JP5446327B2 - Seat heater temperature control device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a seat heater temperature control device for a vehicle, and more particularly to a seat heater temperature control device that adjusts the temperature of a seat heater by detecting an instruction by a palm operation of a seated occupant.

Some automobile seats include a seat heater that heats a seated occupant by incorporating a heater in a seat surface portion or a backrest portion. This vehicle seat heater is configured by mounting a heater unit including a heating wire, a planar heating element, and the like between a surface material of a seat and a pad. In general, the on / off and temperature of the seat heater are controlled by a switch or the like, and are controlled by using a thermostat or switching power supplied to a heating element.
2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a car seat heater that uses a PTC resistor having self-temperature controllability as a heating element and controls the energization of the heating element to keep the heating temperature substantially constant is known (see Patent Document 1). ). However, in this conventional example, it is not considered to respond to the thermal sensation of a seated passenger.
In addition, in order to give a seated occupant a certain thermal sensation, the seat device for a vehicle is provided with a pressure sensor and a plurality of heater portions on the seat, and the amount of heat generated by each heater portion is changed according to the degree of adhesion between the seat and the occupant. Is disclosed (see Patent Document 2). According to this, the temperature of the heater can be set by operating the switch, and the amount of heat supplied to the seat surface is changed depending on the degree of adhesion between the occupant and the seat. It can be given to passengers.

JP-A-6-176857 JP 2008-220399 A

The feeling of heat received from the seat heater of the vehicle is not only different for each occupant, but also varies depending on clothing, changes in the passenger compartment temperature, and the like. For this reason, even when the vehicle is traveling, it is required that a seated passenger can easily change the temperature of the seat heater. Conventionally, even when the temperature of the seat heater can be adjusted, when the occupant changes the temperature, it is necessary to operate a switch or the like provided on the seat or the operation panel of the vehicle.
However, in addition to the seat heater, the seats and operation panel are equipped with a number of switches (such as knobs, operation buttons, and operation levers) for operating and adjusting various in-vehicle devices and devices such as electric seats, air conditioners, and navigation systems. It is installed. From the viewpoint of the design of the in-vehicle device, the switches and the like cannot be made small in order to make each of them easy to operate, and it is difficult to arrange a large number of switches and the like.
In addition, there is a problem for the occupant that it is difficult to change the temperature of the seat heater while the vehicle is traveling unless the position and scale of the operation switch are confirmed. In the case of the driver, if the user has to look away from the direction of travel and view the switch or the like, this leads to side-by-side driving.
In addition, the operation method using a switch or the like often does not cause the passenger to imagine the operation of the device. It is desirable that the operation method of the in-vehicle device is such that, for example, the occupant can intuitively imagine the operation of the device by the switch operation such that the seat moves forward when the operation lever of the seat is slid forward. However, since push buttons and rotary knobs are generally used as temperature control switches, the operation and the operation of the device are not linked on the passenger's image. There is a problem that cannot be performed intuitively.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a seat heater temperature adjustment device capable of adjusting the temperature of the seat heater while keeping the line of sight forward by an operation that can be performed intuitively by a seated passenger. And

The present invention is as follows.
1. A seat heater temperature adjusting device for adjusting a temperature of a seat heater provided in a vehicle seat, and detecting and detecting contact of an occupant's palm with an operation surface arranged on the surface of the seat and sliding of the palm Detecting means for generating a signal; timing means for measuring the duration and repetition interval of the detection signal; and determining a specific action of the palm based on a ratio of the duration to the repetition interval, and based on the determination, the temperature And a determination means for instructing a change in the temperature of the seat heater.
2. The determination means performs the determination when the duration and the repetition interval are within a predetermined range. The seat heater temperature control apparatus as described.
3. The determination means detects the number of repetitions of the detection signal, and instructs the change of the temperature corresponding to the number of repetitions. Or 2. The seat heater temperature control apparatus described in 1.
4). The determination unit determines the specific operation based on the duration time and the repetition interval measured by the timing unit after the detection signal is repeated a predetermined number of times or after a predetermined time period. To 3. The seat heater temperature control apparatus in any one of.
5. The detection means includes a touch sensor or a proximity sensor provided on the operation surface or directly below the operation surface. To 4. The seat heater temperature control apparatus in any one of.
6). The touch sensor or the proximity sensor is a photoelectric sensor or an infrared sensor. The seat heater temperature control apparatus as described.
7). The touch sensor or the proximity sensor is a capacitance sensor. The seat heater temperature control apparatus as described.
8). A detection electrode for detecting the contact of the palm and the sliding of the palm is provided, and the detection electrode is a conductive woven cloth formed as the operation surface or disposed immediately below the operation surface. 7. said certain. The seat heater temperature control apparatus as described.

  According to the seat heater temperature control device of the present invention, the detecting means for detecting the contact of the occupant's palm with the operation surface disposed on the surface of the vehicle seat and the sliding of the palm to generate a detection signal; Time measuring means for measuring a duration and a repetition interval of the detection signal, a determination means for determining a specific action of the palm based on a ratio of the duration to the repetition interval, and instructing a change of the temperature based on the determination; Therefore, the temperature of the seat heater can be raised or lowered by detecting the movement of the occupant touching or rubbing the operation surface with the palm and determining the specific movement of the palm from the temporal characteristics of the movement repeated. . The specific operation can be a natural operation corresponding to a human thermal sensation. Therefore, the occupant can adjust the temperature of the seat heater by an operation that can be intuitively recalled while keeping the line of sight in the traveling direction. Further, it is not necessary to provide a switch for adjusting the temperature of the seat heater, and the degree of freedom in design can be increased.

The determination means can remove noise and accidental signals by performing the determination when the duration and the repetition interval are within a predetermined range, and perform only an operation for occupant's intentional temperature adjustment. It can detect and adjust the temperature of a seat heater reliably.
Further, the determination means detects the number of repetitions of the detection signal, and if the change of the temperature is instructed corresponding to the number of repetitions, the temperature of the seat heater is raised or lowered according to the degree of thermal sensation of the passenger. Can do.
In addition, the determination unit may be a random event if the specific operation is determined based on the duration and the repetition interval measured by the timing unit after the detection signal has been repeated a predetermined number of times or after a predetermined time has elapsed. The influence of an irregular movement caused by a general signal or an occupant can be removed, and a specific movement of the occupant's intentional palm can be reliably detected to adjust the temperature.

If the detection means is provided with a touch sensor or a proximity sensor immediately below the operation surface, it can reliably detect the movement of the occupant's palm touching the operation surface on the seat surface, and the occupant kept a seated posture. The temperature adjustment can be instructed as it is.
If the touch sensor or proximity sensor is a photoelectric sensor or an infrared sensor, it can detect a change in the amount of light received by a palm movement with a simple configuration and emit a high-frequency electromagnetic field that affects the operation of surrounding devices. There is nothing to do.
In addition, if the touch sensor or proximity sensor is a capacitance sensor, it can be easily placed on or directly below the operation surface of the sheet surface, and the palm movement can be detected stably with a simple configuration. It becomes.
Furthermore, a conductive electrode provided with a detection electrode for detecting the contact of the palm and the sliding of the palm, the detection electrode being formed as the operation surface or disposed immediately below the operation surface If so, the degree of freedom in design is increased, the flexibility is excellent, and the sheet can be integrally formed as a part of the exterior of the sheet.

It is a schematic diagram of the vehicle seat provided with the seat heater. It is a figure which shows the whole structure of a seat heater centering on the seat heater temperature control apparatus of this invention. It is the side view and sectional view which show typically the sensor part of a seat heater temperature control device. It is a schematic diagram explaining the example which detects the operation | movement of a palm using a photoelectric sensor. It is a schematic diagram explaining the example which detects the operation | movement of a palm using an electrostatic capacitance sensor. It is a schematic diagram explaining the example which uses a conductive woven fabric for the electrode for a detection of an electrostatic capacitance sensor. It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating operation | movement of the passenger | crew's palm performed with respect to an operation surface. It is a figure which shows the detection signal of a passenger | crew's palm movement. It is a timing chart which shows operation | movement of the seat heater temperature control apparatus when one of specific operation | movement (operation | movement 1) was performed. It is a timing chart which shows operation | movement of the seat heater temperature control apparatus when another one (operation 2) of specific operation | movement was performed. It is a timing chart which shows operation | movement of the seat heater temperature control apparatus when another example (operation | movement 3) of specific operation | movement was made. It is a flowchart which shows the example of control of a seat heater temperature control apparatus.

  An object of the present invention is to enable the temperature of a seat heater of a vehicle to be adjusted by an intuitive operation method without causing an occupant to lose a seating posture or deflect a line of sight from the front. For this purpose, it is necessary to perform an operation for adjusting the temperature of the seat heater by a natural operation of the occupant. For example, as an operation that is natural when a person feels cold, an operation that wears both palms together is observed. In addition, when the object to be touched is hot, an operation of touching with a palm or its finger and releasing it immediately is observed. By associating such a natural movement of a person with an instruction operation for adjusting the temperature of the seat heater, which is a control target of the present invention, an occupant can intuitively recall and perform an easy-to-understand operation.

In this document, “sliding” of the palm refers to an operation of rubbing the operating surface disposed on the surface of the sheet with the palm or a finger portion thereof. Further, the “contact” of the palm means an operation of touching the operation surface with the palm or a finger part thereof.
The seat heater temperature control device according to the present invention is based on the characteristic of the temporal change of the signal that detects the operation when the occupant's palm contact and / or palm sliding is repeated or continued. Alternatively, two or more specific operations are determined, and a change in the temperature of the seat heater is instructed according to the determination. For example, as one specific operation, when an operation that repeatedly slides the operation surface with a palm is detected, the seat heater is imitated as an operation of rubbing the palms together when a person feels cold. It can be controlled to raise the temperature. In addition, as another specific operation, when an operation of repeatedly contacting the palm with the operation surface for a short time is detected, imitating the operation of releasing the palm immediately when touching a hot object with the palm or its finger, It can be controlled to lower the temperature of the seat heater.

(Configuration of seat heater temperature control device)
As shown in FIG. 1, a vehicle seat 8 includes a seat cushion 82 and a seat back 84, and a heater portion including a heating element is disposed between the seat surface material and the pad, To be warmed up. Although FIG. 1 shows an example in which the seat heater 82 is mounted on the seat cushion 82 and the back heater 74 is mounted on the seat back 84, the number, configuration, arrangement, etc. of the heater units are not limited.
As shown in FIG. 2, the seat heater temperature adjustment device 1 of the present invention includes an operation surface 2, a sensor 3, and a control unit 12. The control unit 12 includes a signal processing unit 38, a controller 4, a storage unit 5, a notification unit 6, and a power supply unit 7. The power supply unit 7 is connected to heater units (72, 74). Each part is supplied with necessary power by a power source (not shown) that receives power from the vehicle battery.
The operation surface 2, the sensor 3, and a part of the signal processing unit 38 constitute detection means. A part of the controller 4 constitutes a time measuring means. Further, a part of the signal processing unit 38, the controller 4 and the storage unit 5 constitute a determination unit.

The operation surface 2 is an area that is provided on a part of the surface of the seat 8 and detects contact of the palm 92 of the occupant 9 and the like. The operation surface 2 only needs to be provided in a range where the occupant can reach his / her hand without losing his / her seating posture. For example, the operation surface 2 can be disposed on the side surface of the seat cushion 82. The operation surface 2 may be constituted by the surface of the sensor 3 itself.
The sensor 3 detects a physical quantity (light quantity, electric field, capacitance, etc.) that changes with the movement of the occupant's palm 92 with respect to the operation surface 2 and converts it into an electrical signal. As long as an electrical signal that changes with time can be extracted, the type and method are not limited.
The signal processing unit 38 generates a detection signal D by performing processing such as amplification, filtering, noise removal, and binarization on the signal detected by the sensor 3, and outputs the detection signal D to the controller 4.

The control unit 12 is an electronic control unit (ECU) and is controlled by the controller 4. The control process of the controller 4 may be realized by either hardware or software, and is preferably a microcontroller (microcomputer) having a CPU, memory (ROM, RAM, etc.), timer or counter, input / output circuit, etc. With a peripheral circuit such as an input / output interface, it can be configured. As the controller 4, a digital signal processor, a programmable logic circuit, a gate array, or other logic circuits may be used.
A counter or software provided in the controller 4 constitutes time measuring means for measuring temporal changes (continuation time, repetition interval, etc.) of the detection signal D on and off.
The storage unit 5 stores predetermined values (such as duration, repetition interval, and ratio of the duration to the repetition interval) for determining a specific action of the palm 92. The storage unit 5 may be a memory (ROM or the like) provided in the controller 4. The controller 4 determines the specific operation of the palm 92 by comparing the duration, repetition interval, etc. of the detection signal D measured by the time measuring means with a predetermined value stored in the storage unit 5. Configured.

The controller 4 is connected to the power supply unit 7 and is configured to instruct the power supply unit 7 to change the temperature of the seat heater according to the determination result. The method for instructing the temperature change is not particularly limited. For example, the temperature change may be instructed by an instruction signal or software means, or the circuit of the power supply unit 7 may be directly controlled to change the heat generation amount of the heater unit.
A signal from an on / off switch, a temperature setting switch, or the like of a separately provided seat heater may be input to the control unit 12. The controller 4 can be configured to instruct the heater on / off and the temperature change by combining the instruction from the separate switch and the result of the determination.

  The power supply unit 7 is a circuit that supplies power to the heating elements included in the heater units 72, 74, and the like, and is configured so that the amount of heat generated by the heating elements can be increased or decreased by a temperature change instruction from the controller 4. Is done. The increase / decrease in the amount of heat generation can be controlled by a method according to the type / characteristics of the heating element, such as an increase / decrease in the current supplied to the heating element and the length of the energization time. As a result, the amount of heat generated by the heater portion is changed, and the temperature of the sheet surface portion can be changed.

  The notification unit 6 can appropriately include a speaker, a sound generator, a display (light emitting diode, etc.) and the like. The notification unit 6 and the controller 4 constitute notification means. The notification means can notify the occupant of the detection state of the palm movement, the temperature change, and the like by voice, sound, an optical signal, or the like.

FIG. 3 shows an example in which the operation surface 2 is provided on the side surface of the seat cushion 82 and the sensor 3 is arranged immediately below the operation surface 2. The detection means is configured to detect the movement of the palm on the sheet surface within a certain range centered on the operation surface 2 (for example, a range of about 3 to 10 cm from the center of the operation surface 2). Therefore, as long as a signal corresponding to the movement of the palm 92 in the above range is obtained, the sensor 3 may be capable of sensing the movement of the palm around one point of the operation surface 2. It may be a sensor arranged to sense the position of the upper palm or a touch panel. Depending on the type of sensor used, the shape, size, arrangement, etc. of the operation surface 2 and the sensor 3 can be appropriately determined.
As the sensor 3, a touch sensor that detects contact of the palm 92 with the operation surface 2 or a proximity sensor that is disposed immediately below the operation surface 2 and detects the proximity of the palm 92 can be used. As the touch sensor or proximity sensor, for example, a film-like pressure sensor, photoelectric sensor, infrared sensor, capacitance sensor, or the like can be used.

As an example of the sensor 3, a reflective photoelectric sensor including a light emitting element 32 and a light receiving element 33 as shown in FIG. For example, a light emitting diode that emits light in the infrared region can be used as the light emitting element 32, and a phototransistor that receives light in the infrared region can be used as the light receiving element 33. Infrared light emitted from the light emitting element 32 is reflected by the palm 92, and the reflected light is received by the light receiving element 33. Since the amount of received light changes depending on the position of the palm 92, the movement of the palm 92 can be detected by the change in the amount of received light. The sensor 3 may be configured by arranging a plurality of light receiving elements or light emitting elements and light receiving elements.
As the sensor 3, an infrared sensor may be provided. The infrared sensor receives infrared rays emitted from the palm 92 by the light detecting element without using the light emitting element as described above, and can detect the movement of the palm 92 by changing the amount of the received light. . Examples of the light detection element include a thermopile, a bolometer, and a photodiode.

As shown in FIG. 5, a capacitance sensor can be used as the sensor 3. The capacitance sensor includes a detection electrode 34 and senses a capacitance 94 generated by the occupant 9. Since the capacitance value changes according to the facing area and distance between the detection electrode 34 and the palm 92, the operation of the palm 92 is detected as a change in capacitance.
Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 6, the detection electrode 35 of the capacitance sensor can be a conductive woven fabric that is formed as the operation surface 2 or disposed immediately below the operation surface 2. The conductive woven fabric refers to a fabric in which conductive fibers such as stainless steel wires, carbon fibers, and plated fibers are appropriately woven. For example, if a woven fabric in which conductive fibers such as stainless steel wires are woven at intervals of about 2 to 3 mm is used as the conductive woven fabric, the detection electrode 35 excellent in durability and economy can be realized. . Further, the detection electrode 35 can have an arbitrary shape and size, and can be formed integrally with the surface material constituting the other part of the sheet 8 (82).

(Operation and control of seat heater temperature control device)
As described above, the seat heater temperature adjustment device 1 determines a specific operation that the occupant performs temperature adjustment. One specific operation may be an operation in which the occupant repeatedly wears the operation surface with his / her palm (hereinafter referred to as “operation 1”). Another specific operation may be an operation in which an occupant repeatedly touches an operation surface with a palm (hereinafter referred to as “operation 2”). Furthermore, an operation in which the occupant places his / her palm on the operation surface and stops (hereinafter referred to as “operation 3”) may be one of the specific operations.
FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the operation surface 2 is provided on the side surface portion of the seat cushion 82 and the occupant's palm 92 is moved on the operation surface 2. As shown in FIG. 7A, the operation 1 is an operation of repeatedly rubbing with the palm 92a around the operation surface 2. The operation direction (the same figure a) may be any direction within a plane substantially parallel to the operation surface 2. Further, as shown in FIG. 7B, the operation 2 is an operation in which the operation surface 2 is repeatedly touched by the palm (finger) 92b, and the palm 92b moves in a direction substantially perpendicular to the operation surface 2. (Figure B).

First, when an occupant repeatedly touches or slides the palm 92 with respect to the operation surface 2, a detection signal D as shown in FIG. The detection signal D is a signal that is turned on when the palm 92 is in contact with or slides on the operation surface 2. The period during which the detection signal D is on (duration Tb) and the interval at which the detection signal D is on (repetition interval Ta) are measured by the time measuring means. However, the measurement of the repetition interval Ta includes a case where the detection signal D continues to be on and does not repeat.
Next, it is determined by the determination means whether or not the change in the detection signal D corresponds to the specific operation performed by the passenger with the intention of adjusting the temperature. When the occupant slides his / her palm on the operation surface 2 repeatedly, the series of detection signals D change so as to repeat on and off as shown in FIG. The horizontal axis of the graph is time. Since the rate at which human operation is repeated is not uniform, the detection signal _{D (D 1, D 2,} D 3, ···) duration _{(Tb 1, Tb 2, Tb} 3, ···), And the repetition interval (Ta ₁ , Ta ₂ , Ta ₃ ,...) Will be different each time it is repeated.

When the occupant repeatedly slides the palm 92 on the operation surface 2 and when the operation of causing the palm 92 to contact the operation surface 2 for a short time is repeated, the duration Tb of the detection signal D with respect to the repetition interval Ta The ratio (Tb / Ta) is larger in the former. Therefore, the determination means determines that the operation 1 has been performed when the ratio is equal to or greater than a predetermined value for a series of detection signals D (D ₁ , D ₂ , D ₃ ,...). can do. That is, in the example shown in FIG. 9A, the ratio (Tb ₁ / Ta ₁ , Tb ₂ / Ta ₂ , Tb ₃ / Ta ₃ ,...) Is a predetermined value (for example, 0.5) or more. If there is, it is determined that the operation 1 has been performed. Then, the determination unit instructs to raise the temperature of the seat heater. The temperature instruction C in FIG. 9B represents an example in which the temperature of the seat heater is instructed to be increased by one step. In accordance with this instruction, the power supply unit 7 is controlled to increase the amount of heat generated by the heating element of the heater unit.
On the other hand, when the ratio is smaller than a predetermined value for a series of detection signals D (D ₁ , D ₂ , D ₃ ,...), It can be determined that the operation 2 has been performed. Determining means, as shown in FIG. 10 (a), the ratio _{(Tb 1 / Ta 1, Tb} 2 / Ta 2, Tb 3 / Ta 3, ···) is below a predetermined value (e.g., 0.5) If it is smaller, it is determined that the operation 2 has been performed, and an instruction is given to lower the temperature of the seat heater, as shown in FIG. In accordance with this, the power supply unit 7 is controlled to reduce the amount of heat generated by the heating element of the heater unit.

  Since all the operations of the palm 92 as described above are performed by a person, the determination of the specific operation is performed only when the change speed of the detection signal D is generally the speed of the operation performed by the person. To be able to. For this reason, the determination means, when the duration Tb and the repetition interval Ta of the detection signal D to be repeated are within a predetermined range (for example, Tb is 0.2 to 1 second, Ta is 0.1 second or more), The specific operation can be determined. As a result, in addition to noise, signals accidentally generated by the occupant or other factors can be removed, and only the occupant's intentional motion can be determined.

Various algorithms for instructing the change of the temperature of the seat heater can be devised. For example, the temperature of the seat heater may be raised or lowered corresponding to the number of repetitions of the detection signal D, that is, the number of repetitions of the operation by the palm 92.
For example, if the operation 1 is performed as shown in FIG. 9, the detection signal to the 1-stage high temperature by D _3, may be instructed to further one step higher temperature by the detection signal D _4. Further, when the operation 2 is performed as shown in FIG. 10, the detection signal and the temperature one step lower by D _3, may be instructed to further one step lower temperature by the detection signal D _4. Thereby, the temperature of the seat heater can be raised or lowered according to the degree of thermal sensation of the passenger.

Further, in order to invalidate the unstable state immediately after detection, the operation of the palm 92 may not be determined until the detection signal D is detected a predetermined number of times or until a predetermined time has elapsed after detection. . For this purpose, after the detection signal D is repeated a predetermined number of times or after a predetermined time has elapsed since the detection signal D is turned on, the recording duration time Tb and the repetition interval Ta of the detection signal D are again measured by the time measuring means. Then, the specific operation may be determined.
For example, in FIGS. 9 and 10, the initial two detection signals D ₁ and D ₂ are invalidated, a specific operation is determined by the subsequent detection signals D ₃ and D ₄ , and a change in temperature is instructed. Is shown. As a result, in addition to noise, signals accidentally generated by the occupant or other factors can be removed, and only the occupant's intentional motion can be determined.

In addition, one of the specific operations for the passenger to operate the seat heater may be the operation 3. In a state where the occupant leaves the palm 92 to the operation surface 2 and is stationary, the palm 92 is continuously detected by the sensor 3, and thus the detection signal D is kept on. Therefore, when the duration Tb of the detection signal D exceeds a predetermined time, it can be determined as an occupant's action for requesting a temperature change or the like.
For example, as shown in FIG. 11, an instruction to change the temperature every time Tc elapses so as to increase or decrease the temperature corresponding to the length of the duration Tb ₁ of the detection signal D (C ₁ , C ₂ ). can do. In addition, in order to exclude the influence of the signal accidentally caused by the passenger or other factors, it is possible to avoid the determination until the on state continues for a certain time (Tm) after the detection signal D is turned on. .

FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing an outline of control when the operation 1 and the operation 2 are determined as specific operations and an instruction to change the temperature of the seat heater is given (see FIGS. 9 and 10). The main control is executed by the determination means.
The seat heater temperature control device 1 stands by from the initial state (S0) until the detection signal D is output by the detection means (S10).
After the detection signal D is turned on, the duration Tb and the repetition interval Ta are measured by the time measuring means in order to see the temporal change (S20). Then, the determination means determines whether the measured duration Tb and the repetition interval Ta are within a predetermined range by comparing with a predetermined value stored in the storage unit 5 (S25). . If the measured duration Tb and repetition interval Ta are not within the predetermined range, it is determined that the signal is an unintended signal such as noise, and the process returns to step S0.
In step S25, if the duration Tb and the repetition interval Ta are within a predetermined range, the detection signal D may be generated a predetermined number of times (for example, twice) because there is a possibility that the movement is intended by the occupant. It is confirmed that it has been done (S30).
In step S30, when it is confirmed that the detection signal D in which the duration Tb and the repetition interval Ta are within a predetermined range has occurred a predetermined number of times, the detection means determines whether the detection signal D is a specific operation. The duration Tb and the repetition interval Ta are again measured (S40). Similarly to the above, the determination unit confirms whether or not the measured value is within a predetermined range (S45). When the measured value is out of the predetermined range, it returns to the initial state (S0) assuming that the passenger's intention is interrupted.
In step S45, when the duration Tb and the repetition interval Ta are within a predetermined range, the determination unit obtains a ratio of the duration Tb to the repetition interval Ta, and the ratio is stored in the storage unit 5 in advance. Compared with the determined value (S50). Thereby, if it is more than a predetermined value, it can be judged as operation 1 and if the ratio is smaller than a predetermined value, it can be judged as operation 2.
If it is determined in step S50 that the operation is 1, the determination unit instructs to increase the temperature of the seat heater by one step (S55). If it is the structure which can control the electric power supplied to a heater part directly, it can control to increase the emitted-heat amount of a heater part.
If it is determined in step S50 that operation 2 is performed, an instruction is given to lower the temperature of the seat heater by one step (S65). If it is the structure which can control the electric power supplied to a heater part directly, it can control to reduce the emitted-heat amount of a heater part.
The change of the temperature can be notified to the occupant by the notification means (S70). Further, by repeating the steps (S40 to S70), it is possible to instruct the temperature to be raised or lowered in accordance with the number of repetitions of the occupant's palm movement.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1; Seat heater temperature control apparatus, 12; Control part, 2; Operation surface, 3; Sensor, 34, 35; Electrode for detection, 38; Signal processing part, 4: Controller, 5: Memory | storage part, 6; 7; Electric power supply unit, 72, 74; Heater unit, 8; Seat, 82; Seat cushion, 84; Seat back, 9: Crew, 92, 92a, 92b; Palm, D; Detection signal, Ta; Duration.

Claims (8)

A seat heater temperature adjusting device for adjusting a temperature of a seat heater provided in a vehicle seat,
Detection means for detecting the contact of the occupant's palm with the operation surface disposed on the surface of the seat and the sliding of the palm to generate a detection signal;
Timing means for measuring the duration and repetition interval of the detection signal;
A determination means for determining a specific movement of the palm based on a ratio of the duration to the repetition interval, and instructing a change in the temperature based on the determination;
A seat heater temperature control device comprising:   The seat heater temperature adjustment device according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit performs the determination when the duration and the repetition interval are within a predetermined range.   The seat heater temperature adjustment device according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit detects the number of repetitions of the detection signal and instructs the change of the temperature in accordance with the number of repetitions.   The determination unit determines the specific operation based on the duration time and the repetition interval measured by the timing unit after the detection signal is repeated a predetermined number of times or after a predetermined time period. The seat heater temperature control apparatus in any one of.   The seat heater temperature adjusting device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the detection unit includes a touch sensor or a proximity sensor immediately below the operation surface.   The seat heater temperature adjusting device according to claim 5, wherein the touch sensor or the proximity sensor is a photoelectric sensor or an infrared sensor.   The seat heater temperature adjusting device according to claim 5, wherein the touch sensor or the proximity sensor is a capacitance sensor.   A detection electrode for detecting the contact of the palm and the sliding of the palm is provided, and the detection electrode is a conductive woven cloth formed as the operation surface or disposed immediately below the operation surface. The seat heater temperature control device according to claim 7.

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