Vehicle Seat Adjustment Node for Multi-Passenger Comfort

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing vehicle seat adjustment systems primarily focus on optimizing the comfort of the front seat passenger, neglecting the comfort of the passenger in the back seat and do not allow for easy adjustment from the respective seat positions, leading to discomfort or time-consuming manual adjustments by the driver or passenger.

Innovation Solution

A method and system for automatic seat adjustment in a vehicle that senses the presence of passengers in both front and rear seats, adjusts the front seat position based on occupancy and door states, and includes features like folding the headrest or seat to optimize comfort and safety, using sensors and a determination unit to control the seat movement.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If the front seat position is manually adjusted by the driver or passenger, then the comfort of the front seat passenger can be optimized, but this process is time-consuming and requires manual intervention

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveseat adjustment convenienceVSAvoidtime for seat adjustment
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The seat adjustment system automatically adjusts the front seat position based on sensor inputs from door position sensors and seat occupancy sensors, eliminating the need for manual intervention. The system serves itself by detecting door opening/closing states and automatically positioning the seat accordingly, thus resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and time consumption.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary seat positioning actions based on predicted passenger needs. When the door is opened or closed, the system proactively adjusts the seat to the optimal position before the passenger even enters or settles in, thereby eliminating the time-consuming manual adjustment process while maintaining ease of operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Ease of operation

If the seat adjustment system only considers front seat passenger comfort, then the front seat can be optimized, but the comfort of rear seat passengers is neglected and no coordination between front and rear seats is achieved

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepassenger comfort optimizationVSAvoidmulti-passenger comfort adaptation
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The seat adjustment system is enhanced to serve multiple functions: it not only optimizes the front seat position but also coordinates with the rear seat position. By integrating sensors for both front and rear seats and using a unified control algorithm, the system adapts to the needs of multiple passengers simultaneously, thereby achieving multi-passenger comfort adaptation while maintaining ease of operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Productivity

If automatic seat adjustment is implemented based on door position and seat occupancy, then seat adjustment speed and convenience are improved, but the system complexity increases due to additional sensors and control logic

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveseat adjustment speedVSAvoidsensor and control system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system merges the functionality of door position detection and seat occupancy detection into a unified control algorithm. By combining the inputs from the door position sensor and seat occupancy sensor into a single decision-making process, the system achieves fast automatic seat adjustment without proportionally increasing overall system complexity. The merged control logic efficiently processes both sensor inputs to determine the optimal seat position.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentEP2957453B1Seat adjustment node in vehicle for passenger comfort optimization
Publication Date: 2018.11.28 VOLVO CAR CORP
  • EP2957453B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2957453B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2957453B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Method performed by a seat adjustment node (100) in a vehicle (270) for optimizing the comfort of a passenger in the vehicle (270), the method comprising: sensing the presence of a passenger in the front seat, determining an adapted front seat position based on the sensing of the presence of a passenger in the front seat, moving the front seat to or retaining in, the adapted front seat position.