Patent Application
20240278692
This invention relates to seats for vehicles, and more specifically to improvements in automatically positioning of vehicle seats in work vehicles.
This disclosure relates generally to vehicle seat adjustment systems, and more particularly to a system and method for electronically directing adjustment of one position of a vehicle seat based on another position of a vehicle seat.
Due to their size and configurations, many heavy duty vehicles, such as commercial semis, construction and farm vehicles have operator seats that are in tight environments. Although the seats may be adjustable, because of the environment, it can be difficult to adjust the seat to a preferable position that manages to stay away from negative interactions with cabin walls and consoles. The seats known in the art may allow the seat to be reclined or slide into the walls of the cabin, making it difficult to further adjust the seat for operator comfort.
Slide and recline positions in automotive seats are well known. Although both can generally be mechanically or electrically controlled, in the known art, the fore-aft seat position is independent of the recline position. However, automobiles generally do not face the same space restrictions as work vehicles.
In electronically controlled seats, the need to control the range of motion of one position of the seat based on another position of the seat has not been approached, especially in closed space areas. Thus, there is a need for an active automatic seat positioning adjustment system that ensures that the various positions of a seat adjust to the specific size of the vehicle cabin.
Therefore, what is needed is a seat positioning system that is limited in its ability to fully recline or swivel based upon its fore-aft position in the cabin and vice versa. This would provide for a better experience for work vehicle operators by quickly adjusting the seat based on certain preferences.
The present disclosure is directed to an electronically controlled seat adjustment system that controls the range of adjustable seat variables based on a movement factor.
A method for running the system is also contemplated.
Other aspects will become apparent by consideration of the detailed description and accompanying drawings.
For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the disclosure, reference will now be made to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings and described in the following written specification. It is understood that no limitation to the scope of the disclosure is thereby intended. It is further understood that the present disclosure includes any alterations and modifications to the illustrated embodiments and includes further applications of the principles disclosed herein as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which this disclosure pertains
An electronically controlled vehicle seat positioning system which determines a movement factor and limits certain seat positions with respect to other seat positions is disclosed. The system takes into account the various cabin constraints of individual vehicles and can be adapted to many different types of motorized seats and cabin sizes. In an embodiment, a vehicle seat positioning system includes within communication with each other, a seat for supporting an operator, where the seat is capable of at least two of electrically controlled automatic recline, electrically controlled automatic fore-aft positioning, electrically controlled automatic swivel, a controller, at least one controllable device and a detection system configured to determine a current position of the seat recline, seat fore-aft position and/or seat swivel position. The detection system is operable to transmit signals to the controller, with the controller operable to signal to a controllable device, such as an actuator, to adjust the fore-aft, recline, and/or swivel positions of the seat based on a movement factor.
In one aspect of the electronically controlled seat positioning system, such as that shown in
Detectors 10, 12, 14 can measure seat position values by a change in resistance or a change in magnetic field or by digital pulses or sonar. The skilled artisan understands that the type of measurement method or value of the measurement is not limiting as long as the measurement provides information relating to the actual position of a seat. In one embodiment, the detector outputs a ratiometric voltage based on the supply voltage and detector position. But other detector outputs such as applicable current or digital outputs such as pulse width modulation (PWM), Inter-Integrated Circuit (I2C), Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI), controller area network (CAN), and Local Interconnect Network (LIN) are contemplated. As is understood by the skilled artisan, the seat position detectors can be of a variety of types of sensors and can be integrated in a variety of ways as is known in the art. The only limiting factor is that the seat position detector be able to sense the position of the seat in either a fore-aft position, a recline position, or a swivel position. In some embodiments, position detection will be based on time based calculations or time and current draw calculations from system actuators, such as if they are power motors.
In one embodiment a single detector will measure the fore-aft and recline position of the seat. In another embodiment, one detector will measure the fore-aft position of the seat and a separate detector will measure seat recline. The number of detectors is not meant to be limiting. Nor is the type of detector meant to be limiting. A single potentiometer sensor as a detector may be advantageous in that it gives immediate precise feedback. In another embodiment, an accelerometer sensor may be used. However, in the embodiments where an accelerometer is used, because accelerometer data must be further converted for accurate position data, the data using an accelerometer may be off shifted from real time data. Use of more than one detector may be important when dealing with safety critical components and the potential of a detector failure is not acceptable. Examples include steer by wire or fly by wire systems.
Software or firmware within a processor, such as a processor within vehicle seat position controller 16, is configured to receive a signal from at least one of detectors 10, 12, 14, whether a current or a voltage signal, and determine at least one position of the seat from the received signals, or at least determine a value indicative of at least one position of the seat. Controller 16 then calculates and converts these raw signals into an engineering value. To determine seat position, the raw signal may be voltage corresponding to distance, such as millimeters, or a percentage of travel. Controller 16 monitors in real time at least one position of the seat. It then programmatically calculates a movement factor based on if the current position is out of specification based on other positions, i.e. based on the limiting value. Values within specifications are those values within a predetermined acceptable range. For example, in different embodiments, this determination can be done with a look up table and interpolate values, a linear equation, or a complex equation that determines acceptable position limitations. In most embodiments, the complexity of these determinations is at least partially determined by the physical space constraints of the cabin environment, which can be preprogrammed into the system.
The vehicle seat positioning system according to the present disclosure is implemented through one or more controllable devices (18, 20, 22, 23). In one embodiment, controller 16 is configured to direct an actuator to move a position of a vehicle seat based on the movement factor. For example, if the desired position is outside of the confines allowing free movement as calculated in the movement factor value, the actuator may be directed by controller 16 to limit movement of the fore-aft direction of the seat based on the current position of the recline of the seat. Or based on the value of the movement factor, controller 16 communicates to controllable device 18, 20, 22, 23 to force movement of the recline position of the seat based on the fore-aft position. In yet another embodiment, an actuator causes movement of the swivel position of the seat based on either the recline or the fore-aft position of the seat.
Controller 16 can communicate either forced or preventative movement of a vehicle seat position according to the same principles. For example, if the vehicle seat is directed to the maximum aft value, the movement factor will be outside the allowable specifications and the actuators acting on a signal from the controller, will prevent recline of the seat past a certain level. In another embodiment, movement in the fore-aft direction will be prevented based on the value of the movement factor as determined by the present recline of the seat. For example, if the recline is in the maximum position, the movement factor will be outside the acceptable specifications and the controller will direct the actuator not to move the seat to the maximum aft position. Generally any actuator, such as an electric motor, that can move or restrict movement of electrical seat adjustment upon receiving a signal from controller 16 is contemplated herein.
The desired position value of the seat is input using an input device in communication with controller 16. This desired position value may be a preprogrammed position known to provide the highest degree of comfort to the most operators. It may also be an individual position favored by an individual operator. In certain embodiments, the input device is preprogrammed memory in the controller. In other embodiments, the input device is a knob or touch screen. In certain embodiments, the controller signal to the actuators can be overridden manually by the operator setting a desired seat position through an input device. Examples of input devices that can be used with the disclosure are shown in
As an example, the system directs the steps according to the flowchart shown in
Controller 16 can communicate with the various components of the system directly or indirectly. For direct communication, the components, such as detectors 10, 12, 14, 15 and actuators 18, 20, 22, 23 can be connected directly to the controller by appropriate wiring. Communication with controller 16 can be based on analog or digital signals and can follow a variety of communications protocols, such as LIN, CAN, UART, SPI and the like. Alternatively, the communication between controller 16 and certain system components can be wireless using a variety of known wireless communication protocols.
As shown herein, a single controller 16 is disclosed. However, there is no limitation on the number of controllers in the system. For example, two controllers may be present such as a parent/child. In this situation, a controller may collect the data but wait for instruction from a parent controller before directing movement of the actuators. And in yet another embodiment, one controller may collect the position information but another controller is responsible for directing movement of the actuators. In yet another embodiment, there may be one parent controller and several child controllers, i.e. in the event that the vehicle has more than a single seat.
In one embodiment, when the vehicle is on, controller 16 is configured to continuously run through the steps demonstrated by the flowchart loop of
The present disclosure should be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character. It is understood that only certain embodiments have been presented and that all changes, modifications and further applications that come within the spirit of the disclosure are desired to be protected.
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/076,034, filed on Sep. 9, 2020, the entirety of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/US2021/049463 | 9/8/2021 | WO |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63076034 | Sep 2020 | US |
