Occupant positioning system

Abstract

Aspects of the present invention relate to a control system (200) for a vehicle (100). The vehicle (100) comprises a cabin (102) with one or more movable seat elements (116) for adjusting the configuration of a vehicle seat (104) and thereby adjusting a pose of a user of the vehicle (100). The control system (200) comprises one or more processors (220) collectively configured to: receive one or more signals indicative of one or more anatomical measurements of the user; in dependence on the one or more signals, determine a musculoskeletal model (300) taking the form of an anatomy-based joint model comprising a set of body features (310), the set of body feature (310) comprising one or more anatomical joints (314) and a plurality of rigid elements (312) connected by the one or more anatomical joints (314); determine a pose of the musculoskeletal model (300) when seated in the vehicle seat (104) with one or more of the body features (310) in respective allocated positions, each allocated position being arranged within a respective space envelope (500) associated with said body feature (310); wherein each respective pose comprises: one or more posture angles defined by the musculoskeletal model (300); and a relative position of one or more of the body features (310); and in dependence on the determined pose, output one or more control signals to at least one of said one or more moveable seat elements (116) to adjust the configuration of the vehicle seat (104) for supporting the user in the determined pose.

Description

[0001] OCCUPANT POSITIONING SYSTEM

[0002] TECHNICAL FIELD

[0003] The present disclosure relates to an occupant positioning system. Aspects of the invention relate to a control system, to an occupant positioning system, to a vehicle, to a method, and to computer readable instructions.

[0004] BACKGROUND

[0005] It is known to provide a vehicle cabin with various movable features for adjusting occupant positions within the vehicle. For example, modern vehicles typically include powered seats offering a complex range of movements for adjusting an occupant position, including adjustments of a fore / aft seating position, an incline / recline angle of the backrest, and an inclination of the vehicle seat bottom / base, amongst many others.

[0006] However, whilst such adjustable features make it possible for a user to configure bespoke cabin configurations, users often have difficulty setting the seat and other cabin features in an arrangement that provides a comfortable posture in practice. In part, this is due to the complex array of possible adjustments and misconceptions about how to achieve a more comfortable posture. Users may therefore spend time making adjustments that fail to provide a desirable posture, leading to frustration and discomfort after a short period.

[0007] It is an aim of the present invention to address one or more of the disadvantages associated with the prior art.

[0008] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Aspects and embodiments of the invention provide a control system, an occupant positioning system, a vehicle, a method, and computer readable instructions, as claimed in the appended claims.

[0010] According to an aspect of the invention, there is provided a control system for a vehicle. The vehicle comprises a cabin with one or more movable cabin elements for adjusting the adjusting a pose of a user of the vehicle. The control system comprises one or more processors collectively configured to: receive one or more signals indicative of one or more anatomical measurements of the user; in dependence on the one or more signals, determine a musculoskeletal model (i.e. a rigid-segment model) taking the form of an anatomy-based joint model comprising a set of body features, the set of body feature comprising one or more anatomical joints and a plurality of rigid elements connected by the one or more anatomical joints; determine a pose of the musculoskeletal model when seated in the vehicle with one or more of the body features in respective allocated positions, each allocated position being arranged within a respective space envelope associated with said body feature; wherein each respective pose comprises: one or more posture angles defined by the musculoskeletal model; and a relative position of one or more of the body features; and in dependence on the determined pose, output one or more control signals to at least one of said one or more moveable cabin elements to adjust the configuration of the cabin for supporting the user in the determined pose.

[0011] According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a control system for a vehicle. The vehicle comprises a cabin with one or more movable seat elements for adjusting the configuration of a vehicle seat and thereby adjusting a pose of a user of the vehicle. The control system comprises one or more processors collectively configured to: receive one or more signals indicative of one or more anatomical measurements of the user; in dependence on the one or more signals, determine a musculoskeletal model (i.e. a rigid-segment model) taking the form of an anatomy-based joint model comprising a set of body features, the set of body feature comprising one or more anatomical joints and a plurality of rigid elements connected by the one or more anatomical joints; determine a pose of the musculoskeletal model when seated in the vehicle seat with one or more of the body features in respective allocated positions, each allocated position being arranged within a respective space envelope associated with said body feature; wherein each respective pose comprises: one or more posture angles defined by the musculoskeletal model; and a relative position of one or more of the body features; and in dependence on the determined pose, output one or more control signals to at least one of said one or more moveable seat elements to adjust the configuration of the vehicle seat for supporting the user in the determined pose.

[0012] In this manner, the control system therefore obtains user specific body dimensions, which are used to model (in a virtual environment) the pose of the user when seated inside the vehicle and thereby validate user comfort in a particular seat configuration. Each seat configuration is defined by respective positions of the movable seat elements, which are incorporated into the model by the allocated position(s) of the corresponding body features. For example, the body features may include a hip joint positionally corresponding to the location of a movable seat bottom of the vehicle seat. One or more control signals can therefore be output to adjust the seat elements accordingly. In this context, the anatomy-based joint model is a relatively simple user model, minimising complexity, whilst providing sufficient information to indicate user comfort. The model geometrically relates the body features to one another such that the control system can calculates respective positions of the remaining (unallocated) body features, by relation to the allocated positions, accounting for the one or more further constraints and / or ergonomic targets. In this manner, user comfort can be assessed and improved, leading to increased concentration.

[0013] In this context, it shall be appreciated that the relative position of each body feature may be defined relative to a fixed point in the model system. For example, the model system may be a two-dimensional representation of the vehicle cabin and the relative position of each body feature may, for example be defined relative to a fixed co-ordinate position inside the vehicle cabin. Each space envelope may be defined by a range of possible positions of the respective body feature corresponding to the possible adjustments of a respective movable seat element. Moreover, the posture angle(s) defined by the model may include one or more angles defined between the rigid elements, or between one of the rigid elements and a reference axis.

[0014] Optionally, a pose of said musculoskeletal model may be determined for one or more of the body features in each allocated position of a respective array of allocated positions. Each array of allocated positions may be determined within the respective space envelope associated with said body feature. The one or more processors may be collectively configured to select one of said determined poses. The one or more control signals may be output in dependence on the selected pose.

[0015] Advantageously, the pose of the user is therefore modelled with a body feature, such as a hip joint, in a discrete array of possible positions and one of the determined poses may be selected to improve user comfort. Each space envelope may be determined for a respective body feature, for example, and the array may define a two-dimensional grid of allocated positions within the space envelope. The array(s) of positions are defined by corresponding positions of the seat elements in a particular seat configuration.

[0016] A pose of said musculoskeletal model may, for example, be determined for one or more combinations of the allocated positions of the respective arrays of allocated positions for two or more body features. In this manner, the pose of the user is therefore modelled with multiple body features, such as a foot and hand, in respective allocated positions and one of the determined poses may be selected to improve user comfort.

[0017] Optionally, a pose of said musculoskeletal model may be determined for every combination of the allocated positions of the respective arrays for two or more body features. For example, the control system may use one or more nested loops to determine a respective pose for each allocated position of an array for one body feature associated with an inner loop in combination with each allocated position of an array for another body feature associated with an outer loop. In this manner, the pose of the user is therefore modelled for every combination of allocated positions, providing a robust evaluation system and leading to improved user comfort.

[0018] In an embodiment, the one or more processors may be collectively configured to: determine a user comfort score for each determined pose, each driver comfort score being determined based on one or more posture angles of the respective pose; select a preferred one of the plurality of determined poses based on the determined driver comfort scores; and output the one or more control signals based on the selected pose. In this manner, the most comfortable cabin configuration can be determined and selected, such that corresponding control signals can be output accordingly.

[0019] Optionally, the one or more processors are collectively configured to: determine a user comfort score for each determined pose, each driver comfort score being determined based on one or more posture angles of the respective pose; select a preferred one of the plurality of determined poses based on the determined driver comfort scores; redetermine each array of allocated positions after selecting the preferred pose, each array of allocated positions being redetermined in a respective subspace of the space envelope, that subspace encompassing the allocated position of the respective body feature in the selected pose, and the allocated positions of each array having a greater resolution within the respective subspace once redetermined; redetermine each pose of said musculoskeletal model based on the one or more redetermined arrays; select one of said redetermined poses; and output the one or more control signals in dependence on the selected redetermined pose. Advantageously, the array of positions can therefore be redetermined to test positions with an increased resolution in a smaller area around the positions identified in the preferred seat configuration. This provides improved precision with a minor computational expense. In other words, upon identifying a preferred position from a crude array, a denser array of positions may be tested in a smaller area to further improve comfort indicators. Each cycle focuses calculation time / effort on a smaller area to refine the coordinates for ideal adjustment position.

[0020] Optionally, the one or more processors are collectively configured to: determine a user comfort score for each redetermined pose, each driver comfort score being determined based on one or more posture angles of the respective pose; select a preferred one of said redetermined poses based on the determined comfort scores; and output the one or more control signals in dependence on the preferred redetermined pose. In this manner, the control system facilitates improved comfort of the user. For example, two seat configurations can be directly compared by comparison of the respective user comfort scores.

[0021] Optionally, the one or more processors are further configured to output information indicative of the vehicle seat configuration for supporting the user in the determined pose to a human-machine interface of the vehicle; and output the one or more control signals in dependence on receiving a user response to the output information via the human-machine interface. In this manner, the user can provide inputs to approve configuration before automatic adjustment, providing enhanced user control.

[0022] Each determined pose may be validated by comparison to one or more pose constraints. The one or more pose constrains may correspond to ergonomic limits for example. In this manner, the modelled pose is suitably bound and configured to produce real-world results.

[0023] The musculoskeletal model of the user may, for example, comprise: an upper body model of the user; and / or a lower body model of the user. Each of the upper and lower body models may extend to a hip joint of the user. In this manner the control system may only model one of upper or lower body to assess the impact of certain movable elements on the user, reducing complexity.

[0024] In examples, the cabin may further include one or more movable elements for adjusting the pose of the user. The one or more movable elements may comprise: a foot pedal; and / or a steering wheel. The movable seat element, foot pedal and / or steering wheel may therefore collectively define one or more movable cabin elements. The processor(s) may be further configured to: determine the pose of the musculoskeletal model when seated in the vehicle with one or more of the body features in respective allocated positions, each allocated position being arranged within a respective space envelope associated with said body feature; and, in dependence on the determined pose, output one or more control signals to at least one of said one or more moveable cabin elements to adjust the configuration of the cabin for supporting the user in the determined pose.

[0025] According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a vehicle system comprising a control system as described in any previous aspect of the invention; and one or more movable seat elements for adjusting the configuration of a seat of the vehicle and thereby adjusting a pose of the user.

[0026] According to yet another aspect of the invention there is provided a vehicle comprising the vehicle system of a previous aspect of the invention, or a control system as described in a previous aspect of the invention.

[0027] According to a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a method for controlling a vehicle. The vehicle comprises a cabin with one or more movable seat elements for adjusting a configuration of a vehicle seat and thereby adjusting a pose of a user of the vehicle. The method comprises: receiving one or more signals indicative of one or more anatomical measurements of the user; in dependence on the one or more signals, determining a musculoskeletal model based on the one or more anatomical measurements, the musculoskeletal model taking the form of an anatomy-based joint model comprising a set of body features, the set of body features comprising one or more anatomical joints and a plurality of rigid elements connected by the one or more anatomical joints; determining a pose of the musculoskeletal model when seated in the vehicle seat with one or more of the body features in respective allocated positions, each allocated position being arranged within a respective space envelope associated with said body feature; wherein each respective pose comprises: one or more posture angles defined by the musculoskeletal model; and a relative position of one or more of the body features; and in dependence on the determined pose, outputting one or more control signals to at least one of said one or more moveable seat elements to adjust the configuration of the vehicle seat for supporting the user in the determined pose.

[0028] According to a further aspect of the invention, there is provided computer readable instructions which, when executed by a computer, are arranged to perform a method according to a previous aspect of the invention.

[0029] Within the scope of this application it is expressly intended that the various aspects, embodiments, examples and alternatives set out in the preceding paragraphs, in the claims and / or in the following description and drawings, and in particular the individual features thereof, may be taken independently or in any combination. That is, all embodiments and / or features of any embodiment can be combined in any way and / or combination, unless such features are incompatible. The applicant reserves the right to change any originally filed claim or file any new claim accordingly, including the right to amend any originally filed claim to depend from and / or incorporate any feature of any other claim although not originally claimed in that manner.

[0030] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] One or more embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0032] Figure 1 shows a vehicle in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;

[0033] Figure 2 schematically shows a side view of a driver in a cabin of the vehicle shown in Figure 1 ;

[0034] Figure 3 schematically shows a musculoskeletal model of the driver shown in Figure 2;

[0035] Figure 4 schematically shows first and second arrays of allocated positions for respective body features of the musculoskeletal model shown in Figure 2;

[0036] Figure 5 schematically shows a refined / redetermined version of one of the arrays of allocated positions shown in Figure 4;

[0037] Figure 6 schematically shows an exemplary method of controlling an occupant positioning system of the vehicle, shown in Figure 1 , in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; and

[0038] Figure 7 schematically shows exemplary sub-steps of the method shown in Figure 6 in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; and

[0039] Figure 8 schematically shows another exemplary method, also referred to as a ‘zoom-in method’, of controlling an occupant positioning system of the vehicle, shown in Figure 1 , in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

[0040] For the purposes of the following description, it shall be appreciated that the directions up, down, forward, rearward, left, and right are defined relative to the orientation and driving direction of the vehicle, as generally depicted in the Figures.

[0041] DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0042] Embodiments of the invention relate to methods and systems for controlling one or more movable cabin elements of a vehicle to support a user in a comfortable posture inside a vehicle cabin.

[0043] The movable cabin elements include elements of a vehicle seat and may include other elements. Each such element is operable to adjust the pose of a seated occupant / user, specifically by adjusting the position of at least one body part engaged with that element. To give an example, reclining a backrest of a driver seat will prompt corresponding adaptations of the pose of a seated driver, for example causing the driver to lean backwards such that a shoulder joint of the driver moves rearwardly and downwardly, whilst an arm of the driver may straighten to compensate and retain a grip on the steering wheel. In this manner, the movement of the backrest adjusts the pose of the driver when seated in the vehicle.

[0044] However, due to the complex array of possible adjustments of the cabin elements, users often have difficulty setting the seat and other cabin features in an arrangement that provides a comfortable posture in practice.

[0045] Advantageously, embodiments of the present invention obtain one or more anatomical measurements of a user and utilise such measurements to model the user inside the vehicle cabin, simulating the user’s posture when seated. Different arrangements of the movable cabin element(s) and corresponding positions of respective body parts can therefore be tested in a virtual environment to identify a comfortable posture in which the user could be supported. Corresponding control signals can therefore be output to the movable cabin elements to support the user accordingly.

[0046] For this purpose, embodiments of the invention determine a musculoskeletal model, also known as a rigid-segment model, of the user based on the anatomical measurements. Specifically, embodiments of the invention determine an anatomy-based joint model with a plurality of rigid elements (representing limbs and other structural parts of the user body) connected by anatomical joints. Since each movable cabin element can be adjusted to affect the position of a corresponding body feature, positions can be allocated to respective body features of the anatomy-based joint model to simulate the effect of different cabin configurations on the pose of the user. In examples, the determined pose can be assessed according to one or more methods, typically, but not exclusively, involving the comparison of one or more posture angles defined by the pose of the model to respective comfort metrics. Once a comfortable pose has been identified, one or more control signals may be output to the movable cabin element(s), such as the seat elements, to adjust the configuration accordingly and support the user in the determined pose.

[0047] It is envisaged that embodiments of the invention will enhance user comfort inside the vehicle, reducing distractions and leading to improved concentration of vehicle occupants.

[0048] A vehicle in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention is described herein with reference to the accompanying Figure 1.

[0049] As shown in Figure 1 , the vehicle 100 includes an occupant positioning system 101 and a cabin 102 for a plurality of vehicle occupants. The vehicle cabin 102 is shown to include, amongst other features, a driver seat 104a, first, second, third and fourth passenger seats 104b-e, and a plurality of movable cabin elements 110 for reconfiguring the cabin configuration to adjust a pose of individual vehicle occupants.

[0050] In examples, the movable cabin elements 110 may include any positionally adjustable elements of the cabin 102 that constrain or otherwise set the pose that respective vehicle occupant need to adopt when seated in the vehicle 100. Taking the driver position as an example, the set of movable cabin elements 110 are shown to include an adjustable steering wheel 112, an adjustable set of foot pedals 114 and adjustable seat elements 116 of the driver seat 104a, amongst others, where the pose of the driver is constrained by the need to reach the pedals 114 and the steering wheel 112, from a seated position in the driver seat 104a. Individual ones of the movable cabin elements 110 may therefore be manually or automatically adjusted to change a pose of the driver. For example, the driver seat 104a may be a power seat controllable to provide powered adjustment of the various seat elements 116.

[0051] This example is not intended to be limiting on the scope of the invention though and, in other examples, the vehicle 100 may include any one or more movable cabin elements 110 for adjusting the pose of one or more seated vehicle occupants.

[0052] The occupant positioning system 101 is configured to control the movable cabin elements 110 (or actuation system thereof) and is shown to include a control system 200 for this purpose. The occupant positioning system 101 is also shown to include a human-machine interface (HMI) device 106, arranged inside the cabin 102, and connected to the control system 200 for operation by the vehicle occupants in this example, as shall be described in more detail. Figure 2 schematically illustrates a driver 118 seated in the driver seat 104a of the vehicle 100. As mentioned previously, the driver 118 needs to interacts with various control elements, such as the steering wheel 112 and the foot pedals 114, for safe and comfortable driving from the seated position.

[0053] The driver 118 is therefore shown to have a posture in which, a foot 118a of the driver 118 is resting on the adjustable set of foot pedals 114, a knee 118b of the driver 118 is bent, and a thigh 118c of the driver 118 is supported on a seat bottom 116a of the driver seat 104a. A hip 118d of the driver 118 is also supported on the seat bottom 116a and further engages a seatback / backrest 116b of the driver seat 104a, which extends away from a rear of the seat bottom 116a. The backrest 116b further supports a back 118e of the driver 118 and a headrest (not shown in this example) may extend from an upper end of the backrest 116b for supporting a head 118f of the driver 118. The seat bottom 116a and the backrest 116b support the driver 118 in a substantially upright seated position, maintaining a clearance between the driver’s head 118f and a headliner / roof 120 of the cabin 102, extending above the driver 118. An arm 118g of the driver 118 extends forward from a shoulder 118h and the arm 118g is bent at an elbow 118i such that the driver 118 can comfortably grip the steering wheel 112 with their hand 118j.

[0054] In this example, the pedals 114 are moveable in fore / aft directions and a steering column can be inclined / reclined and extended / refracted to adjust a position of the steering wheel 112 within the cabin 102. The driver seat 104a can be adjusted in various ways to adjust the pose or posture of the driver 118. For example, the vehicle seat 104a, including the seat bottom 116a and the backrest 116b, are movable in fore / aft directions inside the cabin 102 along respective rails. The inclination of the backrest 116b may be adjusted relative to the vertical to adjust a lean / redine of the user, and the inclination of the seat bottom 116a may be adjusted relative to the cabin floor, for example to adjust the degree of bend at the knee 118b. In other examples, further adjustments, not described here to avoid obscuring the invention, may be made to adjust the pose of the driver 118.

[0055] However, in view of the vast and complex array of potential movements, users have difficulty in adjusting such cabin elements 110 themselves in order to obtain a comfortable driving position. To mitigate this issue, the control system 200 is configured to receive anatomical data relating to a user (or driver in this example) and to determine a seat and / or cabin configuration for the user.

[0056] The control system 200 illustrated in Figure 2 features one controller 210, although it will be appreciated that this is merely illustrative, and in other examples, the control system 200 may include one or more controllers collectively performing the functions described herein. The controller 210 includes processing means 220 and memory means 230. The processing means 220 may be one or more electronic processing devices or processors 220 that operably execute computer-readable instructions. The memory means 230 may be one or more memory devices 230. The memory means 230 is electrically coupled to the processing means 220. The memory means 230 is configured to store instructions, and the processing means 220 is configured to access the memory means 230 and execute the instructions stored thereon. The memory means 230 may therefore take the form of read-write memory, which the processing means 220 may access to read / write instructions, and other data values, stored permanently or temporarily.

[0057] The controller 210 also comprises an input means 240 and an output means 250. The input means 240 may comprise an electrical input 240 of the controller 210. The output means 250 may comprise an electrical output 250 of the controller 210. The input 240 is arranged to receive, amongst other inputs, the anatomical data relating to a user / vehicle occupant. The output 250 is arranged to output one or more control signals to the movable cabin element(s) 110, and / or to actuation systems thereof, to configure the elements according to a determined arrangement. Additionally or alternatively, the controller 210 may output a control signal to the HMI device 106 to cause the HMI device 106 to display a determined cabin or seat arrangement and / or to guide a user as to the required adjustments to reproduce the determined arrangements (e.g. where the movable cabin elements 110 are manually adjustable).

[0058] The anatomical information may be provided to the input 240 by various means and, in this respect, the invention is not limited. To give an example, one or more anatomical measurements may be provided to the input 240 from a user, via the HMI device 106 of the vehicle 100, and / or via an application on a connected smart device, such as a smartphone. Such inputs may be received as one or more signals at the input 210. In other examples, the input 210 may instead receive signals indicative of a user profile stored in the memory means 230, for example from a key fob associated with the user, where the user profile is stored with respective anatomical measurements and / or the input 210 may receive signals from a sensor, such as a camera sensor, observing the user. In each case, the processing means 220 may be configured to determine the anatomical measurements based on the received signals, for example by recall of such data from the memory means 230 or otherwise by executing one or more image processing techniques, known in the art, for identifying the user. Such image processing techniques are not described in detail here to avoid obscuring the invention.

[0059] The anatomical data is used to determine a rigid-segment / musculoskeletal model of the individual / user, particularly in the form of an anatomybased joint model, as shall be described in more detail. The anatomical data therefore includes one or more body part lengths / measurements relating to a user, their upper body and / or their lower body, as required by the processing means 220 for determining the model. The anatomical data may therefore include a predefined set of anatomical measurements, though it shall be appreciated that one or more such anatomical measurements may be determined, verified, and / or calibrated based on one or more of the other anatomical measurements. Table 1 (below) shows an example set of anthropometric data for a user, however this example is not intended to be limiting on the scope of the invention.

[0060] Table 1 - Anthropometric data for an exemplary driver.

[0061] The anatomical information may take various forms for modelling the user and invention is not particularly limited in this respect. The anatomical data may be stored in the memory means 230 once received and may be associated with a particular user profile, for example.

[0062] The processing means 220 is configured to execute instructions stored in the memory means 230 to determine the rigid-segment / musculoskeletal model of the user based on the anatomical data relating to the user. In particular, the determined user model features a plurality of rigid elements and a plurality of anatomical joints connecting the rigid elements together to represent the anatomical arrangement of respective body features of the user. The determined model defines the positions of the body features within a model space representative of the vehicle cabin 102. For example, the processing means 220 may determine the model in a two-dimensional co-ordinate system representative of the vehicle cabin 102, with positions of the body features defined relative to a reference point. For example, the reference point may correspond to a particular cabin feature. In other examples, it shall be appreciated that other model systems, such as a three-dimensional co-ordinate system, may be more appropriate, and this example is not intended to be limiting on the scope of the invention.

[0063] For this purpose, the processing means 220 may include one or more data processing methods and / or computational modelling techniques for converting the anatomical measurements into respective user models in the model space. To give an example, the processing means 220 may be configured to assign each of the received anatomical measurements to a respective model parameter defining the length of a respective rigid element of the model. The processing means 220 may also incorporate one or more schemes, rules or algorithms, defining spatial constraints representative of the cabin 102 and / or physical relationships between the one or more movable cabin elements 110 and respective body features. For example, such physical relationships may link respective adjustments of individual cabin elements 110 to respective positions of corresponding body features. Cabin dimensions may also be recalled from the memory means 230 for this purpose and / or to define the model space, where such cabin dimensions may include the locations of individual cabin features and / or the range of motion of the movable cabin features 110, such as the seat elements 116. The model space may therefore incorporate representations of one or more cabin features, such as the driver seat 104a, steering wheel 112, pedals 114, and / or cabin boundaries, such as the headliner 120.

[0064] To give an example, Figure 3 schematically shows an anatomy-based joint model 300 determined for the driver 118 shown in Figure 2, using anthropometric data, such as the data shown in Table 1 .

[0065] In this example, the anatomy-based joint model 300 is two-dimensional and determined within a model space 302 representative of the vehicle cabin 102 that takes the form of a two-dimensional co-ordinate system. The model 300 is shown to include a corresponding set of body features 310, including a plurality of rigid elements 312 representative of the internal framework of the driver 118, and a plurality of anatomical joints 314 connecting the rigid elements 312 together. It shall be appreciated that a driver silhouette 316 is shown in Figure 3 for illustrative purposes only and would not typically form part of the anatomy-based joint model 300.

[0066] In this example, the rigid elements 312 are shown to include: a foot element 312a; a lower leg / shin element 312b; an upper leg / thigh element 312c; a torso element 312d; an upper arm element 312e; a lower arm / forearm element 312f; a hand node / element 312g; and a triangular neck, head and eye element 312h. The foot element is modelled as a straight-line element, in this example, but may be modelled with different elements in other examples, such as a triangular element with vertices defined by the ankle joint, heel-tip and toe-tip. In this manner, the foot element may also model how the user’s foot is constrained by their footwear, such as high heels. The plurality of anatomical joints 314 are shown to include: an ankle joint 314a between the foot and lower leg elements 312a, b; a knee joint 314b between the upper and lower leg elements 312b, c; a hip joint 314c between the upper leg and torso elements 312c, d; a shoulder joint 314d between the torso and upper arm elements 312d,e and also between the torso and head elements 312d,h ; and an elbow joint 314e between the upper and lower arm elements 312e,f.

[0067] The processing means 220 is configured to use the model 300 to simulate the pose or posture of the user when seated in the vehicle 100 with different seat or cabin configurations. In this respect, it shall be appreciated that each seat or cabin configuration is defined by a respective combination of positional settings for the movable cabin elements 110, such as the seat elements 116, and the processing means 220 incorporates algorithms defining the spatial constraints and / or physical relationships between individual movable cabin elements 110 and respective body features 310 to model how the movement of the cabin elements 110 affects the position of the respective body features 310. For example, fore / aft movement of the seat bottom 116a will produce a corresponding fore / aft adjustment to the position of the hip joint 314c.

[0068] Accordingly, in order to model each cabin configuration, one or more of the body features 310 may be assigned or allocated a respective position within the cabin 102, corresponding to a respective position of a corresponding movable cabin element 110 or seat element 116. The processing means 220 is then configured to apply one or more modelling methods geometrically relating the relative positions of respective body features 310 to calculate the necessary positional arrangement of the remaining body features 310 and accommodate such allocated positions whilst satisfying one or more pose constraints. For example, the one or more pose constraints may include one or more limits, or boundaries, specifying prohibited positions of one or more body features 310, and / or posture angle limits defined between rigid elements 312 of the model or by such elements 312 relative to one or more reference axes. For example, the pose consfraint(s) may prevent elbow angles, defined between the upper and lower arm elements 312e,f, greater than 180 degrees and / or less than 10 degrees. The pose consfraint(s) may also incorporate occupant-specific constraints, for example ensuring that the position of the foot element 312a corresponds to the position of the pedals 114 and / or ensuring that the position of the hand element 312g corresponds to the position of steering wheel 112. The pose constraints may be derived from ergonomic limitations for example.

[0069] Additionally, in examples, the modelling methods executed by the processing means 220 may further include one or more ergonomic targets, defining respective body feature positions or posture angles, which are used to determine the pose of the model 300. For example, such ergonomic targets may move a particular body feature towards a respective target to the extent that the resulting position of that body feature 310 does not cause any contravention of the one or more pose constraints.

[0070] The resulting pose of the model 300 is defined by the relative positions of the body features 310 within the model space 302, and / or by one or more posture angles defined by, or relative to, the rigid elements 312. For example, the posture angles may be defined between pairs of rigid elements 312 connected by anatomical joints 314 and / or relative to one or more reference axes, such as a vertical axis or a horizontal axis, for example.

[0071] By way of examples, Figure 3 shows an example set of posture angles defined by the model 300:

[0072] Table 2 - Exemplary posture angles

[0073] In examples, the processing means 220 may be further configured to analyse the pose or posture of the model 300 by comparison to one or more comfort metrics. For example, the body feature positions and / or the posture angles may be compared to comfort metrics that include respective targets, boundaries or ranges for assessing the comfort of the user in the determined pose. Other comfort metrics may also include a point of contact of the pedal 114 along the foot element 312a, and / or a clearance between the head element 312h and the headliner / cabin roof 120, for example. The comfort metrics may be stored in the memory means 230 of the controller 210, for example.

[0074] Hence, for each seat or cabin configuration, the processing means 220 may be configured to model a respective pose of the model 300 and to determine a respective user comfort score (associated with that arrangement) based on a comparison of the determined pose to one or more comfort metrics.

[0075] For this purpose, the memory means 230 may include comfort metrics in the form of one or more look-up tables defining target(s), threshold(s) and / or limit(s) for one or more posture angles and / or body feature positions. The values may be derived from ergonomic data and / or pre-programmed by the manufacturer. In examples, the targets may be adjusted by user inputs. For example, if a user provides inputs to indicate their preference, the scores may be recalibrated. The processing means 220 may therefore be configured to compare one or more of the determined posture angles to the respective values in the look-up table(s) and calculate individual scores based on the differences. By way of example, the individual scores may each be a measure of proximity or deviation from the respective value in the look-up table. The individual scores for each posture angle may then be combined to determine an overall user comfort score associated with the cabin configuration. In examples, the look-up table(s) may therefore be weighted look-up table(s), featuring a weighting associated with each comfort metric. In which case, the relative contribution of the individual scores to the overall user comfort score may be determined based on the respective weightings. For example, the ankle angle may be associated with a greater weighting in the look-up table than the torso recline angle, reflecting the relative impact on user comfort. In examples, the processing means 220 may therefore be configured to use such comfort metrics to determine whether a determined pose satisfies respective comfort thresholds and / or to compare the relative comfort of different seat or cabin configurations.

[0076] For this purpose, the processing means 220 may be configured to iteratively determine the pose of the model 300 when the body features 310 are allocated different positions associated with respective seat or cabin configurations. That is, the processing means 220 may be provided with allocated positions for one or more of the body features 310, particularly those body features 310 engaged by the seat elements 116 or other movable cabin elements 110, and iteratively determine a respective pose of the model 300 for each allocated position of each body feature 310. For example, in order to consider a large number of possible cabin configurations, the processing means 220 may be configured to determine the pose of the model 300 for an array of allocated positions specified for one or more of the body features 310.

[0077] The allocated position(s) for each body feature 310 may be: (i) received at the input 240, for example based on one or more inputs from a user; (ii) recalled from the memory means 230; (iii) determined by the processor means 220; and / or (iv) any combination of (i) to (iii).

[0078] To give an example, the processing means 220 may be configured to determine the pose of the model 300 for respective arrays of allocated positions prescribed for one or more of the body features 310. Each array is associated with a respective body feature 310 and the array of allocated positions may be defined within a respective envelope of space within which that body portion 310 is movable and / or supportable by adjustment of the seat elements 116 and / or the other movable cabin elements 110. For example, for any one body feature 310, the respective array of allocated positions may be defined within a respective space envelope defined by the range of motion of a corresponding movable cabin element 110, such as a seat element 116. Each space envelope may therefore similarly be (i) received at the input 240, for example based on one or more inputs from a user; (ii) recalled from the memory means 230; and / or (iii) derived from the range of motion of the corresponding cabin element 110. In turn, each array of allocated positions may, for example, be defined within that space envelope according to a prescribed spatial function or resolution. For example, a spatial function may be configured to discretise the space envelope into an array of allocated positions, evenly spaced apart within the space envelope.

[0079] In order to determine a respective pose for the model 300 for each cabin configuration, the processing means 220 may include one or more nested loops for determining the respective pose based on various combinations of the allocated positions of certain body features 310. That is, an inner loop of the algorithm may iteratively determine the pose for an array of allocated positions specified for a first one of the body features 310, and an outer loop of the algorithm may iteratively repeat the inner loop to determine the pose for an array of allocated positions specified for a second one of the body features 310 (i.e. in combination with each of the allocation positions of the first body feature). In this manner, the processing means 220 may, for example, be configured to determine the pose of the model 300 iteratively, working outwardly from an innermost loop associated with a first body feature 310 to an outermost loop associated with an X-th body feature, where X is a positive integer. In examples, the loops may be nested according to a preprogrammed hierarchy and the loops may, for example, be divided according to an upper body and a lower body of the user, each terminating at the hip joint 314c for example.

[0080] To give an example, Figure 4 schematically illustrates a first array of allocated positions, Pi, for the hip joint 314c of the model 300, where i = 1 to n and n is a positive integer. The first array of allocated positions, Pi, are defined within a respective space envelope 500 corresponding to the range of movement of the hip joint 314c by adjustment of the seat bottom 116a. The first array of allocated positions, Pi, are shown to be spaced apart at regular intervals in this example, defining a particular resolution of points within the space envelope 500. In examples, the processing means 220 may therefore be configured to apply one or more functions, rules, and / or algorithms to iteratively determine the respective pose of the model 300 when the hip joint 314c is positioned at each of the allocated positions, Pi. That is, for each iteration, i, the processing means 220 determines the respective pose of the model 300 with the hip joint 314c positioned at the respective allocated position Pi.

[0081] A second array of allocated positions, Pj, may be defined for another body feature 310, such as the hand element 312g (as shown in Figure 4), where j = 1 to m and m is a positive integer. The processing means 220 may proceed to iteratively determine respective poses of the model 300 for each allocated position, Pi, of the hip joint 314c in combination with each allocated position, Pj, of the hand element 312g. This may be achieved using a nested loop, where the processing means initially determines the pose of the model 300 for a first position, P1 , of the hand element 312g in combination with each allocated position, Pi, of the hip joint 314c, before determining the pose of the model for a second position, P2, of the hand element 312g in combination with each allocated position, Pi, of the hip joint 314c, and so on for each allocated position, Pj, of the hand element 312g.

[0082] Accordingly, in a simple example, if two allocated positions are specified for each of the hip joint 314c and the hand element 312g (i.e. if i =2 and j = 2), the processing means 220 may be configured to determine the pose of the model 300 for each of the four possible combinations, as shown in Table 3 below:

[0083] Table 3 - Exemplary combination of allocated positions.

[0084] This example is not intended to be limiting on the scope of the invention though and in other examples any combination of nested loops may be used.

[0085] In examples, the processing means 220 may be further configured to select one of the determined poses (e.g. one of Poses 1 to 4 in the above example), as a ‘comfortable pose’. That is, the processing means 220 may be configured to compare the determined poses, for example with reference to the comfort indicators, and select a preferred one of the determined poses based on the comparison. For example, the processing means 220 may select a preferred one based on the determined user comfort scores.

[0086] Once the processing means 220 has selected the comfortable pose, the processing means 220 may be configured to output one or more control signals, via the output 250, to the movable cabin elements 110 to adjust their position(s) accordingly to support the user in the selected pose. It shall be appreciated that the position of one or more of the movable cabin elements 110 is known or derivable from the position of a respective body feature 310, as discussed above.

[0087] In this manner, the control system 200 may determine a comfortable pose for the user and adjust the movable cabin elements 110, such as the seat elements 116, to support the user accordingly in a corresponding cabin configuration. The control system 200 therefore receives the user dimensions as input values and applies a series of geometric calculations to determine respective body feature positions and joint angles in a given cabin setup, which can then be compared against respective target parameters to deliver enhanced user comfort. This may be repeated for a number of possible cabin setups, and the seat, steering wheel and pedals are then automatically adjusted to the preferred arrangement. It is anticipated that the output cabin configuration will lead to improved user comfort and higher levels of concentration as a result.

[0088] In other examples, the processing means 230 may be further configured to refine the selected seat or cabin configuration by redetermining one or more of the arrays of allocated positions in smaller areas (with greater resolution) around the positions of the respective body features 310 associated with the selected arrangement. That is, where an array of allocated positions has been assessed for a particular body feature 310 to determine the comfortable pose, that array of allocated positions may be redetermined in a subsequent cycle of the posture assessment. For example, each array of allocated positions may be redetermined in a respective subspace around the position of that body feature 310 in the selected pose. In this manner, the processing means 220 may initially determine a crude estimate of a comfortable pose by assessing a low resolution array of allocated positions for a body feature 310 within the respective space envelope and, upon selecting a comfortable set or cabin configuration (associated with an allocated position of that body feature 310), the array of allocated positions may be redetermined in a subspace arranged around that allocated position in the original envelope.

[0089] It shall be appreciated that the processing means 220 may include one or more schemes, rules or algorithms for determining the respective subspace, which may include one or more functions for scaling / shrinking the respective space envelope, and / or locating the subspace relative to that allocated position. For example, the subspace may be a scaled down version of the space envelope, centred upon or otherwise encompassing that allocated position. Moreover, the refined resolution may be pre-programmed in one of the processing means 220 or memory means 230, or otherwise provided by user input for example. In each case, the redetermined array of allocated positions may therefore define a higher resolution array of allocated positions within the subspace, which are evaluated by the same process to redetermine a comfortable pose.

[0090] In this manner, the processing means 220 may refine and redetermine the array of allocated positions to converge on a more comfortable seat or cabin configuration, whilst maximising the computational efficiency of the processing means 220 by limiting the number of allocated positions assessed in any one cycle and in total.

[0091] To give an example, Figure 5 schematically illustrates a redetermined array of allocated positions, Pk, for the hip joint 314c of the model 300, where k = 1 to Q and Q is a positive integer. The redetermined array of allocated positions, Pk, are defined within a subspace 502 of the previously defined space envelope 500, centred about the allocated position of the hip joint 314c in the selected pose. In this example, the subspace 502 is determined by scaling and rotating the previous space envelope 500 (shown in Figure 5 for comparison). Moreover, the subspace 502 is centred about the allocated position of the hip joint 314c in the selected pose and the redetermined array of allocated positions, Pk, are shown to define a much finer resolution of points within the subspace 502. The processing means 220 may therefore iteratively determine the respective pose of the model 300 when the hip joint 314c is positioned at each of the allocated positions, Pk, as described above, and the comfort scores may be redetermined to select a refined pose / cabin configuration, offering an improved comfort score.

[0092] A method of operating the occupant positioning system 101 shall now be discussed in more detail with reference to Figure 6 to 8.

[0093] Figure 6 illustrates a method 600, according to an embodiment of the invention, which may be performed by the control system 200 illustrated in Figure 2. In particular, the memory means 230 may comprise computer-readable instructions which, when executed by the processing means 220, perform the method 600 according to an embodiment of the invention.

[0094] In the following example, the method 600 is described in the context of arranging one or more moveable cabin elements 110, including the seat elements 116, to comfortably support a user in the driver seat 104a. However it shall be appreciated that this example is not intended to be limiting on the scope of the invention and, in other examples, the method 600 may also be used for determining suitable cabin / seat adjustments for other occupants of the vehicle 100.

[0095] The method 600 may, for example, be initiated in response to a user command or trigger. For example, the method 600 may be initiated in response to a user input received remotely, for example from a key fob, connected smart phone, or remote-control device, such that the cabin 102 is reconfigured upon entry of the user to the vehicle 100. In other examples, the user input may be received via the HM1 106 device of the vehicle 100, for example when the user is already seated in the vehicle 100. In this respect, it shall be appreciated that the invention is not particularly limited and, in other examples, the method 600 may be initiated by various other means, for example in response to one or more trigger conditions, such as the opening or closing of a vehicle door and / or in response to a signal received from an occupant detection system.

[0096] In any case, the method 600 begins, at step 602, by obtaining anatomical information relating to the user. The anatomical information includes one or more anatomical measurements of the user and may typically include a prescribed set of anatomical measurements, describing the structure of an upper body, a lower body and / or a full body of the user. To continue the previous example, the processing means 220 may therefore obtain the set of anatomical measurements indicated in Table 1 .

[0097] As discussed previously, the anatomical information may be received or otherwise obtained by various means. For example, a user may input one or more of their anatomical measurements or otherwise indicate relevant anatomical measurements stored in the memory means 230, for example via interaction with the HMI device 106, by operation of a key fob associated with that user, or via an application on a smart device connected to the vehicle 100. In each case, the user inputs may be received as one or more signals at the input 240 and the processing means 220 may be configured to determine the anatomical measurements based on the received signals. To give an example, in step 602, a user may be guided through successive steps at the HMI device 106 to enter the prescribed set of anatomical measurements, which may be received as one or more signals at the input 240 of the controller 210.

[0098] In step 604, the rigid-segment / musculoskeletal model 300 of the user is determined based on the anatomical information.

[0099] For this purpose, the processing means 220 may therefore use one or more schemes, rules or algorithms for converting the anatomical information, received in step 602, into the model 300 representative of the user. For example, the processing means 220 may use one or more algorithms relating each of the anatomical measurements, or combinations thereof, to respective lengths of the rigid elements 312 of an anatomy based-joint model 300, as discussed previously. In this manner, the processing means 220 may provide a conversion between the anatomical measurements and respective dimensions of the rigid elements 312 in the model 300, adapting the model 300 to incorporate user-specific dimensions.

[0100] The determined model 300 may therefore define a two-dimensional representation of the user, as shown in Figure 3, featuring a set of body features 310, substantially as described previously, including the set of rigid elements 312 and the corresponding anatomical joints 314 connecting the rigid elements 312 together.

[0101] In step 606, the method 600 involves determining a pose of the model 300 when seated in the vehicle seat 104a with one or more of the body features 310 in respective allocated position(s).

[0102] In a simple example, a single cabin configuration may be evaluated and so a single allocated position may therefore be obtained by the processing means 220 for one or more of the body features 310. For example, the processing means 220 may obtain a single allocated position for the hand element 312g, the foot element 312a and the hip joint 314c respectively. It shall be appreciated that the allocated position of the hand element 312g may correspond to a particular position of the steering wheel 112, the allocated position of the foot element 312a may correspond to a particular position of the pedals 114, and the allocated position of the hip joint 314c may correspond to a particular position of the seat bottom 116a. Each allocated position may be recalled from the memory means 230, for example having been pre-programmed by a manufacturer, determined by the processing means 220, and / or input from a user, for example via the HMI device 106. The processing means 220 therefore uses the allocated positions of the hand element 312g, the foot element 312a, and the hip joint 314c as inputs to the modelling methods, which geometrically relate the body features 310 to one another. In this manner, the processing means 220 calculates the respective positions of the remaining body features 310, by relation to the allocated positions, accounting for the one or more pose constraints and / or ergonomic targets.

[0103] The processing means 220 therefore determines the relative positions of the body features 310 within the model space and calculates the respective posture angles that define the pose of the model 300. In this manner, the processing means 220 models the pose of the model 300 for a given set of allocated positions corresponding to a respective seat or cabin configuration. The simulated pose reflects the position that the user would adopt in said arrangement and allows for an assessment of the level of comfort that a user would be expected to experience.

[0104] In examples, the pose of the model 300 may therefore be further evaluated by the processing means 220 to validate the determined pose, for example by ensuring that the body features 310 are not arranged in any prohibited positions or otherwise ensuring that any posture angles defined by the model 300 are not outside of prescribed limits. Where this is not possible an error signal may be output, for example via the HM I device 106, requesting adjustments of the input cabin configuration.

[0105] In other examples, the occupant positioning system 101 may evaluate various cabin configurations, in step 606, and so the pose of the model 300 may be determined for each of a plurality of allocated positions of one or more of the body features 310. For example, an array of allocated positions may be obtained for one or more of the body features 310 and the processing means 220 may be configured to determine the pose of the model 300 for various combinations of such positions. In an example, the processing means 220 may be configured to determine the allocated positions for the respective body features 310 by accessing the memory means 230 and recalling pre-programmed allocated positions stored therein. In other examples, the processing means 220 may be configured to determine the allocated positions for the respective body features 310 by determining a space envelope associated with that body feature 310, for example by recall from the memory means 230, and determining the array of allocated positions for that body feature 310 by applying a prescribed function for arranging the points within that space envelope, such as a prescribed position resolution. The prescribed resolution may also be recalled from the memory 230 for example, or otherwise determined from one or more inputs received from the user, allowing for user adjustment.

[0106] To give an example, in step 606, the processing means 220 may therefore obtain: an allocated position for the foot element 312a; first and second arrays of allocated positions for the hip joint 314c and the hand element 312g (substantially as shown in Figure 4); and a third array of allocated positions for the shoulder joint 314d. A fourth array of allocated positions may be assigned to the foot element 312a if the vehicle model includes adjustable pedals.

[0107] Each array of allocated positions may be arranged within a respective space envelope for the associated body feature 310, defining a two-dimensional area within which that body feature 310 is supportable by way of adjustment of a corresponding seat element or other movable cabin element 110. lt shall be appreciated that the hand element 312g engages the steering wheel 112 and the second array of allocated positions may therefore correspond to respective positions of the hand element 312g within a space envelope defined by the fore / aft movements of the steering wheel 112 and / or by the i ncl i ne / recl i ne of the steering column. The hip joint 314c similarly engages the seat bottom 116a and the first array of allocated positions may therefore correspond to respective positions of the hip joint 314c within a space envelope defined by the fore / aft movements and / or i ncli ne / recl i ne movements of the seat bottom 116a. Furthermore, the shoulder joint 314d engages the backrest 116b and the third array of allocated positions may therefore correspond to respective positions of the shoulder joint 314d within a respective space envelope defined by the fore / aft movements and / or i ncli ne / recl i ne movements of the backrest 116b. Alternatively, the third array of allocated positions may, for example, be defined based on respective intervals of backrest recline angle for each of the allocated positions of the hip joint 314c in the first array of allocated positions. Each space envelope, or parameters thereof, such as a shape, size, position, and / or mathematical function describing said space envelope may be stored in the memory means 230 and recalled by the processing means 220 for the purpose of determining the allocated positions. Notably, each array of allocated position discretises the respective space envelope into a finite number of allocated positions for evaluation.

[0108] In examples, the processing means 220 may be configured to determine the pose of the model 300 for every possible combination of the allocated positions, corresponding to respective cabin configurations. For this purpose, the processing means 220 may iteratively determine the pose of the model 300 using nested functions that evaluate the array of allocated positions of an inner loop in combination with successive allocated positions of each outer loop to determine a respective pose for every possible combination. In this example, each loop may be combined with the allocated positions for the foot element 312a and the head element 312h and the processing means 220 may apply the algorithm(s) to determine the positions of the remaining body features 310 for each iteration, thereby determining a respective pose of the model 300 for each cabin configuration substantially as described in the earlier example.

[0109] In step 608, one or more control signals are output to the movable cabin elements 110, such as the seat elements 116, to reconfigure the seat and / or cabin configuration based on the determinations in step 606.

[0110] For example, where a single pose has been determined in step 606 (as in the simple example above), the determined pose may be validated with reference to one or more ergonomic conditions, and the control signals may be output to the cabin elements 110 in dependence on the validation. In dependence on such validation , the control signals may be output to adjust the movable cabin elements 110 to respective positions corresponding to the allocated positions of the body features 310. To continue the simple example above, the processing means 220 may therefore output control signals, via the output 250, to adjust the positions of the steering wheel 112, the pedals 114, and the seat bottom 116a according to the allocated positions of the hand element 312g, the foot element 312a, and the hip joint 314c respectively. In this manner, the method 600 may simulate the pose of the model 300 for a respective cabin configuration defined by a set of allocated positions for certain body features 310 and adjust the moveable cabin elements 110 accordingly in dependence on validating the determined pose. In an example, the processing means 220 be configured to may output information indicative of the configuration for supporting the user in the determined pose to the HIMI device 106 and output the one or more control signals in dependence on receiving a user response to the output information, such as an approval command.

[0111] In other examples, where various cabin configurations are evaluated in step 606, the processing means 220 may be configured to select a comfortable pose (and associated cabin configuration) and to output the control signals based thereon.

[0112] By way of example, Figure 7 is provided to illustrate example sub-steps 702 to 706 for selecting a comfortable pose and outputting corresponding control signals.

[0113] In sub-step 702, a user comfort score is determined for each determined pose of the model 300, i.e. for each cabin configuration evaluated. The user comfort scores may be determined by various methods with reference to the comfort metrics, derived from ergonomic data setting respective targets for user comfort.

[0114] To give an example, the processing means 220 may compare one or more parameters of each pose to respective comfort metrics. For example, the processing means may compare each of the posture angles identified in Table 2, the foot pedal contact position, and / or the headliner clearance, to respective comfort metrics in the memory means 230. For example, the processing means 220 may access the weighted look-up tables described previously and determine, for each parameter, an individual comfort score and an associated weighting associated with that comfort score. The processing means 220 may subsequently determine an overall user comfort score for each pose, based on the individual comfort scores and the associated weighting values.

[0115] In this manner, the processing means 220 may therefore determine a respective user comfort score associated with each seat or cabin configuration assessed in step 606.

[0116] In sub-step 704, a preferred one of the poses determined in step 606 is selected based on the determined user comfort scores, corresponding to a comfortable seat or cabin configuration. For example, the processing means 220 may select the cabin configuration associated with the with the maximum comfort score for that individual. An example method of determining this is to find the minimum divergence from the theoretical ideal given in Table 2.

[0117] In sub-step 706, one or more control signals are output to the movable cabin elements 110, such as the seat elements 116, based on the selected cabin configuration. For example, the processing means 220 may output respective control signals, via the output 250, to adjust each of the steering wheel 112, the foot pedals 114, and / or the seat elements 116a, b to respective positions for supporting the user in the selected pose. For example, the selected pose corresponds to a combination of allocated positions for one or more of the body features 310 and each allocated position is associated with a respective position of a corresponding movable cabin element 110, to which that element 110 may be moved by the control signals output in sub-step 706.

[0118] In this manner, the method 600 may simulate the pose of the user in various seat or cabin configurations, identify a preferred configuration offering the greatest indication of user comfort, and output respective control signals to adjust the movable cabin elements 110 accordingly to support the user in the determined pose.

[0119] It is envisaged that the occupant positioning system 101 will therefore provide for improved user comfort, leading to improved concentration and fewer distractions, with low computational effort.

[0120] It will be appreciated that various changes and modifications can be made to the present invention without departing from the scope of the present application. In other examples, the method of operating the occupant positioning system 101 may further include steps for refining the cabin configuration prior to outputting the control signals. In particular, the occupant positioning system 101 may be further operated to converge on a particular cabin configuration by successively refining the areas within which the positions of respective body features are allocated and increasing the resolution of allocated positions in such areas to test relatively small tweaks of the seat or cabin configuration. In this manner, the system is able to identify an acceptable configuration and further consider the effects on the user comfort of relatively small adjustments, starting from that acceptable arrangement, in order to further improve levels of user comfort. This is also known as the ‘zoom-in’ method 800 of determining the preferred cabin configuration, as shall be described in more detail with additional reference to Figure 8.

[0121] According to the ‘zoom-in’ method 800, the control system 200 may perform steps 602 to 606 of the method 600 shown in Figure 6, substantially as described previously. In this manner, the control system 200 determines a model 300 of a user and evaluates various cabin configurations by obtaining respective arrays of allocated positions for one or more body features 310 and determining a respective pose of the model 300 for each combination of the allocated positions.

[0122] Thereafter, in step 802, the ‘zoom-in’ method checks whether refined array(s) of the allocated positions have been evaluated previously. That is, in step 802, the control system 200 may check whether a density of each array of allocated positions is greater than a respective threshold, which may correspond to a prescribed density or resolution specified in step 606.

[0123] If the array(s) of allocated positions have not previously been refined, the method 800 proceeds to steps 804 to 808 for redetermining or otherwise refining the arrays of allocated positions in order to evaluate relatively small adjustments of the cabin elements 110. For example, if the density of each array of allocated positions is less than or equal to the respective threshold, the method proceeds to step 804 to increase the resolution.

[0124] In steps 804 and 806, a user comfort score is determined for each cabin configuration evaluated, in step 606, based on the determined pose and a comfortable cabin configuration is selected based on a comparison of the determined user comfort scores, substantially as described in sub-steps 702 and 704 above.

[0125] The determined pose of the model 300 for the selected cabin configuration defines a respective position of each body feature 310 in the model space 302 and includes a particular combination of allocated positions for one or more of the body features 310. To continue the example above, the selected pose therefore includes a combination of individual positions selected from the first, second and third arrays of allocated positions for the hand element 312g, the hip joint 314c and the shoulder joint 314d.

[0126] In step 808, the zoom-in method 800 involves redetermining one or more of the arrays of allocated positions based on the selected cabin configuration. In this respect, the processing means may apply one or more schemes, rules or algorithms for redetermining the array(s) of allocated positions to produce, in each case, a denser array of positions for evaluation. Each redetermined array may, for example, include the same or a similar number of positions as the original array. However, the zoom-in method 800 makes advantageous use of the selected cabin configuration to redetermine the array of allocated positions in smaller, more focused areas, producing a denser array of points around a comfortable pose. In this manner, the processing means 220 is able to redetermine the array(s) of allocated positions to consider further, relatively small position adjustments, to further improve user comfort in a computationally efficient manner.

[0127] For example, the processing means 220 may determine each array of allocated positions based on the pose of the model 300 in the selected cabin configuration. In examples, the processing means 220 uses one or more schemes, rules or algorithms to define a subspace of each space envelope for redetermining the respective arrays of allocated positions. In each case, the location of the subspace is based on the allocated position of the respective body feature 310 in the determined pose associated with the selected cabin configuration. To continue the previous example, the determined pose of the model 300 associated with the selected cabin configuration includes a combination of allocated positions for the hand element 312g, the hip joint 314c and the shoulder joint 314d and the locations of the respective subspaces are therefore based on such allocated positions. For example, as shown in Figure 5, the subspace 502 is located so as to encompass the allocated position of the hip joint 314c in the selected pose. Each subspace extends within the respective space envelope and the shape and size of the subspace is defined by one or more parameters in the processing means 220. In the example shown in Figure 5, the subspace 502 is based on the space envelope 500, a scaling factor for shrinking the area and a transformation function for rotating the resulting subspace and locating the subspace around the allocated position of the hip joint 314c in the selected pose. For example, the subspace 502 may be centred about that position, as shown in Figure 5. In examples, the processing means 220 may redetermine each array of allocated positions within the respective subspaces. For this purpose, the processing means 220 may similarly include various functions for distributing the allocated positions within the respective subspace to produce a higher resolution array than previously considered in step 606. Such functions may, for example, include a resolution parameter, defining a greater resolution within the subspace than the resolution of the points previously considered in the space envelope. As shown in Figure 5, the processing means 220 may therefore define a denser arrangement of allocated positions for the hip joint 314c within the subspace 502.

[0128] Having redetermined the array(s) of allocated positions, the zoom-in method 800 returns to step 606 to redetermine the pose of the model 300 for each combination of said allocated positions, substantially as described previously. The processing means 220 therefore considers each possible combination of the redetermined array(s) of allocated positions, evaluating relatively fine position adjustments and determining the respective pose of the model 300. Once the processing means 220 has determined the pose of the model 300 for each combination of allocated positions, the zoom- in method 800 returns to step 802. However, now that the arrays have been refined, the method 800 proceeds to output one or more control signals based on the determined poses, in step 608, substantially as described previously. For example, the control system 200 may execute sub-steps 702 to 706, substantially as described previously, to select a comfortable pose based on the refined array and output corresponding control signals based thereon. In this manner, the occupant positioning system 101 offers further improved levels of comfort at relatively minor computational expense, using the results of an initial analysis to concentrate the subsequent analysis in smaller areas. In other examples, it shall also be appreciated that more than one refinement of the array(s) of allocated positions may be executed, according to steps 804 to 808, by modification of the check performed at step 802. For example, the density threshold may be adjusted to require two or more cycles through steps 804 to 808 until the refined array(s) of the allocated positions have a sufficient concentration or density to reach the threshold used in step 802. With each loop, the refined array(s) of the allocated positions would be confined to smaller subspaces with a greater concentration of points.

[0129] The definitions outlined in the following table may be used in combination with the referenced figures to aid understanding.

[0130] Table 4

Claims

CLAIMS1 . A control system for a vehicle, the vehicle comprising a cabin with one or more movable seat elements for adjusting the configuration of a vehicle seat and thereby adjusting a pose of a user of the vehicle, the control system comprising one or more processors collectively configured to: receive one or more signals indicative of one or more anatomical measurements of the user; in dependence on the one or more signals, determine a musculoskeletal model taking the form of an anatomy-based joint model comprising a set of body features, the set of body features comprising one or more anatomical joints and a plurality of rigid elements connected by the one or more anatomical joints; determine a pose of the musculoskeletal model when seated in the vehicle seat with one or more of the body features in respective allocated positions, each allocated position being arranged within a respective space envelope associated with said body feature; wherein each respective pose comprises: one or more posture angles defined by the musculoskeletal model; and a relative position of one or more of the body features; and in dependence on the determined pose, output one or more control signals to at least one of said one or more moveable seat elements to adjust the configuration of the vehicle seat for supporting the user in the determined pose.

2. A control system according to claim 1 , wherein a pose of said musculoskeletal model is determined for one or more of the body features in each allocated position of a respective array of allocated positions, each array of allocated positions being determined within the respective space envelope associated with said body feature; wherein the one or more processors are collectively configured to select one of said determined poses; and wherein the one or more control signals are output in dependence on the selected pose.

3. A control system according to claim 2, wherein a pose of said musculoskeletal model is determined for one or more combinations of the allocated positions of the respective arrays of allocated positions for two or more body features.

4. A control system according to claim 3, wherein a pose of said musculoskeletal model is determined for every combination of the allocated positions of the respective arrays for two or more body features.

5. A control system according to any of claims 2 to 4, wherein the one or more processors are collectively configured to: determine a user comfort score for each determined pose, each driver comfort score being determined based on one or more posture angles of the respective pose; select a preferred one of the plurality of determined poses based on the determined driver comfort scores; and output the one or more control signals based on the selected pose.

6. A control system according to any of claims 2 to 4, wherein the one or more processors are collectively configured to: determine a user comfort score for each determined pose, each driver comfort score being determined based on one or more posture angles of the respective pose; select a preferred one of the plurality of determined poses based on the determined driver comfort scores; redetermine each array of allocated positions after selecting the pose, each array of allocated positions being redetermined in a respective subspace of the space envelope, that subspace encompassing the allocated position of the respective body feature in the selected pose, and the allocated positions of each array having a greater resolution within the respective subspace once redetermined; redetermine each pose of said musculoskeletal model based on the one or more redetermined arrays; select one of said redetermined poses; and output the one or more control signals in dependence on the selected redetermined pose.

7. A control system according to claim 6, wherein the one or more processors are collectively configured to:determine a user comfort score for each redetermined pose, each driver comfort score being determined based on one or more posture angles of the respective pose; select a preferred one of said redetermined poses based on the determined comfort scores; and output the one or more control signals in dependence on the preferred redetermined pose.

8. A control system according to any preceding claim, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to output information indicative of the vehicle seat configuration for supporting the user in the determined pose to a human-machine interface of the vehicle; and output the one or more control signals in dependence on receiving a user response to the output information via the human-machine interface.

9. A control system according to any preceding claim, wherein each determined pose is validated by comparison to one or more pose constraints.

10. A control system according to any preceding claim, wherein the musculoskeletal model of the user comprises: an upper body model of the user; and / or a lower body model of the user; and wherein each of the upper and lower body models extends to a hip joint of the user.

11. A control system according to any preceding claim, wherein the cabin further includes one or more movable elements for adjusting the pose of the user, the one or more movable elements comprising: a foot pedal; and / or a steering wheel.

12. An occupant positioning system for a vehicle, the occupant positioning system comprising: the control system of any preceding claim; and one or more movable seat elements for adjusting the configuration of a seat of the vehicle and thereby adjusting a pose of the user.

13. A vehicle comprising the occupant positioning system of claim 12, or the control system of any of claims 1 to 11.

14. A method for controlling a vehicle, the vehicle comprising a cabin with one or more movable seat elements for adjusting a configuration of a vehicle seat and thereby adjusting a pose of a user of the vehicle, the method comprising: receiving one or more signals indicative of one or more anatomical measurements of the user; in dependence on the one or more signals, determining a musculoskeletal model based on the one or more anatomical measurements, the musculoskeletal model taking the form of an anatomy-based joint model comprising a set of body features, the set of body features comprising one or more anatomical joints and a plurality of rigid elements connected by the one or more anatomical joints; determining a pose of the musculoskeletal model when seated in the vehicle seat with one or more of the body features in respective allocated positions, each allocated position being arranged within a respective space envelope associated with said body feature; wherein each respective pose comprises: one or more posture angles defined by the musculoskeletal model; and a relative position of one or more of the body features; and in dependence on the determined pose, outputting one or more control signals to at least one of said one or more moveable seat elements to adjust the configuration of the vehicle seat for supporting the user in the determined pose.

15. Computer readable instructions which, when executed by a computer, are arranged to perform a method according to claim 14.

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