Airflow Sensing Seat With Pneumatic Biometric Signal Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing automobile seats lack effective automatic detection of biological signals such as breathing and heart rate, leading to inadequate comfort, health, and safety services, with existing methods being prone to errors due to ambient light interference, privacy concerns, and potential health risks from embedded electronic components.
Innovation Solution
An airflow sensing seat with an embedded airbag, deformable support structure, and transmission mechanism that generates analog electric signals from gas disturbances, analyzed by a micro control unit to acquire biological signals without the need for additional electronic pressure sensing assemblies, ensuring accurate and safe detection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If cameras are used to detect blood flow changes for obtaining physiological signals, then non-contact detection is achieved, but computational burden increases and detection results are easily affected by ambient light and body movement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the optical detection system (camera) with a pneumatic sensing system. The airbag filled with gas directly contacts the user's body, and physiological signals are detected through gas pressure changes transmitted via a transmission mechanism to a pressure sensor. This mechanical/pneumatic substitution eliminates computational complexity and ambient light interference while maintaining non-contact detection capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs pneumatic principles by using an airbag filled with gas to detect physiological signals. The gas inside the airbag transmits pressure changes caused by body movements and breathing to a transmission mechanism, which converts these pneumatic signals into detectable electrical signals. This pneumatic approach simplifies the detection system compared to optical methods.
2Ease of operation
If radars are used to sense micro-vibration of the chests for obtaining physiological signals, then user privacy is protected, but the radar needs to be aligned to the chest area and extra energy needs to be injected
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the detection function into multiple airbags positioned at different locations (seat cushion and backrest). Each airbag independently detects local physiological signals, eliminating the need for precise radar alignment to a specific chest area. The segmented pneumatic sensing network provides flexible coverage without alignment constraints.
3Measurement precision
If piezoelectric sensing assemblies, capacitive film sensors, or piezoelectric cable sensors are embedded in the seat cushion and backrest, then physiological signals can be detected, but the electronic assemblies are highly susceptible to damage under long-term pressure with short service life
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a transmission mechanism as an intermediary between the airbag and the pressure sensor. The transmission mechanism (including conveying pipe and pressure regulating sheet) transmits gas pressure changes from the large-area airbag to the sensor, distributing the pressure load and protecting the electronic components from direct long-term pressure. This intermediary structure significantly improves reliability and service life.
4Measurement precision
If embedded electronic pressure sensing assemblies are used for detection, then biological signals can be acquired, but damage or short circuit of the circuit creates potential safety hazards
Solution Approach 1:
The transmission mechanism acts as a protective intermediary, isolating the electronic pressure sensor from direct contact with the user's body and the full force of pressure. The conveying pipe and pressure regulating sheet distribute and attenuate the pressure before it reaches the sensor, reducing the risk of circuit damage and short circuits, thereby eliminating safety hazards.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The airflow sensing seat provides accurate detection of biological signals with improved comfort and safety by avoiding damage to electronic components and reducing computational burden, while maintaining a simple structure and long service life.
Implementation Method 1
a transmission mechanism is provided between the airbag and the sensing assembly; the transmission mechanism is used to transmit gas disturbance in the airbag to the sensing assembly
Implementation Method 2
the sensing assembly is used to generate a corresponding analog electric signal according to the gas disturbance
Implementation Method 3
detect the physiological signals of the user by embedding piezoelectric sensing assemblies, capacitive film sensors, piezoelectric cable sensors and the like in the seat cushion and backrest
Data Source
AI summary
An airflow sensing seat, having a seat body, an airbag, a sensing assembly, and a micro control unit. The airbag is in the seat body. A deformable support structure is in the airbag. The support structure is used to maintain an appropriate amount of gas in the airbag. A transmission mechanism is provided between the airbag and the sensing assembly. The transmission mechanism transmits gas disturbance in the airbag to the sensing assembly. The sensing assembly generates a corresponding analog electrical signal according to the gas disturbance. The sensing assembly is electrically connected to the micro control unit. The sensing assembly transmits the analog electrical signal to the micro control unit. The micro control unit performs analysis and computation on the analog electrical signal so as to acquire a biological signal of a user.