DE102020203974A1 - Method for localizing vehicle seats, system for localizing vehicle seats and vehicle with such a system - Google Patents

Abstract

In the method according to the invention for localizing vehicle seats (S1-S5), a value for a signal propagation delay is derived from a number by means of which a vehicle (F) can be uniquely identified (1). A central vehicle control unit (SGF) sends (2) a signal to a seat control unit (SGSi) of a vehicle seat. The seat control unit (SGSi) sends (3) a signal back to the central vehicle control unit (SGF) after a signal delay according to the value derived from the number. The transit time between the transmission of the signal by the vehicle control unit (SGF) and the receipt of the signal sent back by the seat control unit (SGSi) is measured by the central vehicle control unit (SGF) (4). The measured transit time to determine the position of the vehicle seat is evaluated (5). In addition, a measurement can be carried out in which the central vehicle control unit (SGF) sends a signal to a seat control unit (SGSi) of a first vehicle seat (S1), the seat control unit of the first vehicle seat receives the signal and after the signal delay time sends a signal to a seat control unit of a second vehicle seat (S2) and this process is carried out accordingly for seat control units of the other vehicle seats (S3-S5) of the vehicle until the seat control unit (S5) of the last vehicle seat enters Sends the signal back to the central vehicle-side control unit (SGF) and the central vehicle-side control unit (SGF) determines a cycle time delay from the received signal.

Description

The present invention relates to a method for localizing vehicle seats. The present invention also relates to a system for localizing vehicle seats and a vehicle with such a system.

A large number of vehicles, such as so-called vans, people carriers or transporters, have a variable seating concept in which separate vehicle seats are provided in the second and possibly also the third row of seats, which can be moved or removed individually. These individual seats are increasingly being equipped with electrical components such as separate seat heating. Electric motors can also be provided in the individual seats in order to adjust the individual seats electrically. Furthermore, each of the individual seats is provided with a seat belt. In order to detect whether a person is on one of the individual seats and has worn the seat belt while driving and, if this is not the case, to be able to output a seat belt warning to the driver of the vehicle, the individual seats can still be equipped with a combination of a seat occupancy sensor can be provided with a seat belt buckle sensor.

The seat belt warning display is usually displayed to the driver in the instrument cluster and can also contain an indication of the seat where the seat belt is not fastened. In order to correctly enable such a display even with displaceable and removable individual seats, it is necessary first of all to recognize whether or which seats are currently in the vehicle and then to determine the current position for them within the vehicle. Based on this, corresponding information can then be communicated to a control unit for the instrument cluster or a central control unit in the vehicle.

Likewise, for other safety devices integrated in the vehicle seat that are actuated or triggered in the event of an accident, such as airbags or belt tensioners integrated in the vehicle seat to pretension the seat belt, sensors can detect whether the seat is occupied and then send signals from the sensors to a central one Forward control unit of the vehicle, so that the use of the safety devices can be controlled as a function of the sensor signals.

So reveals the GB 2,383,879 A a safety arrangement in a motor vehicle with seats that can be mounted on two rail elements. In this case, signals are generated by wireless induction connections, which are formed by co-operating coils on the respective seat and the rail elements, which indicate the presence of the seat. The signals are then transmitted to a central control unit via electrical lines.

Communication via electrical lines in the vehicle can, however, be problematic due to the fact that the individual seats can be removed because, for example, a transmission unit on the vehicle seat can be mechanically destroyed when a removed vehicle seat is put down, or contact problems can occur. Instead, radio-based solutions for data communication are preferred.

This is for example in the DE 10 2018 208 16 A1 described, in which a seat recognition system with a control unit by means of a near field recognition unit with an RFID module can determine wirelessly whether a vehicle seat is in the vehicle. If this is the case, a functional state of the vehicle seat can also be transmitted wirelessly from this vehicle seat to the control unit.

Also the FR 2 884 185 B1 discloses a system for position sensing of removable vehicle seats with wireless communication between communication elements mounted on the seat and a corresponding communication element mounted in the vehicle. Each seat is assigned a position sensing circuit comprising position sensing switches with magnetic control. The vehicle is equipped with a number of control magnets in the vehicle floor, which are arranged in such a way that the position detection switches are selectively activated depending on the seat position.

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved method for localizing vehicle seats and an improved system for localizing vehicle seats as well as a corresponding vehicle with such a system.

This object is achieved by a method with the features of claim 1, a system with the features of claim 10, and by a corresponding vehicle according to claim 11. Preferred embodiments of the invention are the subject of the dependent claims.

In the method according to the invention for localizing vehicle seats, a value for a signal propagation time delay is derived from a number by means of which a vehicle can be uniquely identified. A central vehicle-side control unit sends a signal to a seat control unit of a vehicle seat. After a signal delay, the seat control unit sends a signal back to the central vehicle control unit according to the value derived from the number. The transit time between the transmission of the signal by the vehicle-side control unit and the receipt of the signal sent back by the seat control unit is measured by the central vehicle-side control unit. The measured transit time to determine the position of the vehicle seat is evaluated.

The value for the signal propagation delay is advantageously stored in the seat control device.

In particular, the value for the signal propagation delay is used to determine whether the vehicle seat provided with the seat control device belongs to the vehicle with the central vehicle-side control device.

The invention is particularly advantageous if the vehicle has several vehicle seats and at least a part of the vehicle seats can be positioned in the vehicle at different locations and / or can also be removed from the vehicle.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the multiple vehicle seats are each assigned a unique number by means of which the individual vehicle seats of the vehicle can be identified, with the measurement of the transit time between the transmission of the signal and the reception of the signal sent back by the respective seat control device by the central vehicle-side Control unit is performed for all of the multiple vehicle seats.

• - das zentrale fahrzeugseitige Steuergerät ein Signal an ein Sitzsteuergerät eines ersten Fahrzeugsitzes aussendet;
• - das Sitzsteuergerät des ersten Fahrzeugsitzes das Signal empfängt und nach der Signallaufzeitverzögerung ein Signal an ein Sitzsteuergerät eines zweiten Fahrzeugsitzes aussendet und dieser Vorgang für Sitzsteuergeräte der weiteren Fahrzeugsitze des Fahrzeugs entsprechend durchgeführt wird bis das Sitzsteuergerät des letzten Fahrzeugsitzes ein Signal zurück an das zentrale fahrzeugseitige Steuergerät aussendet; und
• - das zentrale fahrzeugseitige Steuergerät aus dem empfangenen Signal eine Umlaufzeitverzögerung ermittelt.

According to a further embodiment of the invention, a measurement is also carried out in which

• - The central vehicle-side control unit sends a signal to a seat control unit of a first vehicle seat;
• - The seat control unit of the first vehicle seat receives the signal and, after the signal delay, sends a signal to a seat control unit of a second vehicle seat and this process is carried out accordingly for seat control units of the other vehicle seats of the vehicle until the seat control unit of the last vehicle seat sends a signal back to the central vehicle-side control unit ; and
• - The central vehicle-side control unit determines a cycle time delay from the received signal.

The signal sent from the central vehicle control unit to the seat control unit of the first vehicle seat preferably includes a time stamp and a sequence of the vehicle seats, the seat control units being addressed in the sequence and each adding a further time stamp to the signal.

In particular, the transit time and the round trip delay measured for the multiple vehicle seats are used to determine whether the respective vehicle seats are located in the vehicle or outside the vehicle.

It is advantageous here if the central vehicle-side control device is not positioned on the central axis of the vehicle and the position in the vehicle is determined by means of the measured transit time.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, a system for localizing vehicle seats is provided which comprises a central vehicle-side control device and a seat control device for one or more vehicle seats and is set up to carry out the method according to the invention.

The invention also includes a vehicle with such a system.

• 1 zeigt ein Ablaufdiagramm eines erfindungsgemäßen Verfahrens zur Laufzeitauswertung;
• 2 zeigt ein Ablaufdiagramm eines erfindungsgemäßen Verfahrens zur Bestimmung der Umlaufzeitverzögerung; und
• 3 zeigt schematisch ein Beispiel für die Ermittlung der Direktlaufzeiten und Umlaufzeitverzögerung, wenn sich sämtliche fünf Sitze im Fahrzeug befinden (a) und wenn sich ein Sitz außerhalb des Fahrzeugs befindet (b).

Further features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description and the claims in conjunction with the figures.

• 1 shows a flow chart of a method according to the invention for runtime evaluation;
• 2 shows a flowchart of a method according to the invention for determining the round trip time delay; and
• 3 shows schematically an example for the determination of the direct transit times and the turnaround time delay when all five seats are in the vehicle (a) and when one seat is outside the vehicle (b).

For a better understanding of the principles of the present invention, embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail below with reference to the figures. It goes without saying that the invention is not restricted to these embodiments and that the features described can also be combined or modified without departing from the scope of protection of the invention as defined in the claims.

1 shows a flowchart of a method according to the invention, in which a seat control device provided in or on an individual seat communicates wirelessly with a central control device of a vehicle via suitable interfaces for seat localization. The method can be carried out for each of the individual seats of the vehicle, the method according to the measuring process from the vehicle-side control unit to the seat-side control units preferably being repeated until the respective signal transit time, also referred to below as direct transit time, is known for all individual seats. A second measurement can then be carried out in connection with 2 is explained.

The invention initially makes use of the fact that each vehicle is assigned a unique, internationally standardized vehicle identification number, abbreviated to FIN (Vehicle Identification Number, VIN), by means of which a motor vehicle can be uniquely identified. The VIN (VIN) consists of a manufacturer identification, for example WVW for Volkswagen, a manufacturer-specific key and a consecutive individual production number that is mostly dependent on the year of manufacture. Based on the VIN (VIN), the seats of the vehicle are taught in to the vehicle, for example during production, and thus assigned to the vehicle. In this case, in a first method step 1, a value for a signal propagation delay, also referred to as “basic propagation time” in the following, is derived from the FIN (VIN). This basic running time is the same for each of the seats in the vehicle and is therefore independent of the position of the seats in the vehicle. As will be explained below, a simple coding can also be used for the basic runtime.

A number is also assigned to each seat of the vehicle in order to be able to distinguish the individual seats from one another in the further process. For example, in addition to the driver and front passenger seats that are permanently installed in the vehicle, five removable seats can be provided in the second and third row of seats, to which the numbers 1 to 5 are assigned. However, the invention is in no way restricted to this number of seats, but can also be used in the same way in vehicles with a larger number of seats, such as, for example, buses.

In a method step 2, a central vehicle-side control device sends a measurement signal via a radio link to a seat control device of a vehicle seat. For this purpose, the central vehicle control device and the seat control device can be equipped with wireless communication systems such as suitable Bluetooth or WLAN modules.

The measurement signal is received by the seat control device, which in a method step 3 sends a signal back to the central vehicle-side control device in the same way after a signal propagation delay corresponding to the basic propagation time.

In a method step 4, the central vehicle-side control unit then measures the time between the transmission of the signal by the vehicle-side control unit and the reception of the signal sent back by the seat control unit by the central vehicle-side control unit.

The measured direct transit time is then evaluated in a method step 5 to determine the position of the vehicle seat. The distance between the seat control unit and the vehicle control unit corresponds to half the distance that results from the total running time reduced by the basic running time for the radio waves propagating at the speed of light.

The described measuring process from the vehicle-side control device to the seat-side control devices is then repeated until the direct running times for all vehicle seats are known. Preferably, the various vehicle seats can each be addressed separately and one after the other by means of the assigned number by the vehicle-side control device.

In addition, a second measurement is carried out in the order of the seats available. Here, in a method step 6, a signal is first sent from the central vehicle-side control device to a seat control device of a first vehicle seat. The vehicle's control unit provides the signal with a time stamp and a sequence of the seats. The seat control unit of the first vehicle seat receives this signal and, in a method step 7, sends the signal provided with a further time stamp to the seat control unit of the second vehicle seat specified in the sequence after the signal delay.

This process is repeated according to the seat sequence for the seat control units of the other vehicle seats, i.e. these further seat control units also add a time stamp to the signal and forward the signal to the next seat control unit after the signal delay. Instead of inserting and maintaining separate time stamps for the various seats in the signal, provision can also be made to calculate a new time stamp in each case based on the time stamp of the previous seat.

In a method step 8, it is checked whether another vehicle seat with a seat control device should be present in the vehicle according to the sequence of vehicle seats contained in the signal. As long as this is the case, a corresponding signal is transmitted to the next seat control unit. If, on the other hand, a seat control device, when evaluating the sequence contained in the signal, determines that it is the seat control device of the last vehicle seat and that no further vehicle seat with a seat control device follows, this seat control device sends the signal back to the central vehicle control device in a method step 9. In a method step 10, this then determines from the received signal, in particular the time stamps of the various seats contained in the signal, a circulation time delay for the period from the original sending of the signal to the first seat control unit to the receipt of the signal from the last seat control unit.

On the basis of the determined direct transit times in connection with this circulation time delay, it can then be determined whether all the seats are in the vehicle or whether a seat assigned to the vehicle is outside the vehicle.

The measurement methods for determining the direct transit times as well as the circulation time delay according to the 1 and 2 can in particular be carried out one after the other. This has the advantage that after the direct transit times have been determined, the sequence of the seats and information about whether all seats are present or one seat is missing is known. However, it is also possible to carry out both methods in parallel, in which case different frequencies and / or different methods are used for the radio transmission of the signals.

In 3 is schematically a vehicle F. with five seats S _i (i = 1 to 5) with an illustration of the measurement of the direct transit times (arrows with solid line) and circulation time delay (arrows with dashed line). 3a shows an example for the determination of the direct transit times and turnaround time delay when all five seats are in the vehicle 3b on the other hand, if the seat S _{4 is located} outside the vehicle.

In the vehicle F. is a central control unit SGF provided, which is positioned "offaxis", ie is arranged to the left or right of the central axis of the vehicle in the longitudinal direction. This can be arranged in the area of the driver's seat, for example under the driver's seat. In comparison to an arrangement of the control unit in the middle of the vehicle, this ensures that the direct running times of seats arranged symmetrically in the vehicle, as in 3a the seats S ₁ and S ₅ or seats S ₂ and S _{4 are} not roughly identical, but have different values. Furthermore, each of the seats S _{i has} a seat control unit SGS _i on.

As can be seen from a comparison of the sub-figures, in the example shown, the direct transit times for seats S ₁ , S ₂ , S ₃ and S _{5 are} unchanged, since these are in the same position in the vehicle in both sub-figures, the direct transit time for seat S. ₄ , on the other hand, increased noticeably when the seat was removed from the vehicle. The transit times from the vehicle control unit are also used for the cycle time delay SGF to seat S ₁ , from seat S ₁ to seat S ₂ , from seat S ₂ to seat S ₃ and from seat S ₅ back to Vehicle control unit unchanged, but the running times between seats S ₃ and S ₄ as well as S ₄ and S ₅ change significantly.

It can also be evaluated whether the ratio of the transit times of the turnaround delay to the direct transit times of the individual seats fits. For this purpose, precalculated values for the direct running times for the possible positions of the individual seats in the vehicle can be stored in a lookup table (LUT) in the vehicle's control unit. Furthermore, a maximum direct running time for seats assigned to the vehicle can be stored in the vehicle control unit. If the measured direct running time for a seat is then noticeably greater than this maximum direct running time, then this seat must inevitably be located outside the vehicle. Whether a seat that reports to the vehicle control unit in the course of the query actually belongs to this vehicle can be determined on the basis of the turnaround time delay that is individual for each vehicle.

Various methods can be used for coding the signal propagation delay or basic propagation time by means of the vehicle VIN.

In a first variant, an integer value is assigned to each letter contained in the vehicle VIN, for example the letter "A" the value "1", the letter "B" the value "2", and the following letters correspondingly incremented values up to Letter "Z" with the value "26". The individual values of the letters represented in the vehicle VIN are then added up to form a total value. The production number, usually in the last six digits of the vehicle VIN, is not converted into other values, but added to the total value already determined after scaling.

This should be illustrated using the example of the vehicle VIN WV1ZZZ7HZHH001117. In this case the VIN contains: Letter Associated value Frequency in the VIN Intermediate value Total value (sum of the intermediate values) H 8th 3 24 V 22nd 1 22nd W. 23 1 23 Z 26th 4th 104 173

The production number 001117 can now be added as a decimal number to the total value determined, so that a value of 173.001117 results. This value for the signal delay or basic delay can be specified in milliseconds, for example.

In a second variant, too, as described above, integer values are assigned to the letters contained in the vehicle VIN and added up. The resulting total value is then multiplied by the production number and then scaled.

For the vehicle VIN WV1ZZZ7HZHH001117 given as an example, there is again the stated sum 173, which is then multiplied by the consecutive number 001117 of the VIN and then divided by 1000, resulting in a value of 173 * 001117/1000 = 193.241 ms.

In these variants, the digits that may appear in the front positions of the vehicle VIN in addition to the letters, in the example WV1ZZZ7HZHH001117 in the third position, are left out of the coding. These digits can also be used for coding, for example by using their respective value and assigning values from 10-36 to the letters.

List of reference symbols

1 - 6

Process steps of the runtime evaluation

7-13

Process steps runtime evaluation

F.

vehicle

S1 - S5

Vehicle seats

SGF

Vehicle control unit

SGSi

Seat control unit from seat i

QUOTES INCLUDED IN THE DESCRIPTION

This list of the documents listed by the applicant was generated automatically and is included solely for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions.

Patent literature cited

• GB 2383879 A [0005]
• DE 10201820816 A1 [0007]
• FR 2884185 B1 [0008]

Claims (11)

Method for localizing vehicle seats _{(S 1 -S 5} ), in which - a value for a signal propagation delay is derived from a number by means of which a vehicle (F) can be uniquely identified (1); - A central vehicle-side control device (SGF) sends a signal to a seat control device (SGS _i ) of a vehicle seat (2); - the seat control device (SGS _i ) sends a signal back to the central vehicle-side control device (SGF) after a signal delay according to the value derived from the number (3); - the transit time between the transmission of the signal by the vehicle control unit (SGF) and the reception of the _{signal sent back by the seat control unit (SGS i} ) by the central vehicle control unit (SGF) is measured (4); and - the measured transit time to determine the position of the vehicle seat is evaluated (5). Procedure according to Claim 1 , the value for the signal propagation delay is stored _{in the seat control unit (SGS i).} Procedure according to Claim 1 or 2 , the value for the signal propagation delay being used to determine whether the _{vehicle seat provided with the seat control device (SGS i} ) belongs to the vehicle (F) with the central vehicle-side control device (SGF). Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the vehicle (F) has several vehicle seats (S ₁ - S ₅ ) and at least a part of the vehicle seats can be positioned in the vehicle at different locations and / or can also be removed from the vehicle. Procedure according to Claim 4 , the multiple vehicle seats (S ₁ - S ₅ ) each being assigned a unique number by means of which the individual vehicle seats of the vehicle (F) can be identified and the measurement of the transit time between the transmission of the signal and the reception of the respective seat control device (SGS _i ) signal sent back is carried out by the central vehicle control unit (SGF) for all of the multiple vehicle seats. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein a measurement is additionally carried out in which - the central vehicle-side control device (SGF) sends a signal to a seat control device (SGS _i ) of a first vehicle _{seat (S 1} ); - the seat control unit of the first vehicle seat receives the signal and, after the signal delay, sends a signal to a seat control unit of a second vehicle seat (S ₂ ) and this process is carried out accordingly for seat control units of the other vehicle seats (S3- _{S 5} ) of the vehicle until the seat control unit (S ₅ ) the last vehicle seat sends a signal back to the central vehicle control unit (SGF); and - the central vehicle-side control unit (SGF) determines a round trip delay from the received signal. Procedure according to Claim 6 , the signal sent by the central vehicle control unit (SGF) to the seat control unit (SGS _i ) of the first vehicle seat including a time stamp and a sequence of the vehicle seats and the seat control units being addressed in the sequence and adding a further time stamp to the signal. Method according to one of the preceding claims, in which it is determined by means of the transit time and circulation time delay measured for the plurality of vehicle seats _{(S 1 -S 5} ) whether the respective vehicle seats are in the vehicle or outside the vehicle. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the central vehicle-side control device (SGF) is not positioned on the central axis of the vehicle (F) and the position in the vehicle is determined by means of the measured transit time. System for _{localizing vehicle seats (S 1} -S ₅ ), which comprises a central vehicle-side control device (SGF) and a seat control device (SGS _i ) for one or more vehicle seats and is set up to carry out a method according to one of the preceding claims. Vehicle with a system according to Claim 10 .

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