Driving Position Setting by Body-Size Class Detection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing vehicle control systems may not accurately adjust the driving position for passengers of different body sizes, particularly when vehicles are exported to regions with varying body dimensions, leading to potential safety and comfort issues.

Innovation Solution

A body-size class specification device and method that automatically classify passengers into predefined classes based on dimension ratios of body parts, such as standing height and upper-body-to-leg length ratio, to adjust seat and steering wheel positions accordingly, ensuring an appropriate driving position without requiring vehicle manufacturing variations for different destinations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If a fixed camera angle and standard body information calculation method are used, then the system is simple to manufacture, but it cannot accurately specify body size for passengers from different racial groups or regions

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebody size specification accuracyVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system pre-stores multiple body information calculation formulas corresponding to different racial groups (yellow race, white race, black race) and regions (Asia, Europe, America) in advance. When a passenger is detected, the system first identifies their racial group or region, then automatically selects and applies the corresponding pre-stored calculation formula, thereby achieving accurate body size specification for diverse populations without requiring complex real-time adjustments to the calculation methodology

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The invention changes the calculation parameters (formulas) based on the identified racial group or region of the passenger. Different racial groups have different body proportion characteristics, so the system switches between different sets of calculation parameters (formulas) to match the passenger's characteristics, thereby improving the accuracy of sitting height and body dimension calculations while maintaining a relatively simple system structure

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Adaptability or versatility

If the vehicle is manufactured with different specifications for different destinations, then the driving position can be optimized for local passengers, but the manufacturing complexity and cost increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveadaptability to different body sizesVSAvoidmanufacturing complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The invention makes a single vehicle model universally adaptable to passengers from different racial groups and regions by equipping it with a body size specification device that automatically identifies the passenger's racial group or region and selects the appropriate calculation formula. This allows one vehicle design to serve multiple markets and body types, eliminating the need to manufacture different vehicle specifications for different destinations while maintaining optimized driving position adjustment capabilities

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adjusts the body information calculation method based on real-time identification of the passenger's racial group or region. Rather than having fixed manufacturing specifications, the vehicle's control system adapts its calculation parameters and adjustment strategies dynamically according to the detected passenger characteristics, enabling a single manufacturing platform to accommodate diverse body types across different regions

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

3Measurement precision

If manual input of body information is required, then the system can obtain accurate data, but the ease of operation decreases and user burden increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebody information accuracyVSAvoidoperation convenience

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system automatically performs body size specification by detecting the passenger's presence and using the pre-stored calculation formulas corresponding to their racial group or region. The passenger simply needs to enter their standing height once, and the system automatically calculates sitting height and other body dimensions using the appropriate formula, eliminating the need for manual input of multiple body parameters and significantly improving ease of operation while maintaining measurement precision

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentUS12257998B2Body-size class specification device, body-size class specification method, driving-position setting device, and driving-position setting method

Publication Date: 2025.03.25 MAZDA MOTOR CORP

AI summary

A body-size class specification device of the present invention comprises a class feature-quantity information memorizing section to memorize class feature-quantity information to correlate plural classes for classifying a body size according to a dimension ratio of prescribed parts of a body with plural prescribed feature quantities for characterizing the plural classes, a first input section as an example of a feature-quantity acquiring section to acquire feature quantity of an object person to be specified for the class, an eye-height measuring section and an upper-body-length-ratio processing section, and a class specifying section to specify the class corresponding to the feature quantity of the object person acquired by the feature-quantity acquiring section based on the class feature-quantity information memorized by the class feature-quantity information memorizing section.