Control surface compensated against the tilt of a vehicle seat backrest

Abstract

A vehicle seat control system comprising a seat back (1) with adjustable tilt and a headrest (3) and comprising a computing unit (5), wherein the seat back (1) has a position angle sensor (7) for detecting a current value of the tilt of the seat back (1) and wherein the position angle sensor (7) is connected to the computing unit (5) via data transmission, wherein a touch-sensitive sensor surface (9) with a function of a virtual actuator with at least one degree of freedom is arranged on a side surface of the seat back (1) or the headrest (3), wherein the sensor surface (9) is also connected to the computing unit (5), and wherein the computing unit (5) is configured toto change a preset value for a vehicle function in response to a contact displacement on the sensor surface (9) by a user, and to adjust the orientation of the degree of freedom of the virtual actuator relative to the sensor surface (9) based on the inclination of the seat back (1) determined by the position angle sensor (7) such that a rotation angle of the degree of freedom of the virtual actuator is independent of a changed inclination of the seat back (1) and thus remains constant relative to the gravity vector when the inclination of the seat back (1) changes, by rotating the degree of freedom relative to the sensor surface (9) which is inclined with the seat back (1) against the inclination.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a vehicle seat operating system comprising a seat back with adjustable inclination and with a headrest and comprising a computing unit, as well as to a vehicle with such a vehicle seat operating system.

[0002] With the increasing number of comfort features in vehicles, the complexity of operating the respective vehicle inevitably increases as well. For example, components designed to enhance comfort and entertainment are installed in the vehicle interior, such as air heating, seat heating, audio systems, ambient lighting, reading lights, air blower settings, multimedia functions, and more. A wide variety of control devices are known in the state of the art, including touch-sensitive input devices, also known as touchscreens.

[0003] EP 3 310 611 B1 relates to a vehicle seat, in particular a motor vehicle seat, having a seat part and a backrest, wherein an operating device is provided in a padding of the backrest, wherein the operating device comprises a display element and a touch-sensitive input device and the operating device is arranged in an upper region of the backrest and / or in the region of a side of the backrest of the vehicle seat facing a rear row of seats.

[0004] According to EP 3 310 611 B1, such a touchscreen is provided embedded in the upholstery or on the upholstery of a backrest of a vehicle seat. Typical vehicle seats, however, have an adjustable backrest that can be adjusted from an upright position to a reclining position. A manual driver of the vehicle typically sets a desired angle of the seat backrest in order to maintain a suitable distance from the steering wheel based on their individual height. Larger angle adjustments of seat backrests are usually of interest in conventional vehicles for passenger seats, allowing the passenger to lean back and relax without having to pay close attention to the traffic.However, with the introduction of highly automated and even autonomous vehicles, such seat backrest adjustment over large angle ranges may be of interest to drivers, even if the vehicle is approved for fully automated driving, allowing the driver to rest as described above with regard to the front passenger. However, touchscreens mounted on a seat backrest, as in EP 3 310 611 B1, move with such an angle adjustment of the seat backrest, i.e., not only is their position shifted together with the seat backrest relative to the rest of the vehicle body, but they are also rotated relative to the body by the same angle as the seat backrest is rotated by its change angle.This can disadvantageously reduce operating comfort if, for example, a slider displayed on the touchscreen with its translational degrees of freedom remains firmly aligned with the backrest, but a user must first mentally establish a rotational reference to the seat backrest, or must first observe the displayed orientation of the slider on the touchscreen, which is very uncomfortable or even impossible if the touchscreen is arranged on a side surface of the vehicle seat or its headrest.

[0005] DE 10 2014 019 125 A1 discloses a motor vehicle with a seat having a backrest with adjustable backrest inclination and / or whose position is adjustable in the operationally intended forward direction of travel of the motor vehicle, an interior device and a controllable device, wherein a touch-sensitive screen for controlling the controllable device is arranged in or on the interior device, the inclination, curvature and / or position of which is adjustable in the operationally intended forward direction of travel of the motor vehicle relative to the interior device and a control device of the motor vehicle is designed to control the inclination, curvature and / or position of the touch-sensitive screen depending on the backrest inclination and / or the position of the seat in the forward direction of travel.

[0006] US 2004 / 0 251 719 A1 shows a visual display system on the back of a seat, which includes an image distorter configured to electronically distort visual images on the screen to compensate for the optical distortion resulting from an angle of the screen relative to the viewer.

[0007] US 2018 / 0 272 957 A1 shows an entertainment system with seat display units arranged in a seat back and a touchscreen attached to the seat back onto which the display unit can project an image or a video, wherein the seat display units are automatically tilted when the seat is reclined if the angle of the backrest changes, while the touchscreen remains firmly connected to the seat back.

[0008] It is therefore an object of the invention to eliminate the above-mentioned disadvantages and to provide an improved operating system for a vehicle.

[0009] The invention is based on the features of the independent claims. Advantageous developments and refinements are the subject of the dependent claims.

[0010] A first aspect of the invention relates to a vehicle seat operating system comprising a seat back with adjustable inclination and a headrest and comprising a computing unit, wherein the seat back has a position angle sensor for detecting a current value of the inclination of the seat back, and wherein the position angle sensor is connected to the computing unit for data transmission, wherein a touch-sensitive sensor surface with the function of a virtual actuating element with at least one degree of freedom is arranged on a side surface of the seat back or the headrest, wherein the sensor surface is also connected to the computing unit, wherein the computing unit is designed to change a default value for a vehicle function in response to a touching displacement by a user and to adjust the orientation of the degree of freedom of the virtual actuating element relative to the sensor surface based on the inclination of the seat back determined by the position angle sensor,that a rotation angle of the degree of freedom of the virtual actuator is independent of a changed inclination of the seat back and thus remains constant relative to the gravity vector when the inclination of the seat back changes, by rotating the degree of freedom opposite to the sensor surface which is inclined with the backrest.

[0011] The seat back has an adjustable inclination, i.e. the angle of the seat back is adjustable. The seat back can be adjusted from an upright position to a reclining position at the passenger's request. This angle of inclination is determined by the attitude angle sensor. The attitude angle sensor can be designed to follow the current gravity vector in relation to the orientation of the seat back, for example by being constructed as a damped pendulum, but it can also be designed as a rotary encoder and detect, for example, the angle between an element fixed to the body and the seat back. The inclination is therefore defined in particular by an angle that the seat back assumes around a transverse axis of the vehicle with respect to a horizontal or a vertical line.

[0012] The computing unit is preferably arranged in a common housing with the sensor surface. If, for example, the sensor surface is designed as a touchscreen, this requires a computing module anyway, since the display on the screen requires the execution of software. This way, the computing unit and the sensor surface can advantageously be housed in a common housing, and optionally also the attitude angle sensor unit, in order to avoid more complex data transmissions due to the remotely arranged components. Alternatively, the computing unit, sensor surface, and attitude angle sensor can also be arranged at least partially separately from one another and exchange data with each other via wired or wireless communication.For example, the computing unit can be arranged as a multi-purpose ECU (abbreviation for “electronic control unit”) anywhere in the vehicle and connected to the sensor surface via a data bus.

[0013] According to the invention, the sensor surface is arranged on a side surface of the seat back or, particularly preferably, on a side surface of the headrest. Sensor surfaces can also be arranged on both side surfaces of the seat back or headrest, so that, for example, a passenger can symmetrically reach a respective sensor surface for both arms. Particularly preferably, such a sensor surface is arranged on a left and / or right side surface of the headrest and is connected to it in a rotationally fixed manner. The sensor surface therefore preferably has a surface that is coplanar with the surface of the local side surface of the headrest or seat back, in order to obtain a smooth transition between the remaining side surfaces of the seat back or headrest and the sensor surface.

[0014] The virtual actuator differs from a physical actuator in the absence of a physical switch, slide valve, rotary valve, or similar; thus, the virtual actuator has a software-assigned function on a sensor surface. If the sensor surface is implemented as a touch-sensitive screen and the virtual actuator is displayed on the touch-sensitive screen, the user receives, in addition to the display of the virtual actuator and thus information about the orientation and presence of the respective actuator relative to the surface of the touch-sensitive screen, visual feedback about the current position, which determines the default value for the vehicle function. For example, a slider can be displayed on the touch-sensitive screen, the current position of which is also displayed.If, on the other hand, the sensor surface is designed as a touchpad without a display (and the virtual control element is implemented primarily by detecting swipe gestures), these swipe gestures are advantageously interpreted as relative change requests, so visual feedback about absolute default values ​​is unnecessary. For example, a relative change can indicate a change in volume or a change in the temperature of an air conditioning system.

[0015] The position angle sensor thus determines the current angle of the seat backrest's inclination. The computing unit uses this information to compensate for a changed inclination of the seat backrest for the degree of freedom of the virtual actuator, so that the orientation of the degree of freedom of the actuator of the sensor surface remains constant, regardless of whether the inclination of the seat backrest is changed. For example, if the sensor surface is configured so that a swipe gesture in the horizontal direction sets a first function of the vehicle and / or a swipe gesture in the vertical direction sets a second function of the vehicle, the orientations of these degrees of freedom along a horizontal direction and along a vertical direction always remain constant, regardless of whether the inclination of the seat backrest is changed.

[0016] This provides the user with consistent operation of the sensor surface, regardless of the seatback's inclination. As explained in the example above, the user would always be able to change default values ​​for vehicle functions on the sensor surface along a horizontal or vertical direction, even if the seatback's inclination changes from an upright to a reclining orientation, or vice versa.

[0017] Therefore, the orientation of the sensor surface relative to the seat back is not changed in order to rotate the orientation of the degrees of freedom of the virtual actuators relative to the seat back in order to keep them constant relative to an earth-fixed coordinate system; the respective degree of freedom of the virtual actuators relative to the seat back is rotated exclusively by software, i.e. algorithmically and through calculations of the processing unit.

[0018] An advantageous effect of the invention is that, by compensating for the inclination of the seat backrest for the virtual adjusting elements, ergonomic and intuitive operation can be achieved for the user, even if, for example, the seat backrest has been tilted far back during autonomous driving or a reclining position desired for other reasons. The orientations of the degrees of freedom of the adjusting elements remain unaffected by this change in inclination and continue to be aligned with the gravity vector. This is made possible by corresponding software in the computing unit, which detects this rotation using the position angle sensor of the seat backrest and rotates the degree of freedom of all virtual adjusting elements of the sensor surface opposite the inclined backrest and thus opposite the sensor surface. Because there is no mechanical rotation of the sensor surface opposite the seat backrest orof their headrest, no mechanical components are required to keep the orientation of a respective degree of freedom of a respective virtual actuator constant with respect to the gravity vector and to compensate for a changed inclination of the seat back. The elimination of mechanical components simplifies the design of these subcomponents of the vehicle and leads to more reliable systems with an increased service life. The special arrangement of each sensor surface on a side surface of a seat back, particularly preferably on a side surface of a headrest of such a seat back, leads to intuitive operation of the sensor surface, since the necessary gestures are based on intuitive movements such as covering one's ears.

[0019] According to an advantageous embodiment, the sensor surface is a touch-sensitive screen which is designed to display a user interface with the virtual actuating element, wherein the computing unit is designed to display the virtual actuating element of the sensor surface on the basis of the inclination of the seat back determined by the position angle sensor in such a way that a rotation angle of the displayed virtual actuating element is independent of a changed inclination of the seat back and thus remains constant relative to the gravity vector when the inclination of the seat back changes.

[0020] According to a further advantageous embodiment, the computing unit is designed to deactivate the sensor surface after a predetermined period of time has elapsed without any user input and / or upon user tapping, and to reactivate the display of the user interface upon the user tapping the deactivated sensor surface. A brief touch thus turns the desired function on or off.

[0021] According to a further advantageous embodiment, the computing unit is designed to deactivate the display of the user interface of the touch-sensitive screen after a predetermined period of time has elapsed without any input from a user and / or upon tapping by the user and to reactivate the display of the user interface when the user taps the deactivated touch-sensitive screen.

[0022] According to a further advantageous embodiment, the touch-sensitive sensor surface comprises two virtual actuating elements, wherein the actuating elements have translational degrees of freedom perpendicular to each other and one of the degrees of freedom is aligned along the gravity vector.

[0023] According to a further advantageous embodiment, the computing unit is designed to assign changes made by the user to a first of the two virtual control elements to a volume change of a sound system of the vehicle and changes made by the user to a second of the two virtual control elements to a temperature change in the vehicle.

[0024] According to a further advantageous embodiment, the touch-sensitive sensor surface has a capacitive-sensitive surface.

[0025] According to a further advantageous embodiment, the touch-sensitive sensor surface is a pressure-sensitive slide switch.

[0026] According to a further advantageous embodiment, the sensor surface is incorporated in the textile of the seat back or the headrest.

[0027] According to a further advantageous embodiment, the vehicle seat operating system further comprises a lighting unit, wherein the computing unit is designed to control the lighting unit to output a light animation as feedback for the user regarding the change in the virtual control element when the user changes the degree of freedom of the virtual control element.

[0028] A further aspect of the invention relates to a vehicle with a vehicle seat operating system as described above and below.

[0029] Advantages and preferred developments of the proposed vehicle result from an analogous and analogous transfer of the statements made above in connection with the proposed vehicle seat operating system.

[0030] Further advantages, features, and details will become apparent from the following description, which—if appropriate, with reference to the drawings—describes at least one embodiment in detail. Identical, similar, and / or functionally equivalent parts are provided with the same reference numerals.

[0031] They show: Fig. 1: A vehicle seat operating system according to an embodiment of the invention. Fig. 2: The vehicle seat control system of the Fig. 1 in different angles of the seat back.

[0032] The representations in the figures are schematic and not to scale.

[0033] Fig. Figure 1 shows a vehicle seat operating system on an exemplary vehicle seat. This vehicle seat has a seat back 1, the inclination of which is adjustable backwards in order to be able to convert it from an upright position to a lying position and any position in between. The seat back 1 with adjustable inclination also has a headrest 3. On this headrest 3, on both of its side surfaces, of which an example is shown in Figure 1, Fig. 1 only the right of the side surfaces from the passenger's perspective is shown, respective sensor surfaces 9 are arranged. Each of the sensor surfaces 9 is designed as a capacitive touch-sensitive touchpad, i.e. swiping gestures parallel to two predetermined Cartesian coordinate system axes are understood as user input for adjusting a default value for a respective vehicle subsystem. With the help of a respective computing unit 5 arranged behind the respective sensor surface 9, the swiping gestures are evaluated for their direction relative to the respective sensor surface 9 and, depending on the direction, components are distributed across the Cartesian coordinate system axes in the sense of degrees of freedom of the virtual control elements, and depending on the values ​​determined in the components, the vehicle subsystems "audio system" and "air conditioning system", which are assigned to the coordinate system axes, are controlled.How these coordinate system axes are compensated for a changed inclination of the seat back 1 by means of the computing unit 5 is described in more detail in the description of the . Fig. 2.

[0034] Fig. 2 shows the vehicle seat with the Fig. 1 shown seat back 1 in a side view, wherein the left partial image corresponds to a more upright position of the seat back 1 and the right partial image corresponds to a rearwardly inclined position of the seat back 1. The change in this inclination of the seat back 1 is detected by a position angle sensor 7 in the pivot joint of the seat back 1 relative to a seat cushion holder, and the angle change is transmitted to the computing unit 5. This change in inclination is used by the computing unit 5 to keep the perpendicular of the Cartesian coordinate system axes aligned along the gravity vector, while the other of the coordinate system axes always remains perpendicular to the first of the coordinate system axes, i.e. horizontally aligned. Both coordinate system axes naturally lie in the plane of the respective sensor surface 9 at all times. The coordinate system axes are in this case both in the Fig. 1 as well as in the Fig. 2 with arrows with arrowheads at both ends. In the Fig. 2 is in contrast to the Fig. 1 the left of the two sensor surfaces 9 is shown for both states of the seat back 1. According to the sketched coordinate system axes according to Fig. 2 the alignments of the coordinate system axes always remain vertical and horizontal.

[0035] Although the invention has been illustrated and explained in detail by preferred embodiments, the invention is not limited by the disclosed examples, and other variations may be derived therefrom by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention. It is therefore clear that a multitude of variations exist. It is also clear that exemplary embodiments are truly only examples and should not be construed as limiting the scope, possible applications, or configuration of the invention in any way.Rather, the preceding description and the description of the figures enable the person skilled in the art to implement the exemplary embodiments in concrete terms, whereby the person skilled in the art, with knowledge of the disclosed inventive concept, can make various changes, for example with regard to the function or the arrangement of individual elements mentioned in an exemplary embodiment, without departing from the scope of protection defined by the claims and their legal equivalents, such as further explanations in the description. List of reference symbols 1 seat back 3 headrest 5 Computing unit 7 Attitude angle sensor 9 Sensor area

Claims

[1] Vehicle seat operating system comprising a seat back (1) with adjustable inclination and with a headrest (3) and comprising a computing unit (5), wherein the seat back (1) has a position angle sensor (7) for detecting a current value of the inclination of the seat back (1) and wherein the position angle sensor (7) is connected to the computing unit (5) for data transmission, wherein a touch-sensitive sensor surface (9) with a function of a virtual actuating element with at least one degree of freedom is arranged on a side surface of the seat back (1) or the headrest (3), wherein the sensor surface (9) is also connected to the computing unit (5), wherein the computing unit (5) is designed toto change a default value for a vehicle function in response to a contact displacement on the sensor surface (9) by a user and to set an orientation of the degree of freedom of the virtual actuating element relative to the sensor surface (9) on the basis of the inclination of the seat back (1) determined by the position angle sensor (7) such that a rotation angle of the degree of freedom of the virtual actuating element is independent of a changed inclination of the seat back (1) and thus remains constant relative to the gravity vector when the inclination of the seat back (1) changes, by rotating the degree of freedom relative to the sensor surface (9) inclined with the seat back (1) against the inclination. [2] Vehicle seat operating system according to claim 1, wherein the sensor surface (9) is a touch-sensitive screen which is designed to display a user interface with the virtual actuating element, wherein the computing unit (5) is designed to display the virtual actuating element of the sensor surface (9) on the basis of the inclination of the seat back (1) determined by the position angle sensor (7) in such a way that the angle of rotation of the displayed virtual actuating element is independent of the changed inclination of the seat back (1) and thus remains constant relative to the gravity vector when the inclination of the seat back (1) changes. [3] Vehicle seat operating system according to claim 2, wherein the computing unit (5) is designed to deactivate the sensor surface (9) after a predetermined elapsed time without an input from the user and / or upon tapping by the user and to reactivate a display of the user interface when the user taps the deactivated sensor surface (9). [4] Vehicle seat operating system according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the sensor surface (9) has a capacitive-sensitive surface. [5] Vehicle seat operating system according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the sensor surface (9) is a pressure-sensitive slide switch. [6] Vehicle seat operating system according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the sensor surface (9) is incorporated in the textile of the seat back (1) or the headrest (3). [7] Vehicle seat operating system according to one of the preceding claims, further comprising a lighting unit, wherein the computing unit (5) is designed to control the lighting unit to output a light animation as feedback for the change of the virtual control element for the user when the user changes the degree of freedom of the virtual control element. [8] Vehicle with a vehicle seat operating system according to one of the preceding claims.

Images