Provided is a vehicle seat device that includes a headrest to support a head of an occupant seated on a vehicle seat. The vehicle seat device includes a rest operation adjustment mechanism provided on the headrest and to restrict or allow movement of the head of the occupant seated on the vehicle seat and a controller that controls the rest operation adjustment mechanism to allow the movement of the head of the occupant when a frequency of a vibration in a width direction of a vehicle is equal to or larger than a predetermined value.

A capacitance measuring system detecting an occupant of a vehicle. A sensor/heater assembly is arranged in at least one of a seat or a steering wheel of a vehicle and includes a sensor and a heater arranged adjacent to the sensor. A measurement circuit is configured to output an excitation signal to the measurement circuit and the sensor/heater assembly, measure a resonant frequency of the measurement circuit and the sensor/heater assembly in response to the excitation signal; determine at least one capacitance value based on the resonant frequency; and determine whether a body part is in proximity to the sensor based on the at least one capacitance value.

A seating posture is stabilized for the shoulders of a passenger seated on a vehicle seat. A vehicle seat is provided with a seat back configured to support the seated person from the rear. A shoulder support portion of the seat back configured to support a corresponding one of the shoulders of the seated passenger includes an air cell configured to expand when air is supplied. When the air cell expands, one end portion of the shoulder support portion on the outside in the width direction of the vehicle seat moves more forward than the other end portion of the shoulder support portion on the inside in the width direction.

A method and an apparatus for identifying occupancy of a seat use a camera. In order to achieve permanently reliable identification of the occupancy of a seat, the camera is oriented such that it captures at least one area of interest of the seat. An evaluation apparatus is used to identify the area of interest in a picture taken by the camera and to store a position for the area of interest. The evaluation apparatus selects the area of interest in pictures subsequently taken by the camera at the stored position and compares the area of interest with at least one stored picture sample. A result of this comparison is taken as a basis for identifying the seat as being occupied. In addition, an apparatus having a camera and an evaluation apparatus is described for performing the method.

The present disclosure relates to a method for collision impact force reduction for a vehicle. The method comprises determining a smallest relative distance (D) between a head of a driver of the vehicle and a steering wheel assembly comprising an airbag of the vehicle, obtaining information of an imminent collision, the collision being at least partly frontal, comparing (300) the smallest relative distance (D) to a pre-defined threshold, and, when said smallest relative distance (D) is equal to or less than said pre-defined threshold, initiating a forward displacement of a driver seat of the vehicle and a retraction of the steering wheel assembly comprising an airbag, preferably a retraction along the steering column of the steering wheel assembly.

System and method for bi-directional autonomous vehicle. In one aspect, a vehicle's forward direction and front end are determined by a user's command or sitting orientation. In another aspect, a vehicle's forward direction and front end are determined by a user's records or prearrangements. Moreover, a vehicle's shape is adjustable according to front end selection.

Systems of a vehicle for sharing vehicle controls are provided. One example system includes an on-board computer that is part of the vehicle and communications circuitry of the vehicle usable by the on-board computer. The communications circuitry is configured to make connections with a wireless network for accessing a server. The on-board computer is configured to execute instructions for enabling portable devices that enter the vehicle to make a wireless connection with the vehicle. Vehicle electronics are interfaced with one or more vehicle systems and the on-board computer. The on-board computer is configured to provide access to at least one graphical user interface viewable via the portable device using the wireless connection. The at least one graphical user interface includes input options that enable control for features of said vehicle systems of the vehicle. A location for the portable device within the vehicle is identified. The location is associated with select ones of the vehicle systems for an environment zone of the location, and vehicles systems that are not for the environment zone are not provided as input options via the graphical user interface provided for the portable device. The graphical user interface provides preferences associated with a user account when the portable device transfers credentials to the vehicle when making the wireless connection with the vehicle.

A vehicle adjustment assembly including sensors for adjusting the position of an auxiliary component of the vehicle is disclosed. The sensor is connected to the vehicle and is configured to detect a user's characteristics. The sensor generates data regarding the user's characteristics, and a computer receives the data generated by the sensor related to the user's characteristics. The auxiliary system is adjusted via input signals from the computer in response to the data generated by the sensor.

Provided is a seat in which a physical quantity can be controlled according to a physique of an occupant. One aspect of the present disclosure provides a seat including a seat body that supports a body of an occupant, at least one driving device that changes a physical quantity of the seat body, and a controller that controls the at least one driving device. The controller includes a model generator that generates a human body model of the occupant, an analyzer that analyzes a state quantity of the human body model, and an instructing device that drives the at least one driving device based on a result of an analysis by the analyzer.

An integrated safety seat permanently built into a vehicle. The safety seat may be united with other seats or separated from other seats, or other integrated safety seats. The integrated safety seat is configured to accommodate an occupant from newborn to adulthood in a seat bottom, as well as in a back, whereby the seat bottom, back and a cradle in between may incline upward and downward by an internal mechanism, to a plurality of angles, ranging from rear facing to forward facing. The integrated safety seat includes a headrest and footrests support in the forward facing position, which serve as a footrest and headrest support, respectively in the rear facing position. The integrated safety seat includes harnesses and lap-belts with hasps, armrests, and headrests, footrests, inserts, within that elevate. The safety seat further includes integrated safety controls that operate regardless of whether the vehicle is in operation.