Vehicle seat with integrated sensors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10786162-B2
Application number	US-201715678710-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 16, 2017
Priority date	Nov 27, 2012
Publication date	Sep 29, 2020
Grant date	Sep 29, 2020

Abstract

A vehicle seat in accordance with the present disclosure includes a seat bottom and a seat back. The seat back is coupled to the seat bottom and arranged to extend in an upward direction away from the seat bottom. The vehicle seat further includes an electronics system.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An occupant support system comprising
a sensor system configured to obtain occupant data signals associated with physiological characteristics of an occupant of the occupant support system and
a control system including an output and a computer having a memory and a processor, the output configured to provide at least one of an audial, visual, olfactory, and tactile feedback to the occupant to change at least one of the physiological characteristics of the occupant and increase a physical comfort of the occupant, the memory having trend data indicative of occupant comfort stored therein, and the processor configured to execute instructions stored in the memory and to control the output,
wherein the processor is configured to receive inputs including the occupant data signals, determine occupant health data indicative of physiological characteristics of the occupant using the occupant data signals, determine occupant condition improvement instructions using the occupant health data and trend data stored in the memory and predetermined criteria, and activate the output based on the occupant condition improvement instructions to change at least one of the physiological characteristics of the occupant,
wherein the processor is further configured to identify the occupant based on at least one of the inputs and the occupant data signals, sense manual changes made to the output by the occupant, associate the manual changes with the occupant health data, and store the occupant health data, the associated manual changes to the activated output, the occupant condition improvement instructions, and data associated with the activated output activated in the memory in an associated occupant profile of the identified occupant, and
wherein the processor is further configured to receive supplemental occupant data signals after the output is activated, determine supplemental occupant health data using the supplemental occupant data signals, and compare the occupant health data, the supplemental occupant health data, and the manual changes made to the output to determine if activating the output resulted in a change in the physiological characteristics of the occupant over time and to determine trends in the physiological characteristics of the occupant and store the trends in the occupant profile so that the processor predicts discomfort and makes changes to the occupant condition improvement instructions and output in response.

2. The occupant support system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to activate the output based on the occupant profile of the occupant associated with the identified identity.

3. The occupant support system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to receive supplemental occupant data signals after the output is activated, determine supplemental occupant health data using the supplemental occupant data signals, determine supplemental occupant condition improvement instructions using the data associated with the occupant profile, the supplemental occupant health data, and the predetermined criteria, and activate the output based on the supplemental occupant condition improvement instructions.

4. The occupant support system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine supplemental occupant condition improvement instructions using the occupant health data and the supplemental occupant health data and activate the output based on the supplemental occupant condition improvement instructions.

5. The occupant support system of claim 1 , wherein the inputs further include vehicle-based measurements and behavioral measurements of the occupant and the processor is configured to determine the occupant condition improvement instructions using the occupant health data, the trend data, the vehicle-based measurements, and the behavioral measurements.

6. The occupant support system of claim 1 , wherein the output is configured to instruct a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system to change at least one of a temperature, a blower speed, and a blower angle.

7. The occupant support system of claim 6 , wherein the output is configured to instruct the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system to provide at least one of localized heating and localized cooling to the occupant.

8. The occupant support system of claim 7 , wherein the output is configured to instruct the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system to change at least one of a heating and cooling to a face of the occupant.

9. The occupant support system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor system includes a thermal sensor system configured to provide data indicative of at least one of temperature and humidity distribution around the occupant, injured areas of the occupant, and temperature gradients around the occupant.

10. The occupant support system of claim 9 , wherein the thermal sensor system includes at least one of a hydrothermal mat and an infrared camera.

11. The occupant support system of claim 1 , wherein the output is configured to instruct a massage system to perform a first massage algorithm.

12. The occupant support system of claim 11 , wherein at least one of a frequency, intensity, location, and patterns of application to the occupant of the first massage algorithm is based on the occupant condition improvement instructions.

13. The occupant support system of claim 11 , wherein the output is configured to instruct the massage system to perform a second massage algorithm different than the first massage algorithm after the first massage algorithm has started and the second massage algorithm differs from the first massage algorithm in at least one of a frequency, intensity, location, and patterns of application to the occupant.

14. The occupant support system of claim 1 , wherein the output is configured to instruct a lighting system to vary at least one of a location, color, wavelength, intensity, and duration of lighting included in the lighting system.

15. The occupant support system of claim 1 , wherein the output is configured to instruct a scent system to deploy aroma therapies.

16. The occupant support system of claim 1 , wherein the output is configured to instruct a sound system to play one of a plurality of audio recordings at a predetermined volume.

17. The occupant support system of claim 1 , wherein the one of a plurality of audio recordings and the predetermined volume are determined based on the occupant condition improvement instructions.

Assignees

• Faurecia Automotive Seating Llc

Inventors

• Benson Matthew K
• Lowell Dana R
• Montgomery Sean M
• Dexter Brian R
• Bonk Jeffery T
• Cummings David L
• Haase Alexander S
• Baudu Samuel
• Boussetta Radouane
• Drubetskoy Pioter
• Dacosta-Mallet Anne-Isabelle

Classifications

• B60N2220/10

  using a database · CPC title

• B60N2210/40

  Force or pressure sensors · CPC title

• B60N2210/30

  Temperature sensors · CPC title

• B60N2210/24

  Cameras · CPC title

• B60N2210/18

  Infrared · CPC title