Patent Application
20200361343
This application claims benefit to German Patent Application Number 10 2019 112 774.2, filed May 15, 2019, which is incorporated in its entirety by reference herein.
The disclosure relates to a method and system for controlling a seat function in a vehicle.
It is known from the state of the art that seat functions such as seat adjustments, lateral supports, a lumbar support and/or a massage function, are controlled in a vehicle by control elements integrated into it. To control these seat functions, operating elements are generally installed in the seat, door, dashboard or steering wheel area. These seat functions can be operated by a user sitting in the car. For some of these functions (massage, for example) it may be necessary to switch on the ignition of the car. It is furthermore known that a profile must be saved for certain vehicle functions that the user can retrieve in the car by operating the corresponding operating element, so that the seat can be, for example, automatically adjusted to a given seat position consisting of seat height, lateral position and backrest inclination.
It is also known from the state of the art, for example, that an auxiliary heater can be operated via an infrared signal with a remote control assigned to the vehicle. The known systems are especially suitable for vehicles assigned to one or a few users. In vehicles available to many users via car sharing, for example, or in a company car fleet, users must individually adjust the seat functions and/or comfort functions each time or at least in each vehicle. Moreover, it can be desirable in the car sharing area if such an additional function can be individually billed so it becomes necessary to charge for the use of such additional functions.
An objective of the disclosure is to eliminate the disadvantages according to the state of the art.
The objective with regard to the method and the system are solved with the features disclosed below. Useful embodiments result from the optional features disclosed below.
The method according to the disclosure to control a seat function and/or comfort function with an operating unit in a control device onboard the vehicle and a vehicle seat in a vehicle includes the following steps:
In the embodiment, the method includes the selection of only one seat function or only one comfort function.
The established connection can be suitable for unidirectional or bidirectional data exchange.
The onboard control device can be a vehicle control device, a control device assigned to the seat or one provided only for executing the method in the vehicle, a control device that can be retrofitted, for example.
Here, the operating unit can be a network-compatible, especially an internet-compatible terminal device, particularly selected from a computer, smartphone, tablet or navigation device. At the same time, the selection of the seat function and/or comfort function and the selection of one or several given seat function and/or comfort function options can take place shortly before or during driving. Alternately, the option(s) can already be chosen beforehand and the corresponding selections saved in a respective user profile in the operating unit or in a server or internet-compatible data storage such as a cloud, for example. The method must include the identification of the user. To identify the user, a corresponding identification information or identification key is transmitted to the onboard control device. It can be transferred, for example, from a smartphone as operating unit to the onboard control device. In order to generate such identification information, it may be necessary, for example, to photograph a QR code found in the vehicle and generate the identification key by means of a corresponding software. Alternately, the onboard control device can be connected to a reading device. In this case, it can be, for example, an NFC reader or the like capable of reading a user-assigned RFID chip, a credit card, an identification document or the like, for example. Alternately or additionally, an additional operating unit in form of an internet-compatible multifunctional device that can be a navigation device, can be installed in the vehicle. The additional operating unit can allow the entry of an identification key. Thus, the method can be implemented with the operating unit inside or outside the vehicle.
In the embodiment, the establishment of a connection consists of establishing a connection between the control device and the operating unit and establishing a connection between the operating unit and a server or establishing a connection between the control device and the server, wherein an identification key is exchanged between the operating unit and the control device and/or the server. The connection can be a direct or indirect one, particularly a tunnel connection.
In another embodiment, the seat function is selected from a lateral seat position, a vertical seat position, a seat surface inclination, a backrest inclination, a lateral support function, a lumbar support function, a seat heater, and a massage function. The selection of the comfort function can comprise an auxiliary heater or air conditioning, windshield heater or sensor cleaning.
The connection between operating unit and control unit comprises expediently an internet connection and a direct wireless connection, especially to a known optical connection, such as an infrared or radio connection. For this, known close-range transmission processes are especially considered. Alternately or additionally, a mobile telecommunication connection is also considered.
Furthermore, the onboard control device can transmit the selected seat function and/or comfort function options to one or several additional control devices for controlling the respective seat function and/or comfort function. Expediently, the selection of a seat function and/or comfort function and/or the selection of one or several given seat function and/or comfort function options in a user profile is saved in the operating unit or in the server. Thus, the user profile can include, for example, the seat height adjustment and inclination as well as the backrest inclination. Furthermore, the user profile can include turning on the seat heating for 5 minutes and a 10-minute massage profile for the driver if he wishes it after driving for one hour. Such a massage profile can be a medicinal massage profile to stimulate circulation, for example. Optionally, the user profile can also include an external temperature comparison with a sensor value, for example, so that a seat heating or auxiliary heating or the respective cooling switches on a corresponding function only below or above a temperature threshold value.
In the embodiment, the selection of one or several given seat function and/or comfort function options is forwarded to an accounting system. For example, using a driver's seat massage option for 5 minutes and using the seat heating of the passenger seat for 10 minutes can be read and transmitted to the accounting system. The transmitted data can include start, duration, intensity or power usage and end of the seat heating option, for example. Since the accounting system is expediently connected to the server, a car sharing provider can therefore, for example, offer seat or comfort functions that can be added.
In the embodiment, the seat function and/or comfort function is/are reset when leaving the vehicle. On the one hand, this has the advantage of minimizing a possible power usage or fuel consumption. In addition, the vehicle is thus in a defined state when the next user wants to use the vehicle.
The system according to the disclosure for controlling a seat function and/or comfort function in a vehicle comprises an operating unit and an onboard control device as well as a vehicle seat in a vehicle,
The onboard control device can be a vehicle control device, a control device assigned to the seat or one only provided for executing the method in the vehicle, such as a control device that can be retrofitted.
Expediently, the operating unit is a network-compatible terminal device; in particular, the operating unit is selected from a computer, smartphone, tablet or navigation device. In the embodiment, the operating unit is or can be connected to the internet, is or can be connected to a mobile communication network and/or is equipped with one or several receivers and senders or transceivers.
The establishment of a connection comprises expediently the establishment of a connection between the control device and the operating unit, and the establishment of a connection between the operating unit and a server, or the establishment of a connection between the control device and the server, wherein an identification key is exchanged between the operating unit and the control device and/or the server. The connection to the server is expediently a network connection or internet connection.
In the embodiment, the seat function is selected from: a lateral seat position, a vertical seat position, a seat surface inclination, a backrest inclination, a lateral support function, a lumbar support function, a seat heating, and a massage function. Additionally or alternately, one or several of the following comfort functions can be optionally selected: one auxiliary heating or air conditioning, windshield heating or sensor cleaning. Every one of the functions can be controlled via an electrical or electronic control signal.
In the embodiment, the operating unit comprises an interface for an internet connection or mobile telecommunications connection and at least one sender for an optical connection or radio connection, and the control unit an interface for an internet connection or mobile telecommunications connection and at least one receiver for the optical connection or radio connection, wherein the radio connection is especially a direct radio connection.
The system can furthermore comprise one or several additional control devices suitable to control at least one seat function and/or comfort function and to communicate with the control device. The control device and the one or additional control devices can be collectively designed for wired or wireless communication. In wired communication, the wiring harness of the vehicle can be optionally used. The control device and the one or additional control devices can be optionally suitable for communicating an actual state of the respective seat function or comfort function back to the operating unit.
In the embodiment, the system can include data storage for storing a user profile, wherein the data storage is arranged in the operating unit or in the server or in a cloud.
Expediently, the system furthermore includes an accounting system expediently connected to the server or arranged in the server.
The computer program product is suitable for executing a method according to the disclosure. In particular, it is a computer program is an application, also known as a so-called “app.”
The computer program product according to the disclosure is optionally stored in a data carrier according to the disclosure.
The disclosure will be explained in more detail below, also with regard to additional features and advantages, and with reference to the enclosed drawings, which show in each case in a schematic diagram:
The onboard control device 6 has at least one receiver, preferably also one sender, and the control device 6 is connected to the vehicle 2. The vehicle seat 4 is equipped with one or several seat functions, for example an electronic seat adjustment, a seat heating or a lumbar support function and a massage system. Furthermore, the vehicle can be equipped with one or several comfort functions, such as a seat heating with optional cooling function. An additional control device 8 that controls the air supply to the provided massage bubbles for the vehicle seat 4 through valves is provided here for operating a massage system, for example. The massage system is expediently equipped with a programmable massage program sequence. In principle, it is also possible for the control device 8 to also include the functions of the control device 6.
In this method procedure, the user can use his smartphone to select, for example, that he would like to book a massage. Furthermore, he can select a massage procedure. Optionally, it can then be verified whether the use of this function is included or an extra charge must be paid.
Here, a user profile can be comfortably created, for example, in the home computer serving as operating unit. This user profile can then be transferred to the selected vehicle after the user has been identified. In this variant of the method, the user has the advantage that complicated default settings are dropped, thereby allowing a customized driving experience in spite of changed vehicles.
The user can thus supplement a selection made in the vehicle and also an already existing user profile, for example, by medium-level lumbar support in the lowest backrest area. The additional selection can be optionally added to the user profile.
The user can thus comfortably get into an equipped vehicle customized for him.
2 Vehicle
4 Vehicle seat
6 Control device
8 Additional control device
10 Operating unit
12 Server
14 Data storage
16 Accounting system
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 2019 112 774.2 | May 2019 | DE | national |
