Apparatus And Method Of Controlling Seat Of Vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2024217396-A1
Application number	US-202318240145-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 30, 2023
Priority date	Dec 30, 2022
Publication date	Jul 4, 2024
Grant date	—

Abstract

A seat control apparatus is provided. The seat control apparatus may include: one or more processors, and memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the seat control apparatus to detect a collision of a vehicle, output, based on the detection, a collision occurrence signal; determine a seat operation mode of the vehicle between an automatic mode and a manual mode, output, based on the determination, one of an automatic mode seat operation request command or a manual mode seat operation request command, determine, based on the collision occurrence signal, whether to transmit one of the automatic mode seat operation request command or the manual mode seat operation request command; and drive, based on the one of the automatic mode seat operation request command or the manual mode seat operation request command, one or more seat motors to control a seat of the vehicle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A seat control apparatus comprising:
one or more processors; and memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the seat control apparatus to:
detect a collision of a vehicle;
output, based on the detection, a collision occurrence signal;
determine a seat operation mode of the vehicle between an automatic mode and a manual mode;
output, based on the determination, one of an automatic mode seat operation request command or a manual mode seat operation request command;
determine, based on the collision occurrence signal, whether to transmit one of the automatic mode seat operation request command or the manual mode seat operation request command; and
drive, based on the one of the automatic mode seat operation request command or the manual mode seat operation request command, one or more seat motors to control a seat of the vehicle.

2 . The seat control apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the seat control apparatus to deactivate, based on the collision occurrence signal, transmission of the automatic mode seat operation request command.

3 . The seat control apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the seat control apparatus to activate, based on a termination of the collision occurrence signal, transmission of the automatic mode seat operation request command.

4 . The seat control apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the seat control apparatus to:
determine, based on the automatic mode seat operation request command, whether an automatic mode operation condition is satisfied; and based on a determination that the automatic mode operation condition is satisfied, drive the one or more seat motors to control the seat.

5 . The seat control apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the seat control apparatus not to drive, based on a determination that the automatic mode operation condition is not satisfied, the one or more seat motors.

6 . The seat control apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the seat control apparatus to transmit the manual mode seat operation request command regardless of whether the collision occurrence signal is outputted.

7 . The seat control apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the seat control apparatus to:
determine, based on the manual mode seat operation request command, whether a manual mode operation condition is satisfied; and based on a determination that the manual mode operation condition is satisfied, drive the one or more seat motors to control the seat.

8 . The seat control apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the seat control apparatus not to drive, based on a determination that the manual mode operation condition is not satisfied, the one or more seat motors.

9 . A seat control apparatus comprising:
one or more processors; and
memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the seat control apparatus to: detect a collision of a vehicle; output, based on the detection, a collision occurrence signal;
determine a seat operation mode of the vehicle between an automatic mode and a manual mode;
output one of an automatic mode seat operation request command or a manual mode seat operation request command; and
determine, based on the collision occurrence signal and the one of the automatic mode seat operation request command or the manual mode seat operation request command, whether to drive one or more seat motors.

10 . The seat control apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the seat control apparatus to deactivate, based on the automatic mode seat operation request command and the collision occurrence signal, driving of the one or more seat motors.

11 . The seat control apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the seat control apparatus to activate, based on the automatic mode seat operation request command and a termination of the collision occurrence signal, driving of the one or more seat motors.

12 . The seat control apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the seat control apparatus to:
determine, based on the automatic mode seat operation request command, whether an automatic mode operation condition is satisfied; and based on a determination that the automatic mode operation condition is satisfied, drive the one or more seat motors to control a seat of the vehicle.

13 . The seat control apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the seat control apparatus not to drive, based on a determination that the automatic mode operation condition is not satisfied, the one or more seat motors.

14 . The seat control apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the seat control apparatus to drive, based on the manual mode seat operation request command, the one or more seat motors to control a seat of the vehicle regardless of whether the collision occurrence signal has been received.

15 . The seat control apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the seat control apparatus to:
determine, based on the manual mode seat operation request command, whether a manual mode operation condition is satisfied; and based on a determination that the manual mode operation condition is satisfied, drive the one or more seat motors to control the seat of the vehicle.

16 . The seat control apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the seat control apparatus not to drive, based on a determination that the manual mode operation condition is not satisfied, the one or more seat motors.

17 . A seat control method comprising:
monitoring a collision occurrence signal that indicates a vehicle collision has occurred; generating, based on the monitoring, one of an automatic mode seat operation request command or a manual mode seat operation request command; and based on the automatic mode seat operation request command and the collision occurrence signal, determining whether to drive one or more seat motors.

18 . The seat control method of claim 17 , wherein the determining whether to drive the one or more seat motors includes deactivating, based on the collision occurrence signal, driving of the one or more seat motors.

19 . The seat control method of claim 18 , wherein the determining whether to drive the one or more seat motors further includes activating, based on a termination of the collision occurrence signal, driving of the one or more seat motors.

20 . The seat control method of claim 17 , further comprising:
based on the manual mode seat operation request command, driving the one or more seat motors to control a seat of a vehicle, regardless of the collision occurrence signal.

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Corp

Inventors

• Han Kughun
• Kim Seunghyun
• Lee Donghoon
• Kang Munseung
• Kim Yohan
• Lee Minju

Classifications

• B60N2/0276 Primary

  reaction to emergency situations, e.g. crash · CPC title

• B60Y2302/07

  Disabling particular vehicle functions, e.g. to affect the driving style · CPC title

• B60Y2400/3042

  Collision sensors · CPC title

• B60N2/02246

  Electric motors therefor · CPC title

• B60N2/43

  Safety locks (for back-rests B60N2/433) · CPC title