Methods to mitigate injuries caused by acceleration disorder in occupants in vehicle seats
The vehicle seat system addresses acceleration sickness by adjusting seating, cooling, and simulating motion to harmonize sensory inputs, effectively reducing nausea and dizziness in vehicle occupants.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- MERCEDES BENZ GROUP AG
- Filing Date
- 2023-09-18
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-01
AI Technical Summary
Existing methods fail to effectively mitigate acceleration sickness in vehicle occupants by harmonizing sensory inputs and providing timely support to prevent or alleviate symptoms such as nausea and dizziness.
A vehicle seat system that adjusts seating position, provides cooling, sensory stimulation, and simulates vehicle motion through massage bubbles and vibration motors to align sensory inputs, while offering visual and psychological support to counteract acceleration-related disorders.
Effectively reduces or prevents nausea and dizziness by synchronizing sensory inputs with actual vehicle motion, providing rapid relief through positional adjustment, cooling, and simulated motion, thereby minimizing sensory conflicts.
Smart Images
Figure 0007883672000001
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present invention relates to a method for reducing disorders caused by the acceleration sickness of an occupant on a vehicle seat as described in the upper concept of claim 1. Further, the present invention relates to a vehicle seat.
Background Art
[0002] When a vehicle is in motion, since the body is substantially stationary and seated on the vehicle seat, the receptors in the muscles do not notify the brain of movement. In contrast, the eyes notify the brain of high-speed movement during driving. At this time, the sense organs of balance in the inner ear supply information regarding curves, acceleration, and / or gradients, but this information conflicts with the initial notification. These large amounts of inconsistent information lead to overload, and the brain interprets this as a dangerous situation. As a result, stress hormones are secreted, which causes symptoms such as dizziness and / or nausea. Psychological factors such as worrying predictions may also exacerbate the symptoms. That is, stress relief and / or stress avoidance and / or information that harmonizes with driving become the starting point for countermeasures. It is also conceivable to reduce unfamiliar movements or unexpected passive movements. From the prior art, programs for predicting and preventing characteristics caused by acceleration sickness in secondary activities in a vehicle are already known.
[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 already discloses a method for reducing disorders caused by the acceleration sickness of an occupant in a vehicle. In this method, at least one measure for the intended sensory stimulation of the occupant is taken at least when a disorder caused by the acceleration sickness of the occupant is detected.
[0004] Separately from this, Patent Document 2 discloses a seat, particularly a vehicle seat, including at least one vibration element formed from a solid-borne sound generator. In this seat, as an assist device and / or a massage device, a plurality of vibration elements each formed as a solid-borne sound generator are arranged in a predetermined matrix on the seating portion and / or the backrest portion of the seat.
[0005] Similarly, in the prior art, programs to prevent nausea are also known, such as the "motion sickness prevention program." This program uses tactile and proprioceptive elements to allow the customer to perceive and experience vehicle motion in terms of acceleration, steering, and gradient. The seat system functions as a haptic information system to reduce sensory collisions. Customers experience acceleration, steering, and gradient through the seat system. The display device (MBUX display) shows a simplified representation of the driver's head position, which is configured as information and feedback aimed at minimizing movement. In highly automated modes of transport, it is desirable to provide the driver with a mode to support the driver, passengers, or other occupants in the event of nausea. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]
[0006] [Patent Document 1] DE102018008629A1 [Patent Document 2] DE1020142016161A1 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]
[0007] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a method for providing support to an automobile driver in the event of an injury caused by acceleration disorder. [Means for solving the problem]
[0008] This problem is solved by a method and vehicle seat according to the present invention having the features of claim 1. Advantageous embodiments and variations of the present invention will become apparent from the dependent claims, and an advantageous embodiment of the method can be considered an advantageous embodiment of a vehicle seat, and vice versa.
[0009] A first aspect of the present invention relates to a method for mitigating occupant injuries caused by acceleration sickness in a vehicle seat, in an automobile, particularly a passenger car, and especially an automobile that is at least partially autonomous, wherein at least one set of measures is taken for the occupant to receive the desired sensory stimulation, at the latest when an injury caused by acceleration sickness is detected in the occupant. In other words, when an injury caused by acceleration sickness is detected, a signal to support the occupant is provided and transmitted to the corresponding entity. For example, the occupant's health condition can be recorded via a sensor device, and also via a camera, recording device, thermometer, pulse meter and other components. In particular, it is desirable that, for example, heart rate, facial sweating, and / or other features suggesting an injury caused by such an acceleration sickness be recorded. For example, if the occupant feels nauseous, at least one measure is taken to support the occupant in recovering. To this end, at least one signal is transmitted by each sensor device or by a component that detects the occupant's condition to, for example, an electronic computer for controlling the method, thereby enabling, for example, first to perform an evaluation, or an evaluation to be performed, followed by the control of, at least partially, another component for prevention or occupant support. This is provided, in particular, at least partially automatically, and in particular according to the present invention, the occupant is provided with assistance to prevent, in particular completely avoid, nausea, dizziness, etc., within a short time range of seconds, in particular milliseconds.
[0010] To solve the problems of the present invention, the occupant is first moved to a seated position where they lean against the backrest of the vehicle seat, and in that seated position, the occupant's head is held in a predetermined holding position by the headrest of the vehicle seat. Here, the vehicle seat is adjustable, and in particular, the backrest is tilted, reclined, or moved backward by a predetermined angle in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle to move the occupant to a seated position or a leaning seated position, and in particular, the calf support is configured to rise, tilt, or move forward in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle at a predetermined angle, in particular, similar to the movement or displacement of the backrest, thereby making the leaning seated position of the vehicle seat adjustable or adjustable for the entire body of the occupant. Furthermore, the headrest, which is rigidly connected to or held by the vehicle seat, in particular the backrest, is configured to hold the occupant's head in one position, in particular a holding position. In this case, retention is achieved, for example, by the cushion-shaped side contacts of the headrest, for example, by folding in a direction toward each other or toward the occupant's head, thereby holding the head against leftward and / or rightward movement in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. In other words, the headrest is configured to hold the head to avoid leftward and rightward movement, or to prevent the head from being shaken or thrown out, and in particular, the headrest is also configured to dampen vibrations or to counteract acceleration only under certain conditions. However, it should be noted that in this case, if measures to mitigate injuries caused by acceleration sickness are also intended to support acceleration, then they can also support it. This means that the occupant may be lying on their back, or the occupant's back may be leaning against the backrest, and the head may be held in a stationary position, or the head may be leaning against the headrest and the head may be held in a stationary position on the headrest. In this particular case, the head is held still by a cushion, an automated cushion, or another mechanical aid, and the back is pressed as close to the backrest as possible.
[0011] Next, as another measure to mitigate the impairments caused by acceleration sickness, the occupants should be cooled by a cooling system. This means that heat needs to be released and the occupants should be cooled at least partially. In particular, heat release and cooling will support vasoconstriction to counteract dizziness and nausea. In other words, the vehicle seat is provided with a cooling system and / or cooling means and / or cooling lines and / or other components for cooling or temperature-regulating the vehicle seat, in particular for temperature-regulating and / or cooling the surface of the vehicle seat. In other words, the vehicle seat has cooling means or cooling systems positioned at predetermined locations, points or surfaces, which can perform cooling or temperature adjustment as needed, depending on the setting and the occupant's physique or other posture. In particular, heating is also possible in addition to cooling, thereby transferring heat to the occupant's body, especially the upper body. Furthermore, for example, thermometers and / or other sensor devices are provided to control the cooling procedure, at least partially, in an open-loop, and especially in a closed-loop, and in this case, other means are also applicable, for example, an automotive air conditioning system connected to the vehicle seat so as to achieve cooling of the front side of the occupant. Alternatively, another air duct or cooling device can be applied to achieve cooling of the occupant, in particular cooling of the legs, torso and neck.
[0012] Furthermore, as another measure to mitigate the impairment caused by acceleration sickness, according to the present invention, at least one sensory stimulus is performed at at least one stimulation point. Here, a stimulation element placed on the vehicle seat is intended to perform a sensory stimulus that at least partially stimulates the occupant's body at that stimulation point. The sensor stimulation is intended to be massage or vibration in particular, for example, massage bubbles in the backrest or cushion can be individually inflated, and thus a body massage is performed. Here, the massage bubbles can be inflated in a predetermined sequence, so that each stimulation point performs a massage. Alternatively, a vibration motor can also be attached to the stimulation point, so that the sensory stimulus can also be expressed by vibration, and this vibration itself can also be individually controlled. Here, for example, all stimulation elements are electrically or electronically connected to an electronic computer or control device, and they are configured to stimulate their respective stimulation points according to the settings. This makes it possible to stimulate the occupant's body at predetermined stimulation points so that nausea and dizziness are offset.
[0013] Finally, as an alternative measure, the vehicle's movement is simulated by stimulating elements in the vehicle seat in response to the detected impairment caused by acceleration disorder. In particular, the stimulating elements are formed as massage bubbles, and in each of the multiple stimulating elements, motion, especially the acceleration motion of the vehicle, is simulated, and in particular, an automatic simulation of increased acceleration is simulated in response to the vehicle's motion, thereby compensating for the discrepancy between the occupant's visual eye movement sequence and the lack of kinesthetic sensation. In other words, the occupant's vision is supported by the simulation of motion by the stimulating elements. Here, the stimulating elements are massage bubbles that expand accordingly depending on the setting. In particular, for example, massage bubbles can be provided on the surface of the backrest, and these massage bubbles are aligned to cover only that surface or a part of that surface. In other words, the backrest is covered by massage bubbles. In this case, when the massage bubbles expand, movement to the left and / or right can be simulated or simulated. In this case, to provide a linear reduction in the size of the massage bubbles, the outermost massage bubbles expand more along the surface, and especially the largest, compared to the massage bubbles located on the opposite side. In other words, the outermost massage bubbles on one side of the surface expand completely, while the massage bubbles on the other side, opposite the backrest, expand less or not expand at all. This creates an inclined surface that causes a slight rotation of the occupant's upper body, but alternatively, the massage bubbles can be used to displace only one half of the backrest so that only one side of the occupant's upper body feels the rotation. This type of expansion of the massage bubbles causes the upper body to accelerate slightly to the left and / or to the right. In contrast, the seating area of a vehicle seat can also be provided with massage bubbles, similar to the backrest, and can perform the same function, in which case a slight twist with an axial direction in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle is also realized. In other words, the occupant can be rotated and / or moved at least partially so that the acceleration or motion of the vehicle can be felt or simulated.In particular, in this case, all models and options offered by the vehicle seats are controlled in a closed-loop and / or open-loop manner by the electronically controlled system in place.
[0014] Finally, the focus of the present invention is to minimize sensory impacts that may cause nausea or dizziness. Such prevention should be designed so that "motion sickness" never occurs. Here, a massage system consisting of air-fillable bubbles can be used in the backrest and / or cushions and / or hand, arm or foot rests or warning pads. Furthermore, a pump, control device and valve block may also be provided. Possible complements may be implemented by vibration motors in the cushions and / or backrest. Furthermore, as a possible complement to individual vibrations, transducers may be used, for example, in the backrest. The processing unit pre-calculates what driving operation to perform next or in which direction to steer based on navigation information or the driver's steering behavior or other parameters, and this information can be used for pre-control of the components. This information, for example, "Turn right," is translated into a sequence of inflating massage bubbles within the backrest, seat cushion, or contact surface, which pressurize the body so that the body, e.g., the back or upper body, and / or the legs or pelvis, are moved in the same direction as the steering action. In this way, sensory collision is reduced, or, in the best case, no sensory collision occurs at all. For example, when the vehicle is turned to the right, massage bubbles in the left side of the back are filled, resulting in the upper body being turned to the right rather than in the direction of travel. The larger the curve, the more bubbles may be inflated, and these bubbles may be inflated more intensively. Similarly, to support the sensation of turning to the left, massage bubbles on the right side of the seat backrest may be inflated. To make the information clearer, a vibration motor within the cushion may be added to this logic.
[0015] In one advantageous embodiment of the present invention, a visual fixation point is provided to the occupant in a leaning seating position. This means that a visual fixation point is provided to the occupant, or the occupant is notified to fixate on a visual fixation point, thereby allowing the occupant to concentrate on this fixation point. Alternatively, the windshield of the vehicle may display a landscape that the occupant can concentrate on, and ideally has such a fixation point. In other words, the occupant is shown, for example, a point, place, or object on the windshield or another surface, and in particular a fixation point that is unlikely to be missed, which requires the occupant's concentration as an observer and at least partially calms the occupant or offsets the disturbance caused by acceleration sickness.
[0016] Embodiments of the present invention in which at least one calming message is displayed to the occupant are equally advantageous. For this purpose, a vehicle display device can be used to notify the occupant, for example, to lean back, keep the head still, and relax. In particular, support is provided through psychological support by displaying to the occupant, not only through simulation, that active support is being provided, but also through the display device. Specifically, the display device has a display surface that displays a warning signal, a calming instruction, or a relaxing animation or video that counteracts the disturbance caused by acceleration sickness. Alternatively, it may also display a function that the occupant can select and perform in order to counteract values measured by a sensor device.
[0017] In another advantageous embodiment of the present invention, a cooling device provides at least one second cooling treatment to the occupant, which, according to the present invention, is performed by the vehicle seat after a driving simulation. This further maintains or restarts the cooling, thereby counteracting dizziness and nausea in the occupant. In particular, the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems are stimulated in a manner favorable to the occupant, thus particularly affecting and strengthening the parasympathetic nervous system.
[0018] Finally, in another advantageous embodiment of the present invention, the acoustic and visual settings of the car's cabin are adapted. In this case, both lighting effects and dimming can be implemented, and similarly, the acoustic environment can be modified, for example, by playing calming music. This makes it possible to provide the occupants with a cabin in which they can relax very well.
[0019] Another aspect of the present invention relates to a vehicle seat for an automobile, having all the features necessary to implement a method for mitigating occupant injuries resulting from acceleration sickness in a vehicle seat.
[0020] In other words, the present invention makes it possible to support the occupant when nausea and dizziness occur. In this case, the processing unit detects suggestions regarding gradient, direction changes, and acceleration using an electronic computer. These are detected, for example, from information about changes in steering angle, navigation information derived from route planning, accelerator pedal operation, and information from the altimeter. Based on this, sequences and patterns of function of components in the vehicle seat are created, which limit the corresponding vehicle motion to the body. Information about vehicle motion, such as steering to the right or left, such as three stages of acceleration, and such as three stages of gradient, is detected and processed. Based on this, patterns for controlling the components are created and transmitted to the components. Such components may include sequences of fans, driving dynamics functions, dynamic comfort systems such as massage, and vibration motors. These are controlled according to the pattern so as to reduce the occupant's dizziness and nausea. The more extreme, high-speed, or reckless the driving, the more components need to receive and be controlled according to the pattern. Dynamic activation of such patterns can be performed according to the dimensions of the driving motion from the start to the end of the program. The duration can be selectively adjusted by the occupant, for example. Here, a default setting of, for example, 10 minutes can be set. Parallel information for stabilizing head and body positions can be displayed on a display device, in which case these positions are detected in advance via a camera system for driver observation.
[0021] Further advantages, features, and details of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments and the drawings. The features and combinations of features mentioned in the above description, as well as the features mentioned in the description of multiple drawings and / or the features and combinations of features shown in a single drawing below, can be used not only in the combinations described, but also in other combinations or individually without departing from the scope of the present invention. [Brief explanation of the drawing]
[0022] [Figure 1] There is shown a vehicle seat 10 according to the present invention for a motor vehicle, having all the features for implementing a method for reducing disorders caused by the acceleration sickness of the occupant.
Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention
[0023] The figure shows a vehicle seat 10 for a motor vehicle, in which, when a disorder caused by the acceleration sickness of the occupant, not shown in the figure, is detected, at least one series of measures for the intended sensory stimulation of the occupant is taken. In this vehicle seat, the occupant is moved to a seating position S where the occupant leans against the backrest 12 of the vehicle seat, and at this seating position S, the head of the occupant is held at a predetermined holding position by the headrest 14 of the vehicle seat. Subsequently, the occupant undergoes a partial cooling treatment, and at this time, at least one cooling device 16 configured to at least partially cool the area of the occupant's body is arranged on both the backrest 12 and the headrest 14. Alternatively, a heating device 20 for a heating treatment is also arranged. A number of stimulating elements 18 are arranged on the vehicle 10, particularly on the backrest 12 and the seating part 13, and sensory stimulation is carried out at at least one stimulation point P by these stimulating elements 18. In particular, this stimulating element 18 is configured as a bubble that at least partially expands and deflates according to the setting by a control device not shown in the drawing. By the stimulating element 18, it is possible to simulate the running of the motor vehicle according to the detected disorder caused by the acceleration sickness.
[0024] It is possible to display at least one fixed point, not shown in the drawing, in the passenger compartment of the motor vehicle, whereby the occupant can concentrate on this fixed point during the method. Similarly, it is also possible to display at least one message for calming the occupant using a display device not shown in the drawing, and in this message, for example, the occupant is instructed to calm down. Finally, it is possible to make auditory and visual settings in the passenger compartment so that the occupant in the passenger compartment 24 can relax.
[0025] In response to the detected impairment caused by acceleration disorder, the movement of the vehicle is simulated by the stimulation elements 18 of the vehicle seat 10. In particular, the stimulation elements 18 are formed as massage bubbles, and in each of the multiple stimulation elements 18, motion, in particular the acceleration motion of the vehicle, is simulated, and in particular, an automatic simulation of increased acceleration is simulated in response to the motion of the vehicle, thereby compensating for the discrepancy between the visual eye movement sequence of the occupant and the lack of kinesthetic sensation. In other words, the occupant's vision is supported by the simulation of motion by the stimulation elements 18. Here, the stimulation elements 18 are massage bubbles that expand accordingly according to the settings. In particular, for example, massage bubbles can be provided on the surface of the backrest 12, and these massage bubbles are aligned to cover only that surface or a part of that surface. In other words, the backrest 12 is covered by massage bubbles. In this case, when the massage bubbles expand, movement to the left and / or right can be simulated or simulated. In this case, to provide a linear reduction in the size of the massage bubbles, the outermost massage bubbles expand more along the surface, and especially the largest, compared to the massage bubbles located on the opposite side. In other words, the outermost massage bubbles on one side of the surface expand completely, while the massage bubbles on the other side, opposite the backrest 12, expand less or not expand at all. This creates an inclined surface that causes the occupant's upper body to rotate slightly, but alternatively, the massage bubbles can be used to displace only one half of the backrest 12 so that only one side of the occupant's upper body experiences rotation. This type of expansion of the massage bubbles causes the upper body to accelerate slightly to the left and / or to the right, with the massage bubbles configured to move the upper body with a predetermined force F at a predetermined acceleration. In contrast, massage bubbles can also be provided in the seating area of the vehicle seat 10, similar to the backrest 12, and can perform the same function, in which case a slight twist with an axial direction in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle is also achieved.In other words, the occupants can be rotated and / or moved at least partially so that they can feel or simulate the acceleration or motion of the vehicle. In particular, in this case, all models and options offered by the vehicle seat 10 are controlled in a closed loop and / or open loop by the electronically positioned computer.
[0026] To support the occupant in the event of nausea and dizziness, a seating area 13 can be used in addition to the backrest 12. In this case, the processing unit detects suggestions regarding gradient, direction changes, and acceleration using an electronic computer. These are detected, for example, from information about changes in steering angle, navigation information derived from route planning, accelerator pedal operation, and information from the altimeter. Based on this, sequences and patterns of function for the backrest 12 and seating area 13 in the vehicle seat are created, which limit the corresponding vehicle motion to the body. Information about vehicle motion, such as steering to the right or left, such as three stages of acceleration, and such as three stages of gradient, is detected and processed. Based on this, patterns for controlling the backrest 12 and seating area 13 are created and transmitted. For example, sequences of dynamic comfort systems, such as massage and vibration 22, are performed by a vibration motor. These are controlled according to the pattern to reduce occupant dizziness and nausea.
Claims
1. A method for mitigating a disability caused by acceleration disorder in an occupant on a vehicle seat (10) in the passenger compartment (24) of an automobile, wherein when a disability caused by acceleration disorder in the occupant is detected, at least one series of measures are taken to provide the occupant with the desired sensory stimulation, - The occupant is moved to a seated position (S) in which he leans against the backrest (12) of the vehicle seat (10), and in the seated position (S), the occupant's head is held in a predetermined position by the headrest (14) of the vehicle seat (10), - The cooling device (16) of the vehicle seat (10) partially cools the occupant, - At least one sensory stimulus is performed at at least one stimulus point (P), - The method is characterized in that the vehicle's driving is simulated by a stimulating element (18) of the vehicle seat (10) in accordance with the detected disorder caused by acceleration disorder, the stimulating element (18) is formed as a massage bubble, and the massage bubble is configured to move the occupant's upper body with a predetermined force (F) at a predetermined acceleration.
2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that a visual fixed point is provided to the occupant in the leaning seating position (S).
3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that at least one calming message is displayed to the occupant.
4. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that at least one second cooling treatment is performed on the occupant by the cooling device (16).
5. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the auditory and visual settings of the passenger compartment (24) of the automobile are changed.