Device and method for heating a vehicle seat and vehicle comprising the device

Abstract

The present invention relates to a device and a method for heating a vehicle seat and to a vehicle comprising the device according to the invention. The device according to the invention includes a sensor (10) configured to detect contact between the vehicle seat and a person sitting on the vehicle seat. Furthermore, a heating device (30) is provided, particularly in the vehicle seat, which is configured to heat the vehicle seat in different areas with varying intensity. The invention also provides a control unit (20) configured to detect or determine seat occupancy from the data provided by the sensor (10). The control unit (20) is further configured to generate a heat map based on the seat occupancy, which indicates the frequency with which the person occupies the area of ​​the vehicle seat.Furthermore, the control unit (20) is designed to determine control signals for the heating device based on the occupancy frequency of the areas and to transmit these to the heating device.

Description

[0001] The subject matter of the present invention relates to a device and a method for heating a vehicle seat and a vehicle having the device according to the invention.

[0002] According to the state of the art, vehicle seats are heated to increase occupant comfort, especially in cold weather conditions. The seats are usually heated across the entire surface, so that every part of the seat is heated evenly. Especially for smaller occupants, this results in significant areas of the seat being heated, even though there is no contact between the occupant and the seat. This represents an energy loss, which, especially in electric vehicles, leads to a shorter range and increased CO2 consumption.

[0003] In order to reduce these negative consequences, systems are known that enable selective heating of the occupied seat surface. Document DE 10 2013 010 410 A1 discloses a seat device of a motor vehicle which has a heating device, wherein the heating device is activated as a function of image data from an interior camera, i.e. as a function of whether a body part is resting against a corresponding upholstery part. Document DE 10 2020 211 624 A1 discloses a seat heater for a vehicle seat which is operated using neural networks. Document DE 10 2022 003 426 A1 discloses a vehicle seat with a seat heater, wherein the heating requirement of different heating zones is adjusted as a function of the positioning of the vehicle occupant on the vehicle seat.The positioning of the vehicle occupant is determined by a capacitive sensor unit, an optical sensor unit, a lidar sensor unit, an ultrasonic sensor unit, and / or a seat occupancy sensor unit. Document EP 2 138 348 B1 describes a method for determining the distribution of a plurality of through-holes in the upholstery of a vehicle seat. The positioning of the through-hole is determined by measuring the temperature after use using a thermographic measurement system to create a heat map of the support surface.

[0004] Based on the described background of the prior art, the object of the present invention is to improve the existing systems for operating seat heaters and to provide a device, a method and a vehicle therefor.

[0005] This problem is solved by the subject matter of the independent claims. Advantageous further developments are disclosed in the subclaims.

[0006] It should be noted at this point that advantageous embodiments of the method according to the invention are also to be understood as a disclosure of an advantageous embodiment of the device according to the invention and vice versa.

[0007] The device according to the invention for heating a vehicle seat has a sensor system designed to detect contact between the vehicle seat and a person sitting on it. A surface on the seat where contact is detected is referred to in the application as a contact surface. Furthermore, a heating device is provided, particularly in the vehicle seat, which is designed to heat the vehicle seat in different areas with different intensities. Consequently, the heating device must be capable of applying different heat outputs to different areas of the seat.

[0008] Furthermore, according to the invention, a control device is provided which is designed to detect or determine a seat occupancy from the data provided by the sensor system. Seat occupancy is understood in the context of the application as the entire area of ​​contact of the person on the vehicle seat. It therefore describes the points on the vehicle seat at which contact is detected by the sensor system. It includes both the seat surface and the area against which the back of a person sitting on the seat rests. The control device is further designed to detect a

[0009] To create a heat map which shows the occupancy frequency of the area of ​​the vehicle seat by the person. The occupancy frequency results from the proportion of time in which there is contact between the person and the vehicle seat compared to a defined reference period. The reference period can be selected differently. Furthermore, the control device is designed to determine control signals for the heating device based on the occupancy frequency of the areas and to send these to the heating device. Consequently, the operation of the heating device depends on the occupancy frequency of the different areas on the seat. If there is a high occupancy frequency, a higher heating intensity is exerted than for areas with a low occupancy frequency.

[0010] Depending on the resolution of the sensor and the resolution of the heating element, the areas on the seat where contact is detected and which can be individually heated by the heating device can be larger. The better the resolution, i.e., the more different small areas are provided, the greater the effect of the invention.

[0011] This ensures that areas are heated which are not currently occupied but where there is a high probability that the vehicle occupant will occupy this area again soon. This increases comfort for the occupant because even after changing their seating position there is only a very low probability that they will occupy a completely unheated area on the seat. Furthermore, this area is already preheated and can therefore be heated to the desired final temperature more quickly than an area that is not yet heated at all, as is the case with state-of-the-art seat heating which only heats areas occupied by the person sitting in the seat. On the other hand, areas which have a very low probability of being occupied can remain unheated without any energy being consumed.

[0012] In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the sensor system comprises pressure sensors, temperature sensors, at least one thermal imaging camera, and / or capacitive sensors. Such sensors, apart from the thermal imaging camera, can be incorporated into a seat occupancy detection mat arranged beneath the seat fabric in order to detect areas of the seat where contact exists between the vehicle seat and the person. In designs with a thermal imaging camera, parts of the seat where heat is escaping can be detected without the person occupying these areas of the seat. The sensor system preferably comprises several different types of the aforementioned sensors in order to optimize the seat occupancy detection results.

[0013] Furthermore, the sensor system preferably includes an interior camera. The images captured by the interior camera are evaluated, in particular, by artificial intelligence to determine seat occupancy. In particular, neural networks can be used, which are trained to detect contact between a person and the vehicle seat based on pattern recognition or similar techniques from the image data of the interior camera.

[0014] The method according to the invention for heating a vehicle seat comprises several steps. In a first step, contact surfaces between the vehicle seat and a person sitting on it are detected using appropriate sensors. The sensor types mentioned as an advantageous embodiment of the device according to the invention can be used as sensors. Seat occupancy is then determined or recorded from the data recorded by the sensors. For this purpose, the sensor data is evaluated by a control device. Furthermore, a heat map is created based on seat occupancy over time, wherein the heat map reflects the occupancy frequency of areas of the vehicle seat between the vehicle seat and a person.Based on the heat map data, control signals are generated for a heating device provided in the vehicle seat, which causes it to heat the individual areas in the vehicle seat to different degrees based on the occupancy frequency.

[0015] The method is preferably carried out by the device according to the invention.

[0016] When detecting seat occupancy, the vehicle seat is preferably divided into the smallest possible areas to improve the heating resolution. The size of the smallest possible areas is defined, on the one hand, by the resolution of the sensor system and, on the other hand, by the size of the areas that can be heated independently of one another by the heating device. The effectiveness of the invention can be optimized by achieving the greatest possible resolution and thus the smallest possible areas.

[0017] In a further advantageous embodiment of the method according to the invention, all areas occupied by the person in a defined past period when seat occupancy is detected are heated with at least a minimal heating output. This ensures that even areas with a low probability of occupancy are preheated, so that the person encounters an at least somewhat preheated seat surface when changing their seating position.

[0018] In an advantageous embodiment, the driver occupancy data is stored in a non-volatile memory, particularly based on a selected driver profile. In particular, a generated heat map is therefore saved. This makes it possible, for example in winter when the seat heating is activated immediately after getting in, for an initial heat map of the seat occupancy to already be available and these parts of the seat can be heated before this heat map can be corrected and the heating control can be adjusted during operation. Thanks to the data stored in the driver profile, for example, the entire seat does not have to be heated even when the seat heating is switched on directly, which can save energy. In this type of application with direct switching on of the seat heating, the stored heat map is preferably used without “historical” occupancy data in order to achieve a safety factor of, for example,10% of the area has been expanded to ensure that there is no reduction in comfort, as no heat map data is yet available for the current period.

[0019] The vehicle according to the invention has a device according to the invention.

[0020] The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the attached figure, which shows a schematic flow diagram of the method according to the invention.

[0021] The figure schematically depicts a sensor system 10, a control device 20, and a heating device 30. The heating device 30 is intended to heat a vehicle seat in a vehicle. The sensor system 10 can consist of a plurality of different sensors, such as an image capture system S11, in particular by an interior camera or a thermal imaging camera, pressure sensors S12, temperature sensors S13, capacitive sensors, and many others. The different sensor types are preferably combined in the sensor system 10 in order to compensate for failures of one sensor type and to be able to validate measurement results against each other.

[0022] The sensor system 10 is designed to detect contact between the vehicle seat and a person sitting on it. They thus detect the contact area between the person's body parts and the vehicle seat. For this purpose, the aforementioned sensors can be housed in a seat occupancy detection mat integrated into the seat. The density of individual sensors in the seat determines the resolution of the sensor system, i.e., how precisely an area where contact between the vehicle seat and the person exists can be determined.

[0023] The data recorded by the sensor system 10 is forwarded to a control device 20. There, seat occupancy is recorded based on the data. This includes all locations where there is contact between a person and the vehicle seat. By recording the seat occupancy, a heat map can be created that represents seat occupancy over time. The seat occupancy at individual points in time is stored over time and displayed in the heat map. The heat map thus provides information about how often and for how long a specific area of ​​the vehicle seat is touched by the person. In other words, the heat map shows the frequency of occupancy of the areas of the vehicle seat by the person.

[0024] Based on the heat map, control device 20 determines control signals and forwards them to heating device 30. These signals cause the heating device to heat the areas on the seat according to their occupancy frequency, as determined by the heat map. Areas with a higher occupancy frequency are heated with a higher intensity than those with a lower occupancy frequency. The occupancy frequency can be translated into a specific heating intensity as a percentage, or it can be divided into different levels, which then serve as the basis for controlling the heating intensity.

[0025] This ensures that even less frequently used areas of the seat are at least preheated, thus increasing occupant comfort. At the same time, areas that are never or only very rarely touched by the occupant can be identified and therefore do not need to be heated. This saves energy without compromising occupant comfort. LIST OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS 10 Sensor technology S11 Image Acquisition S12 pressure sensor S13 temperature sensor 20 Evaluation unit 30 Heating device QUOTES CONTAINED IN THE DESCRIPTION

[0000] This list of documents submitted by the applicant was generated automatically and is included solely for the convenience of the reader. This list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions. Cited patent literature

[0000] DE 10 2013 010 410 A1

[0003] DE 10 2020 211 624 A1

[0003] DE 10 2022 003 426 A1

[0003] EP 2 138 348 B1

[0003]

Claims

[1] Device for heating a vehicle seat, comprising a sensor system (10) designed to detect contact between the vehicle seat and a person sitting on the vehicle seat, a heating device (30) designed to heat the vehicle seat in different areas with different intensities, a control device (20) designed to detect a seat occupancy from the data provided by the sensor system (10) and, based thereon, to create a heat map which indicates an occupancy frequency of the areas of the vehicle seat by the person, and further to generate control signals for the heating device and to transmit them to the latter, which cause the heating device to heat the areas to different degrees based on the occupancy frequency of the areas. [2] Device according to the preceding claim, wherein the sensors (10) comprise pressure sensors, temperature sensors, a thermal imaging camera and / or capacitive sensors. [3] Device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the sensor system (10) comprises an interior camera. [4] Device according to the preceding claim, wherein the control device is designed to evaluate the data of the interior camera by means of artificial intelligence in order to determine the seat occupancy. [5] A method for heating a vehicle seat, comprising the following steps, comprising (A) detecting contact surfaces between the vehicle seat and a sitting position on it by means of a corresponding sensor system (10), (B) Detecting a seat occupancy from the data provided by the sensor system (10), (C) Creating a heat map based on seat occupancy over time, wherein the heat map reflects an occupancy frequency of areas of the vehicle seat between the vehicle seat and a person, (D) Creating control signals for a heating device (30) provided in the vehicle seat, which cause the heating device to heat the individual areas in the vehicle seat to different degrees based on the occupancy frequency of the individual areas. [6] Method according to the preceding claim, wherein, when detecting the seat occupancy, a surface of the vehicle seat is divided into the smallest possible areas, the individual occupancy of which can still be detected by the sensor system (10) and the individual heating of which is still ensured by the heating device (30). [7] Method according to one of the preceding claims 5 or 6, wherein all areas occupied by the person in a defined past period when the seat occupancy is detected are heated at least with a minimum heating power. [8] Vehicle comprising a device according to one of the preceding claims 1 to 4.

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