Vehicle System

Abstract

To obtain a vehicle system which enables a seated occupant to operate an operation part that is displayed on a display, regardless of a seat position of a vehicle seat.SOLUTION: A vehicle system includes: a vehicle seat which enables change of a seat position; a center console 22 that extends in a vehicle front-rear direction; a display 23 that is provided on an upper face 22A of the center console 22; and a display control unit that is configured to cause the display 23 to display an operation part 28 capable of operating a vehicle electronic device and change a display position of the operation part 28 so that the display position follows a change of the seat position.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle system of a vehicle equipped with a center console.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a vehicle including a center console on the front side of the vehicle, on which a touch panel for operating vehicle electronic devices is mounted.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In recent years, the development of autonomous driving technology in vehicles has been progressing, and a vehicle seat that enables a longer slide in the vehicle's longitudinal direction has been provided so that passengers can sit in a relaxed posture during autonomous driving. However, as described in Patent Document 1, since the touch panel provided on the center console is provided at a position corresponding to the operation at the seating position where the vehicle can be driven, there is a possibility that the passenger's hand cannot reach the touch panel at a position where the vehicle seat can be slid backward to a relaxed posture.

[0005] In consideration of the above facts, an object of the present invention is to obtain a vehicle system that allows a seated person to operate an operation unit displayed on a display unit regardless of the seat position of the vehicle seat.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The vehicle system according to claim 1 includes a vehicle seat whose seat position can be changed, a center console extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, a display unit provided on the upper surface of the center console, and a display control unit that displays an operation unit on the display unit for operating vehicle electronic equipment and that causes the display position of the operation unit to follow the change in the seat position. An armrest that moves in the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle together with the vehicle seat, Equipped with The display unit is provided across the entire upper surface of the center console, and the display control unit moves the display position of the operation unit by the same amount as the amount the vehicle seat slides. ru.

[0007] In the vehicle system according to claim 1, the display control unit displays an operating unit capable of operating vehicle electronic equipment on a display unit provided on the upper surface of the center console, and makes the display position of the operating unit follow changes in the seat position of the vehicle seat. Therefore, even if the seat position of the vehicle seat is changed, the display position of the operating unit on the display unit is changed in accordance with the change, so that the seated person can operate the operating unit displayed on the display unit regardless of the seat position of the vehicle seat. Furthermore, in the vehicle system according to claim 1, since the display unit is provided across the entire upper surface of the center console, the amount of movement of the display position of the operation unit on the display unit can be increased, and it can accommodate larger changes in seat position.

[0008] In the vehicle system according to claim 2, the configuration described in claim 1 is such that the seat position is changed by changing the seat position in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.

[0009] In the vehicle system according to claim 2, the seat position is changed by changing the seat position in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. Therefore, when the seat position of the vehicle seat in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle is changed, the display position of the operation unit on the display unit can be changed in accordance with the change in seat position.

[0010] The vehicle system according to claim 3 is configured according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the seat position is changed by changing the seat posture.

[0011] In the vehicle system according to claim 3, the seat position is changed by changing the seat posture. Therefore, when the seat posture of the vehicle seat is changed, the display position of the operation unit on the display unit can be changed in accordance with the change in seat posture.

[0014] Claim 4 The vehicle system according to the present invention described in claims 1 to 1 3 In any one of the configurations described in item 1 of the above ,before The control unit is positioned on the upper surface of the center console in a location where it can be operated with the fingers while the occupant has their arms resting on the armrests.

[0015] Claim 4 In the vehicle system according to the present invention described herein, the operating unit is positioned on the upper surface of the center console in a location where it can be operated with the fingers while the occupant rests their arms on the armrests, so that the occupant can operate the operating unit while resting their arms on the armrests. The vehicle system according to claim 5, in the configuration described in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the display control unit moves the display position of the operation unit on the display unit toward the rear of the vehicle when the driver moves from the driving position to the seat position of the relaxed position, and moves the display position of the operation unit on the display unit toward the front of the vehicle when the driver moves from the relaxed position to the seat position of the driving position. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] As described above, the vehicle system according to the present invention has the excellent effect that the occupant can operate the control unit displayed on the display unit regardless of the seat position of the vehicle seat. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0017] [Figure 1] This is a schematic plan view showing a vehicle system according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a side view showing a part of the vehicle in Figure 1. [Figure 3] Figure 1 is a front view showing the main parts of the vehicle as seen from the front of the seat. [Figure 4] Figure 3 is a plan view showing the main part of the sheet as seen from above. [Figure 5] Figure 1 is a side view showing the main parts of the vehicle as seen from the left side of the seat. [Figure 6] It is a block diagram showing the configuration of a vehicle system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] It is a plan view showing the change of the display position of the operation part in the display part. [Figure 8] It is a flowchart showing a series of processes by the control part of the vehicle system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0018] A vehicle system 10 including a vehicle 10A according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 8. In the following description, when the directions of front, rear, left, right, up, and down are shown, they indicate the directions of front, rear, left, right, up, and down of the vehicle 10A. Also, the arrow FR shown appropriately in each figure indicates the front direction, the arrow UP indicates the upward direction, the arrow RH indicates the right direction, and the arrow LH indicates the left direction, respectively. Hereinafter, when simply using the directions of front and rear, up and down, left and right for description, unless otherwise specified, they indicate the front and rear in the vehicle longitudinal direction, the up and down in the vehicle vertical direction, and the left and right when facing the front direction.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle system 10 of the present embodiment includes a vehicle 10A and a control unit 100 as a display control unit.

[0020] (Configuration of Vehicle 10A) The vehicle 10A includes a driver's seat 16 and a passenger seat 18 formed by a vehicle seat 12 on which the occupants in the vehicle interior 14 are seated, and a rear seat 20 formed by a vehicle seat 13. In the vehicle 10A of the present embodiment, as an example, the steering wheel 15 is arranged on the left side of the vehicle interior 14, the driver's seat 16 is arranged on the left side of the vehicle interior 14, and the passenger seat 18 is arranged on the right side of the driver's seat 16. Also, a center console 22 is provided between the driver's seat 16 and the passenger seat 18, and a dashboard 24 is provided on the front side of the driver's seat 16 and the passenger seat 18.

[0021] As shown in Figure 3, the center console 22 has its upper surface 22A positioned above the occupant seating surface of the seat cushion 12A, which will be described later. Also, as shown in Figure 1, the center console 22 extends in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and its upper surface 22A is provided with, for example, two cup holders 25 and an operating unit 28 that can operate various vehicle electronic devices (not shown) mounted on the vehicle 10A. Examples of vehicle electronic devices include a car navigation system, an audio system, and a control device that controls the operation of the vehicle 10A. In this embodiment, for example, the operating unit 28 is displayed on a display unit 23 which is composed of a touch panel type liquid crystal screen, and the display unit 23 is provided over the entire upper surface 22A of the center console 22. That is, the entire upper surface 22A of the center console 22, excluding the inside of the cup holders 25, is formed by a liquid crystal screen.

[0022] The rear seats 20 are located behind the driver's seat 16 and the passenger seat 18. The vehicle seats 13 that make up the rear seats 20 are, for example, bench-type seats that can accommodate three passengers. However, the vehicle seats 13 are not limited to bench-type seats; individual vehicle seats 12 may also be provided.

[0023] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the vehicle seats 12 comprising the driver's seat 16 and the passenger seat 18 include a seat cushion 12A on which the occupant sits, and a seat back 12B connected to the rear end of the seat cushion 12A and capable of supporting the occupant's back. A headrest 12C capable of supporting the occupant's head is provided at the upper end of the seat back 12B. The vehicle seat 12 also has an armrest 30 on the center console 22 side. In each figure, as an example, an embodiment in which the armrest 30 is provided only on the center console 22 side is shown, but an armrest may also be provided on the outside in the vehicle width direction.

[0024] The seat cushion 12A is composed of a frame that forms the skeleton of the seat cushion 12A, a cushioning material made of foamed urethane, and a cloth or leather covering material that covers the surface of the cushioning material. The vehicle seat 12 is provided with a seat slide section 40 that allows the seat cushion 12A to slide in the front-rear direction of the vehicle.

[0025] The seat slide section 40, although not shown in the illustration, includes a seat rail fastened to the floor of the vehicle 10A, and an upper rail to which the vehicle seat 12 is attached and which is slidable relative to the seat rail. The seat rail and the upper rail are composed of a pair of left and right rails extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. The seat slide section 40 also includes a transmission shaft (not shown) stretched between the pair of left and right rails of the upper rail, and a slide motor 42 that rotationally drives this transmission shaft. The rotational drive of the slide motor 42 is controlled by the control unit 100. The vehicle seat 12 attached to the upper rail slides in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle (arrow X) based on the driving force of the slide motor 42 transmitted via the transmission shaft.

[0026] In this embodiment, a position sensor (not shown) is provided to detect the position of the vehicle seat 12 in the vehicle's longitudinal direction. The position sensor is a rotary encoder that detects the rotational position of the output shaft of the slide motor 42. By detecting the rotational position of the output shaft of the slide motor 42 using this position sensor, the amount of sliding of the vehicle seat 12 in the vehicle's longitudinal direction can be indirectly detected. The position sensor outputs an electrical signal corresponding to the rotational position of the output shaft of the slide motor 42, i.e., the amount of sliding of the vehicle seat 12.

[0027] Although not shown in the illustration, the vehicle seat 12 may also be provided with a lifting device that raises and lowers the seat cushion 12A in the vertical direction of the vehicle.

[0028] The seat back 12B is composed of a frame that forms the skeleton of the seat back 12B, a cushioning material made of foamed urethane, and a cloth or leather covering material that covers the surface of the cushioning material. The seat back 12B is equipped with a reclining section 50 that rotates the seat back 12B in the front-rear direction of the vehicle, centered on the lower end of the seat back 12B of the vehicle.

[0029] The reclining section 50 includes a shaft 52. The central axis direction of the shaft 52 is in the vehicle width direction, and the rear portion of the frame of the seat cushion 12A and the lower portion of the frame of the seat back 12B are mechanically connected by the shaft 52. The reclining section 50 also includes a reclining motor 54, and the rotational drive of the reclining motor 54 is controlled by the control unit 100.

[0030] The reclining motor 54 is provided, for example, on the seat cushion 12A. The output shaft of the reclining motor 54 is connected, for example, to a gear train (not shown) that serves as a reduction gear or drive force transmission device provided on the shaft portion 52. The seat back 12B is rotated around the shaft portion 52 by the driving force of the reclining motor 54. As a result, the seat back 12B rotates around the shaft portion 52 in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle (direction of arrow M in Figure 1).

[0031] In this embodiment, a posture sensor (not shown) is provided to detect the reclining angle of the seat back 12B of the vehicle seat 12, i.e., the posture of the seat back 12B. The posture sensor is, for example, a rotary encoder that detects the rotational position of the output shaft of the reclining motor 54. As described above, the seat back 12B is rotated in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle by the driving force of the reclining motor 54. Therefore, the rotational angle of the seat back 12B in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, i.e., its posture, can be indirectly detected by detecting the rotational position of the output shaft of the reclining motor 54. The posture sensor outputs an electrical signal corresponding to the rotational position of the output shaft of the reclining motor 54, i.e., the rotational angle (posture) of the seat back 12B.

[0032] In this embodiment, as an example, the seat position is changed by sliding the seat cushion 12A in the front-rear direction of the vehicle using the seat slide unit 40.

[0033] The headrest 12C is provided at the upper end of the seat back 12B. The headrest 12C is composed of a cushioning material made of foamed urethane and a cloth or leather covering material that covers the surface of the cushioning material.

[0034] The armrest 30 is composed, for example, of a frame that forms the skeleton of the armrest 30, a cushioning material made of foamed urethane, and a cloth or leather covering material that covers the surface of the cushioning material. The armrest 30 may also be covered around the frame with a molding, which is a decorative component made of resin or the like.

[0035] As shown in Figure 3, the armrest 30 is formed in an inverted L-shape when viewed from the front of the seat, for example. The lower end 32 of the armrest 30 extends from the side of the seat cushion 12A on the center console 22 side toward the upper surface 22A of the center console 22. The upper end 34 of the armrest 30 extends substantially horizontally from the upper end of the lower end 32 toward the center console 22, and as shown in Figure 4, at least a portion of it is positioned to overlap the upper surface 22A of the center console 22 in a plan view.

[0036] In this embodiment, as an example, the upper ends 34 of the driver's seat 16 and the passenger seat 18 are positioned to overlap approximately one-quarter of the upper surface 22A of the center console 22 in the vehicle width direction, and the cup holders 25 are positioned to be exposed. Also in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 4, the operating section 28 is positioned so that it can be operated with the occupant's fingers F when the occupant rests their arms on the armrest 30.

[0037] Furthermore, the armrest 30 is formed integrally with the seat cushion 12A, for example. Specifically, the frame that forms the skeleton of the armrest 30 extends from the frame that forms the skeleton of the seat cushion 12A.

[0038] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 5, the armrest 30 is positioned at a height that allows the occupant to operate the control unit 28 with their fingers F while the occupant rests their arm on the upper end 34 of the armrest 30. In this embodiment, since the armrest 30 is integrally formed with the seat cushion 12A, as described above, when the vehicle seat 12 is moved in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle by the seat slide unit 40, the armrest 30 also moves in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle together with the seat cushion 12A.

[0039] In other words, as shown in Figure 5, the armrest 30 is movable along the upper surface 22A of the center console 22 in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. For example, it moves from the position of the armrest 30 shown by the solid line to the position of the armrest 30 shown by the dashed line by moving backward as the vehicle seat 12 moves. In this embodiment, in order to allow the armrest 30 to move smoothly along the upper surface 22A of the center console 22, a gap is provided between the upper surface 22A of the center console 22 and the lower surface of the upper end portion 34 of the armrest 30, such that the occupant can maintain a height position in which they can operate the control section 28 with their fingers F while resting their arm on the upper end portion 34 of the armrest 30.

[0040] (Configuration of the control unit 100) The control unit 100 in this embodiment controls the overall operation of the vehicle 10A, as well as vehicle electronic equipment such as a car navigation system, an audio system, and a control device that controls the operation of the vehicle 10A. The control unit 100 also functions as a display control unit that controls the display of the display unit 23.

[0041] The control unit 100 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit: processor) 100A, ROM (Read Only Memory) 100B, RAM (Random Access Memory) 100C, storage 100D, communication interface (communication I / F) 100E, and input / output interface (input / output I / F) 100F for communication with external devices. The CPU 100A, ROM 100B, RAM 100C, storage 100D, communication I / F 100E, and input / output I / F 100F are connected to each other via a bus 100G. The aforementioned display unit 23, seat slide unit 40, and reclining unit 50 are connected to the input / output I / F 100F.

[0042] The CPU 100A is a central processing unit that executes various programs, controls the rotational drive of the sliding motor 42 of the seat slide unit 40 and the reclining motor 54 of the reclining unit 50, and controls the display of the display unit 23. Specifically, the CPU 100A reads a control program from the ROM 100B or storage 100D based on signals from the seat slide unit 40, executes the control program using the RAM 100C as a working area, and controls the display of the display unit 23.

[0043] Specifically, as an example, suppose the vehicle seat 12 is moved from the seat position for manual driving shown in the left diagram of Figure 7 to the relaxed seat position shown in the right diagram of Figure 7, after being slid towards the rear of the vehicle by the seat slide section 40. In this embodiment, since the armrest 30 is formed integrally with the seat cushion 12A, when the vehicle seat 12 is slid, the armrest 30 also slides by the same amount.

[0044] In this case, the control unit 100 derives the slide amount based on the electrical signal corresponding to the slide amount of the vehicle seat 12 output from the seat slide unit 40. Then, the control unit 100 moves the display position of the operation unit 28 on the display unit 23 toward the rear of the vehicle by the same amount as the derived slide amount, as shown in the right diagram of Figure 7.

[0045] Conversely, suppose the vehicle seat 12 is moved from the relaxed seat position shown in the right diagram of Figure 7 to the driving position during manual operation shown in the left diagram of Figure 7, by the seat slide unit 40 sliding it forward. In this case as well, the control unit 100 derives the slide amount based on the electrical signal corresponding to the slide amount of the vehicle seat 12 output from the seat slide unit 40, and moves the display position of the operation unit 28 on the display unit 23 forward by the same amount as the deriveted slide amount, as shown in the left diagram of Figure 7.

[0046] In this way, the control unit 100 adjusts the display position of the operation unit 28 on the display unit 23 to follow the change in the seat position of the vehicle seat 12.

[0047] Next, the flow of the display control processing by the control unit 100 of the vehicle system 10 will be explained with reference to the flowchart in Figure 8. In the vehicle system 10 according to this embodiment, as shown in Figure 8, in step S11 the control unit 100 determines whether or not the seat position of the vehicle seat 12 has been changed based on the output signal from the seat slide unit 40.

[0048] If it is determined in step S11 that the seat position has been changed (step S11; YES), the control unit 100 changes the display position of the operation unit 28 on the display unit 23 by the same amount as the amount the vehicle seat 12 slides, as described above.

[0049] Next, in step S13, the control unit 100 determines whether or not the vehicle system 10 has been stopped. Specifically, as an example, the control unit 100 determines that the vehicle system 10 has been stopped if, for example, the engine of the vehicle 10A has been stopped.

[0050] If it is determined in step S13 that the vehicle system 10 has stopped (step S13; YES), the control unit 100 terminates all processing.

[0051] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S11 that the seat position has not been changed (step S11; NO), and if it is determined in step S13 that the vehicle system 10 has not been stopped (step S13; NO), the control unit 100 proceeds to step S11 and performs the processing from step S11 onward.

[0052] (Effects and Benefits) Next, the effects and advantages of this embodiment will be explained.

[0053] In this embodiment, the vehicle system 10 has a control unit 100, which acts as a display control unit, that displays an operation unit 28 capable of operating vehicle electronic equipment on a display unit 23 provided on the upper surface 22A of the center console 22, and makes the display position of the operation unit 28 follow the change in the seat position of the vehicle seat 12. Therefore, even if the seat position of the vehicle seat 12 is changed, the display position of the operation unit 28 on the display unit 23 is changed in accordance with the change, so that the seated person can operate the operation unit 28 displayed on the display unit 23 regardless of the seat position of the vehicle seat 12.

[0054] Furthermore, in the vehicle system 10 according to this embodiment, the seat position is changed by changing the seat position of the vehicle seat 12 in the vehicle longitudinal direction. Therefore, when the seat position of the vehicle seat 12 in the vehicle longitudinal direction is changed, the display position of the operation unit 28 on the display unit 23 can be changed in accordance with the change in seat position.

[0055] Furthermore, in the vehicle system 10 according to this embodiment, since the display unit 23 is provided over the entire upper surface 22A of the center console 22, the amount of movement of the display position of the operation unit 28 on the display unit 23 can be increased, and it can accommodate larger changes in seat position.

[0056] Furthermore, in the vehicle system 10 according to this embodiment, the operating unit 28 is positioned on the upper surface 22A of the center console 22 in a location where it can be operated with a finger F while the occupant has their arm resting on the armrest 30. Therefore, the occupant can operate the operating unit 28 while their arm is resting on the armrest 30.

[0057] (Supplementary information for this embodiment) In the embodiments described above, the display unit 23 is provided across the entire upper surface 22A of the center console 22, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the display unit 23 may be provided on the front side of the vehicle or the rear side of the upper surface 22A of the center console 22. In this case, a cup holder 25, a storage compartment 26, etc., may be provided in the area of ​​the upper surface 22A of the center console 22 where the display unit 23 is not provided.

[0058] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the armrest 30 is formed integrally with the seat cushion 12A, but the present invention is not limited to this, and may be formed separately. In this case, the armrest 30 and the seat cushion 12A are joined by a known fastening method. Also, the armrest 30 may be connected to the seat back 12B instead of the seat cushion 12A, or the armrest 30 may be independent and not connected to either the seat cushion 12A or the seat back 12B. Note that in the vehicle system 10 of this embodiment, the armrest 30 may not be provided.

[0059] Furthermore, when the armrest 30 is connected to the seatback 12B, the control unit 100 derives the amount of slide of the armrest 30 based on the electrical signal corresponding to the rotation angle (posture) of the seatback 12B output from the reclining unit 50. Specifically, the position of the armrest 30 relative to the rotation angle (posture) of the seatback 12B is detected in advance, and the amount of slide of the armrest 30 is derived based on the amount of change in the posture of the seatback 12B. Then, the control unit 100 changes the display position of the operation unit 28 on the display unit 23 to follow the derived amount of slide.

[0060] Thus, when the seat position is changed due to a change in seat posture, the display position of the operation unit 28 on the display unit 23 can be changed in accordance with the change in seat posture when the seat posture of the vehicle seat 12 is changed.

[0061] Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above, and can be implemented in various other ways without departing from the spirit of the invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0062] 10 Vehicle Systems 12 Vehicle seats 12A Seat Cushion 22 Center Console 22A Top 23 Display section 28 Control section 30 Armrest 100 Control Unit (Display Control Unit)

Claims

1. A vehicle seat with adjustable seat position, A center console extending in the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle, A display unit provided on the top surface of the center console, The display unit displays an operating unit for operating vehicle electronic equipment, and the display control unit moves the position of the operating unit to follow the change in the seat position. The vehicle includes an armrest that moves in the front-rear direction of the vehicle together with the vehicle seat, The display unit is provided across the entire upper surface of the center console. The display control unit is a vehicle system that moves the display position of the operation unit by the same amount as the amount the vehicle seat slides.

2. The vehicle system according to claim 1, wherein the seat position is changed by changing the seat position in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.

3. The vehicle system according to claim 1, wherein the seat position is changed by changing the seat posture.

4. The vehicle system according to claim 1, wherein the operating unit is positioned on the upper surface of the center console in a location that allows the occupant to operate it with their fingers while their arms are resting on the armrests.

5. The vehicle system according to Claim 1, wherein the display control unit moves the display position of the operation unit on the display unit toward the rear of the vehicle when the driver moves from the driving position to the seat position, and moves the display position of the operation unit on the display unit toward the front of the vehicle when the driver moves from the relaxed position to the seat position.

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