Wakefulness-maintenance apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9815384-B2
Application number	US-201314413054-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 8, 2013
Priority date	Jul 9, 2012
Publication date	Nov 14, 2017
Grant date	Nov 14, 2017

Abstract

A wakefulness-maintenance apparatus applies a stimulus, which is not perceived to be unpleasant to most seated persons, to a seated person, and effectively maintaining the wakefulness of the seated person. After a control device provided to the wakefulness-maintenance apparatus stimulates the seated person using a first stimulus at a timing close to a human heartbeat, if an index showing the wakefulness of the seated person departs within a predetermined time from a standard indicating that the wakefulness has been maintained, the control device drives a stimulus device to stimulate the seated person using a second stimulus having a timing that differs from the first stimulus.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A wakefulness-maintenance apparatus comprising:
a vehicle seat comprising a stimulus device for stimulating a seated person; and
a control device for driving the stimulus device,

wherein:
the vehicle seat comprises heartbeat sensors for acquiring cardiac potential signals of the seated person, and
the control device:
drives the stimulus device to stimulate the seated person using a first stimulus synchronous with a human heartbeat during the time when a QRS-wave occurs in an electrocardiographic waveform according to the cardiac potential signals, if an index showing wakefulness of the seated person departs from a standard value indicating that the wakefulness has been maintained, and
drives the stimulus device to stimulate the seated person using a second stimulus having a timing that differs from the first stimulus, if the index showing wakefulness of the seated person departs from the standard value within a predetermined time after driving the stimulus device to stimulate the seated person using the first stimulus.

2. The wakefulness-maintenance apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein after the control device stimulates the seated person using the first stimulus, if the index departs from the standard value after the predetermined time passes, the control device drives the stimulus device to stimulate the seated person using the first stimulus.

3. The wakefulness-maintenance apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the second stimulus is a stimulus asynchronous with the heartbeat.

4. The wakefulness-maintenance apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first stimulus is a stimulus defined from an average heartbeat information of a human and is a predefined stimulus.

5. The wakefulness-maintenance apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control device drives the stimulus device to apply the second stimulus multiple times to the seated person.

6. The wakefulness-maintenance apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control device drives the stimulus device to stimulate the seated person depending on a detection of an R-wave in the electrocardiographic waveform according to the cardiac potential signals.

7. The wakefulness-maintenance apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, in a case where the control device cannot acquire the cardiac potential signals from the heartbeat sensors, the control device drives the stimulus device based on the cardiac potential signals previously acquired.

Assignees

• Ts Tech Co Ltd
• Univ Nagoya City Public Univ Corp

Inventors

• Sugiyama Shinji
• NAKANO Toyokazu
• Yokoyama Kiyoko
• Takahashi Issey

Classifications

• A61M2021/005

  images, e.g. video · CPC title

• A61B5/6893

  Cars · CPC title

• A61M2230/06

  Heartbeat rate only · CPC title

• B60N2/002 Primary

  Seats provided with an occupancy detection means mounted therein or thereon (detection means responsive to presence or absence of children B60N2/266) · CPC title

• A61B5/0245 Primary

  by using sensing means generating electric signals, {i.e. ECG signals} · CPC title