METHOD FOR A VEHICLE SEAT, COMPUTER PROGRAM, MEMORY MEDIUM AND DEVICE

Abstract

A method for determining an adjustment of a vehicle seat in a vehicle having at least one occupant-protection arrangement, in which an occupant type of an occupant is ascertained when the occupant enters the vehicle, and an adjustment of the vehicle seat is determined as a function of the ascertained occupant type, so that the determined occupant type is optimally aligned with respect to the at least one occupant-protection arrangement of the vehicle.

Claims

1-10. (canceled)

11. A method for determining an adjustment of a vehicle seat of a vehicle having at least one occupant-protection arrangement, the method comprising: ascertaining an occupant type of an occupant when the occupant enters the vehicle; and determining an adjustment of the vehicle seat as a function of the ascertained occupant type, so that the determined occupant type is optimally aligned with respect to the at least one occupant-protection arrangement of the vehicle.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the occupant type is ascertained with the aid of a device for interior monitoring, and/or with the aid of a sensor for detecting the weight of the occupant.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising: comparing the determined adjustment of the vehicle seat to a current adjustment of the vehicle seat; and warning the occupant if the determined adjustment does not agree with the current adjustment.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the current adjustment of the vehicle seat is ascertained with the aid of a device for interior monitoring, or is ascertained with the aid of at least one device for detecting a seat adjustment.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the vehicle seat is at least partially automatically adjustable, and wherein the vehicle seat is automatically brought into the determined adjustment.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the vehicle seat is brought into the determined adjustment as a function of a confirmation from the occupant.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the vehicle seat is brought into the determined adjustment as a function of the driving state of the vehicle.

18. A non-transitory computer readable medium having a computer program, which is executable by a processor, comprising: a program code arrangement having program code for determining an adjustment of a vehicle seat of a vehicle having at least one occupant-protection arrangement, by performing the following: ascertaining an occupant type of an occupant when the occupant enters the vehicle; and determining an adjustment of the vehicle seat as a function of the ascertained occupant type, so that the determined occupant type is optimally aligned with respect to the at least one occupant-protection arrangement of the vehicle.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the occupant type is ascertained with the aid of a device for interior monitoring, and/or with the aid of a sensor for detecting the weight of the occupant.

20. A device for determining an adjustment of a vehicle seat of a vehicle having at least one occupant-protection arrangement, comprising: a control unit configured to perform the following: ascertaining an occupant type of an occupant when the occupant enters the vehicle; and determining an adjustment of the vehicle seat as a function of the ascertained occupant type, so that the determined occupant type is optimally aligned with respect to the at least one occupant-protection arrangement of the vehicle.

21. The method of claim 11, wherein the occupant type is ascertained with the aid of a device for interior monitoring, in particular with the aid of a camera for vehicle interior monitoring, and/or with the aid of a sensor for detecting the weight of the occupant.

22. The method of claim 13, wherein the current adjustment of the vehicle seat is ascertained with the aid of a device for interior monitoring, in particular with the aid of a camera for monitoring the vehicle interior, or is ascertained with the aid of at least one device for detecting a seat adjustment.

23. The method of claim 11, wherein the vehicle seat is at least partially automatically adjustable, in particular electrically adjustable, and wherein the vehicle seat is automatically brought into the determined adjustment.

24. The method of claim 15, wherein the vehicle seat is brought into the determined adjustment as a function of the driving state of the vehicle, in particular as a function of the vehicle being in the standstill driving state.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] FIG. 1 shows a flow diagram of a specific embodiment of a method for determining an adjustment of a vehicle seat.

[0024] FIG. 2 shows a flow diagram of a specific embodiment of a method for warning an occupant.

[0025] FIG. 3 shows a flow diagram of a specific embodiment of a method for adjusting a vehicle seat.

[0026] FIG. 4 shows a block diagram of the present invention.

[0027] FIG. 5 shows a graph of the injury risk for an occupant over the seat adjustment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] FIG. 1 shows a flow diagram of a specific embodiment of a method 100 for determining an adjustment of a vehicle seat. In step 101, the occupant type of the entering occupant is ascertained. The ascertainment takes place when the vehicle is entered. In step 102, an adjustment of the vehicle seat is determined as a function of the ascertained occupant type. The adjustment is determined in such a way that the occupant will be optimally aligned in relation to the occupant-protection arrangement allocated to the occupant.

[0029] FIG. 2 shows a flow diagram of a specific embodiment of a method 200 for warning an occupant. In steps 201 and 202, an adjustment of the vehicle seat according to method 100 for determining an adjustment of a vehicle seat is determined as a function of the ascertained occupant type. In step 203, the determined adjustment of the vehicle seat is compared to the current adjustment of the vehicle seat. If the current adjustment of the vehicle seat and the determined adjustment of the vehicle seat are not in agreement, then a warning will be output to the occupant in step 204.

[0030] FIG. 3 shows a flow diagram of a specific embodiment of a method 300 for adjusting a vehicle seat. In steps 301 and 302, an adjustment of the vehicle seat as a function of the ascertained occupant type is determined according to method 100 for determining an adjustment of a vehicle seat. In step 303, the determined adjustment of the vehicle seat is compared to the current adjustment of the vehicle seat. If the current adjustment of the vehicle seat and the determined adjustment of the vehicle seat do not agree, then the at least partially automatically adjustable vehicle seat is controlled in step 304 in such a way that the adjustment of the vehicle seat is made to match the determined adjustment.

[0031] FIG. 4 shows a block diagram of the present invention. Reference numeral 41 denotes a device for interior monitoring as well as an associated control unit. Reference numeral 42 denotes a system for an individual occupant positioning. Reference numeral 43 denotes an at least partially electrically adjustable vehicle seat as well as an associated control unit.

[0032] The device for interior monitoring 41 and the system for individual occupant positioning 42 are connected in such a way that information or general data are able to be exchanged between device 41 and system 42. In addition, the system for individual occupant positioning 42 and the at least partially electrically adjustable vehicle seat 43 are also connected such that information or general data are able to be exchanged between system 42 and vehicle seat 43. Such a data exchange is able to be carried out via known transmission systems, e.g., CAN, FlexRay, PSI5, SPI, or also in a wireless manner via WLAN, Bluetooth, or in similar manners.

[0033] The device for interior monitoring 41 detects the mass, the size and the gender of the occupant when an occupant takes a seat in the vehicle and generates an occupant type on that basis. A seat adjustment that is optimal with regard to the restraint arrangement allocated to the occupant is then determined for the generated occupant type. It is forwarded to the system for individual occupant positioning 42. The system for individual occupant positioning 42 utilizes the information of the device for interior monitoring 41 and, optionally (indicated by the dashed arrow), the information of the at least partially electrically adjustable vehicle seat 43, in order to check whether the occupant, having strapped himself in, has assumed an optimal seating position in the sense of the present invention. If the check comes to the conclusion that the occupant is not in an optimal seating position, then the occupant will be notified of this fact via a suitable user interface (HMI). In addition, required adjustment parameters are ascertained for the at least partially electrically adjustable vehicle seat 43 in order to control vehicle seat 43 in such a way that the occupant is able to be transferred into an optimal seating position. The adjustment of vehicle seat 43 advantageously takes place while the vehicle is standing still. The adjustment is possibly carried out only once the occupant has confirmed the adjustment to be made.

[0034] FIG. 5 shows a graph of the injury risk for an occupant over the seat adjustment.

[0035] Using the so-called Hybrid III 50% man, the effect that the seat adjustment has on the injury risk is exemplarily illustrated in the graph. Shown on the X- and the Y-axis are the seat height (X-axis) and the position of the seat on the adjustment rail (Y-axis), which represent the adjustment parameters of a vehicle seat. The injury risk to the occupant is plotted on the Z-axis.

[0036] The present invention is based on the understanding that local and global minima exist for the injury risk as a function of the occupant type, in this instance the Hybrid III 50% man, and as a function of the adjusted seat parameters. The seat adjustment is determined as a function of the ascertained occupant type in such a way that it leads to said minimum injury risk. The adjustment determined in this manner is compared to the current seat adjustment. If a deviation is present, then the occupant is able to be informed or warned. Alternatively or additionally, an adjustment to the determined adjustment parameters may be carried out in the case of an at least partially automatically adjustable vehicle seat.