Vehicle seat control device

Abstract

To provide a vehicular seat controller that can control movable parts of a seat to make an occupant easier to sleep on the basis of the sleep condition of the occupant seated on the seat and vehicle traveling-related information.SOLUTION: A vehicular seat controller includes: a sleep condition estimation unit for estimating the sleep condition of an occupant P1 seated on a vehicle's seat 16R; an information acquisition unit for acquiring vehicle traveling-related information; and a control unit for controlling movable parts 19A, 19B of the seat on the basis of the sleep condition and traveling-related information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle seat control device.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 below discloses a sleep control device capable of appropriately controlling the sleep depth of a vehicle occupant without waking up the occupant even when a disturbance occurs.

Prior Art Document

Patent Document

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] There is room for improvement in Patent Document 1 regarding making the movable part of the seat in a state where the occupant is likely to sleep based on the sleep state of the occupant and the driving-related information of the vehicle.

[0005] In consideration of the above facts, an object of the present invention is to obtain a vehicle seat control device capable of controlling the movable part of the seat to a state where the occupant is likely to sleep based on the sleep state of the occupant sitting on the seat and the driving-related information of the vehicle.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The vehicle seat control device according to claim 1 includes a sleep state estimation unit that estimates whether an occupant sitting on a seat provided in a vehicle capable of executing driving support control and having a neck pad is in a wakeful state or a predetermined sleep state, an information acquisition unit that acquires driving-related information of the vehicle, and a control unit that controls the movable part of the seat based on the estimation result of the sleep state estimation unit and the driving-related information, When it is in the ON position and transmits a sleep mode signal to the control unit, When it is in the off positionThe system includes a sleep mode selection switch that transmits an awakening mode signal to the control unit, wherein the movable part includes a seat back with an adjustable reclining angle, and when the control unit receives the sleep mode signal and the sleep state estimation unit estimates that the occupant is in the predetermined sleep state, the control unit sets the reclining angle to 60°, and when the control unit receives the sleep mode signal and the sleep state estimation unit estimates that the occupant is in the awakened state, the control unit sets the reclining angle to any angle in the range of 45° to 50°, which is less than 60°.

[0007] In the vehicle seat control device described in claim 1, the control unit controls the movable part of the seat based on the sleep state of the occupant seated in the seat and vehicle driving-related information. Therefore, the vehicle seat control device described in claim 1 can adjust the movable part of the seat to a state that makes it easier for the occupant to sleep, based on the occupant's sleep state and vehicle driving-related information. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] As described above, the vehicle seat control device according to the present invention has the excellent effect of being able to control the movable parts of the seat to a state that makes it easy for the occupant to sleep, based on the sleep state of the occupant seated in the seat and vehicle driving-related information. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a schematic plan view showing a vehicle equipped with a vehicle seat control device according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a schematic side view of the seats and occupants of the vehicle shown. [Figure 3] Figure 1 is a schematic block diagram of the ECU of the vehicle shown. [Figure 4] This is a functional block diagram of the ECU. [Figure 5] This diagram illustrates the force exerted on the occupant's head from the headrest when longitudinal acceleration occurs in the vehicle. [Figure 6]This diagram illustrates the forces exerted on the occupant's head from the headrest when the vehicle vibrates vertically. [Figure 7] This is a flowchart illustrating the processes performed by the CPU of the ECU. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] Hereinafter, a vehicle seat control device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings. In each figure, arrows FR indicate the forward direction of the vehicle, arrows UP indicate the upward direction of the vehicle, and arrows LH indicate the left side in the left-right direction (vehicle width direction) of the vehicle. Hereafter, when simply referring to the front-rear, left-right, and up-down directions, these refer to the front-rear direction of the vehicle, the left-right direction in the left-right direction (vehicle width direction) of the vehicle, and the up-down direction of the vehicle.

[0011] As shown in Figure 1, the instrument panel 14C of the vehicle body 12 of the vehicle 10 on which the vehicle seat control device 100 is installed is equipped with a steering wheel 14D. Furthermore, the passenger compartment 14A is equipped with two front seats 16L and 16R. The right front seat 16R is located directly behind the steering wheel 14D. Therefore, in the following description, the right front seat will be referred to as the driver's seat 16R. As shown in Figure 2, an occupant (driver) P1 is seated in the driver's seat 16R. The driver's seat 16R comprises a seat 19, a seat support mechanism 20, and a lifter mechanism 21. The seat support mechanism 20 is, for example, a slide rail device.

[0012] As shown in Figure 2, a vertical drive device 20A is provided on the upper surface of the seat support mechanism 20. The vertical drive device 20A has an electric motor 20B. When the electric motor 20B rotates in the forward direction and generates a driving force, this driving force causes the vertical drive device 20A to extend in the vertical direction. When the electric motor 20B rotates in the reverse direction and generates a driving force, this driving force causes the vertical drive device 20A to shorten in the vertical direction. When the vertical drive device 20A extends or retracts in the vertical direction, the vertical position of the seat cushion 19A, which will be described later, changes without changing the seat cushion angle θ1, which will be described later.

[0013] A lifter mechanism 21 is provided on the upper surface of the vertical drive unit 20A. The lifter mechanism 21 has an electric motor 22. When the electric motor 22 rotates in the forward direction and generates a driving force, this driving force causes the lifter mechanism 21 to extend vertically. When the electric motor 22 rotates in the reverse direction and generates a driving force, this driving force causes the lifter mechanism 21 to shorten vertically. When the lifter mechanism 21 extends or retracts vertically, the seat cushion angle θ1 changes and the vertical position of the seat cushion 19A changes.

[0014] As shown in Figure 2, the seat 19 has a seat cushion (movable part) (target member) 19A, a seat back (movable part) (target member) 19B, a neck pad 19C, and an ottoman (movable part) 19D. The seat cushion 19A is fixed to the upper end of the lifter mechanism 21. As shown in Figure 2, a metal frame member 19A1 is provided inside the seat cushion 19A as a skeletal member. The frame member 19A1 has a pair of left and right side frames 19A2 and a pair of left and right connecting parts 19A3 extending upward from the rear end of each side frame 19A2. As shown in Figure 2, an air bladder 23 and an intake / exhaust device 24 are provided inside the seat cushion 19A. The intake / exhaust device 24 is capable of supplying air to the inside of the air bladder 23, which is an air bag, and is also capable of sucking air from inside the air bladder 23. The more air there is in the air bladder 23, the more the seat cushion 19A expands and the harder it becomes, and the less air there is in the air bladder 23, the harder the seat cushion 19A becomes. In other words, the less air there is in the air bladder 23, the easier it is for the seat cushion 19A to conform to the shape of the occupant P1's body when the occupant P1 sits down. Therefore, the less air there is in the air bladder 23, the easier it is for the seat cushion 19A to stably support the occupant P1's body.

[0015] Furthermore, as the lifter mechanism 21 extends and retracts in the vertical direction, the seat cushion angle θ1, which is the inclination angle of the seat cushion 19A in a side view, changes. As shown in Figure 2, the seat cushion angle θ1 is the angle formed by the horizontal line HL extending in the front-rear direction in a side view and the straight line SL which is approximately parallel to the upper surface of the seat cushion 19A when the occupant P1 is not seated.

[0016] As shown in Figure 2, a metal frame member 19B1 is provided inside the seat back 19B as a skeletal member. The connection part 19A3 of the seat cushion 19A and the lower end of the frame member 19B1 are rotatably connected via a reclining mechanism 26. That is, the seat back 19B is rotatable relative to the seat cushion 19A about the rotation axis 26X of the reclining mechanism 26 which extends in the left-right direction. An electric motor 28 is provided in the reclining mechanism 26. When the electric motor 28 rotates in the forward direction and generates a driving force, this driving force causes the reclining mechanism 26 to rotate, and the seat back 19B rotates forward relative to the seat cushion 19A. When the electric motor 28 rotates in the reverse direction and generates a driving force, this driving force causes the reclining mechanism 26 to rotate, and the seat back 19B rotates backward relative to the seat cushion 19A. Here, in a side view, a straight line approximately parallel to the front of the seat back 19B when the occupant P1 is not seated is defined as the reference line 19BX. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 2, the angle θ2 formed by the straight line L perpendicular to the floor 14B and the reference line 19BX in a side view is called the reclining angle. In addition, an air bladder 23 and an intake / exhaust device 24 are provided inside the seat back 19B. The more air in the air bladder 23 there is, the more the seat back 19B expands and the harder it becomes, and the less air in the air bladder 23 there is, the harder the seat back 19B becomes. In other words, the less air in the air bladder 23 there is, the easier it is for the seat back 19B to conform to the shape of the occupant P1's body when the occupant P1 is seated. Therefore, the less air in the air bladder 23 there is, the easier it is for the seat back 19B to stably support the occupant P1's body.

[0017] The neck pad 19C shown in FIG. 2 is provided at the front part of the seat back 19B. The neck pad 19C supports the neck of the occupant P1 seated on the seat 19. When an operation switch (not shown) provided on the seat back 19B is operated, the neck pad 19C moves relative to the seat back 19B in the vertical direction by the driving force of an actuator (not shown).

[0018] An ottoman 19D is rotatably connected to the front end of the seat cushion 19A about a rotation axis extending in the left-right direction. Further, the seat 19 includes an electric motor for ottoman (not shown) that generates a driving force for rotating the ottoman 19D relative to the seat cushion 19A. Here, in a side view, the angle formed by the straight line SL and the front surface of the ottoman 19D is the ottoman angle θ3.

[0019] Furthermore, a sleep mode selection switch 25 is provided on the seat cushion 19A. When the sleep mode selection switch 25 is in the off position, the sleep mode selection switch 25 transmits a wake-up mode signal to an ECU 40 described later. On the other hand, when the sleep mode selection switch 25 is in the on position, the sleep mode selection switch 25 transmits a sleep mode signal to the ECU 40.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 1, a pair of left and right rear seats 30 are provided on the floor 14B behind the driver's seat 16R. The configurations of the left front seat 16L and each rear seat 30 are the same as that of the driver's seat 16R (see FIG. 2). That is, the front seat 16L and each rear seat 30 include a seat 19, a seat support mechanism 20, an up-down driving device 20A, a lifter mechanism 21, a sleep mode selection switch 25, and a reclining mechanism 26.

[0021] Although not shown, the vehicle 10 includes four seat belt devices corresponding to the driver's seat 16R, the front seat 16L, and each rear seat 30, respectively. The corresponding seat belt devices are worn by the occupant P1 seated on the driver's seat 16R and the occupants (not shown) seated on the front seat 16L and each rear seat 30, respectively.

[0022] As shown in Figure 1, the vehicle 10 is equipped with a vehicle speed sensor (information acquisition unit) 29. The vehicle 10 has four wheels 31 (only the front wheels are shown in Figure 1). Although not shown, the vehicle 10 also has a drive source and a brake system.

[0023] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 2, heart rate monitors 32 are provided inside the seatbacks 19B of the seats 19 in the driver's seat 16R, the front seat 16L, and the rear seat 30. The heart rate monitor 32 in the driver's seat 16R measures the heart rate of occupant P1 seated in the driver's seat 16R. The heart rate monitors 32 in the front seat 16L and the rear seat 30 measure the heart rates of occupants seated in the front seat 16L and the rear seat 30, respectively.

[0024] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 1, the vehicle 10 is equipped with a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver (information acquisition unit) 34. The GNSS receiver 34 acquires positional information (latitude, longitude, etc.) of the location where the vehicle 10 is traveling based on GNSS signals transmitted from artificial satellites at predetermined intervals.

[0025] Furthermore, the instrument panel 14C is equipped with a driver assistance control device 36. When an occupant wants the vehicle 10 to perform the driver assistance control described later, any occupant switches the driver assistance control device 36 from the OFF state to the ON state.

[0026] As shown in Figure 1, the vehicle 10 is equipped with an ECU 40. The ECU 40 is electrically connected to the electric motor 20B, electric motor 22, electric motor for the ottoman, sleep mode selection switch 25, electric motor 28, vehicle speed sensor 29, heart rate monitor 32, GNSS receiver 34, driver assistance control device 36, brake device, drive source, and electric power steering device (described later). As shown in Figure 3, the ECU 40 consists of a CPU (Central Processing Unit: processor) (control unit) 40A, ROM (Read Only Memory) 40B, RAM (Random Access Memory) 40C, storage 40D, communication I / F (Interface) 40E, and input / output I / F 40F. The CPU 40A, ROM 40B, RAM 40C, storage 40D, communication I / F 40E, and input / output I / F 40F are connected to each other so as to be able to communicate via bus 40Z. The ECU 40 can acquire date and time information from a timer (not shown).

[0027] The CPU 40A is the central processing unit, which executes various programs and controls various components. Specifically, the CPU 40A reads programs from ROM 40B or storage 40D and executes them using RAM 40C as the working area. The CPU 40A controls each component and performs various calculations according to the programs recorded in ROM 40B or storage 40D.

[0028] ROM40B stores various programs and data. RAM40C temporarily stores programs or data as a working area. Storage40D consists of a storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or SSD (Solid State Drive) and stores various programs and data. Communication I / F40E is an interface for ECU40 to communicate with other devices. Input / Output I / F40F is an interface for communicating with various devices.

[0029] Vehicle 10 is equipped with a navigation system 34 (information acquisition unit). Map data, which is part of the navigation system, is stored in the storage 40D of the ECU 40. The GNSS receiver 34 is also part of the navigation system. Vehicle 10 may also use map data received from a web server via wireless communication over the internet as part of the navigation system. The navigation system and the ECU 40 are components of the vehicle seat control device 100.

[0030] As shown in Figure 4, the ECU 40 has a functional configuration consisting of a sleep state estimation unit 401, an acceleration prediction unit 402, a driving support control unit 403, a movable part control unit 404, and a cushion hardness control unit 405. The sleep state estimation unit 401, acceleration prediction unit 402, driving support control unit 403, movable part control unit 404, and cushion hardness control unit 405 are realized by the CPU 40A reading and executing a program stored in the ROM 40B or storage 40D.

[0031] The sleep state estimation unit 401 estimates (detects) the sleep depth of each occupant based on the data obtained by the ECU 40 from the heart rate monitors 32 for each occupant. In this embodiment, the sleep state estimation unit 401 estimates sleep depth in five stages. That is, the sleep depth estimated by the sleep state estimation unit 401 includes sleep depths of levels 1 to 5. Sleep depth level 1 corresponds to wakefulness. Sleep depth level 2 corresponds to REM sleep. Sleep depth levels 3 to 5 correspond to non-REM sleep. Furthermore, the sleep state estimation unit 401 determines whether the sleep mode selection switch 25 is transmitting an wakefulness mode signal or a sleep mode signal.

[0032] The acceleration prediction unit 402 determines the location information of predicted points (areas) on the planned route where a specific acceleration (driving-related information) is predicted to occur, and the predicted time of passage to those predicted points, based on information about the planned route that the vehicle 10 is scheduled to travel, information about traffic congestion (congestion status) on the planned route (driving-related information) obtained from the navigation system, and vehicle speed information obtained from the vehicle speed sensor 29. Here, a specific acceleration is an upward acceleration greater than a predetermined acceleration threshold. The information about the planned route includes road surface information (road surface irregularities, etc.). For example, a specific acceleration occurs in the vehicle 10 when it passes over an irregularity of a predetermined size on the road. Data related to the acceleration threshold is recorded in the ROM 40B.

[0033] The driver assistance control unit 403 functions when the driver assistance control device 36, which was in the OFF state, is switched to the ON state. The driver assistance control unit 403 performs driver assistance control of the vehicle 10 by controlling the brake system, the drive source, and the electric power steering system, including the steering wheel 14D. In this specification, "driver assistance control" includes driver assistance control levels 1 to 5 as defined by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE). When the driver assistance control device 36 is in the ON state, the occupant can select the level and the driver assistance control to be performed by operating the driver assistance control device 36.

[0034] The movable part control unit 404 controls the electric motors 20B, 22, 28 and the electric motor for the ottoman to adjust the vertical position of the seat cushion 19A of each seat 19, the seat cushion angle θ1, the reclining angle θ2 and the ottoman angle θ3.

[0035] The cushion hardness control unit 405 adjusts the hardness of the seat cushion 19A and seat back 19B of each seat 19 by controlling the intake and exhaust device 24.

[0036] (Mechanism of Action and Effects) Next, the operation and effects of this embodiment will be described.

[0037] The CPU 40A of the ECU 40 of the vehicle seat control device 10 repeatedly executes the process shown in the flowchart of Figure 7 after a predetermined amount of time has elapsed.

[0038] First, in step S10 (hereinafter the word "step" will be omitted), the CPU 40A determines whether or not Level 5 driver assistance control is being performed. That is, the driver assistance control unit 403 determines whether or not the vehicle 10 is performing so-called fully autonomous driving.

[0039] If CPU 40A determines Yes in S10, it proceeds to S11 and determines that the driver's seat 16R, front seat 16L, and rear seat 30 are the seats to be controlled. On the other hand, if it determines No in S10, CPU 40A proceeds to S12 without going through S11. In this case, CPU 40A determines that the driver's seat 16R is not a seat to be controlled and includes all seats other than the driver's seat 16R as seats to be controlled.

[0040] After completing the process in S11, CPU 40A proceeds to S12 and determines whether the sleep mode selection switch 25 of the controlled seat is in the ON position.

[0041] If CPU 40A determines "Yes" in S12, it proceeds to S13 to determine whether an occupant seated in any of the controlled seats is in a predetermined sleep state. That is, it determines whether the sleep depth of any occupant detected by the sleep state estimation unit 401 is one of levels 2 to 5. In the following explanation, the seat in which the occupant determined to be in the predetermined sleep state is seated will be referred to as the "specific seat".

[0042] If CPU 40A determines Yes in S13, proceeds to S14 and controls the electric motors 22 and 28 of the specific seat and the electric motor for the ottoman so that the seat cushion angle θ1 of the specific seat becomes the first set angle, the reclining angle θ2 becomes the second set angle, and the ottoman angle θ3 becomes the third set angle. Information regarding the first set angle, second set angle, and third set angle is recorded in ROM 40B. In this embodiment, the first set angle is 30° and the second set angle is 60°. However, 30° in this specification also includes angles that are slightly different from 30°. For example, 30° in this specification includes any angle in the range of 25° to 35°. Also, 60° in this specification also includes angles that are slightly different from 60°. For example, 60° in this specification includes any angle in the range of 55° to 65°. In this embodiment, the third set angle is 130°.

[0043] Figure 5 shows the state when vehicle 10 is traveling with positive acceleration, and a backward force (inertial force) Facc resulting from this positive acceleration is applied from the head P1c of occupant P1 to the front of the neck pad 19C. This force Facc includes component forces F1A and F1B. Component force F1A is a force approximately perpendicular to the front of the neck pad 19C. As is clear from Figure 5, the smaller the reclining angle θ2, the larger component force F1A becomes. In other words, the smaller the reclining angle θ2, the larger the force acceleration from the neck pad 19C to the head P1c, which is the reaction force to the force (component force F1A) from the head P1c to the neck pad 19C. Also, the larger the reclining angle θ2, the smaller the force acceleration from the neck pad 19C to the head P1c becomes. In other words, the smaller the reclining angle θ2, the greater the acceleration opposite to the component force F1A generated at the head P1c, and the larger the reclining angle θ2, the smaller the acceleration opposite to the component force F1A generated at the head P1c.

[0044] Figure 6 shows a state in which an upward force Fvp is generated on the neck pad 19C due to vertical vibrations transmitted from the road (road surface) to the vehicle 10 via the wheels 31. This force Fvp includes component forces F2A and F2B. Component force F2A is a force that is approximately perpendicular to the front surface of the neck pad 19C and is transmitted to the head P1c of the occupant P1. As is clear from Figure 6, the component force F2A decreases as the reclining angle θ2 decreases. In other words, the smaller the reclining angle θ2, the smaller the acceleration in the direction of component force F2A generated on the head P1c. Also, the larger the reclining angle θ2, the larger the component force F2A. In other words, the larger the reclining angle θ2, the larger the acceleration in the direction of component force F2A generated on the head P1c.

[0045] When the force transmitted from the neck pad 19C to the head P1c increases due to a forward positive acceleration occurring in the vehicle 10, it becomes difficult for the occupant of a particular seat to fall asleep. For example, if the occupant of a particular seat is at sleep depth level 2, a large force (reaction force of component force F1A) transmitted from the neck pad 19C to the head P1c makes it easy for the occupant to return to an awake state. In other words, this problem is more likely to occur when the reclining angle θ2 is small. Also, when the force transmitted from the neck pad 19C to the head P1c increases due to vertical vibrations, it becomes difficult for the occupant of a particular seat to fall asleep. For example, if the occupant of a particular seat is at sleep depth level 2, a large force (component force F2A) transmitted from the neck pad 19C to the head P1c makes it easy for the occupant to return to an awake state. In other words, this problem is more likely to occur when the reclining angle θ2 is large.

[0046] Thus, if the reclining angle θ2 is too small or too large, it becomes difficult for the occupant of a particular seat to sleep. In contrast, when the reclining angle θ2 is set to the second setting angle, the force transmitted from the neck pad 19C to the head P1c (the reaction force of component force F1A) and the force transmitted from the neck pad 19C to the head P1c (component force F2A) are less likely to become large. Therefore, when the reclining angle θ2 is set to the second setting angle, it becomes easier to maintain the sleep state of the occupant of a particular seat. In particular, when the reclining angle θ2 is set to the second setting angle, the seat cushion angle θ1 is set to the first setting angle, and the ottoman angle θ3 is set to the third setting angle, the particular seat can support the occupant in a stable state without disturbing their sleep.

[0047] Meanwhile, CPU 40A, which determined No in S13, proceeds to S15 and controls the electric motors 22 and 28 of the specific seat and the electric motor for the ottoman so that the seat cushion angle θ1 of the specific seat becomes the first set angle, the reclining angle θ2 becomes the fourth set angle, and the ottoman angle θ3 becomes the third set angle. Information regarding the fourth set angle is recorded in ROM 40B. The fourth set angle is smaller than the second set angle. For example, the fourth set angle is any angle in the range of 45° to 50°.

[0048] Normally, the recline angle θ2 of a seat occupied by a passenger who does not intend to sleep is small, for example, at a predetermined angle in the range of 20° to 25°. If the recline angle θ2 of a specific seat occupied by a passenger who intends to sleep and is awake is changed from this predetermined angle to a second set angle, the large change in angle may cause the passenger's psychological state to become unstable. In contrast, if the recline angle θ2 is changed from this angle to a fourth set angle, the small change in angle reduces the risk of the passenger's psychological state becoming unstable. In other words, in this case, a passenger who intends to sleep and is awake can more easily transition to a sleep state.

[0049] After completing the process in S15, CPU 40A temporarily terminates the process shown in the flowchart in Figure 7 and then executes the processes in S10 to S13 again. That is, if the sleep mode selection switch 25 is in the ON position, CPU 40A repeats the processes in S10 to S13 until the sleep depth level of the occupant in the controlled seat becomes one of levels 2 to 5.

[0050] After completing the processing in S14, the CPU 40A proceeds to S16 and determines whether the acceleration prediction unit 402 has acquired information regarding the specific acceleration. The specific acceleration, location information of the prediction point (area), and predicted time of passage acquired by the acceleration prediction unit 402 are recorded in the storage 40D. Note that if the occupant sets the driving route for the vehicle 10 using the navigation system, the acceleration prediction unit 402 may acquire information regarding the specific acceleration. In other words, if the occupant has not set the driving route for the vehicle 10, the CPU 40A determines No in S16.

[0051] CPU 40A, which determined Yes in S16, proceeds to S17 and calculates whether the predicted arrival time has arrived based on the current time and the predicted arrival time.

[0052] If CPU 40A determines "Yes" in S17, it proceeds to S18, where it controls the electric motor 20B to momentarily lower the vertical drive unit 20A, and then raise the vertical drive unit 20A. This suppresses the upward acceleration generated in vehicle 10 when it passes over bumps on the travel route (road) from becoming a large value. Therefore, when vehicle 10 passes over bumps, it is less likely that the occupant in a specific seat who is asleep will become awake.

[0053] After completing the process in S18, CPU 40A proceeds to S19, where it obtains information regarding the vehicle 10's running duration (driving-related information) based on the information from the timer, and determines whether the running duration is greater than or equal to a predetermined first threshold. The first threshold is, for example, one hour. Information regarding the first threshold is recorded in ROM 40B.

[0054] Having determined "Yes" in S19, CPU 40A proceeds to S20, where it controls the intake and exhaust system 24 to draw a predetermined amount of air from the air bladder 23. This reduces the hardness of the seat cushion 19A and seat back 19B. As a result, the burden felt by the occupant on their buttocks P1a and back P1b is reduced.

[0055] Furthermore, after completing the processing in S20, the CPU 40A proceeds to S21 and calculates the estimated time of arrival at the destination, which is the time when the vehicle is expected to arrive at the destination on the driving route, based on the distance from the current location to the destination, information on traffic congestion (congestion status) on the planned driving route, and vehicle speed information acquired by the vehicle speed sensor 29. The CPU 40A then determines whether the current time is a specific time that is a predetermined time before the time of arrival at the destination. This predetermined time is, for example, 30 minutes. Information regarding the predetermined time is recorded in the ROM 40B.

[0056] If the system determines "Yes" in S21, the CPU 40A proceeds to S22 and reduces the reclining angle θ2 of the specific seat by a predetermined angle compared to its value before a specific time. This predetermined angle is, for example, 5°. As described above, when the reclining angle θ2 is reduced, the force (reaction force of component force F1A) transmitted from the neck pad 19C to the head P1c increases. Therefore, by reducing the reclining angle θ2 by a small amount in this way, the occupant of the specific seat is more likely to return to an awake state gradually rather than suddenly returning from a sleep state. This information regarding the predetermined angle is recorded in the ROM 40B.

[0057] When the processing in S22 is complete, the CPU 40A proceeds to S23 and determines whether the vehicle 10 has reached its destination based on the information from the navigation system. That is, it determines whether the vehicle 10 has stopped at its destination.

[0058] If S23 determines "Yes," CPU40A proceeds to S24 and restores the specific seat to its initial state. That is, the seat cushion angle θ1, reclining angle θ2, and ottoman angle θ3 are returned to the state they were in when S10 was determined.

[0059] When CPU40A has finished processing S15 and S24, or when it has determined No in S12, it temporarily terminates the processing shown in the flowchart in Figure 7.

[0060] In the embodiment described above, the CPU 40A controls the movable parts of the specific seat (seat cushion 19A, seat back 19B, ottoman 19D) based on the sleep state of the occupant seated in the specific seat and the vehicle 10's driving-related information. Therefore, the vehicle seat control device 100 of this embodiment can adjust the movable parts of the specific seat to a state that facilitates sleep for the occupant, based on the occupant's sleep state and the vehicle 10's driving-related information.

[0061] Furthermore, when the occupants of the vehicle 20 are in a sleep state with a sleep depth of level 2 to 5, the reclining angle θ2 of a specific seat is set to 60°. When the reclining angle θ2 is 60°, longitudinal acceleration, lateral vibration, and vertical vibration generated in the vehicle 10 are less likely to be transmitted to the occupants' bodies from the seat back 19B and neck pad 19C. In other words, in this case, for example, even if the vehicle 10 experiences lateral acceleration when traveling on a curved road (a curved road) in a plan view, the lateral acceleration experienced by the occupant whose neck is supported by the neck pad 19C is likely to be kept below 0.2G. Also, in this case, even if a 10Hz vertical vibration is transmitted from the seat to the occupant's head, the vertical acceleration experienced by the occupant is likely to be kept below 0.2G.

[0062] When the occupant is awake, the seat cushion angle θ1 of a specific seat becomes the first set angle and the reclining angle θ2 becomes the fourth set angle. In this case, even if lateral acceleration occurs in the vehicle 10, the lateral acceleration experienced by the occupant is likely to be kept below 0.2G. Also, in this case, even if a 10Hz vertical vibration is transmitted from the seat to the occupant's head, the vertical acceleration experienced by the occupant is likely to be kept below 0.2G.

[0063] Although a vehicle seat control device 100 according to an embodiment has been described above, the vehicle seat control device 10 can be appropriately modified in design without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0064] For example, the air bladder 23 and the intake / exhaust device 24 may be provided on only one of the seat cushion 19A or the seat back 19B.

[0065] The present invention may also be applied to vehicles in which driver assistance control is not possible. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0066] 10 vehicles 16L Front seats 16R Front seat (driver's seat) 19 seats 19A Seat cushion (movable part) (target component) 19B Seat back (movable part) (target component) 19C Neck Pad 19D Ottoman (movable part) 20A Up / Down Drive Unit 23. Air bladder (hardness adjustment mechanism) 24. Intake and exhaust system (hardness adjustment mechanism) 26 Reclining mechanism 29. Vehicle speed sensor (information acquisition unit) 30 Rear seats 34 GNSS receiver (information acquisition unit) 40A CPU (Control Unit) 401 Sleep State Estimation Unit 402 Acceleration prediction unit 100 Vehicle seat control device P1 Crew (Driver) θ2 Reclining angle

Claims

1. A sleep state estimation unit that estimates whether an occupant seated in a seat with a neck pad, which is installed in a vehicle capable of performing driver assistance control, is in an awake state or a predetermined sleep state, An information acquisition unit that acquires driving-related information of the aforementioned vehicle, A control unit controls the movable part of the seat based on the estimation results of the sleep state estimation unit and the driving-related information, A sleep mode selection switch that, when in the ON position, transmits a sleep mode signal to the control unit, and when in the OFF position, transmits an awakening mode signal to the control unit, Equipped with, The movable part includes a seat back with an adjustable reclining angle, When the control unit receives the sleep mode signal and the sleep state estimation unit estimates that the occupant is in the predetermined sleep state, the control unit sets the reclining angle to 60°. A vehicle seat control device in which, when the control unit receives the sleep mode signal and the sleep state estimation unit estimates that the occupant is in an awakened state, the control unit sets the reclining angle to any angle in the range of 45° to 50°, which is less than 60°.

2. The movable part includes a seat back with an adjustable reclining angle, The vehicle seat control device according to claim 1, wherein the sleep state estimation unit estimates that the occupant is in a predetermined sleep state, and when a predetermined time has arrived before the predicted arrival time at the destination on the planned route, which is the route the vehicle is scheduled to travel, the control unit reduces the reclining angle.

3. The aforementioned driving-related information includes at least one of the following: information regarding the duration of the vehicle's driving, and traffic congestion information for the road on which the vehicle is traveling. The movable part includes a hardness adjustment mechanism provided inside the target member, which is at least one of the seat cushion and seat back of the seat, for adjusting the hardness of the target member. The vehicle seat control device according to claim 1, wherein when the duration of driving is equal to or greater than a first threshold, the control unit controls the hardness adjustment mechanism to reduce the hardness of the target member.

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