Systems and methods are provided for determining, by processing circuitry, a vehicle occupant has left a seat of a vehicle (or the seat is unoccupied), and in response to determining the vehicle occupant has left the seat (or the seat is unoccupied), causing a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system of the vehicle to thermally store energy in the seat.

Disclosed are an apparatus and a method for controlling a vehicle seat so as to control a seat back and a neck pillow based on a sound. The apparatus includes the vehicle seat installed in a vehicle and including a seat back and a neck pillow, a detector for detecting vehicle information and seat information, and a processor connected to the vehicle seat and the detector, wherein the processor determines a vehicle state and a seat sitting posture based on the vehicle information and the seat information, analyzes a sound being reproduced in the vehicle, determines a haptic pattern and a haptic pressure based on the vehicle state and the seat sitting posture, and the analysis of the sound, and controls the seat back and the neck pillow based on the determined haptic pattern and haptic pressure to provide a haptic effect.

A vehicle seat has at least one occupant comfort actuator suited for acting on a part of the body of an occupant of the seat. The actuator is driven based on at least one measurement of one sensor of sweat from the occupant of the seat.

A seat back assembly and method of manufacture is provided. The seat back includes a foam cushion layer. A support sub-assembly is formed including a rigid support layer with a plurality of cavities and channels defined on a rear surface for receiving components and a generally smooth front surface. At least one component is retained in one of the cavities and a second component is secured on the front surface of the support layer. A trim material covers the cushion layer and secures the sub-assembly to the seat back.

A passenger identification apparatus for vehicles is provided to identify a passenger through integration of a sensor that senses change in permittivity and a sensor that senses change in pressure. The apparatus includes a permittivity change sensing unit that is installed in the seat and senses change in capacitance generated by permittivity of the passenger seated on the seat and a pressure change sensing unit that is installed in the seat and senses change in pressure generated by a load of the passenger seated on the seat. A controller adjusts power supplied to the permittivity change sensing unit and the pressure change sensing unit and determines whether the passenger is seated on the seat and the type of passenger using permittivity and pressure change values sensed by the permittivity change sensing unit and the pressure change sensing unit.

The present invention relates to a fabric (30, 31) with at least one support (41, 41′), with at least two electrical function elements (70), and with at least one seam (40). It is provided that at least two of the electrical function elements (70) are in the form of strands and integrated in the seam (40).

A vehicle seat power consumption control device and method therefor, may reduce a voltage supplied to a heating wire or air blower provided in a vehicle seat based on at least one of a position of the vehicle seat, body information related to an occupant, and power consumption time (operation time of a heating wire or an air blower) of the vehicle seat to reduce power consumption of a battery while maintaining a sensory temperature of an occupant at a certain level, improving fuel efficiency of the vehicle. To this end, the vehicle seat power consumption control device may include a sensor that obtains an angle of a vehicle seat and a controller that adjusts a voltage supplied to an electric device provided in the vehicle seat according to the angle of the vehicle seat.

The present disclosure generally relates to a system and method for providing enhanced operator-controlled fuel saving modes for a vehicle to optimize fuel economy of a vehicle. In one embodiment, the fuel saving optimization system and method enables the operator to create fuel saving configurations which include operator input as to how to operate one or more devices while the vehicle is within a specific locale and under a specific conditions or in response to specific event occurring. The fuel saving optimization system stores each created fuel saving configuration for a future use, and executes each fuel saving configuration when the vehicle is under the specified conditions. In certain embodiments, the input is provided by the operator in real time or can be retrieved via past travel history data on a particular route which is stored in a database.

A seat heater for a motor vehicle is shown and described. An electronic controller receives input signals from a manual switch controlling separate seat and seatback heating elements. One type of signal, such as that resulting from one depression of the switch, effects energizing of both seat and also seatback heating elements. A second type of signal, such as two depressions of the switch, effects energizing of only the seatback heating element. The input signals provide operating power to the electronic controller. Optionally, energizing of the seatback heating element may be stopped should any other pattern of switch operation occur. Optionally, energizing of only the seatback heating element may be indicated audibly, visibly, or both. Optionally, energizing of only the seatback heating element may be limited to a predetermined time interval.

A vehicle seat includes a pad configured to support a body of a seated occupant. The pad has a transverse air passage extending in a direction along a back surface of the pad and a plurality of longitudinal air passages each having one end connecting with the transverse air passage and the other end open to a front surface of the pad. The transverse air passage has a first transverse air passage connecting an air introduction hole from a fan or an air discharge hole to the fan and the longitudinal air passage directly with each other, and a second transverse air passage connecting the air introduction hole or the air discharge hole and the longitudinal air passage with each other via a resistant body having a resistance against an air flow.