Seat Belt Height Adjustment Using Occupant Posture Feedback
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Users often fail to adjust the seat belt height to an optimal position for safety and comfort, which is crucial for crash safety.
Innovation Solution
A system utilizing sensor modules to gather data on vehicle compartment features, occupant features, and external conditions, determining deviations in seat belt setup, and adjusting the seat belt height to an optimal position using a seat belt adjustment unit.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the seat belt height is manually adjusted by the user, then the adjustment is simple and direct, but the optimal height position is not always achieved for safety and comfort
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables the seat belt height adjustment mechanism to automatically determine and adjust to the optimal height position without requiring manual user intervention. The control unit autonomously processes sensor data about occupant characteristics and commands the adjustment mechanism to achieve optimal seat belt geometry for safety
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary detection of occupant features (such as height, seating position) before the crash occurs, and pre-adjusts the seat belt height to the optimal position in advance, ensuring safety readiness without requiring last-minute manual adjustment by the user
2Adaptability or versatility
If a manual adjustment mechanism is provided, then the user can control the seat belt height, but users often fail to adjust it to the optimal position
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates sensors that continuously monitor occupant characteristics and seating position, providing feedback to the control unit. Based on this feedback, the control unit automatically commands the adjustment mechanism to achieve the optimal seat belt height, ensuring adaptability to different occupants while reliably achieving the correct safety configuration
Solution Approach 2:
The seat belt height adjustment system transitions from a static manual position to a dynamic automatically-adjustable position based on real-time detection of occupant features. The system adapts the seat belt geometry dynamically to match different occupant sizes and seating positions, ensuring optimal safety for each individual
3Reliability
If sensor modules and automatic control systems are added, then optimal seat belt height is achieved, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit serves multiple functions: it processes sensor data, determines optimal seat belt height based on occupant characteristics, commands the adjustment mechanism, and can potentially control other vehicle safety systems. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated components, thereby managing system complexity while achieving reliable safety optimization
Data Source
AI summary
A system is described herein. The system comprises sensor modules; a memory; and a processor storing instructions in the memory that, when executed, causes the processor to: receive data comprising vehicle compartment features, occupant features and external environmental conditions from the sensor modules; determine a current setup of a seat belt and a current posture of an occupant based on the vehicle compartment features and the occupant features, respectively; determine critical features of the occupant based on at least one of the current posture of the occupant, the current setup of the seat belt and the external environment conditions; determine a deviation from the current setup of the seat belt based on at least one of the critical features of the occupant and the external environmental conditions; and communicate a command to actuators for changing a current height of the seat belt to an optimal height according to the deviation.