JP3433408B2 - Operating seat control device - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a control device for an operating seat that changes the shape of a seated person in order to reduce fatigue of the seated person, for example, in a vehicle.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, a person feels tired when his body is fixed while seated on a seat. Therefore, in order to reduce the fatigue of the occupant of the vehicle, an operation seat that is operated during the operation of the vehicle to change its shape has been proposed. For example, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 4-224709, by changing the support surface angles of the seat cushion and the seat back at predetermined timing, the fatigue of the occupant due to the concentration of the load is reduced and the discomfort due to the displacement of the pelvis and the lumbar spine is suppressed. The technology is disclosed.

[0003]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional example, the motion pattern of what kind of angle change is to be given with respect to the angle change of the seat surface of the seat is not specified, and the occupant, especially the driver's driving No consideration was given from the viewpoint of the effect on the operation and effective stimulation for mood change or fatigue reduction.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned conventional example, and an object of the present invention is to provide a control device for an operating seat that eliminates adverse effects on the driving operation of an occupant and enhances the effect of reducing fatigue.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, a control device for an operating seat of the present invention has the following structure.

[0006]

[0007]

Further, there is provided a control device for an operating seat for adjusting a seating posture by changing a predetermined portion of a seat from an original state to a new state, wherein the original state and the new state of the predetermined portion are set. Between the two states, the control means controls so that the transition from one state to the other state is performed stepwise and the transition of the opposite state is smoothly performed, and the drive means that drives the predetermined portion according to the control means. And

More preferably, the state of the predetermined portion is
A transition is a transition represented as a change in angle, and the transition
The amount is tN0: At the start of the transition from the original state to the new state
TN1: At the end of the transition from the original state to the new state
TN2: At the start of the transition from the new state to the original state
TN3: At the end of the transition from the new state to the original state
Time, TNE: Time required for transition from new state to original state
, Θ N: difference in angle between original state and new state, t:
As time, if tN0 ≦ t <tN1: θ (t) = {θN /
(TN1-tN0)} t, when tN1 ≤ t <tN2: θ (t)
= ΘNt and N2 ≦ t ≦ tN3: θ (t) = θN / 2 · {1
+ Sin [(2π / TNE) t + π / 2]} or θ (t) = θN / 2 ・
It is represented by the formula {1 + cos [(2π / TNE) t]}.

[0010]

[0011]

[0012]

[0013]

[0014]

With the above-described structure, the operating seat control device of the present invention smoothly changes the seat shape so that the amount of change is continuous, thereby changing the seating posture of the driver and reducing fatigue. In addition, the driver does not feel any sudden movement, and the driving operation is not disturbed.

[0015]

[0016]

Further, by driving the operating seat,
The seat can be moved as the driver desires, the effect of reducing fatigue can be enhanced, and the driver can be provided with a comfortable driving environment.

[0018]

First Embodiment As an embodiment of the present invention, an operation seat provided in a vehicle will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the operating seat to be explained is the seat on which the driver of the vehicle sits, and the occupant refers to the driver, but it may also be intended for occupants other than the driver, and First, it will be described that an operating seat can be realized by the same principle as that of this embodiment even if the seat is not provided.

<Structure of Operation Sheet> FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the structure of the operation sheet of this embodiment. In the figure,
The occupant rides on the seat 106 to drive the vehicle. The heartbeat detector 101 detects the occupant's heartbeat and inputs the detected heartbeat to the heartbeat characteristic value calculator 102 as a cardiac potential. The heartbeat characteristic calculation unit 102 calculates characteristics such as a heartbeat interval from the input heartbeat information of the occupant. This characteristic will be described in detail later. The operation determining unit 103 determines whether to change the shape of the seat based on the characteristics of the heartbeat, and the shape value generating unit 104 determines the changed shape of the seat based on the determination. That is, here, the amount of movement of each movable portion of the seat is determined. When the shape generating unit 104 determines the sheet shape, it outputs a signal θ (t) for controlling the sheet shape driving unit 105 that moves the sheet 106 based on the sheet shape, and changes the sheet shape. The seat shape drive unit 105 changes the angles of the backrest and the seat surface of the seat 106 according to the input control signal θ (t). As the heartbeat detecting unit 101, a device that measures a heartbeat by touching a human body is known, and it can be attached to the chest or embedded in a steering wheel for use. Further, as the mechanism of the seat shape driving unit 105 and the seat 106, that of a known electric seat can be used.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration realized by the heartbeat characteristic value calculation unit 102, the operation determination unit 103, and the shape value generation unit 104. The heartbeat information is input to the microcomputer 20. The microcomputer 20 executes the program stored in the ROM 203, calculates the heartbeat characteristic, determines whether to operate the seat, and generates a new seat shape according to the information written in the ROM 203 and the RAM 204. The CPU 202 outputs a signal given to the sheet shape driving unit 105 to the D / A converter 201 according to the calculated shape. The D / A converter 201 converts the input data into an analog signal and outputs it. This output signal is
A signal θ (t) for driving a motor for changing the angle of the seat back and seat is input to the seat shape drive unit 105. That is, the heartbeat characteristic value calculation unit 102, the operation determination unit 103, and the shape value generation unit 104 are realized by the microcomputer 20.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing another configuration realized by the heartbeat characteristic value calculation unit 102, the operation determination unit 103, and the shape value generation unit 104. In the figure, a microcomputer 303 is a CPU 202, a ROM 203, a RAM 20 in FIG.
4 is included, and the program stored in the ROM 203 is executed by the CPU 202. The microcomputer 303 outputs a signal θ0 (n) for controlling the sheet shape to the DSP 302, and further outputs a parameter for controlling the DSP 302. The DSP 302 filters θ0 (n) according to the parameter and outputs θ (n). The signal θ (n) is converted into an analog signal by the D / A converter 301 and input to the sheet shape driving unit 104 as a signal θ (t) for controlling the same.

Here, the DSP 302 is used when multiplying a Hanning window, which will be described later, and the output from the microcomputer can be further processed.
As described above, even in the configuration of FIG. 3, the operation sheet of this embodiment can be realized.

<Operating Method> Next, how to change the shape of the sheet in the configuration of FIGS. 1 to 3 will be described. Here, the description will be made by taking the angle θ between the backrest and the seat surface as an example, but it goes without saying that the same can be applied to other parts.

-First Operation Method The first method is to have a motion pattern of smooth movement and change the shape at a predetermined timing so as not to disturb the driving operation of the driver. The predetermined timing is a timing determined by the operation determination unit 103, and is determined based on the driver's heartbeat in this embodiment.

FIG. 4A shows the angle θ between the backrest and the seat surface,
FIG. 6 is a graph showing the time and the angle θ when changed so as to be represented by a trigonometric function when increasing and decreasing. In the figure, θd is a desired angle defined by the driver, and the seat is moved from the angle defined by the driver at an appropriate timing and by an appropriate amount, and after an appropriate time, returns to the original position and repeats this. . In FIG. 4, N
Θ (t) in the second movement is expressed by the following equations (i) (ii) (iii).

(I) When tN0≤t <tN1, θ (t) = θN / 2 · {1 + sin [(2π / TNS) t-π / 2]} or θ (t) = θN / 2 · {1 + cos [(2π / TNS) t +
π]} (ii) When tN1 ≦ t <tN2 θ (t) = θN (iii) When tN2 ≦ t ≦ tN3 θ (t) = θN / 2 · {1 + sin [(2π / TNE) t + π / 2]} or θ (t) = θN / 2 · {1 + cos [(2π / TNE) t]} The symbols in the formula are as shown in FIG. 4 (b). That is, tN0: sheet shape change start time tN1: sheet shape change end time tN2: sheet shape restoration start time tN3: sheet shape restoration end time TNS: time required to change sheet shape TNC: time to keep sheet shape changed TNE: Time required to restore seat shape θ N: Angle to change As can be seen from the above, in this method, the seat shape is changed smoothly so that the amount of change is continuous. Not only is it effective in reducing the load, but it also prevents the driver from feeling sudden movements and does not interfere with driving operations.

As a means for realizing the first method,
It can also be changed smoothly by changing the angle θ between the seat back and the seat surface by the Hanning window.

In FIG. 5, Hanning window filtering is applied to the discontinuous change in θ 0 as shown in FIG.
It is a figure which shows a mode that the smooth change of (theta) like (b) was obtained. Hanning window filter W (t) is 1 as in (c)
Is a maximum gain, and is a function that smoothly changes from time tN0 to tN3, and this is multiplied by θ0 to smooth the change. The Hanning window filter W (t) is represented by the equations (iv) (v).

(Iv) When tN0 ≦ t ≦ tN3 W (t) = (1/2) · {1 + cos [πt / (tN3-tN0)]} (v) When t <tN0 and tN3 <t W (t) t) = 0 As described above, the Hanning window filter is the DSP of FIG.
It can be realized by 302. If the change in seat shape as shown in FIG. 5 is repeated as shown in FIG. 4 (a), the seating posture of the driver can be changed to reduce fatigue, and the conversion is smooth so that the driving operation is not affected.

It should be noted that even if the Hanning window and θ0 are not multiplied in real time, a value obtained by multiplying them in advance is stored in the RAM 204.
Alternatively, the value of θ may be obtained by storing it in the ROM 203 and reading the value corresponding to θ0 from there.

Further, the shape value generator 104 inputs a reset circuit for setting the start time of the shape change to an arbitrary time, and external information (physiological information of the driver, running condition of the vehicle, etc.), An external information processing circuit for calculating θ (t) corresponding thereto may be added.

-Second Operation Method The second method has a motion pattern that allows the driver to experience the movement of the seat when moving the seat in order to reduce fatigue of the driver.

FIG. 6 shows the angle θ between the seat back and the seat surface.
Angle change with time θ
(t) is shown. At this time, θ (t) at the N-th movement is calculated by the formula (v
It is represented by i) (vii) (viii).

(Vi) When tN0≤t <tN1, θ (t) = {θN / (tN1-tN0)}. T (vii) When tN1≤t <tN2, θ (t) = θN (viii) tN2≤ When t ≦ tN3, θ (t) = θN {1-1 / (tN3−tN2)} t In addition, the symbols in the equation have the meanings shown in FIG. It has the same meaning as described in the method.

By changing the seat shape in an impulse manner as described above, it is possible to reduce the driver's fatigue due to the change in seat shape, and to make the driver experience the change in seat shape to promote a change of mood.

-Third operating method In the third method, when the seat is moved in order to reduce the fatigue of the driver, a motion pattern in which the driver does not feel the movement of the seat with a smooth motion, and a motion of the driver It is characterized by having a motion pattern at the same time that makes people feel and change their mood.

FIG. 7 is a graph showing the movement of the sheet according to the third method. When changing from the angle θd between the backrest and seat surface set by the driver, the movement from the start of the change until it stabilizes at the angle after the change is performed in the same impulse manner as in the second method, and the movement is felt. When returning to the original angle θd again, move smoothly and do not feel the movement. This movement is expressed by the following equations (ix) (x) (xi).

(Ix) When tN0≤t <tN1 θ (t) = {θN / (tN1−tN0)} · t (x) tN1 ≦ t <tN2 θ (t) = θN (xi) tN2 ≦ When t ≦ tN3 θ (t) = θN / 2 · {1 + sin [(2π / TNE) t + π / 2]} or θ (t) = θN / 2 · {1 + cos [(2π / TNE) t] } Here, the symbols in the formula are as shown in FIG. 7B, and have the same meaning as described in the first method.

When moving from the state after changing the shape of the seat, that is, the angle (θN + θd) to the state set by the driver, that is, the angle θd, the pattern that changes in a rectangular shape is multiplied by the Hanning window to move. You may make it smooth. Further, it may be moved smoothly when changing from the original state, and may be moved in a rectangular shape when returning to the original state.

According to the third method, the driver can be stimulated by the movement of the seat to promote a change of mood, and the sitting posture can be changed to reduce the fatigue of the driver.
Further, the movement of the seat felt by the driver can be suppressed to half the number of times as compared with the second method.

Although the three methods have been described above, not only the angle between the backrest and the seat surface, but also other parts such as the die portion and the lumbar support portion can operate on the same principle.

<Control Method> Next, a control method for moving the seat will be described. Although the movement of the seat itself has been described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 7, here, the timing of moving the seat will be described in particular.

The reason why the seat is moved is to change the seating posture of the driver to reduce fatigue, and the fatigue reduction effect can be further improved by monitoring the driver's fatigue state and operating the seat accordingly. it can. Therefore, it is possible to measure the fluctuation of the heartbeat, which is known as an index for evaluating mental fatigue, and move the seat based on it to realize effective reduction of fatigue and eventually reduction of accumulated fatigue. Hereinafter, two control methods for this will be described. The heartbeat is measured by the heartbeat detector 101 shown in FIG.
The target of heartbeat detection is the driver, and if the heartbeat detection unit 101 is attached to the handle that the driver constantly touches, the heartbeat of the driver can be detected in real time.

-First Control Method The first method is to operate when the heart rate variability value exceeds the threshold value. Sustained tension generally causes fatigue. The tension is correlated with the fluctuation of the heartbeat, and if the heartbeat is detected and the fluctuation is measured, the fluctuation can be known and the degree of tension can be known. FIG. 8A is a graph showing an example of the temporal change of the fluctuation value of the heartbeat. The heartbeat fluctuation value is calculated by the heartbeat characteristic value calculation unit 102 in FIG. When this variation value exceeds a predetermined threshold value, the operation determination unit 103 moves the sheet by any of the above operation methods. In FIG. 8A, the point at which the heartbeat fluctuation value exceeds the threshold, that is, the operation timing is indicated by “▲”.

The heartbeat fluctuation value is obtained by the following equation (Equation 1).

[0046]

[Equation 1] However, in the above equation, Si is the area of the portion surrounded by the curve and vertical and horizontal axes shown in FIG. FIG. 8 (b) is a graph in which heartbeat intervals (intervals of peaks of the cardiac potential, which are called RR intervals) are plotted in time series over time TSn, and FIG. 8 (c) shows RR intervals as frequency. Converted to
It is a graph which shows the frequency distribution in time TSn. However, in FIG. 8C, f1 = f2 / 2 (1 / beat) f2 = f3 / 2 (1 / beat) f3 = f4 / 2 (1 / beat) f4 = 0.5 (1 / beat) To do.

The heartbeat sampling section TSn is changed every moment as time passes, and the heartbeat fluctuation value in each sampling section is calculated. The graph in which this is plotted is FIG.

In this way, if the heart rate variability value is obtained and is larger than the threshold value, the driver determines that he is nervous and moves the seat.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart of the above control procedure. FIG. 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. Although each block of FIG. 10 is executed in blocks 102-104 of FIG. 1, it can be considered that it is executed by the microcomputer 20 of FIG. That is, FIG. 10 shows the CPU 2 of FIG.
It can be said that this is a procedure realized by 02.

First, in step S101, the cardiac potential signal detected and input by the heartbeat detector 101 is converted into a digital value. In step S102, the RR interval is detected based on the electrocardiographic signal and stored in the memory. This memory may be RAM 204.

In step S103, the frequency of the heartbeat at time TSn is analyzed from the accumulated RR intervals, and in step S104, the area Si (i = 1,2,3,4) in FIG. 8C is calculated. In step S105, the heart rate variability value is calculated based on Si. The processes up to step S105 are performed by the heartbeat characteristic value calculation unit 102.

Next, in step S106, it is determined whether the heartbeat fluctuation value calculated in step S105 exceeds a predetermined threshold value. If the threshold is not exceeded, heart rate sampling continues. If it exceeds, a trigger for changing the shape of the sheet is output to the shape value generation unit 104. When the shape value generation unit 104 is realized by the microcomputer 20, the shape of the sheet is then determined and θ (t) is input to the sheet shape drive unit 105. Steps S106 and S107 are processes by the operation determination unit 103.

By the above procedure, the timing of changing the seat shape is determined based on the fluctuation of the heartbeat, so that the tension state can be detected regardless of individual differences in the heart rate, and temporary heartbeat is disturbed. It is possible to grasp the transition of the tension state over a certain range without being greatly affected, and prevent the accumulation of fatigue due to the tension.

-Second control method The second method is to detect the heartbeat and examine the distribution of the intervals,
If the rate at which the heartbeat interval exceeds a predetermined threshold exceeds a predetermined reference value, the driver is considered to be in tension and moves the seat to prevent fatigue due to the continuation of tension.

FIG. 9A is a graph showing an example in which the RR intervals are plotted. In this graph, the heartbeat interval is divided into 6 sections from TS1 to TS6 at predetermined time intervals, and the rate of exceeding the predetermined threshold value is calculated. Figure 9 shows that.
It is a graph of (b). The rate of exceeding the threshold is calculated for each section, and it can be seen that only the section TS3 exceeds the reference value. Therefore, when the analysis of the section TS3 is completed, the sheet shape change is started.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing a control procedure according to the second method.

First, in step S111, the heartbeat detecting unit 10
The electrocardiographic potential from 1 is converted into a digital value. Step S1
At 12, the RR interval at time TSn is detected and stored in memory. Next, in step S113, the rate of the RR interval exceeding the predetermined threshold at the time TSn is calculated.
The above is the processing of the heartbeat characteristic determination unit 102.

In step S114, the operation determining unit 103 determines whether the rate calculated in step S113 exceeds a predetermined reference value. If not exceeded, the process returns to step S111 to continue detection of the RR interval. If it exceeds, that is, if the driver is under tension, the shape of the seat is changed.

When the control for changing the shape of the seat is performed by the above procedure, it is possible to respond to the increase of the heartbeat as the increase of tension and to reduce the accumulation of fatigue due to the continuation of the tension.

[0060]

[Second Embodiment] As a second embodiment, an operating seat for correcting the fit of the seat will be described. In the operating seat of the first embodiment, the shape of the seat is changed at an appropriate time in order to reduce the fatigue of the driver, but this movement may displace the driver's body and make him feel uncomfortable. Therefore, in the present embodiment, this feeling of discomfort is eliminated by moving the sheet slightly.

In the operating seat of the first embodiment, the movement of the seat causes the hips and back to deviate from the stable sitting posture until then, and the tension distribution of the body part in contact with the seat due to the movement of the occupant's load is Disorders, parts that are partially pulled or parts that are loose will occur. The operation sheet of this embodiment is similar to the operation sheet of the first embodiment shown in FIG.
The configuration is added. Of course, the configuration of FIG. 12 may be added to a normal seat or a conventional operating seat.

In FIG. 12, the fit correction unit is built in the seat and is driven by an actuator such as a motor to move the seat itself. The operation end detection unit detects that the movement of changing the shape of the operation seat has ended, and in this embodiment, the change of the seat shape is based on the movement of the backrest and the seat surface. Of course, the shape of the seat may be changed in other parts such as the lumbar support.

Further, the operation end detecting section is composed of a backrest operation end detecting section 121 for detecting the end of backrest movement, and a seat surface operation end detecting section 122 for detecting the end of movement of the seat surface. These detectors detect the outputs of the motors that drive the backrest and seat, respectively, and determine whether the output is generated or not and detect it as the end of movement. Just do it.

The fit correction unit is composed of a stable posture correction unit 123 and a surface tension correction unit 124, which respectively correct the sitting posture and the tension.

These corrections are performed in the following procedure.
First, the backrest operation completion detection unit 121 and the seat surface operation completion detection unit 122 detect that the shape change of the operation seat is completed, and notify the stable posture correction unit 123 to that effect. As shown in FIG. 13, the stable attitude correction unit 123 gives a slight vibration to the sheet about an axis along a substantially vertical line. This axis may be selected so as to minimize the moment that the seat and the occupant are combined with the occupant sitting. FIG. 13B is a graph showing the state of vibration.

When the stable posture correction is completed, the surface tension correction unit 124 then corrects the sheet surface tension.
FIG. 14A is a top view of the seat surface and the backrest of the seat according to this embodiment. A lattice-shaped air chamber is built in the seat, and the air pressure in the air chamber can be changed by communicating with a pump. Further, the air chamber is composed of two systems selected so as not to be adjacent to each other, and each system has its internal pressure controlled by the same pump. 14
“□” and “■” in (a) are air chambers included in each system. The surface tension correction unit 124 is shown in FIG.
As described above, the pumps are controlled so that the internal pressures of the two system air chambers are low when one is high. The two systems may be independent or common for the seat surface and the backrest.

The above correction is performed every time the operating sheet is driven. The control procedure described above can also be realized by combining a CPU and a memory as shown in FIG. 2 and executing a program by the CPU. In this case, the sensor that detects the end of the movement of the seat and the actuator that vibrates the seat and changes the internal pressure of the air chamber are controlled by the CPU.

In this way, if the seat is moved and its shape is changed in order to reduce fatigue, a slight vibration can be applied to the seat to stabilize the seated posture of the driver,
Further, by varying the internal pressure of the air chamber in the seat, the tension between the body of the occupant and the seat reaches a stable state, and it is not partially pulled or bumped.

[0069]

[Third Embodiment] As a third embodiment, the drive mechanism for the operating seat described in the first embodiment will be described. The drive mechanism of the working seat of the first embodiment uses a seating posture adjusting mechanism that is provided in the related art and that adjusts the seat back and seat surface of the seat according to the seating posture of the occupant. Hereinafter, in the present embodiment, a plurality of adjustment points provided on the seat are moved by a single power source of a system different from that for seating posture adjustment, thereby responding to individual differences in the seating posture of the driver. The seat shape can be changed to reduce fatigue, and the seating posture can be adjusted even while the seat shape is being changed to reduce fatigue.
Further, an operating seat that allows the driver to continue normal operation even if a failure occurs in the drive system or the control system for changing the seat shape to reduce fatigue will be described.

The working seat of this embodiment has the same construction as that shown in FIG. 1 as in the first embodiment. However, since the driving mechanism is mainly used here, the seat shape driving portion and the seat driving mechanism will be described. I will only explain.

FIG. 15 and FIG. 16 are schematic views of the drive system of the operating seat of this embodiment. FIG. 15 shows a state during normal seating posture adjustment (called a normal mode), and FIG. 16 shows a state when moving the seat to change the shape (called a fatigue reduction mode) to reduce fatigue. 17 to 2
1 is a flow chart showing the operation of the driver in each mode and the movement of the drive system at that time.

<Normal Mode> The normal mode will be described with reference to FIGS. With respect to FIG. 17, each step number is shown in parentheses.

First, the driver turns on the reclining switch SW1 or the slide switch SW2 in order to adjust the sitting posture (step S1701). This operation means that the normal mode has been selected, and the fatigue reduction mode selection switch SW3 is turned off by giving priority to the normal mode (step S1702). This may be done mechanically, electrically, or by a controller that receives signals from switches as inputs and outputs control signals to motors and solenoids.
Hereinafter, the operation of the drive system is similar to this.

When the normal mode is selected, the solenoid S
O1 and SO2 are turned off (step S170).
3). As a result, the switching gears GE1 and GE2 are switched to the sitting posture adjusting motors MO1 and MO2 (step S1704). FIG. 15 shows this state.

In this state, the driver operates the reclining switch SW1 or the slide switch SW2. First, it is tested that the reclining switch SW1 has been operated (step S1705). If the reclining switch SW1 has been operated, the reclining motor MO1 is driven according to the operation amount (step S1706), and as a result, the seat backrest angle changes. (Step S1707).

Next, the slide switch SW2 is tested (step S1708), and if it is operated, the slide motor MO2 is driven according to the operation amount (step S1).
709). As a result, the seat surface of the seat moves back and forth (step S1710).

When the seat is adjusted in the normal mode as described above, the seat adjusting mechanism is separated from the drive motor MO3 in the fatigue reducing mode, so that even if the motor in the fatigue reducing mode or the control system fails. The seat can be adjusted independently.

<Fatigue Reduction Mode> Next, the fatigue reduction mode will be described with reference to FIGS. 16 and 18 to 20.

First, when the driver turns on the fatigue reduction mode switch SW3 (step S1801), the states of the switches SW1 and SW2 for controlling the sitting posture are tested (step S1802). This is to give priority to the normal mode over the fatigue reduction mode. Switch S
If either W1 or SW2 is on, the normal mode is given priority, and if both are off, the fatigue reduction mode is entered for the first time, and the solenoids SO1 and SO2 are turned on (step S1803). As a result, the switching gears GE1 and GE2 are switched to the fatigue reducing motor MO3 side (step S1804). After this, the controller CO1
The motor MO3 is controlled by the method described in the first embodiment (steps S1805 and S1806). The controller CO1 corresponds to the microcomputer 20 of FIG.

When the operation in the fatigue reduction mode is started in this way, steps S1807 to S1 are performed at predetermined intervals.
The determination of 808 is performed. That is, is the fatigue reduction mode switch SW3 turned off (step S180)?
7) It is tested whether the seating posture adjustment switch SW1 or SW2 is turned on (step S1808) to check whether the driver has reset the normal mode. If the fatigue reduction mode is still maintained, the signals of the sensors SE1 and SE2 attached to the drive shaft of the seat are tested to test whether the seat drive state is normal (steps S1809 and S1810). This can be realized by the sensor detecting the rotation angle of the drive shaft and checking whether it is within a predetermined angle.

When the normal mode is set again, the control of the fatigue reduction mode is stopped (step S181).
1, S1812), the solenoids SO1, SO2 are turned off (step S1813), and the switching gears GE1, GE2 are switched to the seating posture adjustment motors MO1, MO2 (step S1814).

On the other hand, when it is determined in step S1810 that the control state is abnormal, the control in the fatigue reduction mode is stopped (steps S1817 and S1818), and the solenoids SO1 and SO2 are turned off (step S1819).
Set the switching gears GE1 and GE2 to the seating posture adjustment motor MO1,
Switching to the MO2 side (step S1820).

FIG. 21 shows the processing when a failure is found in the control system or drive system in the fatigue reduction mode, for example, the seat drive mechanism or the motor MO3. First, the switch SW3 in the fatigue reduction mode is turned off ( Step S211), the solenoids SO1 and SO2 are turned off (Step S212),
Set the switching gears GE1 and GE2 to the seating posture adjustment motor MO1,
Switching to the MO2 side (step S213).

Thus, even in the fatigue reduction mode, if an abnormality is found, the normal mode is restored,
The driver can perform a driving operation while sitting on the seat in the sitting posture set in the normal mode. Further, since the normal mode is prioritized, the driver can adjust the sitting posture to a desired state even if the seat is moved to reduce fatigue.

The control procedure described above may be executed by the controller CO1 shown in FIG. 15 or 16.
The controller CO1 is the microcomputer 20 of FIG.
It can be realized by storing a program for controlling in accordance with the input signal of the switch or the sensor in the ROM 203 and executing it.

Further, in the present embodiment, the sitting posture is adjusted by reclining the backrest and sliding the seat surface, but the present invention can be applied to a seat having other adjusting elements such as inclination of the seat surface and lumbar support. In that case, the adjustment switches and motors are required for the number of adjustment elements, and the control in the fatigue reduction mode is performed for them, but the drive system in the fatigue reduction mode is the same as that of the present embodiment. It is driven by a single motor as required.

[0087]

[Fourth Embodiment] The fourth embodiment is an extension of the operating method described in the first embodiment, in which the driver can freely set the movement pattern and timing of the seat and the speed and size of the movement. Regarding the operation sheet.

When the driver's fatigue factor is the positional relationship between the seat and the body or the distribution of body pressure, not only the shape of the seat is changed with a predetermined motion pattern as in the first embodiment, but also the driver If the seat can be moved in a desired pattern in consideration of the physical condition and running conditions at that time, the effect of reducing fatigue is further improved.

FIG. 23 is a block diagram showing the structure of the operation sheet of this embodiment. The seat drive motor 235 of FIG.
Corresponds to the sheet shape drive unit 105 in FIG. Blocks 231 to 234 can be realized by adding a switch for an operator to operate to the microcomputer 20 of FIG.

In FIG. 23, the motion pattern selection unit 231 selects various patterns such as the smooth mode, the awakening mode, the smooth awakening mode, the smooth continuous mode, and the stretch mode shown in FIG. The smooth mode, the awakening mode, and the smooth awakening mode are the driving method 1 of the first embodiment, respectively.
Corresponds to a few. The smooth continuous mode is a pattern in which the shape is continuously changed. The stretch mode bends and stretches the body of the occupant to improve blood circulation.

The timing setting section 232 sets the interval for moving the sheet. The motion speed setting unit 233 sets the speed of movement for changing the seat shape. The motion size setting unit 234 sets the degree of change. In each of these units, settings are input by switches operated by the driver.

The seat drive motor 235 moves the seat according to these settings.

Furthermore, there are biofeedback awakening mode and biofeedback fatigue reduction mode as motion patterns. The biofeedback fatigue alleviation mode is to detect and analyze the driver's heartbeat described as the control method in the first embodiment, and move the seat in any one of the motion patterns of the four modes according to the pattern. In this case, it goes without saying that a heartbeat detector for detecting the heartbeat of the driver and a heartbeat characteristic value calculator for analyzing the heartbeat are required. The biofeedback awakening mode vibrates the seat according to the physical condition of the driver, and is a mode for awakening the driver.

By driving the operating seat as described above, the seat can be moved as desired by the driver, the effect of reducing fatigue can be enhanced, and the driver can be provided with a comfortable driving environment.

[0095]

As described above, the control device for an operating seat according to the present invention has the effect of eliminating the adverse effect on the driving operation of the occupant and enhancing the effect of reducing fatigue.

Further, by smoothly changing the shape of the seat so that the amount of change is continuous, not only is the seating posture of the driver changed to reduce fatigue, but also the driver feels a sudden movement. It does not interfere with driving operation.

[0097]

[0098]

[0099]

[0100]

[0101]

Furthermore, by driving the operating seat,
The seat can be moved as the driver desires, the effect of reducing fatigue can be enhanced, and the driver can be provided with a comfortable driving environment.

[0103]

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an operating seat control device according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an operation seat control device according to the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an operation seat control device according to the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a movement of a sheet according to a first operating method.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a movement of a sheet according to a first operating method.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a movement of a sheet according to a second operating method.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a movement of a sheet according to a third operating method.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the principle of the first control method.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a principle of a second control method.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart of a procedure of a first control method.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart of a procedure of a second control method.

FIG. 12 is a block diagram showing a part of a configuration of an operation sheet according to a second embodiment.

FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a state of stable posture correction.

FIG. 14 is a diagram showing how tension is corrected.

FIG. 15 is a diagram showing a configuration of an operation sheet according to a third embodiment.

FIG. 16 is a diagram showing a configuration of an operation sheet according to a third embodiment.

FIG. 17 is a flowchart for driving an operating seat in a normal mode according to the third embodiment.

FIG. 18 is a flowchart for driving an operating seat in a fatigue reduction mode according to a third embodiment.

FIG. 19 is a flowchart for driving an operating seat in a fatigue reduction mode according to the third embodiment.

FIG. 20 is a flowchart for driving an operating seat in a fatigue reduction mode according to the third embodiment.

FIG. 21 is a flowchart for driving an operating seat in a fatigue reduction mode according to the third embodiment.

FIG. 22 is an example of a motion pattern in the fourth embodiment.

FIG. 23 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an operation sheet according to a fourth embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

101 Heartbeat detector, 102 Heart rate characteristic calculation unit, 103 Operation determination unit, 104 shape value generator, 105 seat shape drive unit, 106 sheets, 20 microcomputers, 201 D / A converter, 202 CPU, 203 ROM, 204 RAM.

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Akihide Shimamura 3-3 Shinchi, Fuchu-cho, Aki-gun, Hiroshima Mazda Corporation (56) References JP-A-3-200438 (JP, A) JP-A-4 -187106 (JP, A) JP 5-168545 (JP, A) Actually open 4-71325 (JP, U) Actually open 60-118528 (JP, U) (58) Fields investigated (Int.Cl) . ⁷ , DB name) A47C ^7/ 00-7/54 B60N 2/02-2/22

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A control device for an operating seat that adjusts a sitting posture by transitioning a predetermined portion of a seat from an original state to a new state, wherein the original state and the new state of the predetermined portion are set. Between the two states, the control means controls so that the transition from one state to the other state is performed stepwise and the transition of the opposite state is smoothly performed, and the drive means that drives the predetermined portion according to the control means. And a control device for an operating seat, comprising: 2. The transition of the state of the predetermined part is a transition represented as a change in angle, and the transition amount is tN0: start time tN1 of transition from the original state to the new state tN1: from the original state End time of transition to new state tN2: Start time of transition from new state to original state tN3: End time of transition from new state to original state TNE: From new state to original state Time required for transition θ N: difference in angle between original state and new state t: As time, if tN0 ≦ t <tN1, θ (t) = {θN / (tN1−tN0)} · t tN1 ≦ t < In case of tN2, θ (t) = θNt In case of N2 ≦ t ≦ tN3, θ (t) = θN / 2 ・ {1 + sin [(2π / TNE) t + π / 2]} or θ (t) = θN / 2 · {1 + cos [(2π / TNE) t]} becomes the controller operating sheet according to claim 1, wherein the formula.