Vehicle Seat Haptic Feedback for Anticipating Motion Changes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems for informing vehicle occupants of upcoming changes in vehicle travel, such as acceleration or deceleration, using haptic feedback are not optimal, leading to decreased passenger comfort.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising a seat motor with multiple actuators, a driving-assistance system, and a control unit that receives acceleration information and actuates the actuators in a pattern to provide haptic feedback to the occupant before the vehicle's acceleration or deceleration, with the pattern's direction and intensity adapted based on the acceleration's direction and magnitude.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If visual cues or audio cues are used to convey vehicle motion information, then information can be transmitted to occupants, but visual attention may be engaged elsewhere reducing effectiveness
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the information transmission function across multiple channels: visual cues on interior panels, audio cues through speakers, and haptic feedback through seat actuators. This segmentation ensures that if one channel is not attended to, information can still be conveyed through other channels, resolving the contradiction between information transmission effectiveness and occupant attention allocation.
Solution Approach 2:
The haptic feedback system acts as an intermediary that directly transmits motion information to the occupant's tactile sense through the seat. This intermediary channel bypasses the need for visual or audio attention, as haptic feedback is passively received through contact with the seat surface, thereby maintaining information transmission effectiveness regardless of occupant attention allocation.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If haptic feedback is provided during vehicle acceleration or deceleration, then passenger comfort can be improved, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The seat motor system is designed with multi-functionality: it serves both as the primary seating support structure and as a haptic feedback delivery mechanism. The same actuators that adjust seat position and support also convey motion information to occupants, eliminating the need for separate haptic feedback hardware and thereby reducing overall system complexity while improving passenger comfort.
Solution Approach 2:
The system merges the seat motor control functions with the haptic feedback control functions into a single integrated control unit. This consolidation combines multiple control functions into one system, reducing the number of separate control systems needed and thereby reducing overall system complexity while maintaining the ability to provide comfort-improving haptic feedback during vehicle acceleration or deceleration.
3Loss of information
If multiple actuators are actuated simultaneously to provide comprehensive haptic feedback, then information conveyance is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit actuates actuators in periodic sequences rather than simultaneously. Multiple actuators are activated in succession across different time intervals, creating a temporal pattern that conveys complete motion information while distributing energy consumption over time. This periodic activation maintains information conveyance completeness while reducing peak energy demands compared to simultaneous actuation of all actuators.
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 system effectively improves occupant comfort by allowing them to anticipate and prepare for changes in vehicle motion, reducing cognitive demand in navigation, and potentially reducing motion sickness.
Implementation Method 1
a seat motor comprising a plurality of actuators, that is configured to be disposed within a seat of the vehicle and to provide haptic feedback to the occupant
Implementation Method 2
a seat motor comprising a plurality of actuators, that is configured to be disposed within a seat of the vehicle and to provide haptic feedback to the occupant
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4C
Figure 5~6
AI summary
A system (100) for informing an occupant of a vehicle (10) of upcoming changes in vehicle travel using haptic feedback, the system comprising a seat motor (20) comprising a plurality of actuators (22), that is configured to be disposed within a seat (14) of the vehicle and to provide haptic feedback to the occupant, a driving-assistance system (40), and a control unit (30) configured to receive information from the driving-assistance system (40) about upcoming change in vehicle travel and to control the seat motor (20), wherein the control unit (30) is configured to sequentially actuate the actuators of the seat motor (20) with a pattern that is determined on the basis of the information received by the control unit (30) to provide haptic feedback to the occupant prior to the change in vehicle travel.