JP7438003B2 - seat control system - Google Patents

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to seat control systems.

Some vehicle seats installed in automobiles and the like are equipped with a sliding mechanism that uses a drive motor to slide the seat back and forth, a reclining mechanism that adjusts the inclination angle of the backrest, and the like. Further, Patent Document 1 discloses a vehicle seat drive device that can adjust the posture of not only the seat of the user but also the posture of other seats.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2010-234981

However, in the vehicle seat drive device described in Patent Document 1, it is necessary to select each seat one by one and set the seat state of each seat, which not only takes time but also completes the operation. It will take time to do so.
An object of the present invention is to provide a seat control system that can easily adjust the states of a plurality of seats in a short time.

Other objects and novel features will become apparent from the description of this specification and the accompanying drawings.

A brief overview of typical aspects of the present invention is as follows.

That is, the seat control system includes a plurality of seats. Each of the seats includes a condition adjustment mechanism that adjusts the condition of the seat, a motor that drives the condition adjustment mechanism, and a control device that controls the seat. Further, the control device includes a motor control section that controls the motor, and a communication section that communicates with the control devices of other seats. The communication unit in the driver's seat is capable of communicating with a wireless terminal owned by a passenger or a vehicle ECU, and is capable of communicating with a plurality of predetermined combinations of states of each seat displayed on a screen on a wireless terminal or a display unit of the vehicle. When one mode is selected from among the modes, the communication unit of the driver 's seat collectively transmits a signal instructing the communication units of a plurality of seats to enter a predetermined state. . The plurality of modes include a mode in which at least one sheet is in a different state from other sheets.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a seat control system that can easily adjust the states of a plurality of seats in a short time.

FIG. 1 is a side view showing the overall structure of a vehicle seat according to an embodiment. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a seat control system according to an embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a seat state mode selection screen on a smartphone owned by a passenger in a driver's seat. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a seat state individual setting screen on a smartphone owned by a passenger in a driver's seat. 2 is a flowchart showing specific processing performed by a seat ECU in a passenger seat.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

The disclosure is just an example, and the drawings may schematically represent the width, thickness, shape, etc. of each part compared to the actual aspect in order to make the explanation clearer, but this is just an example. However, it is not intended to limit the interpretation of the present invention. In addition, in this specification and each figure, the same elements as those described above with respect to the previously shown figures are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed explanations may be omitted as appropriate. In addition, in the following explanation, unless otherwise specified, front, rear, top, bottom, left, and right mean the front, rear, top, bottom, left, and right of the vehicle. . In the following, a case where the front left seat is the driver's seat will be described as an example.

FIG. 1 is a side view showing the overall structure of a vehicle seat 1 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle seat 1 of the present embodiment includes a seat cushion 2, a seat back 3 that is tiltable with respect to the seat cushion 2, and a headrest 4 attached to the upper end of the seat back 3. , a condition adjustment mechanism that adjusts the condition of the seat, and an electronic control unit (ECU) that controls the seat. Here, the condition adjustment mechanism of this embodiment includes a reclining mechanism 6 that can adjust the inclination angle of the seat back 3, a slide mechanism 5 that can adjust the front and back position of the seat cushion 2, and a height adjustment mechanism of the seat cushion 2. lifter mechanism, etc. Note that each condition adjustment mechanism is configured to be driven by the motor 10.

Note that the seat cushion 2 is constructed by attaching a cushion pad made of a cushioning material such as urethane to a cushion frame, and then covering the cushion pad with a skin material made of synthetic leather, fabric, or the like. The seat back 3 is also constructed by attaching a back pad made of a cushioning material to a back frame, and covering the back pad with a skin material.

The seat control system according to this embodiment includes a plurality of the vehicle seats 1 described above, and collectively controls the states of these vehicle seats 1. Hereinafter, the present embodiment will be described using an example in which the vehicle seat 1 including the reclining mechanism 6 and the sliding mechanism 5 has two seats in the front and two seats in the rear.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the seat control system according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2, each vehicle seat 1 includes a seat ECU 7, a motor 10, and a condition adjustment mechanism. Further, the seat ECU 7 includes a motor control section 9 and a communication section 8. Here, the motor control unit 9 controls the motor 10 that drives the condition adjustment mechanism, and specifically controls the motor that drives the reclining mechanism 6 and the motor that drives the slide mechanism 5. The communication unit 8 communicates with the seat ECU 7 of another vehicle seat 1. At least, the communication unit 8a of the seat ECU 7a in the driver's seat is capable of communicating with the communication units 8 of all the seat ECUs 7 in the passenger seat, left rear seat, and right rear seat. Note that the communication method may be wired or wireless, but wireless, which does not require a communication line, is preferable.

Further, the communication unit 8 of each seat ECU 7 is connected to the vehicle ECU 13 by, for example, CAN communication, so that commands from the vehicle ECU 13 can be directly transmitted to each seat ECU 7. Furthermore, the communication unit 8 of each seat ECU 7 is connected to an occupant wireless terminal 12 such as a smartphone owned by the occupant by short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) or wired communication, and receives commands from the occupant wireless terminal 12. can be directly transmitted to each seat ECU 7.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a seat state mode selection screen on a smartphone owned by a passenger in the driver's seat. As shown in FIG. 3, a plurality of modes are registered in advance as combinations of the states of each sheet. For example, each sheet state mode is as follows. Seat state mode 1 is during normal operation, and all seats are in the standard state. Seat state mode 2 is a state in which only the passenger seat's seat cushion 2 slides rearward, and seat state mode 3 is a state in which only the passenger seat's seat cushion 2 slides rearward and the seat back 3 reclines rearward. In seat state mode 4, the passenger seat is the same as seat state mode 3, and the two rear seats are in a state in which the seat cushion 2 slides rearward and the seat back 3 reclines rearward. Seat state mode 5 is during automatic operation, and is a state in which the seat cushion 2 slides rearward and the seat back 3 reclines rearward for all seats. Seat state mode 6 is a state in which the seat cushion 2 slides rearward and the seat back 3 reclines rearward for only the driver and passenger seats so that the front can be easily seen from the rear seats during automatic driving.

When the occupant in the driver's seat selects a desired mode from among these plurality of modes, the seat ECU 7a in the driver's seat controls the motor 10a to bring the driver's seat into a predetermined state, and the driver's seat ECU 7a also controls communication with the driver's seat ECU 7a. The unit 8a collectively transmits a signal instructing the communication units 8 of the other three seat ECUs 7 to enter a predetermined state. For example, when seat state mode 6 is selected, the driver's seat ECU 7a sends a signal that instructs the driver's seat to slide rearward and recline rearward, and also to slide the passenger seat rearward and recline rearward. Send in bulk. This signal is sent not only to the passenger seat but also to the seat ECUs 7 of the left rear seat and the right rear seat, and the seat ECUs 7 of these three seats determine whether the received signal includes a command for themselves or not. Determine. Then, the seat ECU 7b in the passenger seat determines that the received signal includes a command to itself, and slides its own seat rearward via the motor control unit 9b to recline it rearward.

In this way, the seat ECU 7a of the driver's seat transmits the same command to the seat ECUs 7 of all other seats at once, and the seat ECU 7 on the receiving side selects whether the command is necessary or not. The load on the seat ECU 7a in the driver's seat can be reduced. In addition, the driver's seat passenger can simply select from among multiple pre-registered modes, making it possible to adjust the conditions of all seats in a short time and without any effort. There is. The types of modes that are registered in advance can be added or changed by the passenger, and modes other than those that are frequently used can be deleted.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a seat state individual setting screen on a smartphone owned by a passenger in the driver's seat. On this screen, when the sheet you want to set is selected, the state of that sheet can be adjusted individually. In FIG. 4, the driver's seat is selected, and the current state of the seat and the orientation that can be adjusted by each state adjustment mechanism are displayed. The inclination angle of the seat back 3, the longitudinal position of the seat cushion 2, etc. are adjusted by the occupant in the driver's seat operating the arrows of each condition adjustment mechanism.

At this time, each time the setting of one seat is completed, a command is transmitted from the seat ECU 7a of the driver's seat to all the seat ECUs 7, and the corresponding seat ECU 7 adjusts the state of the seat. Note that the seat ECU 7a in the driver's seat may not transmit the command when the settings for one seat are completed, but may transmit the command only after the settings for all seats are completed.

In the above example, the seat state is set using a smartphone owned by the passenger in the driver's seat, but the seat state may be set using other methods. For example, the driver's seat is provided with an operation section that can adjust the state of the seats including other seats, and based on the operation of this operation section, the seat ECU 7a of the driver's seat sends a command to all the seat ECUs 7. You may also do this.

Further, screens such as those shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 may be displayed on a display unit such as a car navigation system or an instrument panel of a vehicle to allow modes and individual settings to be made. In this case, there are two possible methods for transmitting signals to each seat ECU 7.

In the first method, the vehicle ECU 13 individually transmits direct commands to the communication unit 8 of the applicable seat ECU 7 through CAN communication etc., and the motor control unit 9 of the applicable seat ECU 7 responds to the received command. The motor 10 is controlled based on this. In the second method, the vehicle ECU 13 transmits a command to the seat ECU 7a in the driver's seat through CAN communication or the like, and the seat ECU 7a in the driver's seat collectively transmits commands to the seat ECUs 7 in other seats. It is. Here, as in the above example, if the occupant in the driver's seat has a function that allows the passenger to set the seat state using a smartphone, communication between the seat ECU 7a of the driver's seat and the seat ECU 7 of the other seats is already established. Since it is well established, it is preferable to adopt the second method.

Furthermore, the occupants of each seat may be able to adjust the state of their own seats by operating their own smartphones. Note that it is desirable that the seat ECU 7a in the driver's seat cannot be accessed unless a predetermined authentication using a password or the like is performed. This is to prevent the state of the driver's seat from being changed without permission by the smartphone of a passenger sitting in another seat while driving.

Note that even if the communication unit 8a of the driver's seat transmits a signal instructing the communication units 8 of multiple seats to enter a predetermined state at once, multiple seats may start operating at the same time. Not necessarily. In other words, when both the front and rear seats are operated, the rear seat condition adjustment mechanism is driven first, and then the rear seat condition adjustment mechanism is driven, so that the occupant seated in the rear seat is not affected. It is desirable to avoid giving a feeling of being cramped.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing specific processing performed by the passenger seat ECU 7b. Here, the description will be given using the passenger seat ECU 7b as an example, but the same applies to other seat ECUs 7.

First, the passenger seat ECU 7b determines whether an overall command from the vehicle ECU 13 by the car navigation system or the like has been received via the driver seat seat ECU 7a (step S101). If received, the passenger seat ECU 7b determines whether a command to the passenger seat is included (step S102). If the command to the passenger seat is included, the seat ECU 7b of the passenger seat controls the motor 10b to adjust the seat to a predetermined state using the state adjustment mechanism (step S103).

If there is no general command in step S101 and if there is no command to the passenger seat in step S102, the passenger seat seat ECU 7b determines whether or not an individual command from the vehicle ECU 13 has been directly received (step S104). ). When there is an individual command to the passenger seat, the seat ECU 7b of the passenger seat controls the motor 10b to adjust the seat to a predetermined state by the state adjustment mechanism (step S105).

If there is no individual command to the passenger seat in step S104, the passenger seat seat ECU 7b determines whether or not a command has been received from the driver seat seat ECU 7a through the operation of the smartphone owned by the driver seat occupant ( Step S106). If received, the passenger seat ECU 7b determines whether a command to the passenger seat is included (step S107). If the command to the passenger seat is included, the seat ECU 7b of the passenger seat controls the motor 10b to adjust the seat to a predetermined state using the state adjustment mechanism (step S108).

If there is no command from the driver's seat ECU 7a in step S106 and if there is no command to the passenger seat in step S107, the passenger seat ECU 7b receives the command from the passenger's smartphone. It is determined whether or not there is one (step S109). When there is a command from the smartphone, the passenger seat ECU 7b controls the motor 10b to adjust the seat to a predetermined state using the state adjustment mechanism (step S110).

If there is no command from the smartphone in step S109, there is no command to the passenger seat, so the passenger seat seat ECU 7b does not control the motor 10b (step S111). Note that the seat ECU 7b in the passenger seat may control the motor based not only on the smartphone of the passenger in the passenger seat but also on an operation unit provided in the passenger seat. It should be noted that it is not possible to adjust the seat conditions of other seats using the front passenger's smartphone or the front passenger's seat operation panel.

Although the invention made by the present inventor has been specifically explained based on the embodiments above, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments and can be modified in various ways. For example, in the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the slide mechanism 5 and the reclining mechanism 6 are controlled by the motor 10 as the condition adjustment mechanism, but a lifter mechanism or the like may be controlled by the motor 10.

1: Vehicle seat 2: Seat cushion 3: Seat back 4: Headrest 5: Slide mechanism 6: Reclining mechanism 7: Seat ECU
8: Communication unit 9: Motor control unit 10: Motor 11: Condition adjustment mechanism 12: Passenger radio terminal 13: Vehicle ECU

Claims (4)

Equipped with multiple seats,
Each of the seats includes a state adjustment mechanism that adjusts the state of the seat, a motor that drives the state adjustment mechanism, and a control device that controls the seat,
The control device includes a motor control unit that controls the motor, and a communication unit that communicates with the control device of another seat,
The communication unit in the driver's seat is capable of communicating with a wireless terminal owned by a passenger or a vehicle ECU,
When one mode is selected from a plurality of modes predetermined as combinations of the states of each seat displayed on the screen of the wireless terminal or the display of the vehicle,
The communication unit of the driver 's seat collectively transmits a signal instructing the communication units of a plurality of seats to be in a predetermined state ,
The plurality of modes include a mode in which at least one seat is in a different state from other seats . The seat control system according to claim 1,
The communication unit of the plurality of seats is connected to a vehicle ECU, and the motor control unit of each seat controls the motor based on a direct command received from the vehicle ECU. . The seat control system according to claim 1,
The communication units of the plurality of seats are capable of communicating with wireless terminals owned by occupants, and the motor control units of each of the seats control the motors based on direct commands received from the wireless terminals. , seat control system. The seat control system according to claim 1,
A seat control system in which, among a plurality of seats that have received a signal, the condition adjustment mechanism of a rear seat is driven, and then the condition adjustment mechanism of a front seat is driven.

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