Adjustable vehicle seat

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11247584-B2
Application number	US-201916400105-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 1, 2019
Priority date	Nov 2, 2016
Publication date	Feb 15, 2022
Grant date	Feb 15, 2022

Abstract

An adjustable vehicle seat includes a seat base having a seat surface and a backrest having a backrest surface. In the seat base and/or in the backrest, sensors are provided that detect forces, pressures and/or movements effected by a person sitting on the vehicle seat and consequently issue a signal. A control device is provided that detects the signals issued by the sensors and actuates actuators provided in the vehicle seat to adjust the seat base and/or backrest, or components thereof, in order to adjust the vehicle seat.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An adjustable vehicle seat, comprising:
a seat surface having a seat base;
a backrest having a backrest surface;
sensors provided in the seat base and/or in the backrest, wherein the sensors detect forces, pressures and/or movements exerted by a person seated on the vehicle seat and then output a signal;
actuators provided in the vehicle seat for adjusting the seat base and/or the backrest or components thereof; and
a control device configured to:
detect the signals output by the sensors,
analyze the detected signals output by the sensors and determine therefrom a current load profile of the seat base and/or the backrest,
compare the determined current load profile with load profiles which are stored in a memory and introduce a defined body movement, and determine the load profile which is closest to the current load profile and introduces a defined body movement as a predictive load profile, and
actuate the actuators such that the seat base and/or the backrest or components thereof are displaced corresponding to the body movement associated with the predictive load profile.

2. The adjustable vehicle seat as claimed in claim 1 , wherein
the control device is further configured such that, upon detecting an input variable by way of at least one of the sensors in a region of the vehicle seat, said region is displaced by at least one of the actuators in order to comply with the input variable.

3. The adjustable vehicle seat as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the control device is further configured to:
analyze the detected signals output by the sensors and determines therefrom a current load profile of the seat base and/or the backrest, compare the determined current load profile with at least one standard load profile stored in a memory, and
actuate the actuators such that the determined load profile approximates to or equals the standard load profile.

4. An adjustable vehicle seat, comprising:
a seat surface having a seat base;
a backrest having a backrest surface;
sensors provided in the seat base and/or in the backrest, wherein the sensors detect forces, pressures and/or movements exerted by a person seated on the vehicle seat and then output a signal;
actuators provided in the vehicle seat for adjusting the seat base and/or the backrest or components thereof, and
a control device configured to:
detect the signals output by the sensors,
analyze the detected signals output by the sensors over a predetermined time period and determines therefrom a time-dependent current load profile dynamics of the seat base and/or the backrest,
compare the determined current load profile dynamics with load profile dynamics reproducing physiological body movement patterns and stored in a memory, and determine the load profile dynamics which are closest to current load profile dynamics and reproduce a defined physiological body movement pattern as predictive load profile dynamics, and
actuate the actuators such that the seat base and/or the backrest or components thereof are displaced time-dependently and according to the body movement pattern associated with the predictive load profile dynamics.

5. The adjustable vehicle seat as claimed in claim 4 , wherein
the adjustment of the seat base and/or the backrest or of components thereof is carried out in synchronism with the physiological body movement pattern associated with the predictive load profile dynamics.

6. The adjustable vehicle seat as claimed in claim 4 , wherein
the adjustment of the seat base and/or the backrest or of components thereof is carried out so as to lead or alternatively lag the physiological body movement pattern associated with the predictive load profile dynamics.

7. The adjustable vehicle seat as claimed in claim 1 , wherein
a first group of said actuators are actuatable by the control device only when the vehicle is at a standstill and a second group of said actuators are actuatable by the control device while travelling and when the vehicle is at a standstill.

8. The adjustable vehicle seat as claimed in claim 7 , wherein
the second group of said actuators comprises actuators that cause adjustment of at least one of the following vehicle seat components or settings:
a side panel of the seat base,
a side panel of the backrest,
a width of the seat surface,
a width of the backrest surface,
a length of the seat surface,
a thigh support, or
a lumbar support.

9. A vehicle, comprising at least one adjustable vehicle seat according to claim 1 .

10. The adjustable vehicle seat as claimed in claim 4 , wherein
the control device is further configured such that, upon detecting an input variable by way of at least one of the sensors in a region of the vehicle seat, said region is displaced by at least one of the actuators in order to comply with the input variable.

11. The adjustable vehicle seat as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the control device is further configured to:
analyze the detected signals output by the sensors and determines therefrom a current load profile of the seat base and/or the backrest,
compare the determined current load profile with at least one standard load profile stored in a memory, and
actuate the actuators such that the determined load profile approximates to or equals the standard load profile.

12. The adjustable vehicle seat as claimed in claim 4 , wherein
a first group of said actuators are actuatable by the control device only when the vehicle is at a standstill and a second group of said actuators are actuatable by the control device while travelling and when the vehicle is at a standstill.

13. The adjustable vehicle seat as claimed in claim 12 , wherein
the second group of said actuators comprises actuators that cause adjustment of at least one of the following vehicle seat components or settings:
a side panel of the seat base,
a side panel of the backrest,
a width of the seat surface,
a width of the backrest surface,
a length of the seat surface,
a thigh support, or
a lumbar support.

14. A vehicle, comprising at least one adjustable vehicle seat according to claim 4 .

Assignees

• Bayerische Motoren Werke Ag

Inventors

• Breitweg Uwe
• Franz Matthias
• Janka Ingo
• Lathwesen Harald

Classifications

• B60N2/0248 Primary

  with memory of positions · CPC title

• B60N2/0273

  taking into account user data, e.g. knee height or physical state · CPC title

• B60N2210/40

  Force or pressure sensors · CPC title

• B60N2/66

  Lumbar supports · CPC title

• B60N2/99

  adjustable · CPC title