Powered seat and control thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9481466-B2
Application number	US-201414316167-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 26, 2014
Priority date	Jun 26, 2014
Publication date	Nov 1, 2016
Grant date	Nov 1, 2016

Abstract

A method of controlling motion of movable components of a powered seat includes, using the controller, monitoring a feedback signal of an actuator during motion of a component. During an acceleration phase of the motion of the component, a reference state of the time-varying motion command is detected and a reference value of the monitored feedback signal is determined as a reference value. A feedback-signal acceptance range is determined using the reference value of the monitored feedback signal. During a steady-state phase of the motion, the motion of the component is terminated if the monitored feedback signal departs the determined feedback-signal acceptance range. A control system for a powered seat of a vehicle is described. A powered seat assembly is described.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A powered seat assembly configured to detect the presence of obstructions, the seat assembly comprising:
a) a back support;
b) a seat pan having a rearward portion associated with the back support;
c) a leg rest having a first end associated with a forward portion of the seat pan, each of said back support, said seat pan and said leg rest being movable;
d) one or more actuator(s) configured to move at least one of the back support, seat pan, and leg rest in response to one or more time-varying motion command(s), and to provide motion-status signal(s);
e) a driver configured to provide the motion command(s) in response to a time-varying motion command and the motion-status signal(s);
f) a sensor unit configured to monitor one or more time-varying feedback signal(s) of the actuator(s); and
g) a controller configured to determine respective feedback-signal acceptance range(s) for at least one of the actuator(s) using value(s) of the respective feedback signal(s) monitored during an acceleration phase of motion of the respective actuator(s), and to terminate motion of the respective actuator(s) if the respective feedback signal(s) depart the respective feedback-signal acceptance range(s) during an acceleration phase of motion of the respective actuator(s), and in which the controller is further configured to determine respective feedback-signal acceptance range(s) for at least one of the actuator(s) using value(s) of the respective feedback signal(s) monitored during a steady-state phase of motion of the respective actuator(s), and to terminate motion of the respective actuator(s) if the respective feedback signal(s) depart the respective feedback-signal acceptance range(s) during a steady-state phase of motion of the respective actuator(s) wherein each feedback signal(s) is indicative of a detected obstruction on any part of the seat assembly including at least one of the movable back support, seat pan or leg rest.

2. The assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the feedback signal(s) include one or more current signal(s) of the actuator(s).

3. The assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the motion command(s) include one or more commanded velocities of the one or more actuator(s).

4. The assembly according to claim 1 , wherein each of the one or more actuator(s) includes a brushed direct-current (BDC) or brushless direct-current (BLDC) motor.

5. The assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more actuator(s) includes a respective actuator for each of the back support, the seat pan, and the leg rest, each of the respective actuators responsive to a respective one of the motion command(s) and configured to provide respective ones of the motion-status signal(s).

6. The assembly according to claim 1 , further including a vertically-movable armrest, wherein at least one of the actuator(s) is configured to move the armrest in response to the one or more time-varying motion command(s) and provide corresponding one(s) of the motion-status signal(s).

7. The assembly according to claim 1 , further including a privacy screen, wherein at least one of the actuator(s) is configured to raise or lower the privacy screen in response to the one or more time-varying motion command(s) and provide corresponding one(s) of the motion-status signal(s).

8. The assembly according to claim 1 , further including a seat frame supporting the back support, the seat pan, and the leg rest, wherein at least one of the actuator(s) is configured to move the seat frame laterally in response to the one or more time-varying motion command(s) and provide corresponding one(s) of the motion-status signal(s).

9. The assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the controller includes a nonvolatile memory configured to store parameter(s) of at least one zone of motion of at least one of the actuator(s) and a processor connected to the memory and configured to determine the respective feedback-signal acceptance range(s) using ones of the stored parameter(s) corresponding to the respective actuator(s).

10. The assembly according to claim 1 , further including an interface for receiving an indication of a desired motion, wherein the controller is responsive to the received indication to provide the motion command(s).

11. The assembly according to claim 10 , wherein the interface includes at least one element selected from the group consisting of a keypad, a pushbutton, a touchscreen, and a wireless interface.

12. The assembly according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the actuator(s) is configured to move a respective component over a range of positions divided into a plurality of zones having respective values of a parameter, and the controller is configured to determining the feedback-signal acceptance range by determining one of the zones in which the respective component is located and determining the feedback-signal acceptance range using the respective parameter value of the determined one of the zones.

Assignees

• Itt Mfg Entpr Llc

Inventors

• Fischer Brian
• Mcintyre Stephen
• Matusek Robert D

Classifications

• B60N2/986

  Side-rests (B60N2/2872, B60N2/885 take precedence) · CPC title

• B60N2/02

  the seat or part thereof being movable, e.g. adjustable (adjustable arm-rests B60N2/75; adjustable head-rests B60N2/806) · CPC title

• B60N2/809

  vertically slidable · CPC title

• B60N2/06

  slidable (B60N2/12 {, B60N2/2209} take precedence) · CPC title

• B60N2/929

  linear · CPC title