Method of controlling the configuration of a vehicle seat

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for controlling the configuration of a vehicle seat (11), the method comprising: a) acquiring (102) at a defined frequency three pressure values by three sensors arranged on three defined areas of the seat; b) calculating (110) attributes from the acquired pressure values, the attributes being chosen from a standard deviation, a sum and a first ratio; c) determining (112) a destination configuration of the seat from the calculated attributes, by applying a trained classification model, d) transmitting (114) a drive control signal to mobile and motorized mechanisms, the drive control signal being capable of causing the seat to move towards the determined destination configuration. Abstract figure: 3

Description

Title of the invention: Method for controlling the configuration of a vehicle seat Technical field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of on-board vehicle systems. Prior art

[0002] It is known to memorize one or more configurations of a vehicle seat and to control various motorized mechanisms according to such information to give the seat a previously memorized configuration. Thus, a regular occupant of such a seat can quickly find a memorized configuration, in particular when individuals of different morphologies are required to occupy the same seat in turn, and therefore to regularly modify the configuration of the seat so that it suits them. This nevertheless implies that each occupant adjusts each parameter of the configuration of the seat a first time to memorize it. Since the parameters of the configuration can be numerous, these initial adjustments can be time-consuming.

[0003] Furthermore, the user tends to quickly choose a seat configuration that seems comfortable to him at a given moment. However, the chosen configuration may be inadequate in the long term in that it tends to unconsciously promote poor posture, particularly when driving a vehicle for several hours. This can lead to discomfort, or even pain, which is detrimental to driving safety.

[0004] There are also systems configured to alert the occupant of a seat if poor posture is detected. To correct their posture, the occupant can then change the configuration of the seat. This also involves the occupant of the seat spending time trying out various configurations until they find a suitable one. Summary

[0005] The present disclosure improves the situation.

[0006] A system and method are proposed designed to automatically propose a seat configuration to an occupant that is both favorable to a correct posture while being adapted according to each occupant (in particular their morphology). In addition, the solutions proposed here make it possible to limit the number and duration of the actions and reference positions imposed on the occupant of the seat for proper operation of the system. In other words, the aim here is to increase the degree of automation of the initial adjustments of a seat configuration so that this adjustment phase is natural and almost unconscious for the occupant of the seat. A seat equipped with such a system and receiving an occupant for the first time will modify its configuration automatically until it detects a compliant posture of the occupant of the seat without said occupant even needing to control, or even voluntarily trigger, such an adaptation.

[0007] The adjustment of the seat configuration can be carried out in several stages. However, these successive stages can follow one another automatically without waiting for a voluntary, or even conscious, action from the occupant of the seat to move from one stage to the next. From the occupant's point of view, the adjustment therefore appears to be carried out continuously, quickly and in a single stage.

[0008] In particular, the invention relates to a method for controlling the configuration of a vehicle seat, the seat having a seat and a backrest, the method being implemented by a controller, the method comprising: (a) the acquisition at a defined frequency of at least three pressure values by at least three sensors arranged on at least three defined areas of the seat; b) calculating at least two attributes from at least two of the three acquired pressure values, the calculated attributes being chosen from a standard deviation, a sum and a first ratio; (c) determining a seat destination configuration from the calculated attributes, by applying a trained classification model, d) the transmission of at least one drive control signal to mobile and motorized mechanisms, the at least one drive control signal being capable of causing at least one movement of the seat towards the determined destination configuration.

[0009] According to a particular embodiment, the calculation step comprises the calculation of three attributes and the determination of a destination configuration of the seat from the three calculated attributes, by application of the trained classification model.

[0010] According to a particular embodiment, the seat comprises at least one first sensor arranged on a right rear zone, at least one second sensor arranged on a left rear zone, and at least one third sensor arranged on a right front zone and in which the standard deviation is calculated from at least one pressure value acquired by the first sensor, at least one pressure value acquired by the second sensor and at least one pressure value acquired by the third sensor.

[0011] According to a particular embodiment, after transmission of at least one drive control signal, the method comprises: (e) calculating a ratio between the pressure value acquired by the third sensor and the pressure value acquired by the first sensor, and (f) the comparison of the said ratio with a first threshold, g) when the ratio is greater than the first threshold, at least one stop control signal is emitted to the mobile and motorized mechanisms, the at least one stop control signal is capable of stopping said at least one movement of the seat, and when the ratio is less than the first threshold, steps d) and e) are iterated with the next pressure value acquired by the third sensor and the next pressure value acquired by the first sensor.

[0012] According to a particular embodiment, when the ratio remains lower than the first threshold, the movement of the seat is stopped when the seat reaches the destination configuration.

[0013] According to a particular embodiment, the method comprises placing the seat in a reference position in which a front edge of the seat is placed at a distance from a pedal of the vehicle, preferably from an accelerator pedal; the distance being between 450 millimeters and 520 millimeters in a longitudinal direction.

[0014] According to a particular embodiment, the method further comprises the detection of at least one start of depression of a pedal, preferably an accelerator pedal; and in which the at least two attributes entered into the trained classification model are acquired in the second preceding said detection.

[0015] According to a particular embodiment, the method comprises detecting a degree of depression of a pedal of at least 50% of its travel, said detection triggering the determination of a destination configuration of the seat.

[0016] According to a particular embodiment, the sum is calculated from at least one pressure value acquired by the first sensor and at least one pressure value acquired by the second sensor.

[0017] According to a particular embodiment, the first ratio is calculated from at least one pressure value acquired by the third sensor and at least one pressure value acquired by the first sensor.

[0018] According to a particular embodiment, the seat comprises at least one fourth sensor located on a front left zone, and in which the standard deviation is calculated from at least one pressure value acquired by the first sensor, at least one pressure value acquired by the second sensor, at least one pressure value acquired by the third sensor and at least one pressure value acquired by the fourth sensor.

[0019] According to a particular embodiment, the backrest comprises at least one fifth sensor located in an upper right zone and / or at least one sixth sensor located in an upper left zone, and which comprises the calculation of an additional attribute, said additional attribute comprising a second ratio between, on the one hand, at least one pressure value acquired by at least one sensor among the fifth sensor and the sixth sensor and on the other hand, at least one pressure value acquired by at least one sensor among the third sensor and the fourth sensor.

[0020] According to a particular embodiment, the backrest comprises at least a fifth sensor located in an upper right zone and at least a sixth sensor located in an upper left zone, the calculation of an additional attribute, said additional attribute comprising a second ratio between, on the one hand, the sum of at least one pressure value acquired by the fifth sensor and at least one pressure value acquired by the sixth sensor and, on the other hand, the sum of at least one pressure value acquired by the third sensor and at least one pressure value acquired by the fourth sensor.

[0021] According to a particular embodiment, the trained classification model is a decision tree.

[0022] According to a particular embodiment, the emitted drive control signal is configured to cause at least one movement among: - the movement of the seat back or forward relative to the reference position in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle; - lowering or raising the seat relative to the reference position in a vertical direction; - the inclination of the seat relative to the reference position at and along a transverse axis, - raising or lowering the headrest relative to the reference position.

[0023] The invention also relates to a computer program comprising instructions for implementing the method described above, when this program is executed by a processor. Brief description of the drawings

[0024] Other characteristics, details and advantages will appear on reading the detailed description below, and on analyzing the attached drawings, in which: Fig.l

[0025] [Fig.l] shows a system. Fig. 2

[0026] [Fig.2] shows a seat equipped with a sensor used in the control method according to the invention.

[0027] [Fig.3] shows a control method according to a first embodiment. [Fig.4] shows a method according to a second embodiment. Description of the embodiments

[0028] In the following description, the spatial positioning indications such that top, bottom, upper, lower, horizontal, vertical etc. are given for clarity of description, depending on the usual position of use of the seat, but are not limiting. More specifically, the orientations relative to the front and rear of the seat are relative to the usual position of use of the seat. Longitudinal direction X means a horizontal direction extending between the front and the rear of the vehicle seat. Transverse direction Y means a horizontal direction, extending from one side of the vehicle seat to the other side of the vehicle seat. Vertical direction Z means the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal directions X and transverse directions Y.

[0029] Reference is now made to [Fig.l]. The on-board vehicle system 1 comprises at least: - a seat 11 capable of receiving an occupant of the vehicle and equipped with mobile and motorized mechanisms 8 capable of modifying the configuration of the seat 11; - a set of sensors 12 jointly arranged so as to detect the posture of the occupant of the seat 11 and at least some of which are integrated into the seat 11; and - a controller 10 capable of receiving signals from the set of sensors as input, and of generating control signals as output for said mechanisms. The controller is further configured to implement a method for configuring the seat.

[0030] The seat 11 comprises a seat 111, a backrest 112 articulated to the seat, and a headrest 113.

[0031] A vertical transverse plane (Y,Z) and a vertical longitudinal plane (X,Z) are defined for the purposes of this description. The vertical transverse plane (Y,Z) is located midway between a front edge 114 of the seat and a rear edge 115 of the seat. The vertical longitudinal plane (X,Z) is located midway between the two lateral edges 116, 117 of the seat. These planes make it possible to define four zones on the seat.

[0032] The seat 111 comprises a front zone located in front of the vertical transverse plane (Y,Z), and a rear zone located behind the vertical transverse plane (Y,Z). The rear zone comprises a right rear zone ZRD arranged on one side of the vertical longitudinal plane (Y,Z), and a left rear zone ZRG arranged on the other side of the vertical longitudinal plane (Y,Z). In the same way, the front zone comprises a right front zone ZAD arranged on one side of the vertical longitudinal plane (Y,Z), and a left front zone ZAG arranged on the other side of the vertical longitudinal plane (Y,Z).

[0033] In the embodiment illustrated in [Fig.2] and in no way limiting, the set of sensors 12 comprises three sensors arranged on the seat. A first sensor 121 is arranged on the right rear zone ZRD of the seat. A second sensor 122 is arranged on the left rear zone ZRG. A third sensor 123 is arranged on the right front zone ZAD of the seat.

[0034] According to a variant, the set of sensors 12 comprises four sensors arranged on the seat. In this case, a fourth sensor 124 shown in dotted lines is arranged on the front left zone ZAG of the seat. The use of four sensors improves the accuracy of the measurements.

[0035] The set of sensors comprises pressure sensors configured to measure pressure values exerted on the seat. Advantageously, the pressure sensors are capacitive sensors with coplanar interdigital electrodes. An example of such a sensor is described in the patent application published under number FR 3126776 in the name of the applicant. Such a sensor comprises an electrode connected to a voltage source of approximately 5 Volts and an electrode connected to a ground. A capacitance value representative of a pressure value is measured at the terminals of these electrodes.

[0036] Preferably, the backrest 112 further comprises at least one fifth sensor 126. To define the position of this sensor in the present patent application, a horizontal transverse plane (X, Y) is defined. The horizontal transverse plane (X, Y) extends between and midway between an upper edge 118 and a lower edge 119 of the backrest. This plane makes it possible to define two zones on the backrest. An upper right zone ZSD is located on one side of the vertical longitudinal plane (X, Z) and above the horizontal transverse plane (X, Y). An upper left zone ZSG is located on the other side of the vertical longitudinal plane (X, Z) and above the horizontal transverse plane (X, Y). The fifth sensor 126 may be arranged above the horizontal transverse plane (X, Y). Preferably, the fifth sensor 126 is arranged on the upper right zone ZSD of the backrest.To simplify the figure, the vertical longitudinal plane defined for the seat is used to define the backrest areas.

[0037] Preferably, the backrest 112 further comprises at least one sixth sensor 128. The sixth sensor is arranged on the upper left zone ZSG of the backrest.

[0038] The mobile and motorized mechanisms 8 comprise a first system for driving the seat to move relative to the floor of the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle. This first system comprises, for example, two slides and two mobile elements that can be moved along the slides. The seat 111 is carried by the mobile elements. The slides are intended to be fixed to the floor of the passenger compartment. The seat 111 is capable of moving in the longitudinal direction X during the movement of the two mobile elements along the slides. The mobile and motorized mechanisms further comprise a first actuator capable of driving this first drive system and of driving a transmission mechanism for moving the mobile elements on the slides and moving the seat in the longitudinal direction X.

[0039] By convention, in the present patent application, it is considered that the front part of the slides is the part closest to the pedal(s), that the seat is at the beginning of its travel when the seat is located closest to the front part of the slides. It is considered that between 1% and 49% of the travel of the moving elements on the slides, the seat is closer to the front part of the slides than to the rear part of the slides.

[0040] Preferably, the seat 111 can be lowered or raised. For this purpose, the mobile and motorized mechanisms 8 comprise a second drive system for movement along the vertical axis Z allowing the seat to be raised and lowered relative to the slides and to the floor of the vehicle, and a second actuator capable of driving this second drive system. Preferably, the seat 111 is pivotally mounted relative to the movable elements. In this case, the seat is articulated to the movable elements around a pivot axis AA directed in the transverse direction Y. In this case, the movable and motorized mechanisms 8 comprise a third system for driving the seat to pivot around the pivot axis AA and a third actuator capable of driving this third drive system.

[0041] Preferably, the headrest 113 is mounted to slide relative to the backrest in the vertical direction Z. In this case, the mobile and motorized mechanisms 8 further comprise a fourth system for driving the headrest to slide relative to the backrest and a fourth actuator capable of driving this fourth drive system.

[0042] The on-board system 1 can be supplemented by a database 13 stored in a suitable memory to which the controller 1 and / or a human-machine interface 16 has access. The on-board system 1 may comprise a unit 15 for receiving or generating information relating to the depression of the accelerator pedal such as for example an accelerator pedal sensor or a unit for recovering this information from the engine control unit (ECU).

[0043] It is specified here that the expression “seat configuration” is used in its broad sense. This covers, for example, the relative positions and orientations of the various components of the seat with respect to each other (typically, but not limited to, the inclination of the backrest 112 relative to the seat 111 and / or the position of the headrest 113 relative to the backrest), and also the positions and orientations of the various components 111, 112, 113 of the seat 11 relative to the rest of the vehicle such as the passenger compartment (typically, but not limited to, the forward movement and height of the seat 111).

[0044] To facilitate understanding, the following examples refer to a driving position of a so-called “touring” automobile, a situation common to a large number of readers. Other reference positions may be provided. For example, For example, rest positions may be provided and may be more suited to facilitating rest between two driving sessions rather than for driving (vehicle stationary). Other driving / piloting or rest positions may be provided in other contexts and other vehicles such as aircraft, trains, passenger and / or goods transport vehicles, etc.

[0045] Advantageously, the method for controlling the configuration of a seat can be combined with a function for returning to a home position in the absence of an occupant: when the controller 10 receives a dedicated control signal or signals from the sensors 12 indicating the absence of an occupant, the controller 10 transmits control signals so that the mechanisms of the seat are actuated so that the seat adopts the home position, facilitating the installation of an occupant in the seat and in the vehicle, or their extraction. The home position corresponds for example to a position of the seat 111 pushed back as far as possible, so that installation is facilitated, including for the tallest individuals. The home position can be independent of the occupants.

[0046] Reference is now made to [Fig. 3]. The control method begins with a training phase 100 of a classification model trained from pressure values collected on a seat 11. For each type of seat, a new classification model will have to be trained.

[0047] When an occupant sits on the seat 11, the method for controlling the configuration comprises a step 101 of placing the seat in a reference position. For this purpose, the seat 11 is moved forward towards the pedal(s) of the vehicle. The pedal may be an accelerator pedal, a brake pedal or a clutch pedal. The reference position allows any person, regardless of their size and build, to place their foot on a pedal, and in particular on the accelerator pedal. Preferably, when the seat is in the reference position, the front edge 114 of the seat is positioned at a distance of between 450 millimeters and 520 millimeters from a pedal, for example the accelerator pedal. The distance D is measured by considering the edge of the pedal closest to the seat. This distance is measured only in the longitudinal direction X.In the reference position, the seat can also be positioned at a defined height in the Z direction. The seat can be tilted at a defined angle. The headrest can be positioned at a defined height.

[0048] Then, the method comprises a step 102 of acquiring pressure values generated by the first sensor, the second sensor and the third sensor. This acquisition is for example carried out by a capacitance meter. A clock can be started. The pressure values are, for example, capacitance values measured between the electrodes of each capacitive sensor. The pressure values measured by each sensor are stored and can be associated with time information generated by the clock. The pressure values are acquired, for example, at a frequency of 100 milliseconds. The pressure values are acquired here throughout the duration of the control process.

[0049] The occupant seated on the seat places his foot on a pedal and during a step 104, the start of a depression of the pedal is detected by the unit 15.

[0050] The pedal may be the accelerator pedal, the brake pedal or the clutch pedal. Preferably the pedal is the accelerator pedal. In the following description, the accelerator pedal is described by way of example. Then, during a step 106, the occupant of the seat issues a request to control the configuration of the seat. In other words, the occupant requests automatic adjustment of the position and of his seat. This request can, for example, be implemented by a significant pressure on the accelerator pedal. This significant pressure is detected by the unit 15. For example, the detection of a depression degree of at least 50% of the travel of the accelerator pedal can be considered as a request to control the configuration of the seat. Preferably, the detection of a depression degree of 70% of the travel of the accelerator pedal can be considered as a request to control the configuration of the seat. Alternatively, the information relating to the depression degree of the accelerator pedal can be transmitted by the engine control unit (ECU).

[0051] During step 108, a pressure value acquired by each sensor just before the start of pedal depression is selected. The number of pressure values selected here is equal to the number of sensors arranged on the seat. Alternatively, multiple pressure values are selected for each sensor. In this case, an average value is calculated from these selected pressure values. In a step 110, at least two attributes are calculated from the pressure values selected in step 108. The attributes are also called discriminating factors. Then, the calculated attributes are entered into the trained classification model. A decision tree can advantageously be used as a trained classification model. In this decision tree, a condition is verified at each internal node. The conditions are established from the attributes. When the seat 11 comprises the first sensor 121, the second sensor 122 and the third sensor 123, the calculated attributes are chosen from a standard deviation o, a sum So and a first ratio RL

[0052] Preferably, the attributes calculated during step 110 comprise a standard deviation o and a sum So.

[0053] The standard deviation o is calculated using the formula below: in which n is the number of pressure sensors arranged on the seat; x; are the pressure values acquired by each sensor and æ is the average of the acquired pressure values. The standard deviation o is calculated from at least three pressure values. Preferably, the standard deviation o is calculated from the pressure value acquired by the first sensor 121, the pressure value acquired by the second sensor 122, and the pressure value acquired by the third sensor 123.

[0054] The sum So is the sum of two pressure values. Preferably, the sum So is the sum of the pressure value acquired by the first sensor 121 and the pressure value acquired by the second sensor 122.

[0055] Alternatively, the attributes calculated during step 110 comprise a standard deviation o and a sum So and the first ratio RL

[0056] The first ratio RI is the ratio between two pressure values. Preferably, the first ratio RI is the ratio between a pressure value acquired by the third sensor 123, and a pressure value acquired by the first sensor 121.

[0057] When the seat further comprises a fourth sensor 124, the standard deviation o is calculated from the pressure values acquired by the first sensor 121, the second sensor 122, the third sensor 123 and the fourth sensor 122. Preferably, these pressure values are the pressure values selected during step 108.

[0058] When the file further comprises a fifth sensor 126 and a sixth sensor 128, the method comprises the calculation 111 of an additional attribute. This additional attribute comprises a second ratio R2. In this embodiment, the second ratio is the ratio between, on the one hand, the sum of a pressure value acquired by the fifth sensor 126 and a pressure value acquired by the sixth sensor 128 and, on the other hand, the sum of a pressure value acquired by the third sensor 123 and a pressure value acquired by the fourth sensor 124. Preferably, these pressure values are the pressure values selected during step 108.

[0059] When the backrest only includes the fifth sensor 126, the second ratio R2 is the ratio between, on the one hand, at least one pressure value acquired by the fifth sensor 126 and, on the other hand, at least one pressure value acquired by the third sensor 123. When the backrest only includes the sixth sensor 128, the second ratio R2 is the ratio between, on the one hand, at least one pressure value acquired by the sixth sensor and on the other hand, at least one pressure value acquired by the fourth sensor 124.

[0060] During a step 112, the trained classification model, and in particular the decision tree, determines a destination configuration of the seat. Here, each destination configuration corresponds to a leaf node or terminal node of the decision tree. Thus, one or more training command(s) will be issued to one or more training systems so that the seat moves towards this destination configuration. However, the destination configuration is a possible but not certain final configuration. The seat may stop before reaching the determined destination configuration, when a condition is met, as explained below.

[0061] The destination configurations are selected or determined from the following destination configurations: - a first configuration S in which the seat is moved forward towards the pedal(s), for example, until the start of its travel. The seat can be raised until the end of its travel. The seat can be tilted counterclockwise around the pivot axis AA to lower the nose of the seat. The headrest can be lowered. This first configuration is potentially intended for an occupant with a height between 155 centimeters and 164 centimeters. - a second configuration M in which the seat is moved back relative to the reference position to reach a position between 60% and 70% of the total travel of the slides. The seat is, for example, raised. The seat is, for example, inclined in an anti-clockwise direction around the pivot axis AA to lower the nose of the seat relative to its reference position. The headrest is, for example, raised relative to its reference position. The second configuration M is intended for an occupant with a height between 165 centimeters and 174 centimeters. - a third configuration L in which the seat is moved back relative to the reference position to reach a position located between 70 and 85% of the total travel of the slides. The seat can be moved in the Z direction relative to its reference position. The seat can be inclined relative to its reference position. The headrest can be moved relative to its reference position. The third configuration L is intended for an occupant with a height between 175 centimeters and 184 centimeters; - a fourth XL configuration in which the seat is moved back from the reference position to reach a position located at approximately 95% of the total travel of the slides. The seat can be lowered to the maximum of its travel. The seat can be tilted clockwise around the pivot axis AA to raise the nose of the seat. The headrest can be raised relative to the reference position. The fourth XL configuration is configured for an occupant with a height greater than 185 centimeters.

[0062] During a step 114, at least one drive control signal is sent to the mobile and motorized mechanisms 8. This drive control signal is capable of causing at least one movement of the seat towards the determined destination configuration.

[0063] The transmitted drive control signal is configured to cause at least one movement among: - the movement backward or forward of the seat in relation to the reference position in a longitudinal direction (X) of the vehicle; - lowering or raising the seat relative to the reference position in a vertical direction (Z); - the inclination of the seat relative to the reference position at and along a transverse axis (Y), - raising or lowering the headrest relative to the reference position. For example, the first internal node checks whether the standard deviation calculated from the three pressure values is less than a threshold level NI calculated by the trained classification model. If so, the trained classification model determines that the destination configuration is the first configuration. A drive control signal is sent to the mobile and motorized mechanisms 8 so that the seat moves in a longitudinal direction X to move closer to the pedal. A drive control signal may also be sent to raise the seat, to tilt the seat and / or to raise the headrest. Then, during a step 116, the controller 10 calculates a ratio Rt between a pressure value acquired by the third sensor 123 after the transmission of the drive control signal and a pressure value acquired by the first sensor 121 after the transmission of the drive control signal.

[0064] Alternatively, an average value obtained from several pressure values can be used to calculate this ratio Rt.

[0065] During a step 118, the ratio Rt is compared to a first threshold SL If the ratio is greater than the threshold SI, at least one stop control signal is emitted during a step 120. The stop control signal is capable of stopping the movement(s) of the seat.

[0066] If the ratio is lower than the threshold SI, steps 116 and 118 are repeated during a step 122 for each new pressure value acquired by the third sensor 123 and by the first sensor 121. If the ratio Rt remains lower than the first threshold SI, the movement of the seat is stopped when the seat reaches the destination configuration. According to a less advantageous variant, if the control of the accelerator pedal is implemented by a manual control, the triggering step 104 can be implemented by the fact that the occupant of the seat places his foot on a support located in the usual place of the accelerator pedal. In this case, the on-board system 1 can comprise a support and a triggering element such as a sensor for detecting the presence of the foot or a triggering button. In this case, the reference position of the seat is defined by the distance between the edge of the tablet located in front of the seat and the front edge of the seat.

[0067] Alternatively, the pressure values selected during step 108 are pressure values acquired after the detection of a start 104 of depression of the pedal or even after the detection 106 of a determination request for example by detection of a defined degree of depression of the accelerator pedal.

[0068] Alternatively, the request for automatic seat adjustment is made by a voice command or by pressing a button during step 106. Alternatively, another model than the decision tree can be used as the trained classification model such as for example Random Forests, Support Vector Machines (SVM).

[0069] The invention also relates to a method for automatically adjusting the configuration of a seat. This method comprises the steps described below.

[0070] Reference is now made to [Fig. 4]. First, the configuration adjustment method comprises a first triggering step 1010. The first step 1010 may be triggered by a dedicated command such as a physical or virtual button, or a command to unlock the vehicle or open the driver's door, or a voice command for example. Then, the system may send a signal to the occupant, via the human-machine interface 16, for example in the form of a written or voice message, inviting him to adopt a reference posture.

[0071] For greater efficiency, the trigger of the method may be the detection of a reference posture of the occupant of the seat, in particular a posture which is suitable for measuring parameters used in determining a seat configuration.

[0072] In the example of a car driver's seat, the trigger of the method may be the detection of a position of the accelerator pedal 14 being pressed, for example fully pressed. The trigger may also be a combination of conditions. If, for example, it is desired to prohibit triggering while the vehicle is being driven, an additional condition may be provided: the vehicle is stationary or at reduced speed. For example, the trigger is a combination of a position of the accelerator pedal 14 being pressed fully and an engine being stopped.

[0073] The condition or combination of conditions acting as a trigger may also be made necessary for the process to continue. In this case, leaving the trigger conditions acts as a process stop command. For example, the controller 10 may be configured to interrupt the process when it is detected that the accelerator pedal 14 leaves its fully depressed position and / or the pedal is no longer depressed and / or the engine starts.

[0074] In variants, filtering of the measured data may be implemented. In particular, for the determination of the first set of indicators described below, only some of the measured data may be retained. For example, only the data measured before the trigger itself may be retained. Such filtering makes it possible to limit the risk of the measurements being interfered with by a one-off effort of the occupant linked to the triggering, i.e. the depression of the accelerator pedal in the aforementioned example. In other words, since the measurements are intended to be representative of a natural and comfortable posture of the occupant, it may be preferable to ignore those which correspond to a particular situation such as the triggering of the method. Using the measured data of the posture of the occupant in the second or a few seconds preceding the movement of partial or complete depression of the pedal may therefore be advantageous.It should also be noted that the more variable the efforts required for triggering are from one individual to another, the more advantageous it is to eliminate such a measurement bias by such filtering. Thus, a variant with such filtering is more relevant when the trigger corresponds to the pressing of a pedal than when the trigger corresponds to the pressing of a button. Indeed, the effort required to press a pedal depends on the morphology / build of the occupant, which is not the case for pressing a button.

[0075] In a second step 1020, the determination of a first set of indicators can be implemented. One of the first indicators can relate to a physical characteristic of the occupant, for example his size. In the previous example of the accelerator pedal pressed to the maximum, combined with the presence of a sensor 12 capable of measuring the degree of advancement of the seat base and at least one sensor 12 capable of determining the position of the occupant's buttocks on the seat base, the controller 10 can then deduce a distance separating the occupant's right heel from his buttocks, and therefore indirectly extrapolate his size therefrom. The range of values for the first indicator can be virtually infinite (e.g., a height in centimeters) or predetermined (e.g., "small" / "S" for 155 to 164 cm, "medium" / "M" for 165 to 174 cm, "large" / "L" for 175 to 184 cm, or "extra large" / "XL" for over 184 cm).The first set of indicators may include a single indicator or several.

[0076] The first set of indicators can for example be obtained by the implementation of an algorithm by the controller 10, from signals from the sensors 12. The algorithm include calculations combining values from the measurement signals from the sensors, for example, averages or standard deviations of the pressures applied by the occupant's body to various portions of the seat.

[0077] In a third step 1030, the controller can determine a first set of target values based on the first set of indicators. As explained in more detail below, at least some of the target values can also be considered as stopping conditions (of the seat configuration modification). Continuing from the previous example, the first set of target values can comprise a position of the seat 111 of the seat 11 relative to the rest of the vehicle. The correspondence between the first set of indicators and the first set of target values is pre-established, by means of correspondence tables and / or calculation algorithms implemented by the controller 10. In the previous example, the larger the size of the occupant is determined to be, the further back the target position of the seat 111 will be (far from the pedal 14), and vice versa. Each target value can be unique or made up of a range of values.A second example of target values is a pressure measured by a pressure sensor 12 arranged in the seat 111 and / or the backrest 112 of the seat 11.

[0078] Of course, the example of the link between the size of the occupant and the position of the seat 111 for the second and third steps 1020, 1030 above can be transposed to other examples of measurements and come as a replacement or in combination with each other.

[0079] In a fourth step 1040, the controller 10 transmits control signals so that the seat mechanisms are activated so that the measured values approach the target values thus determined. For example, if the initial configuration of the seat is the reception configuration described previously, then the seat 111 starts from a position set back as far as possible to move forward (towards the pedals).

[0080] A feedback loop is implemented. In a fifth step 1050, the controller 10 checks, based on the signals received, whether one of the stopping conditions is reached, and interrupts the method in this case. The fifth step 1050 may be concomitant with the fourth step 1040: it may be implemented continuously or periodically (in a loop), for example every 100 milliseconds.

[0081] The stopping conditions can be multiple, for example: - control signal from a human-machine interface 16 (the occupant can manually stop the process, for example by means of a physical or virtual button); - the measurement signals received indicate the achievement of at least some of the (personalized) target values determined in the third step 1030; - the received measurement signals indicate the achievement of pre-established limit values (non-customized), or end-of-travel stop signals.

[0082] When several configuration parameters of the seat 11 are provided (for example the horizontal position of the seat 111 and the inclination of the backrest 112 relative to the seat 111), the fifth step 1050 can be: - combined; reaching a single stopping condition results in the complete interruption of the process; - decomposed; reaching a single stop condition only results in partial interruption of the process; for example, the horizontal position of the seat 111 reaches its target value and the movement of the seat 111 stops while the inclination of the backrest 112 has not yet reached its target value and the backrest 112 therefore continues to tilt; - hybrid; certain stopping conditions (for example the reception of a control signal from the human-machine interface) generate the complete interruption of the process while other stopping conditions are decomposed in relation to each other.

[0083] Optionally, some of the target values determined in the third step 103' do not constitute stopping conditions in the fifth step 1050. For example, if the target values of the horizontal position of the seat 111 are defined by a range of values whose limits are Xmin and Xmax, the controller can be configured to consider that: - moving an X value outside the range [Xmin; Xmax] to within the range is not a stopping condition; - then reaching one of the limits while the X value was in the target range may or may not be a stopping condition.

[0084] In such a case, it becomes possible (but optional) during the fourth and fifth steps 1040, 1050 to determine a second set of target values, generally more complete and precise than the first. For example, if it is detected by the controller 10 that one of the target values, such as a pressure measured in the seat 111 and / or the backrest 112, is reached when the horizontal position of the seat 111 reaches a value Xb then the second set of target values determined may include the value Xb This value Xi may be in the range [Xmin; Xmax] initially determined (Xi is therefore a “refined” target value) or not (Xi is therefore a “corrected” target value). In such embodiments, the second set of target values may for example be stored and associated with an identifier of the occupant (called “profile”).The second set of target values may subsequently be implemented if and when the same occupant moves back into seat 11 to more quickly configure seat 11 to match the occupant. The second set of target values may also more generally feed the correspondence tables of system 1, . or even replace the “factory” values of the correspondence tables. In the latter case, system 1 is scalable and “learns” through use.

[0085] Among the target values that can be determined in the third step 1030 and acting as a stopping condition in the fifth step 1050, the applicant has identified particularly effective embodiments. In particular, some of the target values may be combinations of values obtained from several sensors. For example, when the system 1 comprises at least a first pressure sensor 12 located in the front part of the seat 111 of the seat 11 and a second pressure sensor 12 located in the rear part of the seat 111 of the seat 11, a target value may take the form of a pressure ratio of one to the other. The applicant has in particular found that this makes it possible to quickly and reliably detect an adequate seat configuration, in particular with regard to the distance between the seat 111 and the accelerator pedal 14.Indeed, by using a pressure ratio rather than absolute pressure values, it becomes possible to better qualify a position of the occupant's thigh and leg, independently of their weight for example. Such a solution is transposable in particular to the backrest 112 of the seat 12, for example to verify that the occupant's back is supported in a substantially homogeneous manner and to avoid extreme and harmful postures that are too "leaning forward" or on the contrary too "slumped". The same is true with pairs of lateral sensors 12 to detect presumed harmful asymmetries (in particular the rotation of the occupant's trunk). Alternatively, a plurality of values can be combined by means of calculations other than "ratios" (division of one by the other). For example, standard deviations or averages can be calculated and form values obtained indirectly from the sensors.

[0086] In the preceding examples, at least part of the input data of the controller 10 comes from measurement signals from sensors 12. The set of sensors 12 may comprise, for example, pressure or interdigital sensors integrated into the seat 11, position sensors of the different parts of the seat 11 or other elements of the vehicle such as the position of the accelerator pedal 14. The controller may be connected directly to dedicated sensors of the system. Alternatively, the input signals may come indirectly from sensors not specific to the system. For example, the position of the accelerator pedal 14 may be data available for functions other than those described here. It may be obtained via an on-board computer of the vehicle, for example by connecting the controller 10 to a data bus of the vehicle.Likewise, the controller 10 may be a member dedicated to implementing the method described here or may be integrated into other systems of the vehicle and implement other functions not described here. Thus, the system described here may be equipment added to an existing vehicle or may be integrated into the vehicle from its . design. Industrial application

[0087] The present disclosure is not limited to the examples of systems and methods described above, only by way of example, but it encompasses all the variants that may be envisaged by those skilled in the art within the framework of the protection sought. In particular, the computer programs comprising instructions for implementing all or part of a method as defined herein when this program is executed by a processor, or even non-transitory recording media, readable by a computer, on which such a program is recorded are targeted.

[0088] The invention also relates to a A) Method for automatically adjusting the configuration of a vehicle seat implemented by a controller (10) and comprising: a. determining (1020) a first set of indicators specific to an occupant of the seat based on signals from a set of sensors, at least some of the sensors being integrated into the seat; b. determining (1030) a first set of target values based on the first set of indicators; c. transmitting (1040) control signals to movable mechanisms of the seat so that said mechanisms are actuated and values measured via the sensors approach the determined target values; d. verifying (1050) the achievement of pre-established conditions for interrupting the process and the actuation of the mechanisms, at least some of the pre-established conditions involving the achievement of the target values determined by the measured values.

[0089] B) Method according to A), in which the determination (1020) of the first set of indicators is implemented as a function of signals from a set of sensors when the seat is in an initial reference configuration.

[0090] C) Method according to A) or B), in which the triggering of the determination (1020) of the first set of indicators is generated by the detection of a reference posture of the occupant of the seat.

[0091] D) Method according to C), in which said reference posture includes the pressing of a pedal by the occupant of the seat.

[0092] E) Method according to claim D), in which the determination (1020) of the first set of indicators specific to an occupant of the seat is carried out as a function of signals from a set of sensors acquired in the second preceding the pressing of a pedal by the occupant of the seat.

[0093] F) Method according to A), in which at least one of the target values is determined by the combination of two values from at least one pair of sensors.

[0094] G) Method according to F), in which the sensors of a pair are distant from each other and integrated into a single-piece part of the seat.

[0095] H) Method according to A), in which the sensors of a pair are integrated respectively: - in a front part and a rear part of a seat base; and / or - in a left part and a right part of a seat base; and / or - in an upper part and a lower part of a seat back; and / or - in a left part and a right part of a seat back.

[0096] I) Method according to A), in which the control signals are generated for mobile mechanisms of the seat capable of modifying at least one of the following parameters: - the advancement of the seat base in relation to the rest of the vehicle; - the height of the seat base in relation to the rest of the vehicle; - the inclination of the seat base, or the front part of the seat base, around a pitch axis; - the inclination between the seat and the back of the seat.

[0097] The invention also relates to an on-board vehicle system (1) comprising: - a seat (11) capable of receiving an occupant of the vehicle and equipped with mobile and motorized mechanisms capable of modifying the configuration of the seat; - a set of sensors (12) jointly arranged so as to detect the posture of the occupant of the seat and at least part of which are integrated into the seat; and - a controller (10) capable of receiving signals from the set of sensors as input, and of generating control signals as output for said mechanisms, the controller (10) being configured to implement a method according to the characteristics mentioned above.

[0098] The invention also relates to a computer program comprising instructions for implementing the method according to the characteristics mentioned above when this program is executed by a processor.

[0099] The invention also relates to a non-transitory recording medium readable by a computer on which is recorded a program for implementing the method according to the characteristics mentioned above, when this program is executed by a processor

Claims

Claims

1. A method for controlling the configuration of a vehicle seat (11), the seat (11) having a seat (111) and a backrest (112), the method being implemented by a controller (1), the method comprising: a) acquiring (102) at a defined frequency at least three pressure values by at least three sensors arranged on at least three defined areas of the seat; b) calculating (110) at least two attributes from at least two of the three acquired pressure values, the calculated attributes being chosen from a standard deviation (o), a sum (So) and a first ratio (RI);c) determining (112) a destination configuration of the seat from the calculated attributes, by applying a trained classification model, d) transmitting (114) at least one drive control signal to mobile and motorized mechanisms, the at least one drive control signal being capable of causing at least one movement of the seat towards the determined destination configuration.;

2. The control method of claim 1, wherein the calculating step comprises calculating three attributes.

3. Control method according to any one of claims 1 and 2, wherein the seat (111) comprises at least one first sensor (121) arranged on a right rear zone (ZRD), at least one second sensor (122) arranged on a left rear zone (ZRG), and at least one third sensor (123) arranged on a right front zone (ZAD) and in which the standard deviation (o) is calculated from at least one pressure value acquired by the first sensor (121), at least one pressure value acquired by the second sensor (122) and at least one pressure value acquired by the third sensor (123).

4. Control method according to claim 3, wherein after transmission of the at least one drive control signal, the method comprises: e) calculating (116) a ratio (Rt) between the pressure value acquired by the third sensor (123) and the pressure value acquired by the first sensor (121), and f) comparing (118) said ratio (Rt) with a first threshold (SI), g) when the ratio (Rt) is greater than the first threshold (SI), at least one stop control signal is emitted (120) to the mobile and motorized mechanisms (8), the at least one stop control signal is capable of stopping said at least one movement of the seat, and when the ratio (Rt) is lower than the first threshold (SI), steps e) and f) are iterated (122) with the following pressure value acquired by the third sensor (123) and the following pressure value acquired by the first sensor (121).

5. Control method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, which comprises placing (101) the seat in a reference position in which a front edge of the seat is placed at a distance (D) from a pedal of the vehicle, preferably from an accelerator pedal; the distance (D) being between 450 millimeters and 520 millimeters in a longitudinal direction (X).

6. A control method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, which further comprises detecting (104) at least one start of depression of a pedal, preferably an accelerator pedal; and wherein the at least two attributes entered into the trained classification model are acquired in the second preceding said detection.

7. Control method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, which comprises a detection (106) of a degree of depression of a pedal of at least 50% of its travel, said detection triggering the determination (112) of a destination configuration of the seat.

8. A control method according to any one of claims 3 to 7, wherein the sum (So) is calculated from at least one pressure value acquired by the first sensor (121) and at least one pressure value acquired by the second sensor (122).

9. A control method according to any one of claims 3 to 7, wherein the first ratio (RI) is calculated from at least one pressure value acquired by the third sensor (123) and at least one pressure value acquired by the first sensor (121).

10. Control method according to any one of claims 3 to 9, in which the seat (111) comprises at least one fourth sensor (124) located on a left front zone (ZAG), and in which the standard deviation (o) is calculated from at least one pressure value acquired by the first sensor (121), at least one pressure value acquired by the second sensor (122), at least one pressure value acquired by the third sensor (123) and at least one pressure value acquired by the fourth sensor (122).

11. Control method according to any one of claims 3 to 10, wherein the backrest (112) comprises at least one fifth sensor (126) located in an upper right zone (ZSD) and / or at least one sixth sensor (128) located in an upper left zone (ZSG), and which comprises the calculation (111) of an additional attribute, said additional attribute comprising a second ratio (R2) between, on the one hand, at least one pressure value acquired by at least one sensor among the fifth sensor (126) and the sixth sensor (128) and, on the other hand, at least one pressure value acquired by at least one sensor among the third sensor (123) and the fourth sensor (124).

12. Control method according to any one of claims 3 to 10, wherein the backrest (112) comprises at least one fifth sensor (126) located in an upper right zone (ZSD) and at least one sixth sensor (128) located in an upper left zone (ZSG), the calculation (11) of an additional attribute, said additional attribute comprising a second ratio (R2) between on the one hand, the sum of at least one pressure value acquired by the fifth sensor (126) and at least one pressure value acquired by the sixth sensor (128) and on the other hand, the sum of at least one pressure value acquired by the third sensor (123) and at least one pressure value acquired by the fourth sensor (124).

13. A control method according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the trained classification model is a decision tree.

14. Control method according to any one of claims 6 to 13, in which the emitted drive control signal is configured to cause at least one movement from among: - the movement backward or forward of the seat relative to the reference position in a longitudinal direction (X) of the vehicle; - the lowering or raising of the seat relative to the reference position in a vertical direction (Z); - the inclination of the seat relative to the reference position at and along a transverse axis (Y), - the raising or lowering of the headrest relative to the reference position.

15. A method for automatically adjusting the configuration of a vehicle seat implemented by a controller (10) and comprising: i. determining (1020) a first set of indicators specific to an occupant of the seat based on signals from a set of sensors, at least some of the sensors being integrated into the seat; ii. determining (1030) a first set of target values based on the first set of indicators; iii. transmitting (1040) control signals to movable mechanisms of the seat so that said mechanisms are actuated and values measured via the sensors approach the determined target values; iv. verifying (1050) the achievement of pre-established conditions for interrupting the process and the actuation of the mechanisms, at least some of the pre-established conditions involving the achievement of the target values determined by the measured values.

16. Method according to claim 15, in which the control signals are generated for mobile mechanisms of the seat capable of modifying at least one of the following parameters: - the advancement of the seat base in relation to the rest of the vehicle; - the height of the seat base in relation to the rest of the vehicle; - the inclination of the seat base, or the front part of the seat base, around a pitch axis; - the inclination between the seat and the back of the seat.

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