Vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11052786-B2
Application number	US-201715725166-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 4, 2017
Priority date	Nov 15, 2016
Publication date	Jul 6, 2021
Grant date	Jul 6, 2021

Abstract

A vehicle includes: a driving seat; a pair of doors; a seat moving mechanism configured to move the driving seat between a driving state and a receiving state, the driving seat in the driving state being positioned at a vehicle width direction center and facing a vehicle front, and the receiving state satisfying at least one condition of: the driving seat being positioned closer to one door of the pair of doors than in the driving state or the driving seat facing further toward the one door than in the driving state; a detection unit configured to detect a portable device in a detection area in a vicinity of the vehicle and outside a passenger compartment; and a seat control unit that controls the seat moving mechanism so as to move the driving seat into the receiving state.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle comprising:
a driving seat;
a pair of doors, wherein a first door of the pair of doors is provided at a first side of the driving seat in a vehicle lateral width direction, wherein a second door of the pair of doors provided at a second side of the driving seat in the vehicle lateral width direction, and wherein each of the first and second doors are configured to open and close;
a seat moving mechanism provided in the driving seat and configured to move slidably and rotate the driving seat between a driving state and a receiving state, wherein, in the driving state, the driving seat is positioned at a center position bisecting a lateral width of the vehicle and facing the front of the vehicle, and wherein the receiving state is a state whereby the driving seat is positioned closer to and facing one door of the pair of doors than in the driving state;
a first processor configured to operate as a detection unit configured to detect a first portable device and a second portable device in a detection area, the detection area being both in a vicinity of the vehicle and outside of a passenger compartment of the vehicle; and
a second processor configured to operate as a seat control unit, the second processor being communicatively connected to the first processor, the seat control unit controlling the seat moving mechanism so as to move slidably and rotate the driving seat from the center position into the receiving state at a first location toward a door of the pair of doors, the seat control unit not controlling the seat moving mechanism based on a second location, the first location being chosen based upon which side the portable device is detected by the detection unit to be present at, the second location being chosen based upon which side the second portable device is detected by the detection unit to be present at; and
a third processor configured to operate as a door control unit, the third processor being communicatively connected to the first processor, the door control unit opening and closing the first door and the second door located at the identified corresponding first location and second location, respectively,
wherein when the first portable device is at a location closer to the first door than to the second door, the first location is a location toward the first door of the pair of doors, and when the portable device is at a location closer to the second door than to the first door, the first location is a location toward the second door of the pair of doors, and
wherein when the second portable device is at a location closer to the first door than to the second door, the second location is a location toward the first door of the pair of doors, and when the second portable device is at a location closer to the second door than to the first door, the second location is a location toward the second door of the pair of doors.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the seat control unit starts control of the seat moving mechanism in a case in which entry of the portable device into the detection area is detected by the detection unit.

3. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein:
each door of the pair of doors are electric sliding doors; and
the seat control unit starts control of the seat moving mechanism in a case in which control is started to open the door of the pair of doors that is at the side at which the portable device is present.

4. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the seat control unit starts control of the seat moving mechanism in a case in which, in a state in which entry of the portable device into the detection area is detected by the detection unit, a predetermined operation is implemented by the portable device or operation of a switch provided at a door handle of the door of the pair of doors that is at the side at which the portable device is present occurs.

5. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein:
each door of the pair of doors are electric sliding doors; and
the seat control unit starts control of the seat moving mechanism in a case in which entry of the portable device into the detection area is detected by the detection unit,
control is started to open the door of the pair of doors that is at the side at which the portable device is present in a case in which, in a state in which entry of the portable device into the detection area is detected by the detection unit, a predetermined operation is implemented by the portable device or operation of a switch provided at a door handle of the door of the pair of doors that is at the side at which the portable device is present occurs.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ajisaka Satoshi

Classifications

• B60N2/04 Primary

  the whole seat being movable · CPC title

• B60N2/06 Primary

  slidable (B60N2/12 {, B60N2/2209} take precedence) · CPC title

• B60N2230/20

  Wireless data transmission · CPC title

• B60N2/0237

  using portable terminals, e.g. smartphones · CPC title

• B60N2/062

  transversally slidable · CPC title