Scapula position estimation device and seat

Abstract

To provide a shoulder blade position estimation device and the like which properly estimate positions of shoulder blades of an occupant.SOLUTION: There is provided a shoulder blade position estimation device which is provided on a seat 1 on which an occupant 100 who operates a steering wheel SW of a vehicle is seated, and estimates positions of shoulder blades 132 of the occupant. The seat comprises: a seat surface part 10 on which a thigh part 120 and a lumbar part 110 of the occupant are placed; and a seat back 20 which is arranged on the rear side of an upper body 130 of the occupant. The shoulder blade position estimation device comprises: a surface pressure sensor 40 which detects the surface pressure distribution received by the seat back from the upper body of the occupant; and a shoulder blade position estimation unit 90 which estimates that the shoulder blades exist in the vicinity of a region where the surface pressures detected by the surface pressure sensor change in the horizontally reverse directions when the occupant rotates the steering wheel at a prescribed angle.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a scapular position estimating device that estimates the position of the scapulae of an occupant seated in a seat, and a seat that supports the scapular region of the occupant using such a scapular position estimating device. [Background technology]

[0002] As an example of technology related to vehicle seats, Patent Document 1 describes an occupant posture adjustment device that measures the body pressure of an occupant and adjusts the way the pelvis and shoulder blades are supported to achieve an appropriate body pressure value for that person. The device includes a bottom support member that is pivoted to the seat cushion directly below the hip point and supports the thighs from below, a lower support member that is pivoted to the seat back at a lower position of the seat back and supports the pelvis from behind, an upper support member that is pivoted to the seat back at a higher position of the seat back and supports the shoulder blades from behind, and a control device that controls the drive devices that drive each support member. Patent Document 2 describes that an air cell that expands by sealing air is provided in the seat back to stabilize the fixed state of a bag body that is provided in a vehicle seat and expands to press on the shoulders of a seated occupant, and that the air cell extends in a predetermined direction and has protrusions on both ends in the extending direction.The patent document also describes that the air cell is attached to the seat back by fixing each of the protrusions provided on both ends in the extending direction at fixed positions spaced apart from each other in the width direction of the vehicle seat. Patent Document 3 describes a steering assist device that has a seat back displacement means that can independently displace at least the upper left and right shoulder portions of the support surface that supports the driver on the seat back toward the rear of the vehicle in order to improve steering performance when the driver is in a cramped position with the upper body close to the steering wheel, and performs steering assist control to displace at least the shoulder portion on the steering direction side of the support surface toward the rear of the vehicle. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-137286 [Patent Document 2] JP 2020-23322 A [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-331650 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In order to improve the ease of steering (handle operation) of vehicles such as automobiles, it is preferable to increase the support rigidity around the shoulder blades on the back of the human body, where the steering reaction force is input, and to suppress movement of the human body in the yaw direction (direction of rotation around the vertical axis) during steering. On the other hand, if the position of the member supporting the scapula is inappropriate, for example, supporting the acromion, which is located at the height of the first to third vertebrae, the occupant will feel uncomfortable. Therefore, it is necessary to accurately estimate the position of the scapula, which is located at the height of the fourth to seventh vertebrae, even if the physique of the occupant varies. In view of the above-mentioned problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a scapula position estimation device that can appropriately estimate the position of an occupant's scapula, and a seat that can appropriately support the occupant's scapula. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, one aspect of the present invention provides a scapula position estimation device that is installed in a seat on which an occupant who operates the steering wheel of a vehicle sits and estimates the position of the scapula of the occupant, wherein the seat includes a seating surface on which the occupant's thighs and waist are placed, and a seat back that is positioned behind the occupant's upper body, and the scapula position estimation device includes a surface pressure sensor that detects the distribution of surface pressure that the seat back receives from the occupant's upper body, and a scapula position estimation unit that estimates that the scapula is located near an area where the surface pressure detected by the surface pressure sensor changes in opposite directions on the left and right when the occupant turns the steering wheel by a predetermined angle. When an occupant operates the steering wheel (typically by turning the steering wheel from a position where the occupant is gripping the left or right end when viewed from the front, to a steering wheel angle of, for example, about 90°), the surface pressure transmitted from the shoulder blades of the occupant's back to the seat back increases on the outside of the turn (the left side in the case of a right turn) and decreases on the inside of the turn. According to the present invention, by capturing this phenomenon in which the surface pressures specific to steering operations change in opposite directions on the left and right, it is possible to appropriately estimate the position of the occupant's shoulder blades.

[0007] In the present invention, the steering wheel is rotated by a predetermined angle relative to the occupant. Action The vehicle may be configured to include an information presentation unit that presents prompting information to the occupant. According to this, by prompting the occupant to perform each operation, a difference in pressure between the left and right surfaces of the shoulder blades can be reliably generated, and the position of the shoulder blades can be estimated. In this case, the information presenting unit rotates the steering wheel by a predetermined angle. Action The system may be configured to present information to the occupant urging them to perform the operation at least once in each of the left and right directions. According to this, by rotating the steering wheel on each side, the accuracy of estimating the position of the shoulder blades can be improved.

[0008] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a sheet according to one aspect of the present invention comprises: Claim 1 a support member provided within the seat back and made of a material harder than other parts of the seat back; a support member drive unit that drives the support member in an up and down direction relative to the seat back; and a support member control unit that controls the support member drive unit to adjust the position of the support member, wherein the support member control unit changes the up and down position of the support member in accordance with the position of the scapula estimated by the scapula position estimation unit. This allows the height of the support member to be appropriately set in accordance with the position of the occupant's shoulder blades, increasing the support rigidity of the shoulder blade portion of the occupant's back and improving ease of steering operation. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] As described above, the present invention can provide a scapular position estimation device that can appropriately estimate the position of an occupant's scapulae, and a seat that can appropriately support the occupant's scapulae. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic side view of an embodiment of a seat having a scapular position estimation device to which the present invention is applied. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a view taken along the line II-II in FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a block diagram schematically illustrating the configuration of a control system in a scapular position estimation device and a seat according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] 10 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the scapular position estimation device and the seat according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example of a seat back surface pressure distribution before and after a steering operation by an occupant. [Figure 6] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example of changes in seat back load on the left and right shoulder blades during steering by an occupant. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Hereinafter, an embodiment of a scapular position estimating device and a seat to which the present invention is applied will be described. The seat 1 of the embodiment is used as a front seat (driver's seat) of an automobile such as a passenger car, for example, and is seated by an occupant 100 (driver). The scapula position estimating device of the embodiment estimates the position of the scapula 132 of the occupant 100 seated in the seat 1. FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of a seat according to an embodiment. Fig. 2 is a view taken along the line II-II in Fig. 1. Note that in Fig. 2, the occupant 100 is not shown.

[0012] The seat 1 of the embodiment is configured to include a seating surface portion 10, a seat back 20, a headrest 30, a surface pressure sensor 40, a shoulder blade support member 50, and the like. The seat surface 10 is a portion on which the lower back 110 and thighs 120 of the seated occupant 100 rest. The seat back 20 is a backrest-like portion arranged along the back 131 of the upper body 130 of the occupant 100. The seat back 20 is formed to extend upward from the vicinity of the rear end of the seat cushion portion 10. The headrest 30 is provided to protrude upward from the upper end of the seat back 20 and is a portion that supports the rear of the head 140 of the occupant 100.

[0013] A steering wheel SW is provided in front of the occupant 100, and is used by the occupant 100 to steer the vehicle with his / her arms 150. When the occupant 100 performs a steering operation using the steering wheel SW, the reaction force from the operation is input from the shoulder blades 132 via the back 131 so as to press the seat back 20 backward.

[0014] The surface pressure sensor 40 is provided on the surface of the seat back 20 that comes into contact with the back 131 of the occupant 100, and is a surface pressure measuring unit that measures the distribution of surface pressure (body pressure) that the seat back 20 receives from the back 131. The surface pressure sensor 40 can be configured by arranging pressure-sensitive elements such as pressure-sensitive conductive ink electrode pairs, whose resistance value changes depending on the pressure received, in a matrix along the surface direction of a film-like sensor sheet.

[0015] The shoulder blade support member 50 is a member that supports the area near the shoulder blades 132 on the back 131 of the occupant 100. The shoulder blade support member 50 is provided along the surface facing the back portion 131 of the seat back 20, and is formed as, for example, a panel-shaped hard member made of a material harder than the other portions of the seat back 20 (urethane foam, etc.). In the region where the shoulder blade support member 50 is provided, elastic deformation of the urethane foam portion of the seat back 20 is suppressed, thereby improving the rigidity of the seat back 20 against the load input from the back 131 of the occupant 100. The shoulder blade support members 50 are provided, for example, in pairs, symmetrically about the center line of the seat back 20 in the left-right direction.

[0016] The shoulder blade support member 50 is attached to the seat back 20 so that it can be displaced relative to the seat back 20 in the up and down direction in order to accommodate individual differences in the physique of the occupant. The scapula support member 50 is provided with an actuator 51 (see FIGS. 2 and 3). The actuator 51 has a function of driving and moving the shoulder blade support member 50 in the up and down direction along the seat back 20 . The actuator 51 can be configured as an electric actuator having, for example, an electric motor and a reduction gear train, but is not limited to this and other types of actuators may also be used. In this embodiment, the position (height) of the shoulder blades of the occupant 100 is estimated, and the height of the shoulder blade support member 50 is automatically adjusted by the actuator 51. This point will be explained in more detail later.

[0017] Furthermore, a camera 70 is provided on an instrument panel 60, which is an interior member of the vehicle and is arranged opposite the seat 1. The camera 70 includes, for example, a solid-state image pickup device such as a CMOS or a CCD, an output processing circuit for the image pickup device, an image pickup optical system (lens group), and the like. The camera 70 captures an image of the occupant 100 seated in the seat 1, and transmits the obtained image data to a driver monitoring system 80, which will be described later.

[0018] FIG. 3 is a block diagram schematically illustrating the configuration of a control system in the scapular position estimation device and the seat according to the embodiment. The scapular position estimation device and the control system of the seat 1 are configured to include a driver monitoring system 80, a seat control unit 90, etc. in addition to the surface pressure sensor 40 and actuator 51 described above.

[0019] The driver monitoring system 80 is an image processing device that identifies the occupant (driver) 100 seated in the seat 1 by facial recognition and acquires information about the physique based on the image captured by the camera 70. The driver monitoring system 80 has a function of determining the height position of the first thoracic vertebra present in the upper part of the shoulder of the occupant 100 (near the upper end of the upper body 130), for example.

[0020] The seat control unit 90 controls the actuator 51 based on information from the surface pressure sensor 40, the driver monitoring system 80, the steering angle sensor 91, and the like. The seat control unit 90 can be configured as a microcomputer having, for example, an information processing unit such as a CPU, a recording unit such as a RAM or a ROM, an input / output interface, and a bus connecting these. The seat control unit 90 functions as a scapular position estimating section and a support member control section of the present invention. The function and operation of the seat control unit 90 will be explained in detail later.

[0021] A steering angle sensor 91 and an image display device 92 are connected to the seat control unit 90 . The steering angle sensor 91 is an angle encoder that detects the rotation angle of the steering wheel SW. The steering angle sensor 91 is provided on a steering column (steering shaft) that transmits the rotation of the steering wheel SW to a steering gear box (not shown). The steering angle sensor 91 is used to control, for example, an electric power steering device, a vehicle behavior control device, etc., and its output is also transmitted to the seat control unit 90. The image display device 92 is provided on the instrument panel 60 or the like, and is an information presentation unit such as an LCD or an organic EL display that presents image information such as characters, symbols, and pictures to the occupant 100.

[0022] The operation of the scapular position estimation device and the seat according to the embodiment will be described below. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the scapular position estimating device and the seat according to the embodiment. Each step will be explained in order below.

[0023] <Step S01: Instruct the occupant to turn left or right> The seat control unit 90 uses the image display device 92 to output a display to the occupant 100 (driver) seated in the driver's seat 1 to prompt the driver to turn (steer) the steering wheel SW from the neutral position by 90° to the left (counterclockwise) to return it to the neutral position, and then turn it again by 90° to the right (clockwise) from the neutral position to return it to the neutral position. At this time, the occupant 100 is warned not to change his / her grip on the left or right side of the steering wheel SW in the neutral position. After the seat control unit 90 determines based on the output of the steering angle sensor 91 that the steering operation has been completed, the process proceeds to step S02.

[0024] <Step S02: Determine whether or not the surface pressure is reversed left and right within a specified height range> Based on the surface pressure data measured by the surface pressure sensor 40 during steering operation, the seat control unit 90 determines whether there is an area within a specified height range of the seat back 20 where surface pressure changes in opposite directions are observed on the left and right sides of the center of the occupant's 100 body. Here, the specified height range is the range in which the shoulder blades can be present in a human body of average build, and can be, for example, a range of 455±15 mm in distance from the seat portion 10 along the surface of the seat cushion 20.

[0025] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a seat back surface pressure distribution before and after a steering operation by an occupant. In FIG. 5, the shading indicates the magnitude of the surface pressure (the darker the shading, the greater the pressure). As shown in Figure 5, when the occupant 100 turns right, within a range of 455±15 mm above the seat surface 10, the area where a surface pressure above a predetermined level is generated decreases on the right side, while the area increases on the left side, with the surface pressure becoming even higher in the center.

[0026] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the transition of the seat back load on the left and right shoulder blades during a steering operation by an occupant. In FIG. 6, the horizontal axis indicates time, and the vertical axis indicates load (the surface pressure in the range where the surface pressure is generated integrated over the area). As shown in Figure 6, as the steering operation begins and progresses, an operating reaction force is input to the seat back 20 via the shoulder blades 132 on the opposite side of the turning direction, causing the load to increase and the load to decrease on the side of the turning direction. If the seat control unit 90 recognizes the change in surface pressure in the opposite directions to the left and right as described above, the process proceeds to step S03, otherwise the process proceeds to step S04.

[0027] <Step S04: Estimating scapular position using the driver monitoring system> The seat control unit 90 uses the outputs of the surface pressure sensor 40 and the driver monitoring system 80 to estimate the position of the shoulder blades of the occupant 100 using a calculation formula. This calculation formula uses statistical values ​​of spinal height, and considers the upper end of the scapula excluding the acromion to be the fourth thoracic vertebra, and the lower end of the scapula to be the seventh thoracic vertebra. In addition, the distance from the top to the bottom of the scapula, excluding the acromion, is considered to be the same as the distance from the fourth to the seventh thoracic vertebra. As described above, the driver monitoring system 80 is capable of estimating the height of the first thoracic vertebra of the occupant 100 based on the image captured by the camera 70. Furthermore, if there is a local drop in the surface pressure at a height of, for example, 215 to 220 mm from the seat 10 in the surface pressure distribution detected by the surface pressure sensor 40, this is considered to correspond to the height of the third lumbar vertebra. Note that the height of the first thoracic vertebra can also be estimated by the surface pressure sensor 40 instead of or in combination with the driver monitoring system 80. In this case, the distance from the height of the first thoracic vertebra to the fourth thoracic vertebra (top of the scapula) can be calculated using the following formula. (1st thoracic vertebra height to 4th thoracic vertebra height) = (height of the first thoracic vertebra to the third lumbar vertebra) / (statistical estimate of height of the first thoracic vertebra to the third lumbar vertebra) × (Statistical estimate of the height of the first to fourth thoracic vertebrae) After calculating the scapular position, the process proceeds to step S05.

[0028] <Step S05: Execute support position adjustment> The seat control unit 90 controls the actuator 51 to adjust the height so that the shoulder blade support member 50 faces the area near the shoulder blades 132 on the back 131 of the occupant 100, depending on the position (height) of the shoulder blades 132 determined in step S03 or step S04. In this case, the shoulder blade 132 and the shoulder blade support member 50 can be adjusted so as to be positioned so as to overlap at least partially when viewed from the front of the vehicle. After that, the series of processes ends (returns).

[0029] According to the embodiment described above, the following effects can be obtained. (1) When the occupant 100 performs a steering operation (typically, by holding the left or right end of the steering wheel SW when viewed from the front and then turning the steering wheel SW to, for example, about 90°), the surface pressure transmitted from the vicinity of the shoulder blades 132 of the back 131 to the seat back 20 increases on the outside of the turn (the left side in the case of a right turn) and decreases on the inside of the turn. According to this embodiment, by capturing this phenomenon in which the surface pressures specific to steering operation change in opposite directions on the left and right, it is possible to appropriately estimate the position of the shoulder blades 132 of the occupant 100. (2) By providing an image display device 92 that presents information to the occupant 100 encouraging the occupant 100 to rotate the steering wheel SW by a predetermined angle, the occupant 100 can reliably perform steering operations and the position of the scapula 132 can be appropriately estimated. (3) By prompting the occupant to rotate the steering wheel SW by a predetermined angle at least once in each direction, the accuracy of estimating the position of the shoulder blades 132 can be improved. (4) By adjusting the height of the shoulder blade support member 50 according to the estimated position of the shoulder blades 132 of the occupant 100, the support rigidity of the shoulder blade portion 132 of the back 131 of the occupant 100 can be increased, thereby improving the ease of steering operation.

[0030] (Variation) The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications and variations are possible, and these are also within the technical scope of the present invention. (1) The configurations of the scapular position estimation device and the seat are not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be modified as appropriate. The shape, structure, material, manufacturing method, quantity, arrangement, etc. of each of the components constituting these can be appropriately changed from the configuration of the embodiment. (2) In the embodiment, the position of the shoulder blades is estimated using the change in surface pressure on the seat back when the occupant actually turns the steering wheel (steered). However, even if the occupant does not actually turn the steering wheel, but rather slides their hands along the rim of the steering wheel, the position of the shoulder blades can be estimated in the same way as in the embodiment. In this case, the information presenting unit may output information that prompts the driver to perform the simulated steering operation described above instead of the actual steering operation. Furthermore, the rotation angle of the steering wheel rotation operation or the simulated steering operation is not limited to, for example, 90° as in the embodiment, but can be changed as appropriate. (3) In the embodiment, the occupant is presented with information encouraging the occupant to perform a steering operation to estimate the position of the scapulae. However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration. For example, the position of the scapulae may be estimated based on the change in seat back surface pressure during a steering operation that is normally performed during a driving cycle. [Explanation of symbols]

[0031] 1 seat 10 seating surface 20 Seat back 30 Headrest 40 surface pressure sensor 50 scapula support member 51 actuator 60 instrument panel 70 Camera 80 Driving Monitoring System 90 seat control unit 91 steering angle sensor 92 Image display devices 100 Crew 110 Waist 120 Thigh 130 Upper body 131 Back 132 Scapula 140 Head 150 Arms SW steering wheel

Claims

1. A scapula position estimation device that is provided in a seat on which an occupant who operates a steering wheel of a vehicle sits and estimates a position of the scapula of the occupant, The sheet is a seat portion on which the thighs and waist of the occupant are placed; a seat back disposed behind the upper body of the occupant; Equipped with The scapula position estimation device includes: a surface pressure sensor for detecting a surface pressure distribution that the seat back receives from the upper body of the occupant; a shoulder blade position estimation unit that estimates that the shoulder blades are located near an area where the surface pressures detected by the surface pressure sensors change in opposite directions on the left and right when the occupant turns the steering wheel by a predetermined angle. A scapular position estimation device characterized by the above.

2. An information presentation unit is provided that presents information to the occupant to prompt the occupant to turn the steering wheel by a predetermined angle.

2. The scapular position estimation device according to claim 1,

3. The information presenting unit presents information prompting the occupant to turn the steering wheel by a predetermined angle at least once in each of the left and right directions.

3. The scapular position estimation device according to claim 2, wherein:

4. A seat having the scapular position estimation device according to claim 1, a support member provided within the seat back and made of a material that is harder than other parts of the seat back; a support member driving unit that drives the support member in a vertical direction relative to the seat back; a support member control unit that controls the support member drive unit to adjust the position of the support member; Equipped with The support member control unit changes the vertical position of the support member in accordance with the position of the scapula estimated by the scapula position estimation unit. A seat characterized by:

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