System and Method for Reducing Kinetosis Symptoms

Abstract

A system reduces motion sickness symptoms for occupants of a vehicle. The system has a control unit which is coupled to a sensor system and/or a navigation system, a vehicle seat system, and/or a display unit for receiving and/or outputting signals. The control unit is designed to generate seat adjustment signals and/or display signals depending on received surroundings data and/or vehicle component data.

Claims

1.-11. (canceled)

12. A system for reducing motion sickness symptoms in operation of a vehicle, comprising: a sensor system and/or a navigation system; and a vehicle seat system, and a display unit; a control unit coupled to the sensor system and/or to the navigation system, the control unit being further coupled to the vehicle seat system and to the display unit, wherein the sensor system and the navigation system are configured so as to receive surroundings data and/or vehicle component data of the vehicle from which movements of the vehicle result and to transmit them to the control unit, the vehicle seat system is configured so as to receive seat adjustment signals from the control unit and to adjust at least one vehicle seat of the vehicle in accordance with the received seat adjustment signals, the display unit is configured so as to receive display signals from the control unit and to display them, and the control unit is configured so as to generate seat adjustment signals and/or display signals depending on the received surroundings data and/or vehicle component data, wherein generating the seat adjustment signals comprises: determining first acceleration forces acting on a vehicle occupant sitting on a vehicle seat due to the movements of the vehicle using the surroundings data and/or vehicle component data; and determining seat adjustment signals that are designed such that they bring about second acceleration forces that counteract the first acceleration forces for the vehicle occupant after adjusting the vehicle seat in accordance with these seat adjustment signals; wherein generating the display signals comprises: determining the acceleration forces actually acting on the vehicle occupant on the vehicle seat adjusted in accordance with the seat adjustment signals; and determining display signals that are designed such that they bring about a sensory perception, congruent with the actually acting acceleration forces, for the vehicle occupant on the vehicle seat adjusted in accordance with the seat adjustment signals.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein at least one of: the control unit is further configured so as to generate the seat adjustment signals only for a vehicle seat whose orientation deviates from the direction of travel of the vehicle, the vehicle seat system is further configured so as to receive seat adjustment signals from the control unit only for a vehicle seat whose orientation deviates from the direction of travel of the vehicle, and the vehicle seat system is further configured so as to adjust only a vehicle seat whose orientation deviates from the direction of travel of the vehicle in accordance with the received seat adjustment signals.

14. The system according to claim 12, wherein the display signals comprise at least one of: artificial optical surroundings, wherein the artificial optical surroundings are displayed in an edge region of a display device; artificial optical surroundings, wherein the artificial optical surroundings are displayed outside a central sharply focused viewing axis of the respective vehicle occupant and within an individual field of view of the respective vehicle occupant; artificial acoustic surroundings; holographic image elements; air flows; and haptic effects on a vehicle occupant, including massage effects and/or vibration effects.

15. The system according to claim 12, wherein the display signals are varied depending on the surroundings of the vehicle, a time of day, and/or weather.

16. The system according to claim 12, wherein the display unit is configured such that the displayed display signals are not visible at the same time to all vehicle occupants.

17. The system according to claim 12, wherein the second acceleration forces are large enough that the first acceleration forces and the second acceleration forces cancel one another out.

18. The system according to claim 12, wherein the system further comprises a warning unit that is coupled to the control unit, and wherein the control unit is further configured so as to use the received surroundings data and/or vehicle component data to determine whether the vehicle will have an unavoidable crash within a predefined duration and, in an event that the vehicle will have an unavoidable crash within the predefined duration, to prompt the warning unit to output warning signals that are designed to bring about reflex protective reactions in vehicle occupants.

19. The system according to claim 12, wherein the display unit is further configured such that the displayed display signals are in each case visible only to one vehicle occupant, wherein the system further comprises a monitoring unit that is coupled to the control unit in order to receive and/or emit signals and is configured so as to monitor whether a vehicle occupant is capable of perceiving a situation external to the vehicle, and to emit a positive monitoring signal to the control unit if the respective vehicle occupant is capable, and to emit a negative monitoring signal to the control unit if the respective vehicle occupant is incapable, and wherein the control unit is further configured so as to generate seat adjustment signals for the vehicle seat on which the respective vehicle occupant is sitting and/or to generate display signals for the respective vehicle occupant only if a negative monitoring signal is present.

20. The system according to claim 12, wherein the system further comprises a monitoring unit that is coupled to the control unit in order to receive and/or emit signals and is configured so as to monitor whether a vehicle occupant is capable of perceiving a situation external to the vehicle, and to emit a positive monitoring signal to the control unit if the respective vehicle occupant is capable, and to emit a negative monitoring signal to the control unit if the respective vehicle occupant is incapable, wherein the vehicle seat system is further configured so as to receive seat adjustment signals for the vehicle seat on which the respective vehicle occupant is sitting and/or to adjust the vehicle seat on which the respective vehicle occupant is sitting only if a negative monitoring signal is present, and wherein the display unit is further configured so as to receive and/or to display display signals for the respective vehicle occupant only if a negative monitoring signal is present.

21. A vehicle comprising a system according to claim 12.

22. A method for reducing motion sickness symptoms, the method comprising: receiving surroundings data and/or vehicle component data of a vehicle from which movements of the vehicle result; generating seat adjustment signals and/or display signals depending on the received surroundings data and/or vehicle component data; adjusting at least one vehicle seat of the vehicle in accordance with the seat adjustment signals; and/or displaying the display signals; wherein generating the seat adjustment signals comprises: determining first acceleration forces acting on a vehicle occupant sitting on a vehicle seat due to the movements of the vehicle using the surroundings data and/or vehicle component data; and determining seat adjustment signals that are designed such that they bring about second acceleration forces that counteract the first acceleration forces for the vehicle occupant after adjusting the vehicle seat in accordance with these seat adjustment signals; wherein generating the display signals comprises: determining the acceleration forces actually acting on the vehicle occupant on the vehicle seat adjusted in accordance with the seat adjustment signals; and determining display signals that are designed such that they bring about a sensory perception, congruent with the actually acting acceleration forces, for the vehicle occupant on the vehicle seat adjusted in accordance with the seat adjustment signals.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0093] FIG. 1 schematically shows a system for reducing motion sickness symptoms according to one embodiment.

[0094] FIG. 2 schematically shows a system for reducing motion sickness symptoms according to one embodiment.

[0095] FIG. 3 schematically shows a system for reducing motion sickness symptoms according to one embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0096] FIG. 1 shows a system for reducing motion sickness symptoms. The system is provided for a vehicle 1. Even though the system is illustrated together with a vehicle 1 in FIG. 1, this is not intended to mean that the system is always connected to a vehicle 1, but rather to explain merely by way of example that the system may be provided for a vehicle 1.

[0097] The system has a control unit 2 that is coupled to a surroundings sensor system 3, to a navigation system 4, to a vehicle seat system 5 and to a display unit 6 in order to receive and/or emit signals.

[0098] Surroundings data, that is to say data that describe the surroundings of the vehicle 1 and/or the surroundings of the route ahead of the vehicle 1, are compiled by way of the surroundings sensor system 3 and/or the navigation system 4 and forwarded to the control unit 2. In this example, the surroundings data describe inter alia the topology of the route ahead, this being obtained for example from a highly accurate map. The surroundings data relevant to the vehicle 1 are determined on the basis of the route planned by the navigation system 4.

[0099] The control unit 2 generates seat adjustment signals and display signals depending on the surroundings data. To generate the seat adjustment signals, the recorded surroundings data are used to calculate the movements of the vehicle. According to this example, the topology data of the route ahead are evaluated in order to draw conclusions about the movements of the vehicle caused due to the topology. Acceleration forces (first acceleration forces) that act on a vehicle occupant sitting on a vehicle seat due to the movements of the vehicle are calculated on the basis of the calculated movements of the vehicle (movement data). By way of example, the movement data that move the vehicle up and down due to bumpy ground over which the vehicle travels are calculated. The acceleration forces that act on the vehicle occupant along the vehicle height axis are then calculated from these movement data.

[0100] The seat adjustment signals are calculated such that they exert acceleration forces (second acceleration forces) that counteract or cancel out the first acceleration forces on the vehicle occupant. According to the above example, acceleration forces that likewise act on the vehicle occupant along the vehicle height axis but that act in the opposite direction to the first acceleration forces are thus calculated. The respective vehicle seat is then adjusted according to the calculated seat adjustment signals. The seat adjustment signals are calculated and the vehicle seat is correspondingly adjusted continuously in real time in this case.

[0101] The actually acting acceleration forces that act on the vehicle occupant after applying the second acceleration forces (through the vehicle seat adjustment) are furthermore calculated. It should be assumed in this example that the actually acting acceleration forces are lower than the first acceleration forces but are not other than zero. According to the above example, a vehicle occupant sitting on the vehicle seat would experience acceleration forces along the vehicle height axis, but these would be considerably reduced in comparison with the acceleration forces that would act on the vehicle occupant as a result of driving over bumpy ground. In accordance with the actually acting acceleration forces, display signals are displayed on a display visible to the vehicle occupant (for example display in the headrest of the front seat), allowing the vehicle occupant to visually experience the journey over bumpy ground. A video that simulates the view of the vehicle occupant from the vehicle in the direction of travel is for example played back on the display. A bumpy road is accordingly displayed, and the image shown in the display is moved down or up when it is driven over.

[0102] FIG. 2 schematically shows a further embodiment of the system according to the invention for reducing motion sickness symptoms. In this case, the system has a warning unit 7 that is coupled to the control unit 2 in order to exchange signals. In this example, the warning unit 7 comprises speakers internal to the vehicle and the infotainment system internal to the vehicle. The control unit 2 calculates, on the basis of the surroundings data, in particular on the basis of the surroundings data obtained from the surroundings sensor system 3, whether the vehicle will have an unavoidable collision, for example with another vehicle, within a predefined duration, for example a duration of 20 seconds. If the control unit 2 calculates that this will be the case, then it prompts the speakers of the warning unit 7 to emit noises similar to a collision. The noises similar to a collision are intended to incite the vehicle occupant to lift their hands or arms in a protective manner in front of their face or head as a reflex and/or to bend their head forward or down as a reflex and/or to brace their muscles as a reflex.

[0103] FIG. 3 schematically shows a further embodiment of the system according to the invention for reducing motion sickness symptoms. In this case, the system has an interior camera 8 that observes the vehicle occupants and records and/or evaluates image data. In this case, it is evaluated from the image data whether the observed vehicle occupant is capable of perceiving a situation external to the vehicle. If this is the case, a positive monitoring signal is emitted to the control unit 2. If this is not the case, a negative monitoring signal is emitted to the control unit 2. If a negative monitoring signal is established, it is assumed that the respective vehicle occupant is incapable of recording the surroundings of the vehicle and is therefore susceptible to motion sickness symptoms. On the basis of the negative monitoring signal, the vehicle seat is then adjusted in order to counteract the movements of the vehicle and/or the display of the display signals is set such that motion sickness symptoms are reduced.