METHOD AND DEVICE FOR ACTIVATING A VEHICLE SEAT

Abstract

A method for activating a vehicle seat including receiving a seat occupancy signal, receiving a collision signal and generating a signal for activating the vehicle seat as a function of the seat occupancy signal and of the collision signal.

Claims

1. A method for activating a vehicle seat, comprising: receiving a seat occupancy signal; receiving a collision signal; and generating a signal for activating the vehicle seat as a function of the seat occupancy signal and the collision signal.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the signal for activating the vehicle seat is generated only when the seat occupancy signal indicates that the vehicle seat is not occupied by a person and one of: (i) a collision is determined based on the collision signal, or (ii) an imminent collision has been predicted.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the signal for activating the vehicle seat is generated only when the seat occupancy signal indicates that the seat situated behind the vehicle seat is occupied by a person, and one of: (i) a collision is determined based on the collision signal, or (ii) an imminent collision has been predicted.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the seat occupancy signal includes data detected with the aid of a passenger compartment sensor system.

5. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein the passenger compartment sensor system includes at least one of weight sensors, force sensors, video sensors, radar sensors, ultrasonic sensors, LIDAR sensors, infrared sensors, belt buckle sensors, RFID transmitters, and RFID receivers.

6. A control unit, comprising: an interface for receiving at least one of a seat occupancy signal and a collision signal; an interface for emitting a signal for activating a vehicle seat; and a processing unit that is configured to receive the seat occupancy signal, receive the collision signal, and generate the signal for activating the vehicle seat as a function of the seat occupancy signal and the collision signal.

7. A vehicle seat for a vehicle, comprising: an actuator for activating the vehicle seat; wherein in the event of one of a collision or of an imminent collision of the vehicle, and when the vehicle seat is not occupied by a person, the vehicle seat is activated in such a way that a forward space delimited by a seat back of the vehicle seat increases between the vehicle seat and a seat situated behind the vehicle seat.

8. The vehicle seat as recited in claim 7, wherein the seat back of the vehicle seat is configured to carry out a forward rotation movement when the vehicle seat is activated.

9. The vehicle seat as recited in claim 7, wherein the vehicle seat is configured to carry out a forward translational movement when the vehicle seat is activated.

10. The vehicle seat as recited in claim 7, wherein the vehicle seat is configured to carry out a rotation movement when the vehicle seat is activated, so that a position of the seat back changes and the delimited space is increased.

11. The vehicle seat as recited in claim 7, wherein the vehicle seat includes at least one device, with which the vehicle seat is activatable in such a way that the delimited space is increased, only when the vehicle seat is not occupied by a person.

12. The vehicle seat as recited in claim 7, wherein the vehicle seat includes at least one device, with which the vehicle seat is activatable in such a way that the delimited space is increased, only in the event of one of a collision or of an imminent collision of the vehicle, and when the vehicle seat is not occupied by a person.

13. The vehicle seat as recited in claim 11, wherein the device is one of a mechanical device or an electronic control unit.

14. The vehicle seat as recited in claim 11, wherein the device is a control unit including an interface for receiving at least one of a seat occupancy signal and a collision signal, an interface for emitting a signal for activating the vehicle seat, and a processing unit that is configured to receive the seat occupancy signal, receive the collision signal, and generate the signal for activating the vehicle seat as a function of the seat occupancy signal and the collision signal.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0041] FIG. 1 schematically shows a flow chart.

[0042] FIGS. 2A and 2B show exemplary embodiments of a vehicle seat.

[0043] FIG. 3 schematically shows a flow chart.

[0044] FIG. 4 schematically shows a flow chart.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS

[0045] In a first exemplary embodiment, a vehicle includes a vehicle seat 201, which is depicted in FIG. 2, a passenger compartment sensor system, a crash sensor system, a surroundings sensor system and a seat 202 situated behind the vehicle seat. Vehicle seat 201 in this case is allocated a control unit, with which vehicle seat 201 may be activated.

[0046] A space 203, which is available to an occupant on rear seat 202 for deceleration in the event of a collision, is delimited by seat back 211 of vehicle seat 201 and the seat situated behind the vehicle seat. This space 203 may be increased by changing the position of vehicle seat 201 or of seat back 211 thereof. To increase space 203, the vehicle seat in this exemplary embodiment may fold its seat back 211 forward via a rotation movement 204. Vehicle seat 201 may also move forward via a translational movement 205, so that space 203 is also increased. The increase of space 203 is illustrated by FIG. 2a) and FIG. 2b). Pyrotechnical actuators are installed in the vehicle seat for carrying out translational movement 205 and rotation movement 204, which move the seat into the changed position (FIG. 2b) in less than one second.

[0047] In order to avoid unnecessarily or inadvertently activating vehicle seat 201, the method shown in FIG. 4 is carried out on the control unit allocated to vehicle seat 201. This method starts in step 401.

[0048] In step 402, a seat occupancy signal is received. In this exemplary embodiment, this signal includes both information about the seat occupancy of vehicle seat 201, as well as information about the occupancy of seat 202 situated behind the vehicle seat. The seat occupancy signal in this case includes data from the passenger compartment sensor system installed in the vehicle, which includes seat mats, an interior camera and belt buckle sensors.

[0049] In step 403, an evaluation of the seat occupancy signal takes place. In the process, it is ascertained which seats are occupied. If a seat is occupied, an attempt is made, based on the seat occupancy signal/the data of the passenger compartment sensor system, to ascertain whether a person or an object is situated on the vehicle seat.

[0050] In step 404, a collision signal is received, which includes data of the passenger compartment sensor system made up of a camera, a radar sensor and a LIDAR sensor, and data of the crash sensor system, made up of multiple acceleration sensors, rotation rate sensors and pressure sensors.

[0051] This collision signal is evaluated in step 405. In the process, it is ascertained with the aid of conventional algorithms whether a collision has taken place or is immediately imminent.

[0052] In step 406, a signal for activing vehicle seat 201 is generated as a function of the evaluated seat occupancy signal and of the evaluated collision signal. In this exemplary embodiment, the signal is generated only if the seat occupancy signal indicates that vehicle seat 201 is not occupied by a person and seat 202 situated behind the vehicle seat is occupied by a person. In addition, the signal is generated only if the collision signal indicates that a collision of the vehicle with another object is imminent or has already taken place.

[0053] The method ends in step 407.

[0054] Different control units may be used to generate the signal for activating the vehicle seat. The method may, for example, run on the airbag control unit or in a separate control unit provided specifically for the vehicle seat.

[0055] In another exemplary embodiment, the signal for activating the vehicle seat is generated regardless of the occupancy of seat 202 situated behind vehicle seat 201, which occupancy is also not compulsorily ascertained. Vehicle seat 201 in this exemplary embodiment is activated with the aid of an electric motor and is therefore implementable reversibly/multiple times.

[0056] In another exemplary embodiment, the functional range of the control unit assigned to vehicle seat 201 is designed even more simply. The method depicted in FIG. 1, which starts in step 101, runs on this control unit.

[0057] In step 102, a seat occupancy signal is received by the control unit and in step 103, a collision signal is received. The signals in this exemplary embodiment already include fully processed information. The seat occupancy signal indicates which seats are occupied by persons and the collision signal indicates whether a crash exists or is imminent.

[0058] The signal for activating the vehicle seat in step 104 is generated here also as a function of the seat occupancy signal and of the collision signal, with the difference that both signals are not evaluated in this control unit. The signal in this exemplary embodiment is generated only if no person is situated on the vehicle seat and a collision or an imminent collision has been recognized.

[0059] The method ends in step 105.

[0060] The collision signal in this exemplary embodiment is generated in an airbag control unit and conveyed by the airbag control unit to the control unit assigned to the seat. Different surroundings sensors and crash sensors are available to the airbag control unit for generating the collision signal. A crash detection takes place on the basis of these sensor data. In this way, it may be ascertained with the aid of known algorithms whether a collision is imminent and when and with what probability this crash is imminent. It may also be ascertained whether a collision has already taken place and how far along this collision has already progressed. The severity of a collision may also be ascertained and assessed. This assessment may also be made a condition of the signal generated for activating the seat or of the generation of the signal.

[0061] The generation of the seat occupancy signal in this exemplary embodiment also takes place in a separate unit. In this unit, data from a passenger compartment sensor system installed in the vehicle are evaluated and the occupancy of all seats is determined. After this determination, a seat occupancy signal is conveyed to the control unit assigned to the vehicle seat, which includes the evaluated information about the occupancy of the seats.

[0062] In another exemplary embodiment of the method, the seat occupancy signal received in step 102 includes merely the piece of information regarding whether the vehicle seat is occupied. It includes no further information such as, for example, whether a person or an object is situated on the seat. The collision signal received in step 103 also merely includes the piece of information that a risk of collision exists and no further information. The signal for activating the vehicle seat in step 104 is generated in this example, if the vehicle seat is not occupied and a risk of collision exists.

[0063] In another exemplary embodiment, the collision signal is generated based only on data of a surroundings sensor system in a surroundings sensor system control unit and conveyed to the control unit assigned to the seat. In this exemplary embodiment, immediately imminent collisions may be conveyed directly to the control unit assigned to the vehicle seat, and more time may be gained by omitting the airbag control unit (i.e., without taking the crash sensor signals into account).

[0064] FIG. 3 depicts another exemplary embodiment of the method, which runs in a control unit assigned to the driver's seat. This method starts in step 301.

[0065] In step 302, a seat occupancy signal is received by this control unit, which includes data from a passenger compartment sensor system installed in the vehicle.

[0066] These data are evaluated in step 303. In the process, it is ascertained for each seat whether or not the seat is occupied. In the case of an occupancy, a classification is also carried out, thereby making it possible to distinguish between objects and persons.

[0067] In step 304, a collision signal is received from the control unit, which includes previously evaluated information about whether a collision has taken place or is imminent.

[0068] In step 305, a signal for activating the vehicle seat is generated on the basis of the collision signal and of the evaluated seat occupancy signal.

[0069] The method ends in step 306.

[0070] In this exemplary embodiment, vehicle seat 201 is designed in such a way that the entire seat is rotatable about an approximately vertical axis. As a result, seat back 211 may be rotated to the side or completely forward in the direction of the vehicle instrument panel. This type of rotation also significantly increases delimited space 203.