Seat assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11124090-B2
Application number	US-201816208614-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 4, 2018
Priority date	Dec 4, 2018
Publication date	Sep 21, 2021
Grant date	Sep 21, 2021

Abstract

A seat assembly includes a seat, one or more sensor assemblies, and/or an electronic control unit that may be connected to the one or more sensor assemblies. The one or more sensor assemblies may provide information about a first position of the seat to the electronic control unit. The electronic control unit may be configured to receive a second position of the seat, and/or the electronic control unit may be configured to automatically move the seat to the second position without contacting other objects. The electronic control unit may include a second seat, and/or the electronic control unit may be configured to automatically move the second seat from a first second seat position to a second second seat position. The electronic control unit may be configured to determine a movement path of the seat according to information from the one or more sensor assemblies.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A seat assembly, comprising:
a plurality of seats, including:
a first seat;
a second seat;

one or more sensor assemblies; and
an electronic control unit connected to the one or more sensors assemblies;
wherein the one or more sensor assemblies are configured to provide information about a first position of the first seat to the electronic control unit;
the electronic control unit is configured to receive a requested second position of the first seat;
the electronic control unit is configured to automatically move the first seat to the second position;
the one or more sensor assemblies includes one or more occupancy sensors;
the electronic control unit is configured to determine whether the plurality of seats are occupied via the one or more occupancy sensors;
the electronic control unit is configured to determine movement paths of the plurality of seats according to user input; and,
when determining the movement paths, the electronic control unit is configured to prioritize movement of unoccupied seats over movement of occupied seats.

2. The seat assembly of claim 1 , wherein the electronic control unit is configured to analyze information from the one or more sensor assemblies to determine an initial position of the second seat.

3. The seat assembly of claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensor assemblies include a first proximity sensor of the first seat and a second proximity sensor of the second seat.

4. The seat assembly of claim 1 , wherein the electronic control unit is configured to automatically move the second seat to a secondary position to avoid contact with the first seat as the first seat moves from the first position to the second position.

5. The seat assembly of claim 1 , including a console; wherein the electronic control unit is configured to move the console to facilitate movement of the first seat from the first position to the second position.

6. The seat assembly of claim 1 , wherein the electronic control unit is configured to provide a warning to an occupant if the requested second position cannot be reached.

7. The seat assembly of claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensor assemblies includes a camera and a proximity sensor; and the electronic control unit is configured to create a three-dimensional map of the seat assembly based on information from the one or more sensor assemblies.

8. A seat assembly, comprising:
a first seat;
a second seat;
one or more sensor assemblies; and
an electronic control unit connected to the one or more sensors assemblies;
wherein the one or more sensor assemblies are configured to provide information about a first position of the first seat to the electronic control unit;
wherein the electronic control unit is configured to:
receive a requested second position of the first seat;
determine a proposed movement path of the first seat from the first position to the second position according to information from the one or more sensor assemblies;
determine if the second seat can be moved to a secondary position such that the first seat can be moved along the proposed movement path without contacting the second seat;
determine a final movement path of the first seat from the first position to the second position according, at least in part, to whether the second seat can be moved to the second position; and

wherein if the electronic control unit determines that the second seat can be moved to the secondary position, the electronic control unit is configured to automatically move the second seat to the secondary position;
wherein the electronic control unit is configured to determine if the second seat can be returned from the secondary position to an initial position without contacting the first seat in the second position or other seats or components; and
if the electronic control unit determines that the second seat can be returned to the initial position, the electronic control unit is configured to automatically return the second seat to the initial position.

9. The seat assembly of claim 8 , including a plurality of seats; wherein the plurality of seats includes the first seat and the second seat; the one or more sensor assemblies includes one or more occupancy sensors; the electronic control unit is configured to determine whether the plurality of seats are occupied via the one or more occupancy sensors; and, when determining the final movement path, the electronic control unit is configured to prioritize movement of unoccupied seats over movement of occupied seats.

10. The seat assembly of claim 8 , wherein if the electronic control unit determines that the second seat cannot be moved to the secondary position, the proposed movement path and the final movement path are different.

11. A seat assembly, comprising:
a first seat;
a second seat;
one or more sensor assemblies; and
an electronic control unit connected to the one or more sensors assemblies;
wherein the one or more sensor assemblies are configured to provide information about a first position of the first seat to the electronic control unit;
wherein the electronic control unit is configured to:
receive a requested second position of the first seat;
determine a proposed movement path of the first seat from the first position to the second position according to information from the one or more sensor assemblies;
determine if the second seat can be moved to a secondary position such that the first seat can be moved along the proposed movement path to the second position without contacting the second seat;
determine a final movement path of the first seat from the first position to the second position according, at least in part, to whether the second seat can be moved to the secondary position; and
move the first seat to the second position via the final movement path;

wherein if the electronic control unit determines that the second seat can be moved to the secondary position, (a) the electronic control unit is configured to automatically move the second seat to the secondary position, and (b) the proposed movement path and the final movement path are the same; and
wherein if the electronic control unit determines that the second seat cannot be moved to the secondary position, the proposed movement path and the final movement path are different.

12. The seat assembly of claim 11 , wherein the final movement path does not cross the secondary position of the second seat such that the first seat does not contact the second seat when the first seat moves from the first position to the second position.

13. The seat assembly of claim 11 , wherein automatically moving the second seat to the secondary position includes rotating the second seat such that the second seat does not cross the proposed movement path.

Assignees

• Lear Corp

Inventors

• Yetukuri Arjun
• Weaver Mark
• Henn Karl
• Humer Mladen

Classifications

• B60N2/0278 Primary

  using sensors external to the seat for measurements in relation to the seat adjustment, e.g. for identifying the presence of obstacles or the appropriateness of the occupants position · CPC title

• B60N2220/20

  using a deterministic algorithm · CPC title

• B60N2/0028

  of a body part, e.g. of an arm or a leg · CPC title

• B60N2210/24

  Cameras · CPC title

• B60N2210/40

  Force or pressure sensors · CPC title