Method for operating a safety system for a seat system of a motor vehicle, and safety system for a seat system of a motor vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11498458-B2
Application number	US-201816756381-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 5, 2018
Priority date	Oct 16, 2017
Publication date	Nov 15, 2022
Grant date	Nov 15, 2022

Abstract

A detection is made as to whether a vehicle occupant seated on a vehicle seat of a seating system of a motor vehicle has put on a pair of electronic data glasses. If the vehicle occupant has put on a pair of electronic data glasses, a check is performed to determine whether a predetermined minimum distance exists between the vehicle seat and an interior component of the motor vehicle. If the minimum distance exists, an adjustment range of the seating system is restricted in such a way that it is not possible to fall below the minimum distance. If the minimum distance does not exist, the minimum distance is established by automatically adjusting the seating system and/or outputting a message relating to the noncompliance with the minimum distance.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for operating a safety system for a seating system of a motor vehicle, the method comprising:
detecting whether a vehicle occupant seated on a vehicle seat of the seating system has put on a pair of electronic data glasses;
when the detecting detects the vehicle occupant has put on the pair of electronic data glasses:
determining whether a distance between the vehicle seat and an interior component of the motor vehicle is greater than a predetermined minimum distance,
when determining the distance between the vehicle seat and the interior component is greater than the predetermined minimum distance, restricting an adjustment range of the seating system to prevent the distance between the vehicle seat and the interior component from becoming less than the predetermined minimum distance, and
when determining the distance between the vehicle seat and the interior component is less than the predetermined minimum distance, establishing the predetermined minimum distance includes automatically adjusting at least a portion of the seating system so that the distance between the vehicle seat and the interior component is greater than the predetermined minimum distance and/or outputting a message relating to the distance between the vehicle seat and the interior component being less than the predetermined minimum distance.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein
the vehicle seat is a front seat and the interior component is a dashboard of the motor vehicle having an airbag integrated therein, and
the predetermined minimum distance corresponds to a distance between the front seat and the dashboard.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein when the distance between the front seat and the dashboard is greater than the predetermined minimum distance, restricting the adjustment range of the seating system includes restricting an adjustment range of the front seat to prevent the distance between the front seat and the dashboard from becoming less than the predetermined minimum distance.

4. The method according to claim 2 , wherein when the distance between the front seat and the dashboard is less than the predetermined minimum distance, establishing the predetermined minimum distance by automatically adjusting the front seat so that the distance between the front seat and the dashboard is greater than the predetermined minimum distance and/or by outputting a message relating to the distance between the front seat and the dashboard being less than the predetermined minimum distance.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein
the vehicle seat is a rear seat and the interior component is a back rest of a front seat of the motor vehicle arranged in front of the rear seat, and
the predetermined minimum distance corresponds to a distance between the rear seat and the back rest of the front seat.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein when the distance between the rear seat and the back rest of the front seat is greater than the predetermined minimum distance, restricting the adjustment range of the seating system includes restricting an adjustment range of the front seat to prevent the distance between the rear seat and the back rest of the front seat from becoming less than the predetermined minimum distance.

7. The method according to claim 5 , wherein when the distance between the rear seat and the back rest of the front seat is less than the predetermined minimum distance, establishing the predetermined minimum distance by automatically adjusting the front seat so that the distance between the rear seat and the back rest of the front seat is greater than the predetermined minimum distance and/or by outputting a message relating to the distance between the rear seat and the back rest of the front seat being less than the predetermined minimum distance.

8. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising deactivating the electronic data glasses except for a capability of outputting the message, when the distance between the vehicle seat and the interior component is less than the predetermined minimum distance.

9. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
when the vehicle occupant has put on the electronic data glasses while in the motor vehicle, querying, by the electronic data glasses, where the vehicle occupant is seated within the motor vehicle.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein detecting whether the vehicle occupant seated on the vehicle seat has put on the pair of electronic data glasses is performed using a camera.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the predetermined minimum distance is individually specified based on a size of the vehicle occupant.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the predetermined minimum distance is individually specified based on a length of an upper body of the vehicle occupant.

13. The method according to claim 1 , wherein when the distance between the vehicle seat and the interior component is less than the predetermined minimum distance, establishing the predetermined minimum distance includes automatically adjusting the at least the portion of the seating system after a manual confirmation by the vehicle occupant or by another occupant of the motor vehicle.

14. A safety system for a seating system of a motor vehicle, the safety system comprising:
a detector configured to detect whether a vehicle occupant seated on a vehicle seat of the seating system has put on a pair of electronic data glasses; and
a controller, when the detector detects the vehicle occupant has put on the pair of electronic data glasses, configured:
to determine whether a distance between the vehicle seat and an interior component of the motor vehicle is greater than a predetermined minimum distance,
to restrict an adjustment range of the seating system to prevent the distance between the vehicle seat and the interior component from becoming less than the predetermined minimum distance, when the controller determines the distance between the vehicle seat and the interior component is greater than the predetermined minimum distance, and
to establish the predetermined minimum distance by automatically adjusting at least a portion of the seating system so that the distance between the vehicle seat and the interior component is greater than the predetermined minimum distance and/or by outputting a message relating to the distance between the vehicle seat and the interior component being less than the predetermined minimum distance, when the controller determines the distance between the vehicle seat and the interior component is less than the predetermined minimum distance.

15. A motor vehicle, comprising:
an interior component;
a seating system including a vehicle seat; and
a safety system, including:
a detector configured to detect whether a vehicle occupant seated on the vehicle seat has put on a pair of electronic data glasses, and
a controller, when the detector detects the vehicle occupant has put on the pair of electronic data glasses, configured:
to determine whether a distance between the vehicle seat and the interior component is greater than a predetermined minimum distance,
to restrict an adjustment range of the seating system to prevent the distance between the vehicle seat and the interior component from becoming less than the predetermined minimum distance, when the controller determines the distance between the vehicle seat and the interior component is greater than the predetermined minimum distance, and
to establish the predetermined minimum distance by automatically adjusting at least a portion of

Assignees

• Audi Ag

Inventors

• Profendiner Daniel

Classifications

• B60R21/205

  in dashboards · CPC title

• B60R21/01552

  detecting position of specific human body parts, e.g. face, eyes or hands · CPC title

• B60R21/01538 Primary

  for image processing, e.g. cameras or sensor arrays · CPC title

• B60R21/01512

  Passenger detection systems · CPC title

• B60R21/01566 Primary

  Devices for warning or indicating mode of inhibition · CPC title