JP2023044589A - Seat state adjustment system - Google Patents

Abstract

To easily adjust a state of a seat without causing problems even when the seat is installed in a vehicle enabling switching between an automatic driving mode and a manual driving mode.SOLUTION: A seat state adjustment system for adjusting a state of a seat 10 installed in a vehicle V enabling switching between an automatic driving mode and a manual driving mode includes: an imaging section 3 capable of imaging a seated person seated on the seat 10; an acquisition section 2a acquiring image information imaged by the imaging section 3; and an adjustment section 2b performing control for adjusting the state of the seat 10 on the basis of an action of the seated person obtained from the image information acquired by the acquisition section 2b. The seat 10 is configured to enable adjustment of the state thereof through control preformed by the adjustment section 2b, and the control by using the adjustment section 2b is allowed when the vehicle V is in the automatic driving mode.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to seat conditioning systems.

Conventionally, the movement and state of a person seated in a vehicle seat are photographed by a photographing unit such as a camera, image information is acquired, and based on the movement and state of the person seated from the image information, the position of the vehicle seat is determined. Techniques for adjusting conditions are disclosed.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2021-30842 JP 2021-66213 A Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2021-66211

By the way, there is a demand to be able to adjust the state of the seat even in a vehicle that can switch between the automatic driving mode and the manual driving mode. However, in the techniques described in each of the above patent documents, adjustment of the state of the seat installed in the vehicle capable of switching between the automatic operation mode and the manual operation mode has not been considered.
For example, in automatic driving mode, the occupant of the seat is freed from driving and manipulating the vehicle. comfort improvement is greatly expected. On the other hand, in the manual operation mode, from the viewpoint of ensuring safety, it is required to suppress unintentional adjustment of the seat state by the seated person.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and its problem is to adjust the state of the seat without hindrance even in the case of a seat installed in a vehicle that can switch between the automatic operation mode and the manual operation mode. is to make it easier to

In order to solve the above problems, the invention according to claim 1 is a seat condition adjustment system that adjusts the condition of a seat installed in a vehicle that can switch between an automatic operation mode and a manual operation mode,
a photographing unit capable of photographing a person sitting on the seat;
an acquisition unit that acquires image information captured by the imaging unit;
an adjustment unit that performs control to adjust the state of the seat based on the motion of the seated person obtained from the image information acquired by the acquisition unit,
The seat is configured so that its state can be adjusted under the control of the adjustment unit,
The control by the adjusting unit is permitted when the vehicle is in an automatic driving mode.

The invention according to claim 2 is the seat condition adjustment system according to claim 1,
A trigger input satisfies a permission condition, and the control of the seat by the adjustment unit is permitted within a certain period of time from the establishment of the permission condition.

The invention according to claim 3 is the seat condition adjustment system according to claim 2,
The adjustment unit cancels the permission condition when it determines that the series of motions of the seated person obtained from the image information is completed within a predetermined period of time from the establishment of the permission condition.

The invention according to claim 4 is the seat condition adjustment system according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The physique of the seated person is identified from the image information, and if the physique of the seated person is smaller than a reference value, control of the seat by the adjustment unit based on the motion of the seated person is limited. .

The invention according to claim 5 is the seat condition adjustment system according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The seat includes a seating sensor that recognizes the seating state of the seated person and identifies the physique of the seated person,
When the physique of the seated person is smaller than a reference value as a result of identification by the seat sensor, the control by the adjustment unit based on the motion of the seated person is limited.

The invention according to claim 6 is the seat condition adjustment system according to any one of claims 3 to 5 citing claim 2,
the vehicle comprising a plurality of the seats;
It is characterized by further comprising a trigger input section for inputting the trigger arranged near one of the plurality of sheets.

The invention according to claim 7 is the seat condition adjustment system according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
A distance sensor is provided on the back surface of the seat for detecting a distance to an object located on the back side of the seat,
The control of the seat by the adjusting section is stopped based on the detection result of the distance sensor.

The invention according to claim 8 is the seat condition adjustment system according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
The vehicle includes the seat arranged in front and a rear seat arranged behind the seat,
The seat is configured so that its position can be adjusted under the control of the adjustment unit,
The rear seat is provided with a seating sensor,
The seat position adjustment range when the seating sensor detects that a person is seated on the rear seat is the seat position adjustment range when the seating sensor does not detect the seating of a person on the rear seat. is set narrower than the range of .

The invention according to claim 9 is the seat condition adjustment system according to any one of claims 1 to 8,
The vehicle comprises a plurality of seats arranged in front and rear,
The photographing unit is provided on a roof lining of the vehicle, and is arranged corresponding to each of a seat arranged in the front and a seat arranged in the rear among the plurality of seats.

The invention according to claim 10 is the seat condition adjustment system according to claim 9,
The photographing unit is an omnidirectional photographing device provided on a roof lining of the vehicle.

The invention according to claim 11 is the seat condition adjustment system according to any one of claims 1 to 10,
It is characterized by further comprising a manual operation section for adjusting the state of the seat by manual operation of the seated person.

The invention according to claim 12 is the seat condition adjustment system according to claim 11,
The seat includes a seat frame that forms a frame of the seat, an adjustment mechanism that deforms or displaces the seat frame, and an operation unit that operates the adjustment mechanism,
The manual operation section has a controller for operating the operation section.

The invention according to claim 13 is the seat condition adjustment system according to any one of claims 1 to 12,
the control by the adjustment unit is stopped when the acquisition unit cannot acquire the image information;
It is characterized by further comprising a notification unit that notifies that the control by the adjustment unit has been stopped.

The invention according to claim 14 is the seat condition adjustment system according to any one of claims 1 to 13,
The seat includes a seat cushion and a seat back,
The lower end of the seat back is connected to the rear end of the seat cushion via a reclining mechanism,
When the seat back is in a reclining state in which the seat back is tilted rearward from the standing state and a failure of the photographing unit or the adjusting unit is detected, the seat back is returned from the reclining state to the standing state. It is characterized by further comprising automatic return means.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, it is possible to suppress adjustment of the seat state that is not intended by the seated person during the manual operation mode. That is, even in the case of a seat installed in a vehicle capable of switching between the automatic operation mode and the manual operation mode, it is easy to adjust the state of the seat without any trouble.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, even if the acquisition unit acquires image information in which the motion of the seated person is captured after a certain period of time has elapsed since the permission condition was established by the input of the trigger, Since control is not performed, it is possible to suppress adjustment of the seat state that is not intended by the seated person.

According to the third aspect of the invention, since the permission condition can be canceled without including the motion of the seated person after the series of motions of the seated person is completed, an extra seat state unintended by the seated person can be canceled. Adjustments can be suppressed.

According to the fourth aspect of the invention, it can be estimated from the image information that the occupant of the seat is a child. It is possible to prevent a child from adjusting the state of the seat, which is not intended by an adult.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to estimate that the occupant of the seat is a child from the detection result of the seat sensor, and limit the control of the seat by the adjustment unit based on the movement of the occupant who is presumed to be a child. Therefore, it is possible to prevent a child from adjusting the state of the seat, which is not intended by an adult who rides in the vehicle.

According to the sixth aspect of the invention, since the trigger can be input from the trigger input section arranged near the one seat, the seated person is not seated on the seat distant from the trigger input section, but the seat is seated on the one seat. A seat occupant or a seat occupant sitting in a seat adjacent to one seat can decide whether or not to allow control of the seat by the adjuster.

According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, it is possible to prevent the seat from coming into contact with an object positioned on the back side of the seat while the adjustment section is controlling the seat.

According to the eighth aspect of the invention, when the seating sensor detects that a person is seated on the rear seat, the range of seat position adjustment can be uniformly restricted to be small. can be suppressed from contacting the seated person.

According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, a person seated on a seat arranged in front and a person seated on a seat arranged in back can be photographed by the photographing unit. Therefore, the seat arranged in the front and the seat arranged in the rear can be controlled by the adjusting section.

According to the tenth aspect of the present invention, a person seated on a seat arranged in front and a person seated on a seat arranged in the rear are photographed by an omnidirectional photographing unit, which is an omnidirectional photographing device. Since the seat can be photographed, the seat positioned in front and the seat positioned in the rear can be controlled by the adjusting unit.

According to the eleventh aspect of the present invention, even if the adjustment section cannot control the seat, the seat state can be adjusted by manual operation of the seated person through the manual operation section.

According to the twelfth aspect of the invention, since the controller in the manual operation section can operate the operation section for operating the adjustment mechanism for deforming or displacing the seat frame, the seat can not be controlled by the adjustment section. However, the state of the seat can be adjusted by the manual operation of the seated person.

According to the thirteenth aspect of the present invention, when the movement of the seated person cannot be captured from the image information due to, for example, the photographing unit being out of order or the inside of the vehicle being dark, the seat is controlled by the adjustment unit. Since it stops and the seated person is also notified of this through the notification unit, it is possible to prevent the state of the seat from being adjusted due to an erroneous operation.

According to the fourteenth aspect of the present invention, when a failure of the photographing unit or the adjusting unit is detected, the seat back is returned from the reclining state to the standing state by the automatic return means, so that the vehicle can be operated manually from the automatic operation mode. It is easy to ensure safety when switching to the mode.

1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a seat condition adjusting system; FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an outline of a seat condition adjustment system provided in a vehicle; FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an outline of a seat provided with a seating sensor and a distance sensor; FIG. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a seat adjustment mechanism and sensors; 5 is a flow chart showing an example of control for adjusting the state of the seat; 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a seat condition adjustment system having a trigger input section; FIG. 5 is a time chart showing an example of seat control when a trigger is input; 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a seat condition adjustment system having automatic return means; FIG.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the embodiments described below have various technically preferable limitations for carrying out the present invention, but the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments and illustrated examples. do not have.

<First embodiment>
The vehicle in this embodiment is an automobile (passenger car: vehicle V), and the seat 10 hereinafter is a vehicle seat on which a driver and his fellow passengers are seated. However, the seat is not limited to this, and may be a vehicle seat for ships, airplanes, construction vehicles, military vehicles, industrial vehicles, railroad vehicles, agricultural vehicles, and the like.

A plurality of seats 10 are installed in the vehicle V in this embodiment. The plurality of seats 10 are configured so that their states can be adjusted.
The plurality of seats 10 includes a front seat 10F serving as a driver's seat and a front passenger's seat, and a rear seat 10R. A separate sheet such as Moreover, even if it is a bench seat type, it may be configured so that the left and right sides can be reclined separately.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration of a seat condition adjustment system.
The seat condition adjustment system of this embodiment adjusts the condition of a seat 10 installed in a vehicle V capable of switching between an automatic operation mode and a manual operation mode, and is interlocked with a vehicle control system that controls the entire vehicle V. are doing.
The vehicle control system includes an operation control unit 1 that switches the vehicle V between an automatic operation mode and a manual operation mode, and appropriately includes a configuration necessary for switching between the modes. The plurality of seats 10 can be adjusted to different states during automatic operation and during manual operation.
Further, the seat condition adjustment system includes at least a seat control section 2 for controlling the operation of the seat 10 and an imaging section 3 for providing the seat control section 2 with image information of the seated person. In this embodiment, a notification unit 5 for notifying information relating to the control of the seat 10 by the seat control unit 2, and a manual operation unit 6 for adjusting the state of the seat 10 by manual operation of the seated person. Prepare.
Each unit constituting the seat condition adjustment system and the vehicle control system are communicably connected by a wired or wireless communication network built in the vehicle.

[Regarding the operation control part]
The operation control unit 1 is composed of a microcomputer including a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), and the like. Various devices such as brake lights, auxiliary devices (for example, direction indicator lights, headlights, wiper devices, etc.) and actuators are connected to the operation control unit 1 .
The operation control unit 1 expands a program stored in advance in the ROM into the RAM, executes the program in the CPU, and controls automatic operation by controlling the operation of various devices and the like. The operation control section 1 may be composed of a plurality of electronic control units.

Specifically, the driving control unit 1 controls switching between an automatic driving mode in which the surrounding conditions of the vehicle V and the conditions of the vehicle V are determined and the vehicle V is controlled, and a manual driving mode by a seated person. In the automatic driving mode, the operation control unit 1 judges the own vehicle and its surroundings based on the information obtained from the surroundings detection means such as various sensors and surroundings photography cameras so that the vehicle V can run independently. do. Then, according to the determination result, an automatic driving control process is performed to control the actuators that drive the accelerator amount, the brake amount, the steering angle, and the like. In the automatic driving control process, a driving plan along a preset target route is generated based on the surrounding conditions of the vehicle V and map information, and the driving is controlled so that the vehicle V runs independently according to the generated driving plan.

For example, the driving control unit 1 can automatically start automatic driving control processing according to the behavior of the vehicle V and the surrounding conditions during the manual driving of the seated person to assist the driving of the vehicle V by the seated person. can. In this case, the operation control unit 1 outputs information indicating the start of the automatic operation control process. Further, in the case of switching from the manual operation of the seated person to the automatic operation by the automatic operation control process according to the instruction of the seated person, the operation control unit 1 provides information indicating that the sovereignty of driving is transferred, that is, the automatic operation control process Predetermined information indicating the start is output.

In addition, during execution of the automatic driving control process, the driving control unit 1 automatically terminates (cancels) the automatic driving control process according to the behavior of the vehicle V and the surrounding situation, and manually drives the vehicle V by the seated person. can be processed. In this case, the operation control unit 1 outputs information indicating the end of the automatic operation control process in order to prompt the seated person to manually operate the vehicle V. In addition, in the case of switching from automatic operation by automatic operation control processing to manual operation of the seated person according to the instruction of the seated person, the operation control unit 1 provides information indicating that the sovereignty of driving is transferred, that is, the automatic operation control process. Predetermined information indicating the end is output.

Note that the operation control unit 1 can include a communication device for exchanging information such as surrounding conditions between the vehicle V and the outside of the vehicle V. FIG. An example of a communication device is a communication device that receives road conditions through road-to-vehicle communication, such as a radio communication device that uses DSRC (Dedicated Short Range Communications) short-range communication.
Information indicating road conditions received by road-to-vehicle communication, which is surrounding conditions, includes the curvature of the driving lane, the shape and condition of the lane and road such as road surface cant, the positional relationship of the vehicle V with respect to the lane, and the vehicle V during travel. Information indicating the positional relationship of other vehicles, the traffic volume in the vicinity, and the like can be given. Further, the operation control unit 1 can include a navigation system as an example of a device for obtaining surrounding conditions.

The peripheral situation detection means has a plurality of types of sensors, a peripheral photographing camera, and the like, and detects the peripheral situation of the vehicle V in order to perform automatic driving by the driving control unit 1 . The surrounding situation detection means detects, as the surrounding situation of the vehicle V, image information from a surrounding photographing camera, obstacle information from a radar, obstacle information from a lidar (Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging), and the like, for example. The surrounding conditions include, for example, the position of the white line of the driving lane with respect to the vehicle V, the position of the center of the lane, the road width, the shape of the road, the conditions of obstacles around the vehicle V, and the like. Note that the road shape includes, for example, the curvature of the driving lane, changes in the slope of the road surface that are effective in estimating the line of sight of the sensor, swells, and the like. Further, the status of obstacles around vehicle V includes, for example, information for distinguishing between fixed obstacles and moving obstacles, the position of obstacles with respect to vehicle V, the direction of movement of obstacles with respect to vehicle V, and the obstacles with respect to vehicle V. There is a relative velocity of

[About the shooting department]
The photographing unit 3 is capable of photographing a person sitting on the seat 10, and employs a camera. In addition, a smart phone or a tablet terminal having a camera function may be substituted. The camera, which is the imaging unit 3 of the present embodiment, is provided on the roof lining of the vehicle V, and is arranged corresponding to the front seat 10F and the rear seat 10R. That is, in the present embodiment, a plurality of photographing units 3 are provided at a high position in the vehicle, and a seated person (a driver and a fellow passenger seated in the front passenger seat) seated on the front seat 10F and a passenger seated on the rear seat 10R It is possible to photograph the seated person who does.
A plurality of cameras, which are the photographing unit 3, may be provided not only on the front and rear but also on the left and right.

Note that the imaging unit 3 of the present embodiment may be an omnidirectional imaging device. The omnidirectional imaging device is also called an omnidirectional camera or an omnidirectional camera, and can photograph all directions centering on the omnidirectional imaging device.
The photographing unit 3, which is an omnidirectional photographing device, is provided in the roof lining of the vehicle V, but its arrangement position may be near the center of the roof lining. It may be placed near the rearview mirror so that the person can be photographed from the front.
If an omnidirectional imaging device is adopted as the imaging unit 3 of this embodiment, the number of imaging units 3 to be used can be reduced, which is advantageous in terms of cost. Furthermore, since the occupant seated on the front seat 10F and the occupant seated on the rear seat 10R can be each targeted for omnidirectional imaging by the imaging unit, which is an omnidirectional imaging device, the seat placed in front and the , and rear seats can be controlled by the seat control unit 2 .
The imaging unit 3, which is an omnidirectional imaging device, can also be used as a drive recorder.

The photographing unit 3 of the present embodiment photographs the body movements, physiques, gestures, etc. of the seated person seated on the front seat 10F and the seated person seated on the rear seat 10R, and converts the photographed images to the seat control unit as image information. 2 can be provided. A captured image may be a still image or a moving image.

[Regarding seat control unit and seat]
The seat control unit 2 changes the position, orientation, and attitude of the seat 10 provided in the vehicle V with respect to the vehicle V and operates various devices provided in the seat 10 , that is, adjusts the state of the seat 10 . It is a control device for performing the operation, and is composed of a microcomputer including a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), and the like.
The seat control unit 2 is connected to the driving control unit 1 and can perform control for adjusting the state of the seat 10 in conjunction with the control related to the driving of the vehicle V by the driving control unit 1 . However, the operation control section 1 and the seat control section 2 may be integrated into one control section (for example, ECU: Electronic Control Unit).
Although not shown, the seat control unit 2 of the present embodiment includes storage means for storing various information and programs, input means for transmitting the intention of the seated person to the system, and various information for transmitting to the seated person. Various means necessary for adjusting the state of the sheet 10, such as an output means for

The seat control unit 2 controls the state of the seat 10 based on an acquisition unit 2a that acquires image information captured by the imaging unit 3, and the motion of the seated person obtained from the image information acquired by the acquisition unit 2a. and an adjustment unit 2b for performing That is, the seat control unit 2 performs control to adjust the state of the seat 10 based on a program for acquiring image information captured by the image capturing unit 3 and the motion of the seated person obtained from the acquired image information. Run the program.
The acquisition unit 2a continuously or periodically (intermittently) acquires image information captured by the imaging unit 3. FIG. The acquired image information includes information such as body movement, physique, and gestures of the seated person.
The adjustment unit 2b controls the adjustment mechanism 20 provided in the seat 10 so as to adjust the state of the seat 10 in a plurality of patterns based on the motion of the seated person obtained from the acquired image information. Control of the seat 10 by the adjustment unit 2b is permitted when the vehicle V is in the automatic driving mode. That is, the operation control unit 1 and the seat control unit 2 are interlocked, and it is possible to determine in which mode the vehicle V is operating, the automatic operation mode or the manual operation mode. can adjust the state of the seat 10 only when the vehicle V is in the automatic driving mode.
It is assumed that the seat control unit 2 stores in advance how the state of the seat 10 is adjusted by what kind of motion/gesture. The settings of actions/gestures may be added later.

Further, the control of the sheet 10 by the adjustment section 2b is stopped when the acquisition section 2a cannot acquire the image information. That is, if the motion of the seated person cannot be captured from the image information due to, for example, the photographing unit 3 being out of order or the interior of the vehicle is dark at night, etc., the adjustment unit The control of the seat 10 by 2b is stopped.

The adjuster 2b can identify the physique of the seated person from the acquired image information, and limit the control of the seat 10 based on the motion of the occupant when the physique of the seated person is smaller than a reference value.
That is, the adjustment unit 2b controls the adjustment mechanism 20 based on the motion of the seated person obtained from the acquired image information. 2b may misidentify the motion of the seated person obtained from the acquired image information. Therefore, when the physique of the seated person identified from the acquired image information is smaller than the reference value, the control by the adjuster 2b based on the motion of the seated person is restricted.
Here, as the contents of the restriction, even if the seat occupant makes an action/gesture that greatly deforms or displaces the seat 10 among the actions of the seated person obtained from the image information, the action/gesture is not performed. Based on this, control for adjusting the state of the seat 10 is not performed. In addition to this, for example, among the patterns for adjusting the state of the seat 10, it may be a restriction that permits or prohibits some patterns, or narrows the amount of deformation or displacement (operating range) of the seat 10. may be restricted.
Also, the reference value is, for example, the height when sitting (the position of the head) or the area of the outline of the body, and the numerical value can be arbitrarily set. Also, a reference value may be set for each of a plurality of sheets 10 .

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the seat 10 whose state is controlled by the seat control unit 2 includes a seat cushion 11 for supporting the buttocks of the seated person and a lower end portion. a seat back 12 supported by the seat cushion 11; and a headrest 13 provided at the upper end of the seat back 12 to support the head of the seated person.
Further, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, such a seat 10 includes a seat frame (not shown) forming a framework of the seat 10 and a seat frame that deforms or displaces the seat frame as internal structures forming the seat 10. and operating units 21 a, 22 a, 23 a, 24 a, 25 a, 26 a, and 27 a for operating the adjusting mechanism 20 . Thereby, the seat 10 can be arranged in a plurality of states by the adjustment mechanism 20. - 特許庁
A seat frame (seat cushion frame) of the seat cushion 11 is supported on the floor surface of the vehicle body by a support mechanism 14 .
The headrest 13 has a pillar 13a as shown in FIG. 3, and the pillar 13a is inserted into a headrest guide (not shown) provided on the seatback 12 (seatback frame).

The plurality of states of the seat 10 include a state suitable for manual operation and a state not suitable for manual operation.
In this embodiment, at the timing when the operation control unit 1 switches from automatic operation to manual operation, the seat control unit 2 controls the adjustment mechanism 20 so as to change to a state suitable for manual operation.
On the other hand, at the timing when the operation control unit 1 switches from manual operation to automatic operation, the seat control unit 2 controls the adjustment mechanism 20 so as to change the state to a state not suitable for manual operation. In other words, the state unsuitable for manual driving means that when the vehicle V is switched from manual driving to automatic driving by the driving control unit 1, the adjustment mechanism 20 is operated and changed based on the control of the seat control unit 2. It is in the state of the seat 10 and is in a state where it is easy to relax.

There are a plurality of patterns of states of the seat 10 that are not suitable for manual operation, and the operation of the seat 10 is controlled by the seat controller 2 so that the state of the seat 10 is selected by the occupant from among the plurality of patterns. .
In order to adjust the state of the seat 10 as described above, the seat 10 includes a first angle changing portion 21, a second angle changing portion 22, a third angle changing portion 23, a seat rotating portion 24, It has a seat slide portion 25, a seat temperature adjustment portion 26, an air blower 27, a seat state detection portion 30, a seating sensor 31, and a distance sensor 32 (see FIG. 1).

The first angle changer 21 is controllable by the seat controller 2, changes the angle of the seat cushion 11 with respect to the floor of the vehicle body, and is incorporated in the support mechanism 14 described above. The support mechanism 14 includes an operating portion 21a that drives the seat cushion frame that forms the skeleton of the seat cushion 11 to change the angle thereof. That is, the first angle changing section 21 is an angle changing mechanism incorporated in the support mechanism 14, and the angle changing mechanism is operated by the operating section 21a. The support mechanism 14 that supports the seat cushion 11 is configured to change the angle of the seat cushion 11 .
The angle of the seat cushion 11 can be changed by the first angle changer 21 from an angle suitable for manual operation to a flat state. In addition, the inclination to the left and right can also be changed.

The second angle changing unit 22 is a reclining mechanism that can be controlled by the seat control unit 2 to change the angle of the seat back 12, and has an operating unit 22a that rotates the seat back 12 with respect to the seat cushion 11. .
More specifically, although not shown, the lower end of the seat back frame that forms the skeleton of the seat back 12 rotates to the rear end of the seat cushion frame that forms the skeleton of the seat cushion 11 via a rotation shaft. The seat back frame can be rotated around the rotation axis by the actuator, which is the action part 22a.
The angle of the seat back 12 can be changed by the second angle changer 22 from an angle suitable for manual driving to a flat state.

The third angle changing section 23 is controllable by the seat control section 2 to change the angle of the headrest 13 , and has an operating section 23 a that rotates the headrest 13 with respect to the seat back 12 .
The form of angle change of the headrest 13 may be a pattern of changing the angle of the pillar 13a with respect to the seat back frame, or a pattern of changing the angle of the headrest 13 with respect to the pillar 13a.
In the case of a pattern in which the angle of the pillar 13a with respect to the seatback frame is changed, the headrest guide is rotatably connected to the seatback frame forming the skeleton of the seatback 12 via a rotation shaft. The actuator 23a can rotate the headrest guide about the rotation axis.
In the case of a pattern in which the angle of the headrest 13 with respect to the pillar 13a is changed, the headrest frame, which constitutes the skeleton of the headrest 13, is rotatably connected to the pillar 13a via a rotation shaft, and is operated by the actuator, which is the action part 22a. It is configured such that the headrest frame can be rotated around the axis of rotation.
When the seat back 12 is in a flat state, the angle of the headrest 13 can be changed by a third angle changing part 23 from a standing state like a pillow to a flat state.

The seat rotation section 24 is controllable by the seat control section 2, rotates the seat cushion 11 (and thus the entire seat 10), and is incorporated in the support mechanism 14 described above. The support mechanism 14 includes an operating portion 24a that drives a seat cushion frame that forms the skeleton of the seat cushion 11 to turn. That is, the seat rotating portion 24 is a turning mechanism incorporated in the support mechanism 14, and the turning mechanism is operated by the operating portion 24a. A support mechanism 14 that supports the seat cushion 11 is configured to allow the seat cushion 11 to turn.
The seat cushion 11 can be turned by the seat rotating portion 24 from a position suitable for manual operation to a position facing completely rearward.

The seat slide portion 25 is controllable by the seat control portion 2 and slides the seat cushion 11 (and the seat 10 as a whole) in the front-rear direction and in the left-right direction. ing. The support mechanism 14 includes a rail provided on the floor of the vehicle body, a mechanism such as a slider that moves along the rail, and an operating portion 25a that drives to slide the seat cushion frame joined to the mechanism. ing. That is, the seat slide portion 25 is a slide mechanism incorporated in the support mechanism 14, and the slide mechanism is operated by the action portion 24a. The support mechanism 14 that supports the seat cushion 11 is configured to be able to change the position of the seat cushion 11 in the front-back direction and the left-right direction.
The seat cushion 11 can be slid from a position suitable for manual operation to a position not suitable for manual operation by means of the seat slide portion 25 .

The first angle changing portion 21, the second angle changing portion 22, the third angle changing portion 23, the seat rotating portion 24, and the seat sliding portion 25 can be separately controlled by the seat control portion 2. Simultaneous control by the control unit 2 is also possible.

The seat temperature adjustment unit 26 is a seat heater that is provided inside the seat 10 and heats the seat 10. The seat temperature adjustment unit 26 is a sheet heater that heats the seat 10. The seat temperature adjustment unit 26 includes a planar base material such as a polyester cloth material and a metal base material that is adhesively fixed to the base material. It is mainly composed of a heater wire (also called a heating wire). The seat temperature adjustment unit 26 further includes an operation unit 26a for switching on/off the power supply from the vehicle battery to the heater wire to operate the seat temperature adjustment unit 26 .
The sheet 10 can be warmed by the sheet temperature adjusting section 26 to adjust the thermal state of the sheet 10 .

The air blower 27 is built in the seat cushion 11 of the seat 10, the seat back 12, and the headrest 13, and is for providing the seat 10 with an air blowing function. It has an operation part 27 a for switching and operating the air blower 27 .
The seat 10 can be adjusted in its thermal state by blowing air from the blower 27 .

Although not shown, the seat state detection unit 30 detects the operating states of a plurality of sensors for detecting the positions of the respective portions of the seat 10 and the operating portions 21a, 22a, 23a, 24a, 25a, 26a, and 27a of the respective portions of the seat 10. The seat controller 2 can calculate and derive the attitude, position, and orientation of the seat 10 based on detection signals from the sensors, and can detect the operating state. That is, after the state of the seat 10 is adjusted, the state of the seat 10 can be grasped by the seat state detection section 30 .

The seating sensor 31 is a sensor for recognizing the seating state of the seated person and identifying the physique of the seated person, and is arranged along the seating surface of the seat 10 as shown in FIG.
The type of the seating sensor in this embodiment is, for example, a pressure sensor that detects the pressure of a person sitting on the seat 10 . Further, in this embodiment, a plurality of seating sensors 31 are provided along the seating surface of the seat 10 . The seat control unit 2 executes a program for determining the physique of the seated person, thereby determining the physique of the seated person based on the positions and the number of seating sensors 31 detecting the seated person.

As a result of the identification by the seat sensor 31, when the physique of the seated person is smaller than the reference value, the control by the adjuster 2b based on the motion of the seated person can be limited.
That is, the adjustment unit 2b controls the adjustment mechanism 20 based on the motion of the seated person obtained from the acquired image information. 2b may misidentify the motion of the seated person obtained from the acquired image information. Therefore, when it is determined that the physique of the seated person is smaller than the reference value as a result of detection by the seat sensor 31, the control by the adjuster 2b based on the motion of the seated person is restricted.
Here, as the contents of the restriction, even if the seat occupant makes an action/gesture that greatly deforms or displaces the seat 10 among the actions of the seated person obtained from the image information, the action/gesture is not performed. Based on this, control for adjusting the state of the seat 10 is not performed. In addition to this, for example, among the patterns for adjusting the state of the seat 10, it may be a restriction that permits or prohibits some patterns, or narrows the amount of deformation or displacement (operating range) of the seat 10. may be restricted.
The physique of the seated person can be determined from the image information as described above, but the determination from the result of identification by the seating sensor 31 may be performed at the same time. If the result of discrimination is different between the case of discriminating the physique from the image information and the case of discriminating the physique by the seating sensor 31, which one is prioritized is set in advance.

Seating sensors 31 are provided on all seats 10 . That is, it is provided not only on the front seat 10F but also on the rear seat 10R. Since the detection result of the seating sensor 31 is transmitted to the seat control unit 2 and used as a judgment material for adjusting the state of the seat 10, the detection result of the seating sensor 31 provided in the rear seat 10R can also It will be used as a judgment material for adjusting the 10 states.
More specifically, the range of position adjustment of the front seat 10F when the seating sensor 31 detects that a person is seated on the rear seat 10R is the range in which the seating sensor 31 does not detect the seating of a person on the rear seat 10R. It is set narrower than the range of position adjustment of the seat 10 in the case. In other words, even though a person is seated on the rear seat 10R, the situation where the front seat 10F tries to recline to a flat state or the situation where the front seat 10F tries to slide until it contacts the rear seat 10R is avoided. can be avoided.

Although a pressure sensor is adopted as the seating sensor 31 in this embodiment, it is not limited to this, and is widely used as an electromagnetic wave-based seating sensor capable of detecting the pulse wave of a seated person, or as a human sensor. A seat sensor using an infrared sensor or the like may be employed. Also, a plurality of types of sensors may be used together.

The distance sensor 32 is provided on the back surface of the seat 10 and is a sensor for detecting the distance to an object positioned on the back side of the seat 10, and is arranged along the back surface of the seat back 12 as shown in FIG. It is
The type of the distance sensor 32 in this embodiment is, for example, an ultrasonic distance sensor that utilizes reflection of ultrasonic waves. The control of the seat 10 by the adjusting section 2b is set to be stopped based on the detection result of the distance sensor 32. FIG. That is, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the front seat 10F contacts the rear seat 10R, or a situation in which the front seat 10F tries to recline to a flat state even though a person is seated on the rear seat 10R. .
Whether or not a person is seated on the rear seat 10R can be determined not only by the distance sensor 32, but also by the seating sensor 31 provided on the rear seat 10R and image information. You can go at the same time. If the results of determination by each means are different, which means should be prioritized is set in advance.

[About the notification part]
The notification unit 5 notifies information related to the control of the seat 10 by the seat control unit 2 (adjustment unit 2b), and a display device provided in the vehicle V is employed in this embodiment. A display device is for a car navigation system, and includes a touch panel and other input means.
Such notification unit 5 can notify, for example, information such as whether the vehicle V is running in the automatic operation mode or the manual operation mode, and information such as the operating state of the seat control unit 2 . In addition, a plurality of states (a plurality of deformation or displacement patterns) of the seat 10 during the automatic operation mode may be displayed on the notification unit 5, which is a display device, so that the seated person can select one. In other words, the seat condition adjustment system has a plurality of options (a plurality of patterns) stored in advance, and the vehicle V incorporates selection means (input means) for selecting the condition of the seat 10. , the seated person can select an arbitrary pattern of the form of the seat 10 from a plurality of options.

Further, as described above, when the acquisition unit 2a cannot acquire image information, the control of the sheet 10 by the adjustment unit 2b is stopped. can be done. If such information is notified by the notification unit 5, for example, when the photographing unit 3 is out of order, or the interior of the vehicle is dark at night, etc., it is difficult to grasp the movement of the seated person from the image information. Misrecognition of image information can be prevented.

In this embodiment, the display device provided in the vehicle V is used as the notification unit 5 , but the notification unit 5 is not limited to this, and a speaker that outputs sound may be used as the notification unit 5 .

[About the manual operation part]
The manual operation unit 6 is for adjusting the state of the seat 10 by the manual operation of the seated person. , 25a, 26a, 27a.
The controller includes switches for turning on and off the operating parts 21a, 22a, 23a, 24a, 25a, 26a, and 27a, switches for operating the operating range of the seat 10, switches for adjusting the intensity of the seat temperature adjusting part 26 and the air blower 27, and the like. Prepare.
Such a controller (manual operation unit 6) may be provided visible on the surface of the seat 10, or may be provided on an interior member of the vehicle V (for example, door trim, pillar trim, instrument panel, etc.). Further, the information may be displayed on the display device, and the state of the seat 10 may be adjusted by manual operation on the display device.

Manual operation of the seat 10 by the manual operation unit 6 is allowed only when the vehicle V is in the automatic operation mode, but is not limited to this, and can be performed even in the manual operation mode. may be As a result, the seat 10, which has been changed to a form suitable for manual driving, can be adjusted by the manual operation of the occupant, and the occupant can make fine adjustments according to the physical characteristics and driving posture of the occupant. A comfortable sitting state can be achieved.
Manual operation of the sheet 10 by the manual operation unit 6 is possible even when the acquisition unit 2a cannot acquire image information and the control of the sheet 10 by the adjustment unit 2b is stopped.

[How to adjust the seat condition]
Next, a method for adjusting the state of the seat 10 using the seat state adjusting system configured as described above will be described.
Although the method for adjusting the state of the front seat 10F will be described here, the method for adjusting the state of the rear seat 10R is assumed to be substantially the same.

First, adjusting the state of the seat 10 is premised on the vehicle V being in the automatic driving mode. The photographing by the photographing unit 3 may be performed regardless of whether it is during the automatic operation mode or the manual operation mode, but in this embodiment, the photographing by the photographing unit 3 is performed during the automatic operation mode. .

When the vehicle V switches from the manual operation mode to the automatic operation mode, the photographing unit 3 photographs the seated person (step S1).
If the acquisition unit 2a cannot acquire the image information because the imaging unit 3 is out of order or the inside of the vehicle is dark, the adjustment unit 2b stops controlling the state of the seat 10 (steps S2 and S3). ). Further, the notification unit 5 notifies that the control for adjusting the state of the seat 10 is stopped (step S4).

If there is no problem in acquiring the image information by the acquisition unit 2a in step S2, the acquisition unit 2a acquires image information capturing the motion (gesture, etc.) of the seated person (step S5).
The acquired image information is stored in the storage means of the sheet control section 2 . Then, the seat control unit 2 identifies the physique of the seated person from the acquired image information (step S6). Alternatively, the seat sensor 31 of the seat 10 may be used to identify the physique of the seated person.
If the physique of the seated person does not meet the preset reference value, the control of the seat 10 by the adjuster 2b based on the motion of the seated person is restricted (step S7).

When the physique of the seated person is equal to or greater than a preset reference value, and when the control of the seat 10 by the adjustment unit 2b based on the motion of the seated person is restricted, subsequently, a person is seated on the rear seat 10R. It is checked whether or not it is (step S8).
When a person is seated on the rear seat 10R, even if the control for adjusting the state of the seat 10 is started, the seating sensor 31 detects that the person is seated on the rear seat 10R within the position adjustment range of the seat 10. This is set narrower than the range of position adjustment of the seat 10 in the case where there is no such adjustment. That is, when a person is seated on the rear seat 10R, the seat control unit 2 limits the deformation or displacement range of the front seat 10F (step S9).

If a person is not seated on the rear seat 10R, or if the range of deformation or displacement of the front seat 10F is restricted so as to be small, then control for adjusting the state of the seat 10 is started ( step S10).
How the state of the seat 10 is adjusted depends on the motions and gestures of the seated person. In such a case, the distance sensor 32 detects the distance to an object located behind the front seat 10F, such as the rear seat 10R or a person seated on the rear seat 10R. When the object approaches a predetermined distance and the distance sensor 32 detects the object, the adjustment unit 2b stops controlling the seat 10 (steps S11 and S14).

If the distance sensor 32 does not detect the object, the control for adjusting the state of the seat 10 is continued (step S12).
The control for adjusting the state of the seat 10 is continued, and when the seat state detection unit 30 determines that the seat 10 has been adjusted to the state indicated by the motion/gesture of the seated person, the seat 10 is adjusted by the adjustment unit 2b. is stopped (steps S13, 14). If it is determined that the seat 10 is not adjusted to the state instructed by the motion/gesture of the seated person, the control for adjusting the state of the seat 10 is continued (step S12).

As described above, the state of the seat 10 can be adjusted.
After the state of the seat 10 has been adjusted, when a different action/gesture is captured, the control for adjusting the state of the seat 10 is performed again according to the procedure described above.
Further, when the automatic operation mode is switched to the manual operation mode, the adjustment unit 2b performs control to adjust the seat 10 to a state suitable for manual operation. When it is confirmed that the seat 10 is adjusted to a state suitable for manual driving, and the driver is seated on the seat 10 serving as the driver's seat and has his hand on the steering wheel, the automatic driving mode is switched to the manual driving mode. switching is complete.

According to this embodiment, the following excellent effects can be obtained.
A seat condition adjustment system that adjusts the condition of seats 10 (10F, 10R) installed in a vehicle V capable of switching between an automatic operation mode and a manual operation mode has a photographing unit 3 capable of photographing a person sitting on the seat 10. an acquisition unit 2a that acquires image information captured by the imaging unit 3; and an adjustment unit that performs control to adjust the state of the seat 10 based on the motion of the seated person obtained from the image information acquired by the acquisition unit 2a. 2b, and the seat 10 is configured so that its state can be adjusted, and the control of the seat 10 by the adjustment unit 2b is permitted when the vehicle V is in the automatic driving mode. Adjustment of the state of the seat 10 not intended by the seated person can be suppressed during the driving mode. That is, even in the case of the seat 10 installed in the vehicle V capable of switching between the automatic operation mode and the manual operation mode, it is easy to adjust the state of the seat 10 without any trouble.

In addition, it can be estimated from the image information that the seated person on the seat 10 is a child, and the control of the seat 10 by the adjustment unit 2b based on the movement of the seated person who is presumed to be a child is limited. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the adjustment of the state of the seat 10 by a child.

In addition, it can be estimated from the detection result of the seat sensor 31 that the occupant of the seat 10 is a child, and the control of the seat 10 by the adjustment unit 2b based on the movement of the occupant who is presumed to be a child is limited. However, unintended adjustment of the state of the seat 10 by a child can be suppressed.

Further, a distance sensor 32 is provided on the back surface of the seat 10 to detect the distance to an object positioned on the back side of the seat 10, and the control of the seat 10 by the adjustment unit 2b is based on the detection result of the distance sensor 32. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the seat 10 from coming into contact with an object positioned on the back side of the seat 10 during the control of the seat 10 by the adjusting portion 2b.

Further, the vehicle V includes a seat 10 (front seat 10F) arranged in front and a rear seat 10R arranged behind the seat 10 (10F). 2b, the rear seat 10R is provided with a seat sensor 31, and the seat 10 ( 10F) is set narrower than the range of position adjustment of the seat 10 (10F) when the seating sensor 31 does not detect that a person is seated on the rear seat 10R. 31 detects the seating of the occupant on the rear seat 10R, the range of position adjustment of the seat 10 (10F) can be uniformly restricted to be small. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the seat 10 (10F) arranged in front from coming into contact with the occupant of the rear seat 10R.

The vehicle V includes a plurality of seats 10 (a front seat 10F and a rear seat 10R) arranged in the front and rear. Since the seat 10F and the rear seat 10R are arranged in correspondence with each other, the seat 10F and the rear seat 10R are seated respectively. Each of the seated persons can be an object to be photographed by the photographing unit 3 . Accordingly, the seat 10F arranged in the front and the seat 10R arranged in the rear can be controlled by the adjusting section 2b.

In addition, since the photographing unit 3 is an omnidirectional photographing device provided in the roof lining of the vehicle V, a seated person seated on the seat 10F arranged in front and a seated person seated on the seat 10R arranged in the rear are photographed. Since each person can be subject to omnidirectional photography by the photographing unit 3, which is an omnidirectional photographing device, the seat 10F arranged in the front and the seat 10R arranged in the rear can be adjusted by the adjustment unit 2b. can be subject to control by

Further, since the manual operation unit 6 for adjusting the state of the seat 10 by the manual operation of the occupant is further provided, even if the adjustment unit 2b cannot control the seat 10, the seat 10 can be adjusted through the manual operation unit 6. The condition of the seat 10 can be adjusted by manual operation.

The seat 10 includes a seat frame that forms a frame of the seat 10, an adjustment mechanism 20 that deforms or displaces the seat frame, and operating portions 21a, 22a, 23a, 24a, and 25a that operate the adjustment mechanism 20. , 26a and 27a, and the manual operation section 6 has a controller for operating the action sections 21a, 22a, 23a, 24a, 25a, 26a and 27a. Actuating portions 21 a , 22 a , 23 a , 24 a , 25 a , 26 a and 27 a for operating the mechanism 20 can be operated by a controller in the manual operating portion 6 . Thereby, even if the seat 10 cannot be controlled by the adjusting portion 2b, the state of the seat 10 can be adjusted by the manual operation of the seated person.

Further, the control by the adjusting unit 2b is stopped when the acquiring unit 2a cannot acquire the image information, and the notification unit 5 for notifying that the control by the adjusting unit 2b is stopped is further provided. For example, when the photographing unit 3 is out of order or the inside of the vehicle V is dark and the motion of the seated person cannot be captured from the image information, the control of the seat 10 by the adjustment unit 2b is stopped, and the fact is displayed. , the notification unit 5 also notifies the seated person. As a result, it is possible to prevent the state of the seat 10 from being adjusted due to an erroneous operation.

<Second embodiment>
Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. For convenience of explanation, the same reference numerals are given to the common parts with the above-described first embodiment, and the explanation will focus on the structural parts different from the above-described first embodiment.

The seat condition adjustment system in this embodiment further includes a trigger input section 4, as shown in FIG. The trigger input unit 4 is means for inputting a predetermined trigger to the seat control unit 2. When the trigger is input, the permission condition is satisfied. Control of the seat 10 by the adjusting section 2b is permitted within the time.

Here, the trigger refers to information, signals, data, etc. that are input to the seat control unit 2 when the seat occupant attempts to adjust the state of the seat 10 .
More specifically, the trigger in this embodiment is a signal when a switch dedicated to trigger input is turned on, image information from the imaging unit 3 including a gesture recognized as a trigger, and a microphone provided in the vehicle V. voice data related to a specific utterance of a seated person collected by the voice data, and the like.

A switch dedicated to trigger input is provided, for example, on the seat 10 or an interior member (door trim, pillar trim, instrument panel, etc.) near the seat 10 . Therefore, it is placed within reach of the seated person. By performing an operation to turn on the switch, a trigger, which is the signal, is input to the seat control unit 2 and the permission condition is established.
In this case, the switch dedicated to trigger input functions as the trigger input section 4 .
A switch dedicated to trigger input may be provided in a display device for a car navigation system. It may be displayed as a touch panel object.

Image information including a gesture recognized as a trigger is captured by the capturing unit 3 . Therefore, when the seated person sits on the seat 10 and makes a specific gesture, the trigger, which is the image information, is input to the seat control unit 2 and the permission condition is satisfied. In other words, when the seated person adjusts the state of the seat 10, the imaging unit 3 performs imaging in two steps.
In this case, the imaging section 3 functions as the trigger input section 4 .

Microphones are provided, for example, on the seat 10 (headrest 13), interior members (door trim, pillar trim, instrument panel, sun visor, etc.) near the seat 10, steering wheel, and the like. Therefore, it will be arranged in a range where the voice of the seated person can reach. By collecting a specific utterance of the seated person with a microphone, a trigger, which is voice data of the occupant, is input to the seat control unit 2 and the permission condition is established.
In this case, the microphone will function as the trigger input section 4 .

In this embodiment, any one of the trigger input switch, the photographing unit 3, and the microphone may be adopted as the trigger input unit 4, or other means may be adopted as the trigger input unit 4. . Any trigger input unit 4 can input a trigger to the sheet control unit 2 and satisfy the permission condition.
When the permission condition is established, the adjustment unit 2b can perform control to adjust the state of the seat 10 based on the motion of the seated person obtained from the image information acquired by the acquisition unit 2a. .

It is assumed that the trigger input unit 4 is arranged near one of the plurality of seats 10 . One seat 10 is preferably a front seat 10F, and more preferably a front seat 10F serving as a driver's seat.
As a result, the seat occupant who is the driver or the seat occupant of the front passenger seat has the authority to adjust the state of the seat 10, thereby preventing the occurrence of a situation where, for example, a child adjusts the state of the seat 10 arbitrarily. can be suppressed.

In the procedure for adjusting the state of the sheet 10, the trigger input is performed at least before the image information is acquired by the acquisition unit 2a. To explain in more detail with reference to FIG. 5, adjusting the state of the seat 10 is based on the premise that the vehicle V is in the automatic driving mode. It is inserted after the operation mode is switched to the automatic operation mode and before the acquisition unit 2a acquires image information. More desirably, the trigger is input before the photographing in step S1.

Further, as described above, the permission condition is established by inputting a trigger, and the control of the seat 10 by the adjustment unit 2b is permitted within a certain period of time after the establishment of the permission condition. After the period has passed, the permission condition is canceled.
In other words, when the seated person wants to adjust the state of the seat 10, as shown in FIG. It is necessary to input the image information to the sheet control section 2 (that is, the acquisition section 2a acquires the image information).
In this embodiment, the certain time is set to, for example, 30 seconds, but the set time can be changed as appropriate.

The adjustment unit 2bf cancels the permission condition when it determines that the series of motions of the seated person obtained from the image information has ended within a certain period of time from the establishment of the permission condition. That is, even within a certain period of time, after it is determined that the series of motions of the seated person obtained from the image information has ended, even if the seated person makes a motion/gesture, the permission condition is not satisfied. Again, it is necessary to input a trigger to satisfy the permission condition.

According to this embodiment, the following excellent effects can be obtained.
The permission condition is satisfied by inputting the trigger, and the control of the seat 10 by the adjustment unit 2b is permitted within a predetermined time after the permission condition is satisfied. Then, even if the acquiring unit 2a acquires image information in which the motion of the seated person is captured, the seat 10 is not controlled by the adjusting unit 2b. As a result, adjustment of the state of the seat 10 not intended by the seated person can be suppressed.

In addition, since the adjustment unit 2b cancels the permission condition when it determines that the series of motions of the seated person obtained from the image information is completed within a certain period of time from the establishment of the permission condition, the series of motions of the seated person is canceled. The permission condition can be canceled without including the motion of the seated person after the end. As a result, unnecessary adjustment of the state of the seat 10 not intended by the seated occupant can be suppressed.

Further, the vehicle V includes a plurality of seats 10 (front seat 10F, rear seat 10R), and a trigger placed near one seat 10 (10F) of the plurality of seats 10 (10F, 10R) is input. Since the trigger input section 4 is further provided, a trigger can be input from the trigger input section 4 arranged near one sheet 10 (10F). As a result, the seat 10 (10F) close to the one seat 10 (10F) or the seat 10 (10F) close to the one seat 10 (10F) instead of the seat 10 away from the trigger input unit 4 The seated occupant can decide whether to permit the control of the seat 10 by the adjusting portion 2b.

<Modification>
It should be noted that the embodiments to which the present invention can be applied are not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the gist of the present invention. Modifications will be described below. The modifications listed below may be combined as much as possible.
Further, in each of the following modified examples, elements common to those of the above-described embodiment are denoted by common reference numerals, and explanations thereof are omitted or simplified.

The seat 10 of this modification includes a seat cushion 11 and a seat back 12, and the lower end of the seat back 12 reclines with respect to the rear end of the seat cushion 11 via a reclining mechanism (that is, the second angle changing portion 22). are concatenated.
Then, as shown in FIG. 8, the seat state adjustment system in this modification is such that the seat back 12 is in a reclining state in which the seat back 12 is tilted rearward from the upright state, and failure of the photographing unit 3 or the adjustment unit 2b is detected. An automatic return means 7 is further provided for returning the seat back 12 from the reclining state to the standing state when the seat back 12 is reclining.

The automatic return means 7 restores the adjustment mechanism 20 from a state unsuitable for manual operation to a state suitable for manual operation. 27a.
The automatic return means 7 is a program executed by the seat control section 2. When the program is executed, the operating sections 21a, 22a, 23a, 24a, 25a, 26a, and 27a of the adjustment mechanism 20 operate to adjust the adjustment. Mechanism 20 or seat 10 returns from a condition not suitable for manual operation to a condition suitable for manual operation.

According to this modification, when a failure of the photographing unit 3 or the adjusting unit 2b is detected, the seat back 12 is returned from the reclining state to the upright state (the seat 10 is placed in a state suitable for manual operation) by the automatic return means 7. ), it is easy to ensure safety when the vehicle V is switched from the automatic operation mode to the manual operation mode.

V vehicle 1 operation control unit 2 seat control unit 2a acquisition unit 2b adjustment unit 3 imaging unit 4 trigger input unit 5 notification unit 6 manual operation unit 7 automatic return means 10 seat 10F front seat 10R rear seat 11 seat cushion 12 seat back 13 headrest 14 Supporting mechanism 20 Adjusting mechanism 21 First angle changing part 21a Operating part 22 Second angle changing part 22a Operating part 23 Third angle changing part 23a Operating part 24 Seat rotating part 24a Operating part 25 Seat sliding part 25a Operating part 26 Seat temperature adjustment Part 26a Operating Part 27 Air Blower 27a Operating Part 30 Seat State Detecting Part 31 Seating Sensor 32 Distance Sensor

Claims (14)

A seat condition adjustment system that adjusts the condition of a seat installed in a vehicle capable of switching between an automatic operation mode and a manual operation mode,
a photographing unit capable of photographing a person sitting on the seat;
an acquisition unit that acquires image information captured by the imaging unit;
an adjustment unit that performs control to adjust the state of the seat based on the motion of the seated person obtained from the image information acquired by the acquisition unit,
The seat is configured so that its state can be adjusted,
A seat condition adjustment system, wherein control of the seat by the adjustment unit is permitted when the vehicle is in an automatic driving mode. 2. The seat condition adjustment according to claim 1, wherein a permission condition is established by inputting a trigger, and control of the seat by the adjustment unit is permitted within a predetermined time after the establishment of the permission condition. system. 3. The adjustment unit cancels the permission condition when it determines that a series of motions of the seated person obtained from the image information has been completed within a certain period of time from the establishment of the permission condition. 3. The seat conditioning system of claim 2. The physique of the seated person is identified from the image information, and if the physique of the seated person is smaller than a reference value, control of the seat by the adjustment unit based on the motion of the seated person is limited. Seat conditioning system according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The seat includes a seating sensor that recognizes the seating state of the seated person and identifies the physique of the seated person,
5. The control according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, when the physique of the seated person is smaller than a reference value as a result of identification by the seat sensor, the control by the adjustment unit based on the motion of the seated person is restricted. A seat conditioning system according to any one of the preceding paragraphs. the vehicle comprising a plurality of the seats;
6. The apparatus according to any one of claims 3 to 5, citing claim 2, further comprising a trigger input unit for inputting the trigger arranged near one of the plurality of seats. seat condition adjustment system. A distance sensor is provided on the back surface of the seat for detecting a distance to an object located on the back side of the seat,
The seat condition adjusting system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the control of the seat by the adjusting section is stopped based on the detection result of the distance sensor. The vehicle includes the seat arranged in front and a rear seat arranged behind the seat,
The seat is configured so that its position can be adjusted under the control of the adjustment unit,
The rear seat is provided with a seating sensor,
The seat position adjustment range when the seating sensor detects that a person is seated on the rear seat is the seat position adjustment range when the seating sensor does not detect the seating of a person on the rear seat. 8. The seat condition adjusting system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the range of is set narrower than the range of . The vehicle comprises a plurality of seats arranged in front and rear,
The photographing unit is provided in a roof lining of the vehicle, and is arranged corresponding to each of a seat arranged in the front and a seat arranged in the rear among the plurality of seats. Item 9. The seat conditioning system according to any one of Items 1 to 8. 10. The seat condition adjusting system according to claim 9, wherein the photographing unit is an omnidirectional photographing device provided on a roof lining of the vehicle. 11. The seat condition adjustment system according to any one of claims 1 to 10, further comprising a manual operation unit that adjusts the condition of the seat by manual operation of the seated person. The seat includes a seat frame that forms a frame of the seat, an adjustment mechanism that deforms or displaces the seat frame, and an operation unit that operates the adjustment mechanism,
12. The seat condition adjusting system according to claim 11, wherein the manual operation section has a controller that operates the action section. the control by the adjustment unit is stopped when the acquisition unit cannot acquire the image information;
13. The seat condition adjustment system according to any one of claims 1 to 12, further comprising a notification unit that notifies that the control by the adjustment unit has been stopped. The seat includes a seat cushion and a seat back,
The lower end of the seat back is connected to the rear end of the seat cushion via a reclining mechanism,
When the seat back is in a reclining state in which the seat back is tilted rearward from the standing state and a failure of the photographing unit or the adjusting unit is detected, the seat back is returned from the reclining state to the standing state. 14. A seat conditioning system according to any preceding claim, further comprising automatic return means.

Images