Front Seat Adjustment for Rear Object Detection

Solution Overview

Problem

Radar sensors in vehicles often fail to detect small objects, such as infants or companion animals, in the rear seat due to shadow regions created by the front seat's position and angle, leading to inaccurate detection and potential missed warnings.

Innovation Solution

An apparatus and method that adjust the front seat's position and angle to a reference location to minimize shadow areas, using a sensor system to detect objects around the rear seat, and output warnings through speakers or vehicle lamps if an object is present.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the front seat is positioned at a normal driving location, then the driver can operate the vehicle comfortably, but shadow regions are created that prevent detection of small objects in the rear seat

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedetection accuracyVSAvoidseat position for driving

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary action by automatically adjusting the front seat to a reference position when detection is required. The controller detects when the front seat is not in the reference position and automatically moves it to eliminate shadow regions, allowing the radar sensor to detect objects in the rear seat accurately without manual intervention

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system applies dynamics by making the front seat position adjustable and adaptive rather than fixed. The front seat can dynamically change its position between the reference position (for detection) and normal driving position (for comfort), with the controller managing the transition based on detection requirements

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Measurement precision

If the front seat is adjusted to eliminate shadow regions, then object detection accuracy improves, but the seat position changes from the driver's preferred position

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveobject detection precisionVSAvoidseat position comfort

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary action by automatically adjusting the front seat to a reference position when detection is required. The controller detects when the front seat is not in the reference position and automatically moves it to eliminate shadow regions, allowing the radar sensor to detect objects in the rear seat accurately without manual intervention

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system applies self-service by automatically detecting the front seat position and adjusting it to the reference position without driver input. The controller monitors the seat position sensor and autonomously controls the seat adjustment mechanism to eliminate shadow regions and optimize detection conditions

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentUS10773606B2Apparatus and method for detecting object in vehicle

Publication Date: 2020.09.15 HYUNDAI MOTOR CO LTD

AI summary

The present disclosure provides an apparatus and a method for detecting an object in a vehicle. The apparatus includes a seat location determining device configured to determine whether a location of a front seat is a reference location, a seat location adjusting device configured to adjust the location of the front seat to the reference location depending on whether the seat location determining device determines that the location of the front seat is the reference location, an object detecting device configured to detect the object around a rear seat when the location of the front seat is in the reference location, and a warning controller configured to output a warning when the object detecting device detects the object around the rear seat.