Operation device for seat

Abstract

To provide an operation device for a seat with which a user can readily operate each part of a seat without viewing the part.SOLUTION: An operation device 10 for a seat includes: an operation unit 40 that can be operated with contact of an operation finger of a user; and a control unit 50 for controlling driving of each part of a seat 12 on the basis of a motion of the operation finger of the user which is conducted on the operation unit 40. The control unit 50 outputs a notification signal for notifying the user of a part of the seat 12 that can be operated with the contact location on the basis of the contact location of the operation finger on the operation unit 40.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a seat operating device. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent document 1 discloses a vehicle seat control device that includes a control unit that drives a slide motor and a reclining motor based on the detection of individual operations that do not require visual confirmation and correspond to the driving of each part of the vehicle seat on an operation panel. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-079056 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When operating multiple drive mechanisms corresponding to the drive of each part of a seat, as in the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1, it is expected that it may be difficult to operate the operation parts while visually checking the operation parts, for example, when the seat back is tilted far back and the seated person is in a relaxed position. For this reason, it is desirable for the user to be able to easily operate each part of a vehicle seat without visually checking the operation parts.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In consideration of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide a seat operating device that allows a user to easily operate each part of a seat without visually checking the operating portion. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The seat operating device of the present invention described in claim 1 comprises an operating unit that can be operated by contact with a user's operating finger, and a control unit that controls the drive of each part of the seat based on the movement of the operating finger performed on the operating unit, and the control unit outputs a notification signal to notify the part of the seat that can be operated at the contact position of the operating finger on the operating unit, based on the contact position of the operating finger on the operating unit.

[0007] In the seat operating device according to the present invention, the control unit outputs a notification signal to notify the user of the seat parts that can be operated at the contact position of the operating finger on the operating unit, based on the contact position of the operating finger on the operating unit. This allows the user to know the seat parts that can be operated by the output of the notification signal without having to visually check the operating unit, and therefore allows the user to easily operate each part of the seat.

[0008] The seat operating device of the present invention described in claim 2 is configured as described in claim 1, and the control unit starts outputting the notification signal based on the contact position on the condition that the operating finger slides along a first direction relative to the operating unit.

[0009] In the seat operating device according to the present invention, which is described in claim 2, output of a notification signal based on a contact position is started on the condition that a sliding motion of a user's operating finger is performed along a first direction. This makes it possible to confirm the user's intention when starting output of the notification signal, thereby suppressing erroneous notification caused by the user's operating finger unintentionally contacting the operating unit.

[0010] The seat operating device of the present invention described in claim 3 has the configuration described in claim 2, wherein the control unit drives an operable part of the seat based on the sliding action of the operating finger relative to the operating unit along a second direction different from the first direction.

[0011] In the seat operating device according to the present invention, the operable seat parts can be actuated based on the sliding action of the user's operating finger along a second direction different from the first direction. This makes it easy to distinguish between the operation for checking the operable seat parts and the operation for actuating the seat parts. This effectively prevents the user from operating erroneously.

[0012] The seat operating device of the present invention described in claim 4 has the configuration described in claim 3, wherein the control unit stops accepting operations for the operable part of the seat on the condition that the operating finger is released from the operating unit after the operating finger has performed a sliding action along the second direction relative to the operating unit.

[0013] In the seat operating device according to the present invention, as set forth in claim 4, the acceptance of operations for the operable seat portion is terminated on the condition that the operating finger is released from the operating portion after the sliding action along the second direction is performed. This makes it possible to prevent malfunctions caused by the user's operating finger unintentionally touching the operating portion after the seat portion is driven to a desired position and the operating finger is released.

[0014] The seat operating device of the present invention described in claim 5 has the configuration described in any one of claims 1 to 4, and the control unit outputs, as the notification signal, at least one of an output signal that activates a vibration device mounted on each part of the seat, an output signal that slightly activates a drive mechanism that drives each part of the seat, and an output signal that notifies each part of the seat by voice via a speaker.

[0015] The seat operating device of the present invention described in claim 5 can notify the user of the parts of the seat that can be operated by at least one of the following methods: activating a vibration device mounted on each part of the seat, slightly operating a drive mechanism that drives each part of the seat, or notifying the user of each part of the seat by voice via a speaker.

[0016] A seat operating device according to the present invention as set forth in claim 6 is the same as any one of claims 1 to 4, in which the operating unit is a touch panel display provided in the interior of the vehicle.

[0017] In the seat operating device of the present invention described in claim 6, when a user operates the device by touching their operating finger to a touch panel display installed inside the vehicle, the user can easily operate each part of the vehicle seat without having to visually check the operating unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0018] As described above, the seat operating device according to the present invention allows the user to easily operate each part of the vehicle seat without visually checking the operating portion. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a seat operated by a seat operating device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a control unit of the seat operating device according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] 2 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of a control unit of the seat operating device according to the embodiment; FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the operation unit according to the present embodiment, illustrating an example of an operation in which an operation finger slides along a first direction. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a plan view showing the operation unit according to the embodiment, illustrating an example of an operation in which an operation finger slides along a second direction. [Figure 6] 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing performed by a control unit of the seat operating device according to the present embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] The seat operating device 10 according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 6. Note that the arrow FR shown in each figure indicates the front side of the seat, the arrow UP indicates the upper side of the seat, and the arrow LH indicates the left side of the seat. Furthermore, when the front-rear, up-down, and left-right directions are used in the following description unless otherwise specified, they refer to the front-rear direction of the seat, the up-down direction of the seat, and the left-right direction when facing the front of the seat.

[0021] Unless otherwise specified in the specification, each element is not limited to one and may be present in plural. Furthermore, in the drawings, substantially identical elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations in the specification will be omitted.

[0022] (sheet) First, a seat 12 operated by the seat operating device 10 will be described. Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the seat 12. The seat 12 according to this embodiment is installed, for example, in the interior of a vehicle and can serve as a driver's seat or a passenger seat. The seat 12 includes a seat cushion 14 having a seating surface on which a user sits, and a seat back 16 that stands upright from the rear end of the seat cushion 14 and serves as a backrest for the user seated on the seat cushion 14.

[0023] The seat 12 is provided with a driving mechanism for driving each part of the seat 12, such as a reclining mechanism, a lifter mechanism, a tilt mechanism, and a slide mechanism.

[0024] The reclining mechanism is a mechanism that tilts the lower end of the seat back 16 around an axis in the seat width direction, thereby adjusting the tilt angle of the seat back 16. The reclining mechanism also has a reclining drive unit 21, which is composed of an electric motor or the like, as a drive source for tilting the seat back 16.

[0025] The lifter mechanism is a mechanism that enables the seat cushion 14 to move in the up-down direction of the seat and adjusts the up-down position of the seat cushion. The lifter mechanism has a lifter drive unit 22, which is configured with an electric motor or the like, as a drive source for moving the seat cushion 14 in the up-down direction.

[0026] The tilt mechanism is a mechanism that enables the seat surface of the seat cushion 14 to tilt around a predetermined axis and adjusts the tilt angle of the seat surface of the seat cushion 14. The tilt mechanism has a tilt drive unit 23, which is composed of an electric motor or the like, as a drive source for tilting the seat cushion 14.

[0027] The slide mechanism is a mechanism that allows the seat cushion 14 to move in the front-to-rear direction along slide rails (reference numeral omitted) that support the seat cushion 14, and adjusts the front-to-rear position of the seat cushion 14. The slide mechanism has a slide drive unit 24 formed of an electric motor or the like as a drive source for moving the seat cushion 14 along the slide rails.

[0028] As for the details of each of the above drive mechanisms, well-known mechanisms can be appropriately adopted, and therefore detailed explanations will be omitted.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 1 , the seat back 16 and the seat cushion 14, which are parts of the seat 12, are equipped with vibrating devices 30. Here, the vibrating device 30 installed inside the seat back 16 is referred to as a seat back vibrating device 31, and the vibrating device 30 installed inside the seat cushion 14 is referred to as a seat cushion vibrating device 32. As an example, the seat back vibrating devices 31 are provided at two locations on the lower side of the seat back 16, spaced apart in the seat width direction. Also, as an example, the seat cushion vibrating devices 32 are provided at two locations on the front side of the seat cushion 14, spaced apart in the seat width direction. The seat back vibrating devices 31 and 32 are vibrating devices equipped with vibrators that vibrate in response to an electric signal (a notification signal, which will be described later), and known devices may be used as appropriate.

[0030] (Seat operating device) Next, a detailed description will be given of the seat operation device 10. The seat operation device 10 includes an operation unit 40 that can be operated by contact with the user's operating finger, and a control unit 50 that controls the driving of each part of the seat based on the operation of the operating finger performed on the operation unit 40.

[0031] (Operation unit) The operation unit 40 is configured as a touch panel type operation unit that employs a known method such as a resistive film method, a capacitive method, etc. This allows the operation unit 40 to detect contact of the user's operating finger with the operation surface and movement of the operating finger while the operating finger is in contact.

[0032] In this embodiment, the operation unit 40 is mounted on the vehicle as a touch panel display. That is, the display area on which images and the like can be displayed serves as the operation surface 42 (FIGS. 4 and 5). As an example, the operation unit 40 is provided on an instrument panel (not shown) located in front of the driver's seat and passenger seat of the vehicle.

[0033] In addition to the display, the operation unit 40 is provided with a speaker (not shown) for audio output and a microphone (not shown) for audio input.

[0034] (Control unit) The control unit 50 is electrically connected to the reclining drive unit 21, the lifter drive unit 22, the tilt drive unit 23, the operation unit 40, and the slide drive unit 24, which are mounted corresponding to the respective parts of the seat 12. The control unit 50 receives a user's operation on the operation unit 40 and drives the respective drive units mounted corresponding to the respective parts of the seat 12.

[0035] 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the control unit 50. As shown in Fig. 2, the control unit 50 has, as its hardware configuration, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 51, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 52, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 53, a storage 54, a communication interface 55, and an input / output interface 56. Each component is connected to each other so as to be able to communicate with each other via a bus 57. The CPU 51 is an example of at least one processor, and the ROM 52 and the storage 54 are examples of memory.

[0036] The CPU 51 is a central processing unit that executes various programs and controls each part. That is, the CPU 51 reads programs from the ROM 52 or storage 54 and executes the programs using the RAM 53 as a work area. The CPU 51 controls each of the above components and performs various arithmetic processing in accordance with the programs recorded in the ROM 52 or storage 54. The ROM 52 stores various programs and various data. The RAM 53 serves as a working area and temporarily stores programs or data. The storage 54 is configured with an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), SSD (Solid State Drive), or flash memory, and stores various programs including the operating system and various data. The communication interface (I / F) 55 is an interface for communicating with external devices, and uses standards such as Ethernet (registered trademark), FDDI, Wi-Fi (registered trademark), etc. The input / output interface (I / F) 56 is an interface for connecting external devices for various inputs and outputs.

[0037] In this embodiment, the reclining drive unit 21, the lifter drive unit 22, the tilt drive unit 23, the slide drive unit 24, the seatback vibration device 31, the seat cushion vibration device 32, and the operation unit 40 are connected to the input / output interface 56.

[0038] Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the control unit 50. As shown in Fig. 3, the control unit 50 includes, as its functional configuration, an operation receiving unit 51A, a notification signal output unit 51B, and a drive signal output unit 51C.

[0039] (Operation reception section) The operation receiving unit 51A has a function of receiving operation information input to the operation unit 40. In the present embodiment, the operation receiving unit 51A receives information related to the movement of the user's operating finger detected by the operation unit 40 as an input signal for operation.

[0040] Here, the operation of the operating finger accepted by the operation accepting unit 51A will be described. FIG. 4 is a plan view of the operation unit 40, showing an example of an operation surface for operating each part of the seat 12. As shown in FIG. 4, an image showing the seat 12 to be operated is displayed, for example, in the central region of the operation surface 42. A plurality of operation areas corresponding to each part of the seat 12 are allocated to the operation surface 42 along the vertical direction H of the operation unit 40. In this embodiment, the plurality of operation areas are a reclining operation area X1, a lifter operation area X2, a tilt operation area X3, and a slide operation area X4, which are allocated from one end of the operation surface toward the other end in the vertical direction. Each area is allocated as an area corresponding to the operation of the reclining drive unit 21, the lifter drive unit 22, the tilt drive unit 23, and the slide drive unit 24.

[0041] 4, the position of the user's operating finger is indicated by the symbol "P1." As shown in this figure, the operation accepting unit 51A accepts an action in which the user slides the operating finger P1 along a first direction D1 in the central region of the operation surface 42. Here, the first direction D1 is, for example, a direction along the vertical direction H of the operation unit 40 (display).

[0042] The action of sliding the operating finger P1 along the first direction D1 is accepted as an operation indicating that the user wishes to operate each part of the seat 12. When the operation accepting unit 51A detects the action of sliding the operating finger P1 along the first direction D1, it checks the contact position of the user's operating finger P1 and identifies the operation area corresponding to the contact position of the operating finger P1.

[0043] The determination of whether or not the operation receiving unit 51A accepts an operation as "an action of sliding along the first direction D1" may be made, for example, on the condition that the distance traveled by the operating finger P1 along the first direction D1 is equal to or greater than a threshold, or on the condition that the operating finger P1 has moved across multiple operation areas.

[0044] 5, the operation accepting unit 51A accepts an operation of the user sliding the operating finger P1 along a second direction D2. Here, the second direction D2 is a direction different from the first direction D1, and is, for example, a direction along the horizontal direction W of the operating unit 40 (display).

[0045] The action of sliding the operating finger P1 along the second direction D2 is accepted as an operation for actuating a portion of the seat 12 corresponding to the operation area in contact with the operating finger P1. For example, when the operating finger P1 slides in one direction of the second direction D2 (to the right in FIG. 5) in the reclining operation area X1, an operation for instructing the seat back 16 to tilt backward (rotate backward) is accepted. Conversely, when the operating finger P1 slides in the other direction of the second direction D2 (to the left in FIG. 5) in the reclining operation area X1, an operation for instructing the seat back 16 to tilt forward (rotate forward) is accepted.

[0046] Similarly, by performing a sliding operation in one direction or the other in the second direction D2 in the lifter operation area X2, an operation to instruct raising or lowering of the seat cushion 14 is accepted. Furthermore, by performing a slide operation in one or the other direction in the second direction D2 in the tilt operation area X3, an operation to instruct tilting of the seat cushion 14 to one side or the other side is accepted. Furthermore, by performing a slide operation in one direction or the other in the second direction D2 in the slide operation area X4, an operation to instruct the seat cushion 14 to move forward or backward is accepted.

[0047] Furthermore, when the user performs an operation to remove the operating finger P1 from the operating unit 40 after the operating finger P1 has been slid along the second direction D2, the operation receiving unit 51A stops receiving the operation for the corresponding portion of the sheet.

[0048] (Notification signal output section) The notification signal output unit 51B has a function of outputting a notification signal for notifying a part of the sheet 12 that can be operated at a contact position of the user's operating finger P1 on the operation unit 40, based on the contact position of the user's operating finger P1. Specifically, the notification signal output unit 51B acquires contact position information on the contact position of the operating finger P1 identified by the function of the operation receiving unit 51A. Then, based on the acquired contact position information, the notification signal outputs a notification signal for notifying a part of the sheet 12 that corresponds to the operation area that the operating finger P1 is contacting.

[0049] Here, the notification signal output unit 51B outputs at least one of the following notification signals: an output signal that activates the vibration device 30 mounted on each part of the seat 12; an output signal that slightly activates the drive mechanism that drives each part of the seat 12; and an output signal that notifies each part of the seat 12 by voice via a speaker (not shown).

[0050] <Vibration device output method> First, two examples will be described for outputting, as a notification signal, an output signal that activates the vibration device 30 mounted on each part of the seat 12. Each method is configured to vibrate at least one of the seat back vibration device 31 and the seat back vibration device 31 with a predetermined vibration pattern according to the contact position of the user's operating finger P1.

[0051] In the first method, as shown below (Table 1), when the user's operating finger P1 is in contact with the reclining operation area X1 of the operation surface 42, the seat back vibration device 31 is vibrated to notify the user that the seat back 16 can be reclined. Furthermore, when the user's operating finger P1 is in contact with the lifter operation area X2 of the operation surface 42, the seat cushion vibrating device 32 is vibrated, and then the seatback vibrating device 31 is vibrated to notify that the lifter operation of the seat cushion 14 is possible. The user can recognize that the lifter operation is possible by feeling the vibration pattern in which the vibrating part moves from the seat cushion 14 located on the front side of the seat to the seatback 16 located on the rear side of the seat. Furthermore, when the user's operating finger P1 is in contact with the tilt operation area X3 of the operation surface 42, the seat cushion vibration device 32 is vibrated to notify the user that the seat cushion 14 can be tilted. Furthermore, when the user's operating finger P1 is in contact with the slide operation area X4 of the operation surface 42, the seat back vibration device 31 is vibrated, and then the seat cushion vibration device 32 is vibrated to notify that the seat cushion 14 can be slid. The user can recognize that the slide operation is possible by feeling the vibration pattern in which the vibrating part moves from the seat back 16 located on the rear side of the seat to the seat cushion 14 located on the front side of the seat.

[0052] (Table 1) JPEG2025145368000002.jpg39145

[0053] In the second method, as shown in Table 2 below, when the user's operating finger P1 is in contact with the reclining operation area X1 of the operation surface 42, the seat back vibrating device 31 is vibrated once with a predetermined vibration rhythm. Furthermore, when the user's operating finger P1 is in contact with the lifter operating area X2 of the operating surface 42, the seat back vibrating device 31 is vibrated twice at a predetermined vibration rhythm. Furthermore, when the user's operating finger P1 is in contact with the tilt operation area X3 of the operation surface 42, the seat cushion vibrating device 32 is vibrated once at a predetermined vibration rhythm. Furthermore, when the user's operating finger P1 is in contact with the slide operation area X4 of the operation surface 42, the seat cushion vibrating device 32 is vibrated twice at a predetermined vibration rhythm.

[0054] (Table 2) JPEG2025145368000003.jpg45145

[0055] <Output method using minute movement of the drive mechanism> Next, a description will be given of a case where the notification signal is an output signal for slightly operating the drive mechanism that drives each part of the seat 12. In this case, notification is provided by slightly operating the drive unit of the corresponding drive mechanism in two directions according to the contact position of the user's operating finger P1.

[0056] For example, when the user's operating finger P1 is in contact with the reclining operation area X1 of the operation surface 42, the reclining drive unit 21 is activated to slightly move the seat back 16 rearward and slightly move the seat back 16 forward. In addition, when the user's operating finger P1 is in contact with the lifter operating area X2 of the operating surface 42, the lifter drive unit 22 is activated to slightly move the seat cushion 14 upward and slightly move the seat cushion 14 downward. In addition, when the user's operating finger P1 is in contact with the tilt operation area X3 of the operation surface 42, the tilt drive unit 23 is activated to perform a slight operation to tilt the seat cushion 14 to one side and a slight operation to tilt the seat cushion 14 to the other side. In addition, when the user's operating finger P1 is in contact with the slide operation area X4 of the operation surface 42, the slide drive unit 24 is operated to slightly move the seat cushion 14 forward and slightly move the seat cushion 14 backward.

[0057] <Speaker output method> Next, a method will be described in which, as a notification signal, an output signal is output via a speaker (not shown) to notify by voice of each part of the seat 12. In this case, an output signal for notifying by voice of each part of the seat 12 is output according to the contact position of the user's operating finger P1.

[0058] For example, when the user's operating finger P1 is in contact with the reclining operation area X1 of the operation surface 42, a voice message saying "Reclining operation is possible" is output from the speaker. Furthermore, when the user's operating finger P1 is in contact with the lifter operating area X2 of the operation surface 42, a voice message saying "The lifter can be operated" is output from the speaker. Furthermore, when the user's operating finger P1 is in contact with the tilt operation area X3 of the operation surface 42, a voice message saying "Tilt operation is possible" is output from the speaker. Furthermore, when the user's operating finger P1 is in contact with the slide operation area X4 of the operation surface 42, a voice message saying "Slide operation is possible" is output from the speaker.

[0059] The speaker may be a speaker mounted on the operation unit 40, or may be a separate speaker mounted in the vehicle interior, seat, or the like.

[0060] (Drive signal output unit 51C) The drive signal output unit 51C has a function of outputting a notification signal for notifying the user of the location of the seat 12 that can be operated at the contact position of the operating finger P1, based on the sliding operation of the user's operating finger P1 along the second direction D2 on the operation unit 40. Specifically, the drive signal output unit 51C acquires operation information regarding the sliding operation of the operating finger P1 along the second direction D2, detected by the function of the operation reception unit 51A. Then, based on the acquired operation information, the drive signal output unit 51C outputs a drive signal to a drive unit corresponding to the operation area that the operating finger P1 is in contact with. As a result, the drive signal output unit 51C can drive the corresponding seat cushion 14 or the seat cushion 14 in a predetermined direction based on the sliding operation of the operating finger P1 in one direction or the other in the second direction D2.

[0061] (Example of control processing) Next, an example of the flow of processing by the control unit 50 will be described with reference to Fig. 6. The processing described below is performed by the CPU 51 reading a program from the ROM 52 or the storage 54, expanding the program in the RAM 23, and executing the program.

[0062] 6, the CPU 51 determines whether or not the user's operating finger P1 is in contact with the operating surface 42 of the operation unit 40 based on the function of the operation reception unit 51A (step S1), and if it determines that there is contact, it proceeds to the processing of step S2. On the other hand, if it determines that there is no contact with the operating finger P1, it ends the processing.

[0063] In step S2, the CPU 51 determines whether or not a sliding motion of the operating finger P1 in the first direction D1 (FIG. 4) has been performed based on the function of the operation receiving unit 51A, and if it is determined that a sliding motion has been performed, it identifies the contact position of the operating finger P1 (step S3). On the other hand, if it is determined that a sliding motion has not been performed, the CPU 51 ends the process.

[0064] Next, in step S4, the CPU 51 outputs a notification signal for notifying the user of the portion of the sheet that can be operated from the contact position of the user's operating finger P1, based on the function of the notification signal output unit 51B, and proceeds to the process of step S5.

[0065] In step S5, the CPU 51 determines whether or not an action of sliding the operating finger P1 in the second direction D2 (FIG. 5) has been performed based on the function of the operation reception unit 51A, and if it is determined that a sliding action has been performed, it receives a drive operation for a part of the seat 12 corresponding to the contact position of the operating finger P1 (step S6).On the other hand, if the CPU 51 determines that a sliding action has not been performed, it returns to the processing of step S1.

[0066] In step S6, the CPU 51 uses the function of the drive signal output unit 51C to output a drive signal for driving a drive unit of a corresponding part of the seat based on the received drive operation (sliding operation in the second direction D2) (step S7). This allows the user to drive a part of the seat 12 by sliding the operating finger P1 in one direction or the other in the second direction D2.

[0067] Thereafter, in step S8, the CPU 51 determines whether or not the user's operating finger P1 has been removed from the operating surface 42 of the operation unit 40, based on the function of the operation reception unit 51A. If the CPU 51 determines that the operating finger P1 has been removed, it determines that the operation on the operable portion of the sheet has been completed, and ends the process. On the other hand, if it determines that the operating finger P1 has not been removed, the process returns to step S5.

[0068] (Action and effect) As described above, in the seat operation device 10 according to this embodiment, the control unit 50 outputs a notification signal for notifying the user of the parts of the seat 12 that can be operated at the contact position of the operating finger P1 on the operation unit 40, based on the contact position of the operating finger P1. This allows the user to know the parts of the seat 12 that can be operated from the output of the notification signal without having to visually check the operation unit 40, and therefore allows the user to easily operate each part of the seat.

[0069] Specifically, in this embodiment, the user can be notified of the parts of the seat 12 that can be operated by at least one of the following methods: activating a vibration device 30 mounted on each part of the seat 12; slightly operating a drive mechanism that drives each part of the seat 12; or notifying the user of each part of the seat 12 by voice via a speaker.

[0070] 6, output of a notification signal based on a contact position is started on the condition that the user's operating finger P1 performs a sliding motion along the first direction D1. This makes it possible to confirm the user's intention when starting output of a notification signal, thereby preventing erroneous notification caused by the user's operating finger P1 unintentionally contacting the operation unit 40.

[0071] 6, an operable portion of sheet 12 can be actuated based on the sliding action of the user's operating finger P1 along a second direction D2 different from the first direction D1. This makes it easy to distinguish between an operation for checking an operable portion of sheet 12 and an operation for actuating a portion of sheet 12. This effectively prevents the user from making an erroneous operation.

[0072] 6, after the sliding action along the second direction D2 is performed, acceptance of operations for the operable portion of the sheet 12 is terminated on the condition that the operating finger P1 is released from the operating unit 40. Therefore, it is possible to prevent malfunctions caused by the user's operating finger P1 unintentionally coming into contact with the operating unit 40 after the portion of the sheet is driven to an arbitrary position and the operating finger P1 is released.

[0073] In this embodiment, the operation unit 40 is a touch panel display provided in the vehicle cabin. Therefore, when the user operates the touch panel display provided in the vehicle cabin by touching the operation finger P1, the user can easily operate each part of the seat without visually checking the operation unit 40.

[0074] Although the present embodiment has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment configuration. For example, the operation unit according to the present invention is not limited to a touch panel display provided in the vehicle cabin. For example, it may be a touch sensor operation surface provided on an armrest extending forward from the side of the seat 12.

[0075] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the arrangement of the vibration devices 30 mounted on the seat 12 is merely an example, and the arrangement and number thereof can be changed as appropriate.

[0076] In addition, in the example of the processing executed by the control unit 50 in the above embodiment, acceptance of an operation based on a sliding motion along the second direction D2 is started on the condition that a sliding motion along the first direction D1 is performed, but this is not limited to this. It may also be configured to start acceptance of an operation based on a sliding motion along the second direction D2 without requiring a sliding motion along the first direction D1. That is, in the flowchart shown in FIG. 6, if the determination in step S2 is negative, the processing may proceed to step S5 without terminating.

[0077] In the above embodiments, the processing performed by the CPU after reading the software (programs) may be performed by various processors other than the CPU, such as FPGA or ASIC. Furthermore, in the above embodiments, the various programs are described as being pre-stored (installed) in ROM or storage, but this is not limiting. The programs may be provided in a form recorded on a recording medium, or may be downloaded from an external device via a network. [Explanation of symbols]

[0078] 10 Seat operating device 12 sheets 14 Seat cushion (one of the seat parts) 16 Seat back (one of the parts of the seat) 30 Vibration device 40 Control section 50 control section P1 operation finger D1 1st direction D2 2nd direction

Claims

1. an operation unit operable by contact with a user's operating finger; a control unit that controls the driving of each part of the seat based on the operation of the operating finger performed on the operating unit, the control unit outputs a notification signal for notifying a part of the seat that can be operated at the contact position of the operating finger based on the contact position of the operating finger on the operating unit. Seat operating device.

2. the control unit starts outputting the notification signal based on the contact position on the condition that the operation finger is sliding along a first direction relative to the operation unit. The seat operating device according to claim 1 .

3. the control unit drives an operable portion of the seat based on an operation of the operating finger sliding relative to the operating unit along a second direction different from the first direction. The seat operating device according to claim 2 .

4. the control unit terminates acceptance of an operation on an operable portion of the sheet on condition that the operation finger is released from the operation unit after the operation finger has been slid along the second direction on the operation unit. The seat operating device according to claim 3 .

5. The control unit outputs, as the notification signal, at least one of an output signal for activating a vibration device mounted on each part of the seat, an output signal for slightly activating a drive mechanism for driving each part of the seat, and an output signal for notifying each part of the seat by voice via a speaker. The seat operating device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The operation unit is a touch panel display provided in the vehicle interior. The seat operating device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

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