Vehicle Seat Reclining Angle for Driving Mode Indication
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Solution Overview
Problem
Drivers find it difficult to understand the switching between automatic and manual driving modes in vehicles, as existing alert methods such as alarms, sounds, and seat vibrations are not clear in their intention.
Innovation Solution
The vehicle's driving mode is indicated by adjusting the reclining angle of the driver's seat, with a larger angle for automatic driving mode and a smaller angle for manual driving mode, allowing the driver to easily recognize the mode through physical posture changes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If alarm displays, sounds, or seat vibrations are used to notify driving mode switching, then the driver is alerted of the mode change, but the driver cannot easily understand what the alarm intends to notify
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies visual display with different colors to indicate driving modes. The display unit shows specific colors corresponding to different driving modes (e.g., automatic or manual), enabling the driver to intuitively understand the current mode and any mode transitions through color changes, thereby resolving the ambiguity of traditional alarm notifications.
2Ease of operation
If the reclining angle of the driver's seat is adjusted to indicate driving mode, then the driver can intuitively understand mode changes through physical posture, but additional control mechanisms are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the notification function with the existing seat adjustment mechanism. The seat position adjustment unit changes the reclining angle of the driver's seat based on the detected driving mode, combining mode indication with a familiar and comfortable physical feedback mechanism, thereby enhancing driver understanding without requiring entirely new notification hardware.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle travel controller carries out automatic travel control of controlling a vehicle to travel automatically based upon travel state information of the vehicle and information on an exterior of the vehicle. An automatic/manual traveling changeover switch is capable of switching between an automatic driving mode in which the automatic travel control is carried out by the vehicle travel controller and a manual driving mode in which the driver drives the vehicle manually. A driving posture controller controls a reclining motor so that the reclining angle of the driver's seat in the automatic driving mode is larger than the reclining angle of the driver's seat in the manual driving mode.