JP7226997B2 - seat controller - Google Patents

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a seat control device for rotating a seat installed inside a moving body such as a railway vehicle.

2. Description of the Related Art As a moving object, for example, in a railway vehicle, seats for passengers are installed in a cabin. This type of seat is not limited to being rotated by the passenger's own operation to change the seat orientation according to the passenger's preference, but for example, the seat orientation can be changed all at once in the direction of travel at the starting station or the terminal station. is also possible.

For example, in Patent Document 1, according to the setting of the seat rotation work by the seat direction setting switch 3 and the control vehicle setting switch 4, the control unit 8 confirms the safety in the own vehicle with the safety confirmation switch 5, and rotates the seat drive I It is described that the seat 9 is controlled to rotate in the direction set by the seat direction setting switch 3 via the /F circuit 7.

JP-A-7-132765

In the invention described in Patent Document 1, the safety confirmation switch 5 is used to confirm the safety inside the own vehicle. Insufficient manual confirmation may hinder the rotation of the seat.

In addition, in the conventional system that automatically rotates the seat, the rotation is uniformly controlled without considering the current seat orientation. power is wasted.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to reduce the burden of manual confirmation work and to achieve power saving.

The invention recited in claim 1 made to solve the above-mentioned problems is a seat control device for a seat that is installed in the interior of a moving body and rotated by a rotary drive unit, and detects the state of the seat. a detector, a transmitter that transmits the state of the seat to another seat, a receiver that receives the state of the seat from the other seat, the state of the seat detected by the detector, and the receiver a control unit that determines whether the seat can be rotated based on the state of the other seat received by and drives the rotation drive unit to rotate the seat when it is determined that the seat can be rotated; A seat control device characterized by comprising:

According to the invention recited in claim 2, in the invention recited in claim 1, the control unit determines from the state of the other seat received by the receiving unit that if the front or rear seat is rotating, , is determined to be non-rotatable.

The invention recited in claim 3 is the invention recited in claim 1 or 2, wherein the detection unit detects the orientation of the seat, the state of the movable member of the seat, and the surroundings of the seat as the state of the seat. It is characterized by detecting at least one of the objects.

The invention recited in claim 4 is the invention recited in any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising an acquisition unit that acquires information regarding the arrangement of the seats, wherein the control unit comprises: It is characterized by judging whether or not the rotation is possible based on the information about the arrangement and the state of the seat.

The invention recited in claim 5 is characterized in that, in the invention recited in claim 4, the transmission unit transmits the information regarding the arrangement of the seats acquired by the acquisition unit to the front and rear seats. do.

The invention recited in claim 6 is characterized in that, in the invention recited in any one of claims 1 to 5, the transmission unit and the reception unit are configured by wireless communication devices.

The invention recited in claim 7 is characterized in that, in the invention recited in claim 6, the wireless communication device performs visible light communication.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the control unit determines whether or not rotation is permitted based on the state of the seat detected at the seat, and transmits a rotation instruction to the seat that is permitted to rotate. By doing so, the seat itself detects the state of the seat and rotates, so that it is possible to simplify the manual checking work, and the seat can be rotated while reducing the burden of the manual checking work. can.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the control unit determines that rotation is impossible when the front or rear seat is rotating from the state of the other seat received by the receiving unit. If the seats are rotating and there is a possibility that the seats will come into contact with each other, the rotation can be prevented.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the detector detects at least one of the orientation of the seat, the state of the movable members of the seat, and objects around the seat as the state of the seat. By doing so, if the direction of the seat is detected, only the seat that needs to be rotated can be rotated without rotating the seat that has already been oriented in the specified direction. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the power consumed during rotation, and it is possible to shorten the time required for rotating the plurality of seats. Also, if the state of the movable member of the seat is detected, the seat reclining, leg rest, table, etc. can be rotated only when they are in the return position. Also, by detecting an object around the seat, it is possible to prevent the seat from rotating when there is baggage at the feet or when there is a person sitting on the seat.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the control unit determines whether or not rotation is necessary based on the information on the seat arrangement and the state of the seats. can be changed.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the information about the seat arrangement acquired by the acquisition unit is transmitted to the front and rear seats, so there is no need to set the seat arrangement for each seat.

According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, since the transmitting section and the receiving section are composed of wireless communication devices, it is possible to reduce the number of wires connecting between a plurality of seats.

According to the seventh aspect of the invention, since the wireless communication device performs visible light communication, unlike wireless communication using radio waves, the possibility of radiation to the outside of the vehicle is reduced, and inappropriate access from outside the vehicle is prevented. Therefore, appropriate security measures can be taken. In addition, since the sensitivity of radio waves may change depending on the receiving position in the passenger compartment, it is unnecessary to take measures for sensitivity.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a system having a seat control device according to one embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a functional configuration of the interior lamp with a communication function shown in FIG. 1; 2 is a functional configuration of the seat control device shown in FIG. 1; 4 is a sequence diagram showing communication between seats; FIG. FIG. 4 is a flow chart of the operation of the controller shown in FIG. 3; FIG.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5. FIG. FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a system having a seat control device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

The system shown in FIG. 1 includes an interior lamp 2 with a communication function as a lighting device and a seat 3 . This system is installed in a moving object such as a railroad car. In the following description, an example of a railway vehicle will be described as a mobile object, but an aircraft, a ship, an automobile, or the like may be used as the mobile object.

The interior lamp 2 with a communication function is installed, for example, in a passenger compartment of a railway vehicle to illuminate the interior of the vehicle. Further, the interior lamp 2 with communication function receives status information indicating the status of the seat from the seat 3 by infrared light communication. The interior lamp 2 with communication function transmits the status information and the like received from the seat 3 by visible light communication. In addition, although there is one room light 2 with a communication function in FIG. 1, a plurality of them may be installed for each car.

The seat 3 is installed, for example, in a passenger compartment of a railway vehicle. The seat 3 is a well-known one that can seat a plurality of people side by side, such as a two-seat or a three-seat seat. In addition, the seat 3 can be horizontally rotated to change its orientation so that the passenger can sit in the direction of travel. Alternatively, it may be possible to change the orientation according to the passenger's preference. In addition, the seat 3 can change (recline) the angle of the backrest according to the preference of the seated passenger. Furthermore, a leg rest, a table, or the like that can be stored freely may be provided. That is, the seat 3 is provided with movable members such as a reclinable backrest, a leg rest, and a table. In FIG. 1, four seats 3 (seats 3a to 3d) are shown along the direction of travel, but they are shown for explanation to be described later, and the number of seats is not particularly limited.

FIG. 2 shows a functional block diagram of the interior lamp 2 with a communication function. The interior lamp 2 with a communication function includes a light receiving portion 21, a light emission control portion 22, and an LED 23.

The light receiving unit 21 is composed of, for example, a photodiode and receives infrared light transmitted from the seat 3 . The received infrared light is converted into an electrical signal and output to the light emission control section 22 .

The light emission control unit 22 controls the overall control of the interior lamp 2 with a communication function. The light emission control unit 22 performs visible light communication with the seat 3 by performing lighting control of the LED 23 so as to transmit the state information and the like received by the light receiving unit 21 to the other seats 3 . That is, the LED 23 is turned on by modulating the status information or the like transmitted by visible light communication by a predetermined modulation method.

The LED 23 is a light-emitting diode and a light-emitting element of the interior light 2 with communication function. The LED 23 functions as a transmitting unit for visible light communication as described above when information is transmitted by the light emission control unit 22, and otherwise functions as normal illumination.

The seat 3 has a seat control device 30 . The seat control device 30 controls the rotation of the seat based on the state information of other seats (front and rear seats) transmitted from the interior light 2 with communication function, detects the state of each part of the seat, and determines the position of the seat. state is transmitted as state information to the indoor unit 2 with a communication function. FIG. 3 shows a functional block diagram of the seat control device 30. As shown in FIG. The seat control device 30 includes a light receiving section 31 , a control section 32 , a control motor 33 , a light emitting section 34 , a detection section 35 and a rotation direction setting section 36 .

The light-receiving unit 31 is composed of, for example, a photodiode, and receives visible light (status information, etc.) transmitted from the interior light 2 with a communication function. The received visible light is converted into an electrical signal and output to the control section 32 . That is, the light receiving unit 31 functions as a receiving unit that receives seat conditions from the front and rear seats.

The control unit 32 manages overall control of the seat 3 . The control unit 32 demodulates state information and the like from the electric signal converted from the visible light received by the light receiving unit 31 . Also, the rotation direction information set in the rotation direction setting unit 36 is acquired. Then, based on the demodulated information, it determines whether or not it can rotate itself, and when it determines that it can rotate, it controls the control motor 33 . Further, the control unit 32 determines the state of the seat based on the result detected by the detection unit 35, and transmits the determination result as state information to the interior lamp 2 with communication function via the light emitting unit 34 by infrared light communication. . The control unit 32 also transmits the rotation direction information set in the rotation direction setting unit 36 to the interior lamp 2 with communication function via the light emitting unit 34 by infrared light communication.

The control motor 33 is a motor that rotates the seat 3 to change its orientation in response to a rotation instruction from the control unit 32 . The control motor 33 functions as a rotation driving section that rotates the seat 3 under the control of the control section 32 .

The light emitting unit 34 is composed of a light emitting element that emits infrared light. Light emission of the light emitting unit 34 is controlled by the control unit 32 so as to transmit state information based on the state of the seat detected by the detecting unit 35 and rotation direction information set by the rotation direction setting unit 36 . That is, the light emitting unit 34 functions as a transmitting unit that transmits the state of the seat to the front and rear seats.

A detector 35 detects the state of the seat 3 . The seat status includes, for example, the orientation of the seat (upward, downward), whether it is currently rotating, the reclining status, the storage status of the table provided on the back of the backrest, the storage status of the leg rest, whether or not the seat is seated, Presence or absence of an object at the feet. That is, the reclining state, the stowed state of the table provided on the back of the backrest, and the stowed state of the leg rest indicate the state of the movable members of the seat. The presence or absence of an object at the feet indicates an object around the seat, and in this embodiment, the object around the seat includes the human body seated.

The direction of the seat can be detected by, for example, a switch that is turned on when the seat is in the upward direction and a switch which is turned on when the seat is in the downward direction. In addition, in this embodiment, although the upward direction and the downward direction will be described, the direction is not limited to this, and for example, the direction perpendicular to the traveling direction (such as taking a seat facing the window) may be used. The storage state of the table can be detected by a switch that turns on when the table is in the storage state, an optical sensor that blocks light when the table is in the storage state, or the like. The stored state of the leg rest and the reclining state can be detected by a switch or the like that is turned on at the return position (default position). The presence or absence of seating can be detected by installing a pressure sensor on the seat surface. Objects underfoot can be detected by optical sensors. Further, whether or not it is rotating can be determined by whether or not the control motor 33 is operating. Of course, detection is not limited to these methods, and other well-known methods may be used for detection.

The control unit 32 includes at least the direction of the seat as the state information indicating the state of the seat. Therefore, other states (whether rotating or not) detected by the detection unit 35 may be included in the state information as they are, or may be summarized as information indicating whether or not the motor is in a rotatable state. good. For example, if the table or legrest is not stored or if the reclining position is at an angle other than the return position, the seat cannot be rotated because it may come into contact with the front and rear seats if it is rotated as it is. If there is an object such as luggage under your feet, it may interfere with the rotation. Also, it is not preferable to rotate the seat with a person sitting on it. When such events are detected, the control unit 32 may determine that rotation is impossible and include it in the state information.

In addition, when it is detected that the position of the reclining, leg rest, or the like that automatically returns by a predetermined operation does not return (when the switch does not turn on), the control unit 32 determines that there is a failure. It may be determined and included in the state information.

The rotation direction setting unit 36 sets rotation direction information, which is setting information of the orientation of the seat 3 as information about the arrangement of the seat 3 . That is, the rotation direction setting unit 36 functions as an acquisition unit. The rotation direction information includes, for example, information indicating inbound if the traveling direction of the railway vehicle is the upward direction and it is desired to change the orientation of the seat 3 to the upward direction, and information indicating upward direction is included when the traveling direction of the railway vehicle is the downward direction. If it is desired to change the direction of the seat 3 to the downward direction, the information indicating the downward direction is included. The setting method may be performed using an input device such as a button provided at a predetermined position on the seat 3 . When the orientation of the seat is set in the rotation direction setting section 36 , a rotation command is output to the control section 32 . The control unit 32 includes the rotation command in the rotation direction information and transmits it to the interior lamp 2 with communication function.

Note that the control unit 32 can acquire the rotation direction information from both the rotation direction setting unit 36 and the interior lamp 2 with a communication function, but the rotation direction information is set from the rotation direction setting unit 36 only for a plurality of seats. As only one of 3, the rotation direction information is acquired from either the rotation direction setting unit 36 or the interior lamp 2 with a communication function. That is, the light receiving section 34 may function as an acquisition section. Further, when the rotation direction information is acquired from both the rotation direction setting unit 36 and the room lamp 2 with a communication function, the rotation of the seat 3 is stopped (stopped) as an abnormal state. Alternatively, only one of the plurality of seats 3 may be provided with the rotation direction setting unit 36 .

Further, in the present embodiment, the light emitting section 34 of the seat 3 emits infrared light, but it may emit visible light. Alternatively, radio waves may be transmitted instead of the light emitting unit 34 . In this case, the light receiving portion 21 of the room lamp 2 with communication function is also changed so as to receive radio waves. Alternatively, the communication with the seat control unit 1 may be wired communication instead of wireless communication.

Next, the operation of the system configured as described above and the operation of the seat control device 30 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5. FIG. Note that the following description shows the operation of rotating the seats all at once, for example, when the railway vehicle turns around at the end point or the like.

FIG. 4 is a sequence diagram showing communication between multiple seats 3. As shown in FIG. In FIG. 4, the initial state of the orientation of the seats 3 is such that the seat 3a faces down and the seats 3b to 3d face up as shown in FIG. Further, it is assumed that the seats 3a to 3d are not in a state where rotation is hindered due to failure or the like. An address is assigned to each of the seats 3a to 3d in advance, and the source and destination of the command can be specified by setting the address to the source and destination of the rotation direction information, state information, and the like. can be done. It should be noted that it is preferable that this address is assigned with a numerical value or the like that enables the positional relationship (front-rear relationship) of the seats 3 to be grasped. For example, if the addresses are given as 0, 1, 2, and 3, if the address is "2", it can be understood that the addresses "1" and "3" are the seats 3 before and after.

In the arrangement of seats in FIG. 1, the seats 3a and 3c are odd-numbered seats, and the seats 3b and 3d are even-numbered seats. Odd-numbered seats refer to odd-numbered seats counted from one end of the vehicle when cross seats are arranged in the vehicle. That is, in FIG. 1, the seat 3a is the first and the seat 3c is the third from the left end. Even-numbered seats refer to even-numbered seats counted from one end of the vehicle in the case of cross-seats. That is, in FIG. 1, the seat 3b is the second and the seat 3d is the fourth from the left end.

First, it is assumed that, for example, the rotation direction setting unit 36 of the seat 3a is set so that the seat faces downward. In this case, the controller 32 of the seat 3a multicasts the rotation direction information with respect to the downward direction from the light emitter 34 to the interior lamp 2 with communication function via the light emitter 34 . Rotational direction information is transmitted to the seats 3b to 3d as visible light communication from the interior lamp 2 with communication function (T1). At this time, the seat 3a also receives the rotation direction information from the interior lamp 2 with communication function, but since the address of the transmission source is set in the rotation direction information, the information transmitted by itself is discarded.

In the seat 3a, based on the rotation direction information set in the rotation direction setting unit 36, the control unit 32 transmits the state of the seat (downward direction) to the light emitting unit 34 by multicast to the other seats 3b to 3d. Send (T2). The status information transmitted at this time is received by the seat 3b, which is the rear seat, but is discarded by the other seats 3c and 3d.

In the seat 3b, based on the rotation direction information received from the interior light 2 with communication function, the control unit 32 outputs the seat state (upward direction) as state information to the light emitting unit 34 for the other seats 3a, 3c, and 3d. It is transmitted by multicast (T3). The status information transmitted at this time is received by the front and rear seats 3a and 3c, but is discarded by the other seat 3d.

In the seat 3c, based on the rotation direction information received from the interior light 2 with communication function, the control unit 32 outputs the seat state (upward direction) as state information to the light emitting unit 34 for the other seats 3a, 3b, and 3d. It is transmitted by multicast (T4). The status information transmitted at this time is received by the front and rear seats 3b and 3d, but is discarded by the other seat 3a.

At the seat 3d, based on the rotation direction information received from the interior light 2 with communication function, the control unit 32 transmits the status information of the seat (upward direction) to the light emitting unit 34 by multicast to the other seats 3a to 3c. Send (T5). The state information transmitted at this time is received by the seat 3c, which is the previous seat, but is discarded by the other seats 3a and 3b. There is no particular restriction on the execution order of T2 to T5.

Next, the seat 3a determines whether or not it can rotate based on the rotation direction information (downward direction), its own current orientation (downward direction), and the state information of the adjacent seat 3 (seat 3b = upward direction). do. In the case of the seat 3a, since the rotation direction information and the current orientation match, it is determined that the rotation is unnecessary, and the rotation operation is not performed (T6).

At the seat 3b, rotation direction information (downward direction), its own current direction (upward direction), and state information of the adjacent seats 3 (seat 3a = downward direction, seat 3c = upward direction) are used to determine the rotation. Judge whether or not it is possible. In the case of seat 3b, the rotation direction information and the current orientation do not match, so it is determined that rotation is necessary. However, in the system shown in FIG. It becomes rotation waiting (T7). It should be noted that whether the seat itself is in an odd-numbered seat or an even-numbered seat can be determined based on the given address.

At the seat 3c, rotation direction information (downward direction), its current orientation (upward direction), and state information of the adjacent seat 3 (seat 3b=upward direction, seat 3d=upward direction) are used to determine the rotation. Judge whether or not it is possible. In the case of seat 3c, since the rotation direction information and the current orientation do not match, it is determined that rotation is necessary, and since it is an odd-numbered seat and the front and rear seats are not rotating, the control unit 32 controls the control motor 33 to rotate. is started (T8).

The seat 3d determines whether it can rotate based on the rotation direction information (downward direction), its own current orientation (upward direction), and the status information of the adjacent seat 3 (seat 3c=upward direction). In the case of seat 3d, the rotation direction information and the current orientation do not match, so it is determined that rotation is necessary. Waiting for rotation (T9).

Next, seat 3a receives the result of determination at T6 and causes status information (down direction, end of rotation) to be multicast to other seats 3b to 3d (T10). At the seat 3b, receiving the determination result at T7, the status information (up direction) is multicast to the other seats 3a, 3c, and 3d (T11). The seat 3c receives the determination result at T8 and multicasts the status information (rotating) to the other seats 3a, 3b, and 3d (T12). The seat 3d receives the determination result at T9 and transmits the status information (up direction) to the other seats 3a to 3c by multicast (T13).

Next, the seat 3a determines whether or not it can rotate based on its current orientation (downward direction) and the state information of the adjacent seat 3 (seat 3b=upward direction). Here, as in T6, it is determined that rotation is not necessary, and rotation is not performed (T14). At the seat 3b, based on the rotation direction information (downward direction), its own current orientation (upward direction), and the state information of the adjacent seat 3 (seat 3a = downward direction, rotation completed, seat 3c = rotating) to determine whether rotation is possible. Here, as in T7, it is determined that rotation is necessary, but since the seat 3c is rotating, it waits for rotation (T15). That is, when the front or rear seat is rotating, it is determined that the seat cannot be rotated.

At the seat 3c, rotation direction information (downward direction), its current orientation (rotating), and status information of the adjacent seats 3 (seat 3b=upward direction, seat 3d=upward direction) are used to determine the direction of rotation. Judge whether or not it is possible. Here, since it is in the middle of rotation due to the determination result at T8, the rotation is continued as it is (T16). The seat 3d determines whether it can rotate based on the rotation direction information (downward direction), its own current orientation (upward direction), and the status information of the adjacent seat 3 (seat 3c=rotating). Here, as in T9, it is determined that rotation is necessary, but since the seat 3c is rotating, it waits for rotation (T17).

Next, the seat 3a receives the determination result at T14 and causes the status information (down direction, end of rotation) to be multicast to the other seats 3b to 3d (T18). In the seat 3b, receiving the result of determination at T15, the state information (up direction) is multicast to the other seats 3a, 3c, and 3d (T19). At the seat 3c, in response to the determination result at T16, status information (down direction, end of rotation) is multicast to the other seats 3a, 3b, and 3d (T20). The seat 3d receives the determination result at T17 and multicasts the status information (in the upward direction) to the other seats 3a to 3c (T21).

Next, the seat 3a determines whether or not it can rotate based on its current orientation (downward direction) and the state information of the adjacent seat 3 (seat 3b=upward direction). Here, as in T14, it is determined that rotation is not necessary, and rotation is not performed (T22). In the seat 3b, information on the direction of rotation (downward direction), its own current direction (upward direction), and status information of the adjacent seat 3 (seat 3a = downward direction, rotation completed, seat 3c = downward direction, rotation completed). It is determined whether or not the rotation is possible based on the above. Here, as in T7 and the like, it is determined that rotation is necessary, and since both seats 3a and 3c have finished rotating, rotation of main seat 3b, which is an even-numbered seat, is started (T23).

At the seat 3c, rotation direction information (downward direction), its own current direction (downward direction), and state information of the adjacent seat 3 (seat 3b = upward direction, seat 3d = upward direction) are used to determine the rotation. Judge whether or not it is possible. Here, since the rotation direction information and the current orientation match, it is determined that rotation is unnecessary, and rotation is not performed (T24). The seat 3d determines whether it can rotate based on the rotation direction information (downward direction), its own current orientation (upward direction), and the status information of the adjacent seat 3 (seat 3c = downward direction, rotation end). do. Here, as in T9, it is determined that rotation is necessary, and since rotation of the seat 3c has been completed, rotation of the main seat 3d, which is an even-numbered seat, is started (T25).

Next, the seat 3a receives the result of determination at T22 and multicasts the status information (down direction, end of rotation) to the other seats 3b to 3d (T26). In the seat 3b, receiving the determination result in T23, the status information (rotating) is multicast to the other seats 3a, 3c, and 3d (T27). At the seat 3c, in response to the determination result at T24, status information (down direction, end of rotation) is multicast to the other seats 3a, 3b, and 3d (T28). The seat 3d receives the result of determination at T25 and multicasts the status information (rotating) to the other seats 3a to 3c (T29).

Next, the seat 3a determines whether or not it can rotate based on its current orientation (downward direction) and the state information of the adjacent seat 3 (seat 3b=upward direction). Here, as in T22, it is determined that rotation is not necessary, and rotation is not performed (T30). In the seat 3b, information on the direction of rotation (downward direction), its own current orientation (during rotation), and status information of the adjacent seat 3 (seat 3a = downward direction, rotation completed, seat 3c = downward direction, rotation completed). It is determined whether or not the rotation is possible based on the above. Here, since the determination result at T23 is received and the rotation is in progress, the rotation is continued as it is (T31).

At the seat 3c, rotation direction information (downward direction), its current orientation (downward direction), and status information of the adjacent seat 3 (seat 3b=rotating, seat 3d=rotating) are used to determine the direction of rotation. Judge whether or not it is possible. Here, as in T24, it is determined that rotation is not necessary, and rotation is not performed (T32). The seat 3d determines whether it can rotate based on the rotation direction information (downward direction), its own current orientation (rotating), and the status information of the adjacent seat 3 (seat 3c = downward direction, rotation completed). do. Here, since it is in the middle of rotation due to the determination result at T23, the rotation is continued as it is (T33).

Next, the seat 3a receives the determination result at T30 and multicasts the status information (down direction, end of rotation) to the other seats 3b to 3d (T34). The seat 3b receives the determination result at T31 and multicasts the status information (down direction, end of rotation) to the other seats 3a, 3c, and 3d (T35). At the seat 3c, in response to the determination result at T32, status information (down direction, end of rotation) is multicast to the other seats 3a, 3b, and 3d (T36). At the seat 3d, in response to the determination result at T33, status information (down direction, end of rotation) is multicast to the other seats 3a to 3c (T37).

Next, the seat 3a determines whether or not it can rotate based on its current orientation (downward direction) and the state information of the adjacent seat 3 (seat 3b=upward direction, rotation completed). Here, as in T30, it is determined that rotation is not necessary, and rotation is not performed (T38). In the seat 3b, the rotation direction information (downward direction), its own current orientation (downward direction), and the state information of the adjacent seat 3 (seat 3a = downward direction, rotation end, seat 3c = downward direction, rotation end). It is determined whether or not the rotation is possible based on the above. Here, since the rotation direction information and the current orientation match, it is determined that rotation is unnecessary, and rotation is not performed (T39).

In the seat 3c, the rotation direction information (downward direction), its current orientation (downward direction), and the orientation of the adjacent seat 3 (seat 3b = downward direction, rotation end, seat 3d = downward direction, rotation end). Based on this, it is determined whether the rotation is possible. Here, as in T32, it is determined that rotation is not necessary, and rotation is not performed (T40). The seat 3d determines whether it can rotate based on the rotation direction information (downward direction), its own current orientation (downward direction), and the orientation of the adjacent seat 3 (seat 3c = downward direction, rotation end). . Here, since the rotation direction information and the current orientation match, it is determined that rotation is unnecessary, and rotation is not performed (T41). Thus, the downward rotation of the seats 3a to 3c is completed.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart showing the operation of the control section 32. As shown in FIG. First, a rotation command is input by setting the rotation direction in the rotation direction setting 36 (S1). Then, the control unit 32 controls the light emitting unit 34 to transmit the rotation direction information including the rotation command to the other seats 3, and transmits the information as infrared light to the interior lamp 2 with communication function (S2).

Further, when the rotation direction is not set by the rotation direction setting unit 36, the control unit 32 acquires the rotation direction information from the interior lamp 2 with communication function through visible light communication via the light receiving unit 31 (S3).

After acquiring the rotation direction information (rotation command), the control unit 32 acquires the state information of the own seat and the front and rear seats (S4). The state of the user's own seat is acquired from the detection result of the detection unit 35 . The state information of the front and rear seats is acquired from the state information transmitted from the interior lamp 2 with communication function. The front and rear seats may be identified from the sender's address, for example, as described above.

Next, the control unit 32 confirms the state of the user's seat (S5). If the state of the user's seat (orientation of the seat) is the same as the rotation direction information, the process ends without rotating. If the state of the own seat (orientation of the seat) is different from the rotation direction information, or if the seat is rotating, the states of the front and rear seats are confirmed (S6).

If the seat is rotatable as a result of S6, the controller 32 controls the control motor 33 to rotate the seat (S7). On the other hand, if the result of S6 is that rotation is not possible, the control unit 32 stops rotation of the seat (S8). That is, the control unit 32 determines whether or not the seat 3 can be rotated based on the state of the seat detected by the detection unit 35 and the state of other seats received by the light receiving unit 31, and determines that the seat 3 can be rotated. , it functions as a control unit that drives the control motor 33 to rotate the seat.

Here, the non-rotatable state means that the front seat or rear seat is rotating, the front seat or rear seat table is not retracted, the front seat or rear seat leg rest is not retracted, and the front seat or rear seat is not reclining. Examples include unstorage, detection of sitting in the front or rear seats, detection of luggage at the front or rear seats, total number of rotating seats exceeding the specified number, and so on. The specified total number of rotating seats is a number set by the upper limit of the current supplied to the control motor 33 .

After executing S7 or S8, S4 is executed again to acquire the state information of the own seat and the seats in front and behind. After that, the direction is the same as the rotation direction information, and the process is repeated until the end.

According to this embodiment, the seat control device 30 includes a detector 35 for detecting the state of the seat 3, a light emitting unit 34 for transmitting the state of the seat 3 to the front and rear seats 3, and state information from the front and rear seats 3. Based on the received light receiving unit 31, the state of the seat 3 detected by the detecting unit 35, and the state information of the front and rear seats 3 received by the light receiving unit 31, it is determined whether the seat 3 can be rotated, and rotation is possible. and a control unit 32 that drives the control motor 33 to rotate the seat 3 when it is determined. By doing so, the seat 3 itself detects the state of the seat 3 and rotates, so that it is possible to simplify the confirmation work by manpower and rotate the seat 3 while reducing the burden of the confirmation work by manpower. can be made

Further, when the front and rear seats 3 are rotating based on the state of the front and rear seats 3 received by the light receiving unit 31, the control unit 32 determines that the front and rear seats 3 are rotating and the seat 3 is rotating. Rotation can be prevented if there is a possibility that they will come into contact with each other.

Further, since the detection unit 35 detects the orientation of the seat 3, it is possible to rotate only the seat 3 that needs to be rotated without rotating the seat 3 that has already been oriented in the specified direction. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the power consumed during rotation, and it is possible to shorten the time required for rotating the plurality of seats 3 .

Further, since the detection unit 35 detects the reclining state of the seat 3, the leg rest, and the state of the table, they can be rotated only when they are in the return position. In addition, since it is possible to check whether there is a load at the feet of the seat 3 or whether the seat is occupied, the seat 3 can be prevented from rotating when these states are detected.

In addition, since the control unit 32 determines whether or not rotation is necessary based on the rotation direction information and the state information of the plurality of seats 3, it is possible to automatically change the arrangement so that all the seats face the direction of travel, for example.

In addition, since the seats 3 are configured to perform wireless communication, it is possible to reduce the number of wires connecting a plurality of seats. Since the seat 3 performs visible light communication, unlike wireless communication using radio waves, it is possible to reduce the possibility of radiation to the outside of the vehicle or to adjacent vehicles, thereby preventing inappropriate access from the outside of the vehicle or the like. Appropriate security measures can be taken. In addition, since the sensitivity of radio waves may change depending on the receiving position in the passenger compartment, it is unnecessary to take measures for sensitivity.

Furthermore, since the interior lamp 2 with a communication function is a lighting device installed in the interior of the railway vehicle, the lighting device can also function as a communication device, and a space for installing a device dedicated to communication is not required. Costs for adding such devices can be reduced.

In the above-described embodiment, communication between the seats 3 is performed using the interior light 2 with communication function as a relay, but communication may be performed directly between the seats 3 . In other words, the present invention also includes a device that indirectly obtains the states of the front and rear seats, such as a repeater such as the interior light 2 with a communication function.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the control unit 32 determines that rotation is not possible (waiting for rotation) when the front and rear seats 3 are rotating, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, even when the front and rear seats 3 are out of order or unable to rotate, it may be determined that the own seat cannot rotate. This is because, for example, if the reclining and legrests of the front and rear seats do not return to their return positions due to failure, the rotation of the own seat may contact the backrests and legrests of the front and rear seats. In other words, if the state information includes information indicating a failure or impossibility of rotation, the rotation may be disabled.

Also, in the above-described embodiment, the orientation of the seat is essential, but it is not limited to this. For example, if there is information about the state of the movable members of the seat and information about the detection of objects around the seat, it is possible to determine whether or not at least the seat and the seats in front and behind it are in a rotatable state.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. That is, those skilled in the art can carry out various modifications according to conventionally known knowledge without departing from the gist of the present invention. As long as the configuration of the seat control device of the present invention is still provided even with such modification, it is, of course, included in the scope of the present invention.

2 Interior light with communication function 3 Seat 30 Seat control device 31 Light receiving unit (receiving unit)
32 control unit (wireless communication device)
33 control motor (rotation drive unit)
34 light emitting unit (transmitting unit, wireless communication device)
35 detector

Claims (7)

A seat control device for a seat that is installed in the interior of a mobile body and rotated by a rotary drive unit,
a detection unit that detects the state of the seat;
a transmission unit that transmits the state of the seat to other seats;
a receiving unit that receives the state of the seat from the other seat;
Based on the state of the seat detected by the detecting unit and the state of the other seat received by the receiving unit, it is determined whether the seat can be rotated, and if it is determined that the seat can be rotated, the seat can be rotated. a control unit that drives a driving unit to rotate the seat;
A seat control device comprising: 2. The seat control device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit determines that rotation is impossible when a front seat or a rear seat is rotating based on the states of the other seats received by the receiving unit. . 3. The seat according to claim 1, wherein the detector detects at least one of the orientation of the seat, the state of movable members of the seat, and objects around the seat as the state of the seat. Control device. An acquisition unit that acquires information about the arrangement of the seats,
The control unit determines whether or not to allow rotation based on information regarding the arrangement of the seats and the state of the seats.
The seat control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: 5. The seat control device according to claim 4, wherein the transmission unit transmits the information regarding the arrangement of the seats acquired by the acquisition unit to front and rear seats. The seat control device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the transmitting section and the receiving section are configured by wireless communication devices. 7. The seat control device according to claim 6, wherein the wireless communication device performs visible light communication.

Images