Seat including infrared-indicator material in a pattern

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10864826-B2
Application number	US-201916262510-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 30, 2019
Priority date	Jan 30, 2019
Publication date	Dec 15, 2020
Grant date	Dec 15, 2020

Abstract

A system includes a seat having an upholstery, an infrared-light source spaced from the seat and aimed at the seat, and an infrared sensor having a field of view. The seat is disposed in the field of view. Infrared-indicator threads are threaded with the upholstery and include exposed portions overlapping the upholstery in a pattern.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a seat including an upholstery;
an infrared-light source spaced from the seat and aimed at the seat;
an infrared sensor having a field of view, the seat disposed in the field of view; and
infrared-indicator threads threaded with the upholstery and including exposed portions overlapping the upholstery in a pattern;
wherein the seat includes a plurality of zones extending along a lateral axis of the seat and a vertical axis of the seat transverse to the lateral axis, the pattern being different in each zone of the seat.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the infrared-indicator threads are stitched to the upholstery.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the infrared-indicator threads are woven into the upholstery.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the infrared-indicator threads reflect infrared light.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the infrared-indicator threads absorb infrared light.

6. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a seatbelt and infrared-indicator threads threaded with the seatbelt in a second pattern different from the pattern.

7. The system of claim 1 , the pattern is a repeating pattern.

8. The system of claim 1 , the pattern is a growing pattern.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the seat includes a seatback, and further comprising a processor and a memory storing instructions to identify an angular position of the seatback in response to detecting the pattern.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the seat includes a seatback, a seat bottom, and a head restraint, the seatback, the seat bottom, and the head restraint each being one zone.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the seat includes a seatback, a seat bottom, and a head restraint, at least one of the seatback, the seat bottom, and the head restraint having the plurality of zones.

12. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a processor and a memory storing instructions to identify a size of an occupant in response to detecting a gap in the pattern.

13. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a processor and a memory storing instructions to identify a position of the seat in response to detecting the pattern.

14. A system comprising:
a seat including an upholstery having threads;
an infrared-light source spaced from the seat and aimed at the seat;
an infrared sensor having a field of view, the seat disposed in the field of view; and
an infrared-indicator material woven with the threads and including exposed portions overlapping the threads in a pattern;
wherein the seat includes a plurality of zones extending along a lateral axis of the seat and a vertical axis of the seat transverse to the lateral axis, the pattern being different in each zone of the seat.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the infrared-indicator material is threads.

16. The system of claim 14 , wherein the infrared-indicator material is a sheet including a plurality of perforations, the threads of the upholstery woven through the plurality of perforations.

17. A system comprising:
a seat including an upholstery, the upholstery being leather;
an infrared-light source spaced from the seat and aimed at the seat;
an infrared sensor having a field of view, the seat disposed in the field of view; and
an infrared-indicator material including exposed portions impressed onto the upholstery in a pattern;
wherein the seat includes a plurality of zones extending along a lateral axis of the seat and a vertical axis of the seat transverse to the lateral axis, the pattern being different in each zone of the seat.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the infrared-indicator material is threads deposited on the upholstery.

19. The system of claim 17 , wherein the infrared-indicator material is ink printed on the upholstery.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Kuepper Philipp
• Olsen William Jerome
• Chascsa Ii James Robert
• Vo Jeffrey Tien

Classifications

• G01B11/02 Primary

  for measuring length, width or thickness (G01B11/08 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60N2/0033

  mounted on or in the foam cushion · CPC title

• B60N2210/18

  Infrared · CPC title

• B60N2/0022

  for sensing anthropometric parameters, e.g. heart rate or body temperature · CPC title

• G01B11/022

  by means of tv-camera scanning · CPC title