Seating arrangements in a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10549659-B2
Application number	US-201715656028-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 21, 2017
Priority date	Jul 21, 2017
Publication date	Feb 4, 2020
Grant date	Feb 4, 2020

Abstract

Various seating arrangements for a vehicle are described. Generally, the vehicle includes an electromagnetic array featured on a floor of the vehicle. The chair includes base having a plurality of magnets featured thereon. The vehicle generates signals for the electromagnetic array to generate a wave and impart a force on the chair in a determined direction via the plurality of magnets.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A seating system in a vehicle, comprising:
a floor featuring an electromagnetic array configured to output a magnetic field having a first polarity;
a chair including a base adjacent to the floor, the base featuring one or more magnets configured to have a shared second polarity that is opposite the first polarity;
a processor operatively connected to the electromagnetic array; and
memory operatively connected to the processor, the memory storing:
an array control module including instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to i) determine where to direct a wave in the magnetic field to impart a force on the chair in a determined direction, and ii) generate one or more control signals for the electromagnetic array to produce the wave in the magnetic field that moves across the electromagnetic array in the determined direction and thereby imparts the force on the chair via the one or more magnets in the determined direction.

2. The seating system of claim 1 , wherein the chair further includes a seat and a suspension system operatively connected to the seat.

3. The seating system of claim 2 , wherein the memory further stores:
a seat control module including instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to generate one or more control signals for the suspension system to tilt the seat according to an acceleration of the vehicle.

4. The seating system of claim 3 , wherein the seat is tilted towards the acceleration of the vehicle.

5. The seating system of claim 1 , wherein the array control module further includes instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to generate one or more additional control signals for at least some electromagnets in the electromagnetic array located underneath the chair to switch from the first polarity to the second polarity and thereby magnetically attach the chair via the one or more magnets to the floor.

6. The seating system of claim 5 , wherein the at least some electromagnets located underneath the chair switch from the first polarity to the second polarity in response to a detected impending collision.

7. The seating system of claim 5 , wherein the array control module further includes instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to generate one or more additional control signals for at least some electromagnets in the electromagnetic array located around the chair to maintain the first polarity.

8. The seating system of claim 1 , wherein the array control module further includes instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to determine where to direct the wave to impart the force on the chair in the determined direction based on input from an occupant of the chair.

9. The seating system of claim 1 , wherein the array control module further includes instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to determine where to direct the wave to impart the force on the chair in the determined direction based on one or more accelerations of the vehicle.

10. The seating system of claim 1 , wherein the array control module further includes instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to determine where to direct the wave to impart the force on the chair in the determined direction based on a detected impending collision.

11. The seating system of claim 1 , wherein the array control module further includes instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to generate one or more additional control signals for the electromagnetic array to produce a counter wave in the magnetic field that moves across the electromagnetic array in the determined direction along an opposite side of the base as the wave and thereby imparts a force on the chair via the one or more magnets causing the chair to slow down.

12. The seating system of claim 1 , wherein the wave has a varying magnetic field strength across the wave and thereby imparts a rotating force on the chair via the one or more magnets according to the varying magnetic field strength.

13. The seating system of claim 1 , wherein the array control module includes instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to produce successive waves in the magnetic field that move across the electromagnetic array in the determined direction and thereby imparts successive forces on the chair via the one or more magnets in the determined direction.

14. A method of controlling a chair in a vehicle, the method comprising:
in a vehicle including a chair and a floor featuring an electromagnetic array, levitating the chair above the electromagnetic array using a magnetic field output by the electromagnetic array;
identifying a target destination for the chair within the vehicle; and
generating one or more waves in the magnetic field, the one or more waves moving towards the target destination, thereby imparting a force on the chair causing the chair to be located at the target destination.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein identifying the target destination comprises receiving one or more inputs from an occupant of the chair.

16. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
in response to the chair being located at the target destination, detecting one or more changes from the target destination.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the one or more waves include one or more waves moving opposite the detected one or more changes from the target destination, thereby causing the chair to be re-located at the target destination.

18. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
detecting an impending collision.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the target destination is a safe destination with respect to the impending collision.

20. The method of claim 18 , further comprising:
in response to detecting the impending collision, switching a polarity of a portion of the magnetic field positioned beneath the chair to thereby magnetically attach the chair to the floor.

Assignees

• Toyota Eng & Mfg North America

Inventors

• Sullivan Richard M
• Prokhorov Danil V
• Williams Paxton S

Classifications

• B60N2/164

  Linear actuator, e.g. screw mechanism · CPC title

• B60N2/1846

  pivoting about a distant axis, e.g. virtual · CPC title

• B60N2/4221

  due to impact coming from the front · CPC title

• B60N2/42736 Primary

  of the whole seat · CPC title

• B60N2/181

  Rods · CPC title