portion (A1, A2, A3) of the driver's seat size based on a value obtained by dividing the detected driver's seat size by the driver's stature. [10] Device according to one of claims 6 to 9, wherein the controller (16) moves the seat position by a first reference value and increases the seat height by a second reference value when the vehicle is in a congestion area. [11] Device for controlling the posture (10) of a driver, with which a vehicle is equipped, the device comprising: a memory (11) that stores position information of a seat according to the gender, stature, seat size and body type of a driver; an information collector (15) configured to collect the gender, stature, seat size and weight of the driver; a seat size section determiner (13) that determines a seat size section (A1, A2, A3) of the driver based on the detected stature and seat size of the driver; a body mass index portion determiner (14) configured to determine the body type portion of the driver based on the detected gender, stature, and weight of the driver; a data collector (15) configured to collect driving environment information and driver health information; and a controller (16) configured to determine the seat position according to the driver's gender, stature, seat size, and body section based on the seat position information stored in the memory, the driving environment information acquired by the data acquisition device, and the health information to determine the final position of the seat and the angle of the backrest. [12] The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the position of the seat corresponds to the linear distance from the center of the brake pedal of the vehicle to the intersection point between the seat and the backrest. [13] The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the sitting position is expressed by a predetermined portion. [14] The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the seat size portion determinator (13) determines a portion (A1, A2, A3) of the driver's seat size based on a value obtained by dividing the detected driver's seat size by the driver's stature. [15] Device according to one of claims 11 to 14, wherein the controller (16) moves the seat position by a first reference value and increases the seat height by a second reference value.

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