System and method for controlling rotating type seat of self-driving vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10471850-B2
Application number	US-201715821990-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 24, 2017
Priority date	Sep 18, 2017
Publication date	Nov 12, 2019
Grant date	Nov 12, 2019

Abstract

A system and a method are provided for controlling a rotating type seat of a self-driving vehicle. In particular, seat position and bolster volume are adjusted based on a pressure rate in response to a vehicle turning when seat of the self-driving vehicle is rotationally adjusted in a desired direction. Accordingly, body displacement due to a centrifugal force and inertia is supported and a stable seating feeling is provided to the passenger.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for controlling a rotating type seat of a self-driving vehicle, comprising:
a driving information analyzing unit configured to obtain vehicle information and calculate a corrected lateral acceleration;
a measuring unit configured to measure pressure exerted onto a seat back and a seat cushion using a sensor and configured to measure a seat rotation angle;
a body pressure information analyzing unit configured to measure bolster body pressure occurrence rates of the seat back and the seat cushion based on pressure information from the measuring unit;
a turning phase determining unit configured to determine a turning degree the vehicle using the seat rotation angle, the corrected lateral acceleration, and the bolster body pressure occurrence rate; and
a seat controller configured to adjust an inclined angle of the seat cushion and bolster volume and angle of the seat back based on the turning degree.

2. The system for controlling the rotating type seat of the self-driving vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is embedded between a cover of the seat back and a foam pad and includes:
a first body pressure measuring sensor that is configured as a structure that a body pressure sensor is attached to a flexible mat in a 3×3 arrangement and that is embedded with one pair at upper, middle, and lower locations, respectively, on a front center portion of the seat back and embedded with one pair at a front side and a rear side, respectively, on a center portion of the seat cushion;
a second body pressure measuring sensor that is configured as a structure that the body pressure sensor is attached to the flexible mat in a 2×3 arrangement and that is embedded with one pair at upper, middle, and lower locations, respectively, on bolsters of both sides of a front surface of the seat back; and
a third body pressure measuring sensor that is configured as a structure that the body pressure sensor is attached to the flexible mat in a 2×2 arrangement and that is embedded at a front side and a rear side, respectively, on bolsters of both sides of the seat cushion.

3. The system for controlling the rotating type seat of the self-driving vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the seat rotation angle is measured using a rotation angle sensing sensor mounted on a rotation center shaft of a seat or surroundings thereof and configured to sense a rotation angle of the rotation center shaft, or is measured using a gyro sensor mounted on the seat and configured to sense azimuth variation of the seat.

4. The system for controlling the rotating type seat of the self-driving vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the turning phase determining unit determines current driving status of a vehicle as Phase 0 (no turning), Phase 1 (proper turning), and Phase 2 (excessive turning) using the seat rotation angle, the corrected lateral acceleration calculated using current information of a vehicle speed, a steering angle, and a yaw rate, and the bolster body pressure occurrence rate.

5. The system for controlling the rotating type seat of the self-driving vehicle of claim 4 , wherein the seat controller, in response to receiving Phase 1 (proper turning) or Phase 2 (excessive turning), is configured to apply a control signal to an inclined angle adjustment device of the seat cushion and raise one end portion of the seat cushion applied with body pressure.

6. The system for controlling the rotating type seat of the self-driving vehicle of claim 4 , wherein the seat controller, in response to receiving Phase 1 (proper turning) or Phase 2 (excessive turning), is configured to apply a control signal to a bolster angle adjustment device embedded in the bolster of the seat back and perform angle adjustment of the bolster in an opposite direction applied with body pressure; and at the same time, apply a control signal to an air pressure supply device configured to supply air pressure to a plurality of air cells embedded in the bolster and perform pressure adjustment on each air cell.

7. A method for controlling a rotating type seat of a self-driving vehicle, comprising:
calculating, by a controller, a corrected lateral acceleration;
measuring, by the controller, pressure exerted onto a seat back and a seat cushion and measuring a seat rotation angle;
calculating, by the controller, bolster body pressure occurrence rates of the seat back and the seat cushion based on pressure information;
determining, by the controller, a turning degree of the vehicle using the seat rotation angle, the corrected lateral acceleration, and the bolster body pressure occurrence rate and determining a current degree of turning of the vehicle as Phase 0 (no turning), Phase 1 (proper turning), and Phase 2 (excessive turning) to provide it to a seat controller; and
v) in the seat controller, adjusting an inclined angle of the seat cushion and bolster volume and angle of the seat back based on the turning degree.

8. The method for controlling the rotating type seat of the self-driving vehicle of claim 7 , wherein the corrected lateral acceleration is calculated by obtaining current information of a vehicle speed, a steering angle, and a yaw rate, and after multiplying the vehicle speed and the yaw rate to calculate an estimated lateral acceleration, is obtained by multiplying the calculated estimated lateral acceleration by a correction factor; and the correction factor is obtained by dividing the estimated lateral acceleration by the actually measured lateral acceleration.

9. The method for controlling the rotating type seat of the self-driving vehicle of claim 7 , wherein the bolster body pressure occurrence rate of the seat back when a body pressure sensing rate sensed in all of body pressure sensors embedded in the seat back is 100%, is calculated by a rate that the sensed body pressure sensing rate occupies.

10. The method for controlling the rotating type seat of the self-driving vehicle of claim 7 , wherein when the seat controller receives Phase 0 (no turning), a seat control is maintained.

11. The method for controlling the rotating type seat of the self-driving vehicle of claim 7 , wherein when the seat controller receives Phase 1 (proper turning), the inclined angle of the seat cushion and the bolster volume and angle of the seat back are adjusted to decrease current body pressure occurrence rates operating on the bolster portions of the seat back and the seat cushion to be less than a first threshold bolster body pressure occurrence rate varying based on a lateral acceleration.

12. The method for controlling the rotating type seat of the self-driving vehicle of claim 11 , wherein the first threshold bolster body pressure occurrence rate on the bolster portion of the seat back and the first threshold bolster body pressure occurrence rate on the bolster portion of the seat cushion are obtained by inputting current lateral acceleration to a regression equation in statistics, respectively; and the first threshold bolster body pressure occurrence rate on the bolster portion of the seat back is set as a range of a minimum 20% to a maximum 50% according to the lateral acceleration and the first threshold bolster body pressure occurrence rate on the bolster portion of the seat cushion is set as a range of a minimum 20% to a maximum 30% according to the lateral acceleration.

13. The method for controlling the rotating type seat of the self-driving vehicle of claim 11 , wherein the inclined angle of the seat cushion is adjusted by a control for raising one end portion of the seat cushion applied with body pressure; the bolster angle adjustment of the seat back is performed by adjusting an angle of the bolster in an opposit

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Motors Corp

Inventors

• Lee Baek Hee
• Kwak Min Hyuk
• Lee Jin Hee

Classifications

• B60N2/99

  adjustable · CPC title

• B60N2/914

  Hydro-pneumatic adjustments of the shape · CPC title

• B60N2/14 Primary

  rotatable, e.g. to permit easy access (B60N2/10 {, B60N2/2869} take precedence) · CPC title

• B60N2/22

  the back-rest being adjustable {(B60N2/2878 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B60N2002/0268

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic