A seat includes a seat frame, a pad body, and a power generation device. The pad body covers the seat frame. The power generation device is arranged on an occupant-side of the pad body and generates electric power from vibrations. The seat may further include an outer covering that covers the pad body. The power generation device may be located between the pad body and the outer covering.

A thermal conditioning system for conditioning a seat surface of a vehicle or other surface. The system includes a thermoelectric Peltier device with a main side and a waste side. A flap adjusts a proportion of an airflow between a main side airflow path and a waste side airflow path based on whether the surface is occupied, the power provided the thermoelectric Peltier device, the flow rates along the airflow paths, the power provided to a blower, and/or other factors.

A detection device includes a first sensor configured to transmit a first electromagnetic wave to a first range and receive the first electromagnetic wave reflected in the first range, a second sensor configured to transmit a second electromagnetic wave to a second range different from the first range and receive the second electromagnetic wave reflected in the second range, and a processor configured to calculate information on an object reflecting the first electromagnetic wave and the second electromagnetic wave based on a first signal output from the first sensor and a second signal output from the second sensor.

Various implementations include seats and related systems for detecting user proximity and controlling one or more functions based on that proximity detection. In particular cases, the seats include an upper seat section with at least one two-dimensional (2D) contrast indicator that is detectable by a sensor system to indicate a position of the upper seat section.

A capacitive sensor member of a vehicle seat occupant detection and classification device that includes a first electrically conductive antenna member and at least a second electrically conductive antenna member that is adjacently arranged to the first electrically conductive antenna member without any mutual galvanic connection. At least one electrically conductive bridging member is fixedly attached to at least one elastic spacer member that has elastic mechanical properties in a specified direction. If a mechanical load is applied to the capacitive sensor member in the specified direction that is equal to or larger than a predetermined value for the mechanical load, the at least one electrically conductive bridging member provides at least one galvanic contact between the first electrically conductive antenna member and the second electrically conductive antenna member.

A car seat cover device provided with a vibrating warning system for signaling a condition of direction indicators has a seat cover, a support base, a plurality of flat bases on right and left sides of the support base, each one provided with at least one vibrating motor, and an electronic control unit provided with a connector for connecting the electronic control unit to a car control gearcase, and configured to receive by the car control gearcase a signal relating to the condition of the direction indicators, and to operate as a function of the signal the vibrating motors associated to the flat bases arranged on a same side as an active direction indicator. A plurality of pressure sensors connected to the electronic unit is provided at a perimeter of the support base, each one configured to transmit a signal indicating presence or not of weight of a driver on a corresponding position of the seat cover.

A biological sensor is provided with at least two sensors for detecting vibrations, and is configured so that the at least two sensors form layers. One of the at least two sensors is a first sensor used to acquire biological information, and one is a second sensor used to remove noise. A first cushion material for reducing vibrations is disposed between the first sensor and the second sensor. The first cushion material is integrally laminated with the first sensor and the second sensor. This facilitates accurate detection of biological information.

A vehicle seat system is provided that includes heating, cooling, and occupant sensing functionality in a single unit. The system includes carbon nanotube (CNT) elements disposed adjacent the seat surface. The CNT elements may be woven or stitched to a vehicle seat cover, or may be disposed in a mat that is placed between a seat cushion and the seat cover. The CNT elements may be used for heating, cooling, and occupant sensing, without requiring separate units or circuits. The system may include Peltier elements attached to the CNT elements, with the Peltier elements transferring heat between the CNT elements and a heat bank. The heat bank may be in the form of a heat sink, or the heat bank may be the seat rails of the vehicle seat, with the Peltier elements attached to the seat rails.

A seat having features of evaluating a physical state of a seated occupant, in which motivation to use the features is enhanced, is provided. A physical state sharable seat is proposed which includes: a seat body; a sensor (8) configured to acquire a measurement value specific to a physical state of an occupant seated on the seat body; and a controller (100) connected to the sensor and thereby allowed to acquire the measurement value from the sensor, and configured to be capable of communicating with other equipment. The controller (100) includes: an evaluation unit (121) configured to compute an evaluation value on the physical state, based on the measurement value; an evaluation value presentation unit (122) configured to present the evaluation value at a terminal to be used by the occupant; a shared data acquisition unit (161) configured to acquire an other-occupant evaluation value that is an evaluation value on a physical state of another person, acquired either by the evaluation unit or from another physical state sharable seat; and a shared data presentation unit (162) configured to present the other-occupant evaluation value at the terminal to be used by the occupant.

A seating detection method includes: detecting whether a seat belt sensor in a vehicle seat is in an ON state or an OFF state; detecting whether a pressure sensitive sensor in a seat skin constituting a seating surface is in an ON state or an OFF state; and determining a foreign object insertion state in which a foreign object is inserted between the seating surface and a child seat based on whether the seat belt sensor is in the ON state or the OFF state and whether the pressure sensitive sensor is in the ON state or the OFF state. When the pressure sensitive sensor is changed from the ON state to the OFF state in a state in which the seat belt sensor is maintained in the ON state after the seat belt sensor is changed to the ON state, it is determined as the foreign object insertion state.