A vehicle seat sensor unit includes a seat occupancy sensor configured for wirelessly communicating with a control unit, at least one first seat detection sensor member and at least one second seat detection sensor member. The first seat detection sensor member is arrangeable in one out of a lower vehicle seat portion of a vehicle seat that is mountable in a vehicle in a removable manner, and a vehicle cabin floor, and the second seat detection sensor member is attachable to the other one of the lower vehicle seat portion and the vehicle cabin floor. The first seat detection sensor member and the second seat detection sensor member are configured to physically interact if mutually arranged within a specific distance. The physical interaction results in a detectable change of a status of at least one out of the first seat detection sensor member and the second seat detection sensor member.

The present disclosure relates to an apparatus and a method for evaluating a seat by using body pressure distribution. The apparatus includes: a body grid generator to generate body grids corresponding to body pressure data, which is measured while a driver is seated on a seat of a vehicle, based on the body pressure data and body information of the driver; a pressure analyzer to divide the body grids to a plurality of body grid areas based on body areas of the body pressure data and analyze the body pressure data included in the body grid areas; and a pressure evaluator to evaluate a body pressure for the seat based on the analyzed body pressure data of the body grid areas, and evaluate a hugging feeling of the driver for the seat based on the evaluated body pressure.

A method of delivering haptic feedback to a vehicle occupant comprising: measuring capacitance with a capacitive sensor having a known natural capacitance oriented within a vehicle to provide a measured capacitance value; determining, as a function of the measured capacitance value, an intensity level of haptic feedback to be provided by a haptic feedback generator oriented within the vehicle; and generating haptic feedback at the intensity level to a vehicle occupant.

A seating structure includes a base, a seat, a backrest connected to the seat, and an electronic circuit supported by the base. The seat or the backrest includes a carrier and a suspension material secured to the carrier and spanning across an opening formed by the carrier. The suspension material includes a plurality of electrostatic discharge fibers. The electronic circuit is coupled to the electrostatic discharge fibers. The electronic circuit includes an electronic processor and a sensor. The sensor is configured to generate an output signal indicative of an electrical parameter of one of the electrostatic discharge fibers. The electronic processor is configured to apply a drive signal to one of the plurality of electrostatic discharge fibers, receive the output signal from the sensor, and determine a state of the seating structure based on the output signal from the sensor.

An automatic window tinting system for a vehicle includes a selectively transparent window, a controller including a processing unit and a non-transitory computer readable memory, a temperature sensor, an occupant sensor, a proximity sensor, and a computer readable and executable instruction set. The computer readable and executable instruction set causes the processing unit to receive an occupant sensor signal, a temperature signal and a proximity sensor signal, maintain the selectively transparent window in a first light transmissivity state when the occupant sensor signal is indicative of a presence of an unattended occupant, transition the selectively transparent window to a second light transmissivity state when the temperature signal is indicative of a temperature inside the vehicle that is greater than a threshold value, and transition the selectively transparent window to a third light transmissivity state when the proximity sensor signal is indicative of the presence of a passerby.

A seat configured so that the accuracy of detection of each sensor provided in the seat to detect the body potential of a seated occupant can be improved without degrading the sense and comfort of the seat. A seat includes a trim cover having a contact surface for a seated occupant, and sensors arranged opposite to the contact surface and configured to detect the body potential of the seated occupant. Each sensor is a capacitive coupling sensor configured to detect the body potential through the trim cover. Moreover, a portion of the seat facing each sensor includes a dielectric configured to increase the dielectric constant of such a portion.

A vehicle seat in accordance with the present disclosure includes a seat bottom and a seat back. The seat back is coupled to the seat bottom to move relative to the seat bottom. The seat bottom is coupled to a floor of a vehicle and configured to move relative to the seat back.

An in-vehicle computer is programmed to determine that a driver's hands are at least one predetermined location in the vehicle, the at least one predetermine location including a location on a steering wheel, determine that a vehicle passenger is in a safe position with respect to a human-machine interface; and provide passenger access to the human-machine interface such that the passenger may access operations of the computer that are inaccessible to the driver.

A dongle that may be plugged into an On-Board Diagnostic (OBD) port of a vehicle and provide notification if a human or animal is left within a parked car. The dongle accesses a first sensor from the vehicle's communication system and a second sensor from within the dongle. If data from the first and second sensors exceeds predetermined threshold values programmed into the dongle's memory, then the dongle sends out a response signal. The response signal may be sent to an owner's cellular phone or to a 911 dispatch center. Additional sensors within the vehicle, or placed within the dongle, may also be used to verify the presence of a human or animal left within the parked vehicle.

A system capable of determining a type of a passenger sitting on a seat according to a body type is disclosed. The system includes a seat detecting means detecting a position of a seat and an angle of a seat back, a passenger detecting means detecting a passenger based on a state where a specific passenger normally sits on the seat, and a controller detecting a passenger's body part along with a seat-back area where the seat back is positioned and a passenger area where the passenger is positioned using information detected by the seat detecting means and the passenger detecting means, and learning a parameter value that is input as a relationship of detected information and a classification result for a body type of the passenger that is output by the parameter value, thus setting a body-type classification model.