Vehicle device operation apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11420581-B2
Application number	US-201716482839-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 6, 2017
Priority date	Feb 6, 2017
Publication date	Aug 23, 2022
Grant date	Aug 23, 2022

Abstract

This vehicle device operation apparatus is provided with: a deforming body which is configured so as to be attached to a vehicle seat and in which a fluid is sealed; and a control device. The control device is configured so as to detect the inner pressure of the deforming body, detect an adjusting operation which is an occupant's operation for adjusting the operated state of a vehicle device on the basis of a change in inner pressure of the deforming body caused by pressing of the deforming body through the body movement of an occupant seated on the seat, and execute adjustment control for adjusting the operated state of the vehicle device in response to the detection of the adjusting operation.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vehicle device operation apparatus, comprising:
a deformable body configured to be attached to a seat of a vehicle and filled with a fluid; and
a controller, wherein
the controller is configured to detect an internal pressure of the deformable body,
the controller is configured to detect an adjustment operation, which is an operation performed by a vehicle occupant to adjust an actuation state of a vehicle device, based on a change in the internal pressure of the deformable body that occurs when the vehicle occupant seated on the seat moves his or her body and presses the deformable body, and
the controller is configured to execute adjustment control, which adjusts the actuation state of the vehicle device, upon detection of the adjustment operation.

2. The vehicle device operation apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the deformable body is an airbag configured to be inflated or deflated when the internal pressure is increased or decreased by supplying or discharging air,
the vehicle device operation apparatus comprising an air supply-discharge device including an air pump configured to send air to the airbag, a valve arranged in a flow passage connecting the airbag and the air pump, and a pressure sensor configured to detect the internal pressure of the airbag in the flow passage,
the controller is configured to detect the adjustment operation based on a detection result of the pressure sensor.

3. The vehicle device operation apparatus according to claim 1 , comprising:
a voice detector configured to detect a voice produced by the vehicle occupant,
wherein the controller is configured to set a mode for executing the adjustment control based on a detection result of the voice detector.

4. The vehicle device operation apparatus according to claim 2 , comprising:
a voice detector configured to detect a voice produced by the vehicle occupant, wherein
the controller is configured to instruct the air supply-discharge device to supply air to the airbag to set a mode for executing the adjustment control based on a detection result of the voice detector, and
the controller is configured to instruct the air supply-discharge device to discharge air from the airbag to end the mode for executing the adjustment control.

5. The vehicle device operation apparatus according to claim 1 , comprising:
a vehicle state detection sensor configured to detect a travel state of the vehicle,
wherein the controller is configured to invalidate the adjustment operation detected while turning or hard braking of the vehicle is detected as the travel state based on a detection result of the vehicle state detection sensor.

Assignees

• Aisin Corp

Inventors

• Ogiso Takashi

Classifications

• B60R21/207 Primary

  in vehicle seats · CPC title

• G10L2015/223

  Execution procedure of a spoken command · CPC title

• G10L25/78

  Detection of presence or absence of voice signals (switching of direction of transmission by voice frequency in two-way loud-speaking telephone systems H04M9/10) · CPC title

• G06F3/16

  Sound input; Sound output (speech processing G10L) · CPC title

• B60R21/01

  Electrical circuits for triggering {passive} safety arrangements, {e.g. airbags, safety belt tighteners,} in case of vehicle accidents or impending vehicle accidents {(electrical circuits for transmission of signals between steering wheel and the vehicle itself B60R16/027; for electrically actuating belt retractor locking means B60R22/343)} · CPC title