KR20230000294A - Vehicle seat with posture correction function and its control method - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a vehicle seat with a posture correction function and a control method thereof. The vehicle seat with a posture correction function comprises: a backrest part which has a left backrest portion where the user's back is placed and a right backrest portion; a pressure sensing part which detects the pressure applied to the left seat portion and the pressure applied to the right seat portion, respectively; an adjustment part which operates the backrest part; and a control part which controls the operation of the adjustment part based on the pressure detected by the pressure sensing part. The control part compares the pressure of the left backrest portion detected by the pressure sensing part with the pressure of the right backrest portion, and when there is a difference in pressure, derives an adjustment value so that the difference in pressure becomes less than the current difference, and adjusts the protrusion height of the left backrest portion and the protrusion height of the right backrest portion by the adjustment part according to the derived adjustment value. Therefore, the vehicle seat with a posture correction function and the control method thereof can prevent accidents that may occur due to the driver's posture correction during driving.

Description

Vehicle seat with posture correction function and its control method {Vehicle seat with posture correction function and its control method}

The present invention relates to a vehicle seat having a posture correcting function, and more particularly, to a vehicle seat capable of correcting the posture of an occupant and alleviating or preventing symptoms of scoliosis by adjusting the seat back of the vehicle seat on which the occupant is seated. It is about.

Vehicles are an essential means in daily life, and recently, due to changes in social conditions such as the advancement of leisure culture such as travel and the increase in commuting distance due to urbanization, the number of cases where a significant amount of time is spent sitting inside a vehicle has increased significantly compared to the past. .

When boarding a vehicle, an occupant usually sits on a vehicle seat and moves. The interior space of the vehicle is narrow, and in particular, in the case of a driver, the body movement is greatly restricted because the driver must concentrate on driving.

In addition, the driver manipulates the steering wheel while driving. If the driver manipulates the steering wheel with one hand repeatedly, the posture of the body tilts due to the one-sidedness of the posture, and pressure is applied to the spine.

Furthermore, the driver manipulates not only the steering wheel but also various peripheral devices such as the vehicle's air conditioner, navigation, and infotainment system. Since the peripheral devices are generally located between the driver's seat and the passenger seat, the driver has no choice but to lean in to operate them. , In this case, too, pressure is applied to the spine due to the unilateral posture.

When repetitive or long-term driving continues, the pressure on the spine due to the inclination of the posture as described above cannot but be continuously repeated. As a result, the driver's spine curves in one direction, and pain occurs .

In addition, the tilted posture as described above causes a difference in the tension of the back muscles on the left and right sides of the spine, causing pain and muscle tension, causing back pain and pelvic pain, and stiffness of the thigh muscles and neck pain.

Furthermore, if these symptoms become severe, it can lead to a serious situation that can progress to degenerative changes such as scoliosis.

In order to solve this problem, conventionally, various ergonomic chairs have been developed and used to induce the correct posture of the seated person, and among these prior arts, the applicant's invention is also included (Prior Art Document 2).

In the prior art, chairs in which the backrest is separated into left and right sides or chairs in which the backrest is separated up and down to separate the lumbar region and the back have been developed.

However, the above conventional techniques only improve the shape or structure of the backrest, and when the driver's posture is tilted or twisted, there is a problem in that the difference in tension applied disproportionately to the left and right back muscles cannot be resolved.

In addition, the prior art is a general indoor chair, and is effective for posture correction in an environment where a seated person can get up and change posture at any time when they feel uncomfortable in the spine in a sitting posture, or can freely move and change a tilted or twisted posture. In the above-mentioned vehicle environment, movement is greatly restricted, so it cannot be applied to vehicles, and even if the seated person feels uncomfortable, there is a problem that the posture of the seated person cannot be effectively corrected.

Document 1. Korean Intellectual Property Office, Patent Application No. 10-2019-0128249, "Chair Back with Adjustable Lumbar Support Device" Document 2. Korean Intellectual Property Office, Patent Application No. 10-2017-0143833, "Posture Correction Chair"

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and when the occupant sits on a vehicle seat, the posture of the occupant detects an inclination to one side, corrects and maintains the correct posture so as to minimize it, thereby improving the spine. It is an object of the present invention to provide a vehicle seat having a posture correction function capable of alleviating or preventing scoliosis symptoms and further preventing the progression of degenerative diseases such as scoliosis or pelvic rotation.

In order to achieve the above object, a vehicle seat having a posture correction function according to the present invention includes a seat back portion including a left back portion on which a left portion of a seated person is seated and a right back portion on which a right portion thereof is seated, and the left back portion. Based on the pressure sensed by the pressure sensor for detecting the applied pressure and the pressure applied to the right backrest, the control unit for adjusting the protruding heights of the left and right backrests, respectively, and the pressure detected by the pressure sensor It may include a control unit for controlling the operation of the control unit.

Here, the controller compares the pressure of the left backrest and the pressure of the right backrest detected by the pressure sensing unit, and when there is a difference in pressure, derives a first adjustment value that makes the difference in pressure lower than the current one, The protruding height of the left backrest and the protruding height of the right backrest may be respectively adjusted by the adjusting unit according to the first adjustment value.

In addition, after the protruding height of the seat back portion is adjusted by the first adjustment value, the control unit compares the pressure of the left back portion and the pressure of the right back portion detected by the pressure sensor, and if there is a difference in pressure, the A second adjustment value that makes the difference in pressure lower than the current value is derived, and the protrusion height of the left backrest and the right backrest may be respectively adjusted by the adjustment unit according to the second adjustment value.

Here, two or more adjusting units are provided, and each of the protruding heights of the backrest portion corresponding to the portion detected by the pressure sensing unit may be adjusted.

In addition, the pressure sensing unit may detect the pressure of the seat back when the transmission of the vehicle is in a driving mode and the seat belt is worn.

In addition, the control unit updates the first adjustment value to the second adjustment value when the transmission of the vehicle is in a parking mode and a seat belt is not worn, and according to the updated second adjustment value, the control unit adjusts the The protruding height of the left backrest and the protruding height of the right backrest may be respectively adjusted.

In addition, the control unit may display a notification to the occupant when pressure is not sensed for a predetermined time by some of the pressure sensing units.

On the other hand, a method for controlling a vehicle seat according to the present invention includes the steps of identifying a seated occupant, adjusting the protruding heights of the left backrest and the right backrest by the adjusting unit according to a first adjustment value, respectively, and the left backrest. Detecting the pressure applied to and the pressure applied to the right backrest, respectively, comparing the pressure of the left backrest and the pressure of the right backrest detected in the above step, and if there is a difference in pressure, the difference in pressure is greater than the current It may include deriving a second adjustment value to be lowered, and updating the first adjustment value to the second adjustment value.

The vehicle seat having a posture correction function according to the present invention as described above detects a difference in pressure applied to the back of the left and right sides of the spine when the driver sits on the vehicle seat, and the left side of the seat back so that the difference in pressure can be reduced. By adjusting the protruding height of the right backrest, the posture of the seated person is correctly corrected, reducing or preventing pain in the spine and pelvis caused by riding in a vehicle, as well as preventing degenerative diseases such as scoliosis or pelvic rotation. It has a preventive effect.

In addition, by monitoring the posture of the occupant, so that the occupant can be corrected in the correct posture optimized for the current condition whenever the occupant gets into the vehicle, the occupant can continuously correct the occupant to an appropriate posture even when the occupant's condition changes. It works.

In addition, by detecting whether you are currently driving and operating the seat back for posture correction only when you are not driving, safety accidents that may occur due to the driver's posture correction while driving can be prevented by not interfering with the driver's driving. There is an effect.

1 is a view showing an X-ray photograph taken from the front of the spine and pelvis of the human body;
2 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of an embodiment of a vehicle seat according to the present invention;
3 is a view showing the components inside the vehicle seat according to the present invention actually installed inside the vehicle;
4 is a view showing an X-Ray picture of an occupant seated on a vehicle seat according to the present invention;
5 is a view showing cross-sections before and after adjustment of the adjuster according to each position of the seated person's back;
6 is a view showing X-ray photographs taken from the front of the seated person's spine state before and after using the vehicle seat according to the present invention;
7 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a second embodiment of a vehicle seat according to the present invention;
8 is a flow chart showing a posture correction method by a vehicle seat according to the present invention in order.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to a preferred embodiment of a vehicle seat having a posture correcting function according to the present invention and accompanying drawings, but the same reference numerals in the drawings will be described on the premise that they refer to the same components.

When it is said that any one component "includes" another component in the detailed description of the invention or in the claims, it is not construed as being limited to the component alone unless otherwise stated, and other components are not included. It should be understood that more can be included.

Hereinafter, an example in which a vehicle seat having a posture correcting function according to the present invention is implemented will be described through specific embodiments.

The central part of the human skeleton is the spine and the pelvis, and the spine is composed of the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar vertebrae, and the pelvis is connected to the lower end of the spine.

1 is an X-ray picture taken from the front of the spine and pelvis of the human body, the left picture is a picture showing the entire spine and pelvis, and the right picture is an enlarged picture of parts A and B on the left side, respectively. .

Part A in FIG. 1 corresponds to the 2nd cervical vertebra (dentate, Dens), and part B corresponds to the 5th lumbar vertebra (posterior process, spinous process). It is normal for it to appear as a straight line with no gaps.

In addition, L2 is a line connecting the iliac crest, which is the upper part of the ilium (hipbone) constituting the pelvis, and represents the height of the left and right iliac crests. It is normal for the iliac crests to appear at the same height and the angle L2 makes with the ground is 0 degrees.

Therefore, if you take a posture in which L1 is bent or L2 is inclined, strain on the spine or pelvis causes pain, and in severe cases, it may progress to degenerative diseases such as scoliosis or pelvic distortion, Being able to consistently take the right posture in life is a very important part of maintaining health.

A vehicle seat according to the present invention is intended to correct a driver's correct posture when riding in a vehicle, and may include the following configurations.

2 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of an embodiment of a vehicle seat 100 according to the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a view showing the internal components of the vehicle seat 100 according to the present invention actually installed inside the vehicle. 3 (a) shows a view from the side and (b) shows a view from the front.

The vehicle seat 100 according to the present invention is largely composed of a back seat on which the seated person leans his back and a seated seat on which the seated person's buttocks are seated. The control unit 130 is provided, and the control unit 140, which may be provided separately inside or outside the back seat, is connected to the vehicle internal communication network 400 to control driving of the seat back 110.

The seat back part 110 is provided on the outermost side and is a part in direct contact with the seated person's back. It is configured to include a right backrest portion 112 to be seated.

A pressure sensor 120 for detecting and measuring the pressure applied to the seat back portion 110 is provided inside the seat back portion 110 .

Since the pressure sensor 120 is located inside the left backrest 111 and the right backrest 112, respectively, when a seated person leans his back against the seat backrest 110, the left backrest 111 ) and the pressure applied to the right backrest 112 can be sensed and measured.

It is preferable that the pressure sensing unit 120 is composed of a flat pressure sensor or pressure sensor capable of detecting the pressure applied to each unit area on a plane divided into unit areas.

The adjusting unit 130 allows each part of the left and right backrests 111 and 112 to protrude toward the seated person's back, and adjusts the protruding height of each part of the left and right backrests 111 and 112. let it be

Here, when the seated person leans his back against the seat back part 110 and the left and right back parts are seated on the left and right back parts 111 and 112, respectively, the left and right back parts 111 along the spine in the longitudinal direction. , 112), as shown in FIG. 3, the left and right backrests 111 and 112 can be adjusted according to the height of the back, so that the control unit 130 is provided with a pair of left and right two pieces. It is preferable that the above pairs are arranged in the longitudinal direction.

In addition, as shown in (a) of FIG. 3, the adjusting parts 130 are arranged parallel to the angle formed by the seat back part 110 with the ground surface, or arranged at an angle within a predetermined range, so that seating It is desirable to be able to arrange according to the curve of the ruler's back.

The control unit 130 can be a driving source capable of protruding driving, and can be implemented with a motor, which is a general driving source, and an air bladder that can provide comfort when sitting on a seat in consideration of the body being seated. ), etc., and in this embodiment, the control unit 130 is composed of an air bladder.

In the case where the control unit 130 is constituted by the air bladder, when air is injected into the air bladder and the volume expands, the seat back portion 110 of the corresponding portion where the air bladder is located protrudes, and on the contrary, air is discharged to increase the volume It is possible to adjust the protrusion height of each part of the seat back part 110 in such a way that the part of the seat back part 110 sinks when is reduced.

The control unit 140 compares the pressure values of the left and right backrests 111 and 112 detected by the pressure sensing unit 120 and, if there is a difference in pressure, adjusts the pressure difference so that the pressure difference is lower than the current value. A value is derived, and the adjustment unit 130 can control the protruding heights of the left and right backrests 111 and 112 according to the adjustment value.

The control unit 140 is composed of a separate module and is directly connected to the vehicle internal communication network 400 through a separate wire, or through OBD port (On-Board Diagnostics) provided in the vehicle and wired or wireless communication such as Bluetooth. may also be connected.

The in-vehicle communication network 400 is a communication network through which signals and data such as various devices, sensors, and ECUs of the vehicle are transmitted, and various communication standards such as CAN, MOST, and Ethernet can be used. In this embodiment, CAN (Controller Area Network) ) method.

CAN communication is a standard communication specification designed to allow microcontrollers or devices to communicate with each other without a host computer in a vehicle. When using this, the control unit 140 can directly extract vehicle status information from the CAN bus, and the control unit ( Data sent from 140) can be broadcasted to the CAN bus to control the vehicle seat.

The transmission device 200 and the seat belt 300 may be composed of the transmission device 200 and the seat belt 300 generally provided in a vehicle.

The shift device 200 and the seat belt are connected to the vehicle internal communication network 400 and broadcast information about a current state through the vehicle internal communication network 400 .

For example, in the case of a gearshift, information on which of D-Drive, R-Reverse, Parking (P-Park), and N-Neutral mode is currently in the vehicle's internal communication network 400 is broadcast in real time, and in the case of a seat belt, status information about whether each seat is wearing the seat belt 300 is broadcast.

Each part of the vehicle, such as the ECU connected to the in-vehicle communication network 400, identifies the broadcast status information, receives and processes necessary information, and since the controller 140 is also connected to the in-vehicle communication network 400, the By identifying and receiving the information, it is possible to identify the current state of the transmission 200 and the seat belt.

4 is a view showing an X-Ray picture of a seated person sitting on a vehicle seat according to the present invention.

(a) of FIG. 4 shows a state before the control unit 130 is operated immediately after the seated person is seated, and (b) shows a state after the control unit 130 is operated.

The seated person sits on the vehicle seat according to the present invention while seated on the seat back. The left back part is seated on the left back part 111 and the right back part is seated on the right seat part 112 centering on the spine. .

At this time, the left and right back parts apply pressure to the left and right backrest parts 111 and 112, respectively, and the pressure sensor 130 located right inside the seat back part detects each pressure applied to each part However, the seated person's sitting posture or scoliosis symptoms can be determined through the sensed pressure.

The pressure sensing unit 120 can detect the pressure applied to each unit area on a plane divided into unit areas. When the applied pressure is compared, and there is a difference in the sensed pressure, it may be determined that the spine is bent or the posture is tilted in the direction where the pressure is greater.

That is, if the detected part of the spine is bent to one side or the posture is tilted, the back part in the inclined direction exerts a greater pressure on the seat back.

If this condition is maintained without correction, it gradually gets worse. If the spine is already twisted, the degree of distortion becomes more severe, or even if the spine is not twisted, symptoms of the spine appear, causing severe pain in the spine and even in the pelvis and neck. And it can progress to degenerative diseases such as scoliosis.

In other words, since the inclination of the back is both a cause and a result of scoliosis symptoms, as a result, if the inclination of the back is alleviated, it is possible to naturally correct the correct posture, and the scoliosis phenomenon can be alleviated or prevented. .

Referring to FIG. 4(a), immediately after the seated person is seated, the pressure sensor 120 is in a state before the pressure is sensed, and each control unit 130 is not driven in any way. displayed as

When a seated person leans his or her back on the seat back after being seated, the pressure sensor 120 detects the amount of pressure applied to the seat back by each part of the seated person's back.

The controller 140 compares the pressure of the left backrest part 111 and the pressure of the right backrest part 112 detected by the pressure sensor 120, and if there is a difference in pressure, the pressure difference is the current pressure. Deriving an adjustment value that makes it lower.

Here, the magnitude of the compared pressure is compared with the left and right pressures at the position where the control unit 130 is provided as a pair on the left and right sides at the same height around the spine. Referring to (b) of FIG. 3, the pressures of the parts where the control unit 130 of the same height is located are compared for each height (h1 to h5), for example, of the parts 130a and 130a'. to compare pressure.

It is preferable that the pressure difference threshold value, which is the criterion for deriving the adjustment value, is within 10% of the difference value based on the larger pressure value, but it is not necessarily limited to within 10%, and the condition of the seated person or driving habit It may change according to circumstances.

In this embodiment, when the pressure difference between the two sides is within 10%, it is determined that there is no inclination of the back at the corresponding height.

When the pressure difference between the two sides is greater than a threshold value, the control unit 140 derives an adjustment value and adjusts the backrest portion at the corresponding position, protruding the backrest portion having the higher pressure.

This is because the spine of the corresponding part is bent in the direction of the back with high pressure, or the back of the corresponding part is tilted and leaning against the backrest. This is to relax the muscles to alleviate the curvature of the spine, or to correct the tilted state of the corresponding back to correct posture.

Referring to FIG. 4(b), in the present embodiment, the seated person's spine descends from top to bottom and is curved to the left from the h1 to the h3 portion, and is curved to the right from the h4 to the h5 portion.

In this case, since the corresponding back part is inclined according to the degree of bending of the spine in the bending direction, a greater pressure is applied to the left back part 111 than to the right back part 112 from the h1 part to the h3 part, and conversely, the h4 part From the part to h5, a greater pressure is applied to the right backrest 112 than to the left backrest 111.

Therefore, from the h1 part to the h3 part, the control parts 130a', 130b', 130c' located on the left backrest part 111 protrude, and on the contrary, from the h4 part to the h5 part, the control part located on the right backrest part 112 ( 130d, 130e) are projected.

This is shown in more detail in FIG. 5 showing a cross section along the respective positions h1 to h5.

Figure 5 (a) shows the state before and after adjusting the adjusting unit 130 of the cross section according to each position (h1 ~ h5), respectively, Figure 5 (b) shows the state of each cross section It shows the corresponding height position.

Referring to (b) of FIG. 5 , as described above, it can be seen that the seated person's spine is curved to the left from the h1 to the h3 portion and to the right from the h4 to the h5 portion as it descends from top to bottom.

Here, from h1 to h3, the angle of bending to the left gradually increases, and as it passes through h3, it begins to bend to the right, and from h4 to h5, the angle of bending to the right gradually increases.

As the bending angle of the spine increases, the inclination of the back of the seated person becomes severe when the seated person is seated, which will be explained through FIG. 5(a).

The left part of FIG. 5 (a) is the state before the adjustment of the control unit 130, and the back of the seated person extends left and right around the spine v from h1 to h3, which is a section in which the angle of curvature of the spine to the left becomes larger. It can be seen that the inclination angle of the ribs (r) constituting the skeleton of the part gradually increases toward the left (L).

On the other hand, it can be seen that the angle of inclination of the ribs (r) gradually increases toward the right (R) from h1 to h3, which is a section where the angle of bending to the right becomes larger.

As the angle of inclination increases, the backrest on the inclined side is subjected to greater pressure, so it is pushed in more.

At this time, the control unit 140 calculates an adjustment value for controlling the protruding height of the control unit of each part, and protrudes the control unit 130 of the pressed side by receiving a greater pressure as shown in the right side of FIG. 5 (a). (The protrusion direction of the protruding control part is indicated by an arrow at the bottom, which corresponds to 130a', 130b', 130c', 130d, and 130e from top to bottom in FIG. 4 (b), respectively) By pushing the part, it is possible to prevent or mitigate the tilt.

Although the above embodiment has described a state in which the seated person's spine is bent, as another embodiment, even if the seated person's spine is not bent, the seated person tilts his/her posture to one side to operate a steering wheel with one hand or to operate an in-vehicle device. The same applies in any situation.

The protruding height is determined by the adjustment value derived by the control unit 140. It is preferable that the value is derived at a height at which the current pressure on the side with the higher pressure increases by 5%, but is not necessarily limited to the above 5%. It may change depending on the situation, such as the condition or driving habits.

More specifically, when the corresponding backrest part protrudes due to the protrusion of the adjusting part 130, the pressure applied to the backrest part by the back part on the protruding side increases. An adjustment value is derived so that the control unit protrudes to a height that is 5% higher than the pressure value before the protrusion.

When the corresponding part of the backrest 111 or 112 on the high pressure side protrudes in this way, the pressure on the protruding side becomes larger at first, so the pressure difference between the left and right backrests 111 and 112 is instantaneously at first. However, since the left and right inclination of the corresponding back portion is alleviated or eliminated over time, the difference in pressure sensed between the left and right backrest portions 111 and 112 eventually disappears or decreases.

Through this, for a seated person with a curved spine, the back muscles on both sides are relaxed so that the symptoms of scoliosis can be alleviated, or the posture of the seated person tilted to one side is corrected.

However, since the above-mentioned one-time backrest height adjustment process cannot sufficiently alleviate scoliosis symptoms or correct posture, the above process must be repeatedly performed to correct and maintain an upright posture optimized for the seated person. .

In more detail through this embodiment, after protruding the backrest at the position corresponding to the corresponding back through the above process for the first time, by repeating the above process, the left and right backrests 112 at the detected positions (h1 to h5) ) Repeat the same process until the pressure difference is preferably within 10%.

However, the protruding height of the control unit 130 adjusted in the above process may vary each time, because the current pressure difference is reduced due to the protruding height adjustment in the previous process.

Therefore, the adjustment value derived by the control unit 140 also changes each time the above process is repeated. If the adjustment value derived in the previous process is referred to as the first adjustment value, the backrest 111 or 112 is adjusted by the first adjustment value. After protruding the corresponding part, the pressure of the left and right backrests 111 and 112 is detected and compared again through the repetition of the above process, and then the derived adjustment value is a second adjustment value different from the first adjustment value. It will be.

That is, after the backrest 111 or 112 is adjusted by the first adjustment value, it is necessary to detect a change in the pressure of the left and right backrests 111 and 112 in order to grasp the change in the state of the seated person. The pressure of the left and right backrests 111 and 112 is repeatedly sensed, and a second adjustment value to which the change is applied is newly derived.

Since this process is repeated until the difference in pressure between the left and right backrests 111 and 112 is smaller than the critical value, a seated person who has a severe scoliosis phenomenon or who continuously repeats an inclined posture is suitable for a vehicle according to the present invention. When sitting on a seat, the degree of scoliosis is gradually alleviated by adjusting the protruding height of the backrest, or an inclined posture is gradually corrected to a correct posture and maintained.

This effect can be seen through Figure 6, which is an X-ray photograph taken from the front of the seated person's spine before using the vehicle seat according to the present invention (left side) and after using it (right side).

In the left drawing of FIG. 6 , the bent angle is 15° at the position corresponding to h3 of the seated person's spine, but it can be seen that the bent angle is reduced to 7° at the same position in the right drawing.

That is, in this embodiment, as a result of eliminating or reducing the inclined angle of the seated person's back by protruding the corresponding parts of the backrests 111 and 112, it can be confirmed that the scoliosis phenomenon is greatly alleviated while the posture is corrected.

On the other hand, if the seated person's posture is tilted to a certain degree or more, a case may occur in which all or part of one back portion does not come into contact with the backrest portion.

In this case, the pressure is applied to the seated person's spine and pelvis with a much greater strength than when both back parts are in contact with the backrest, but since one back part does not contact the backrest, the part not in contact with the backrest is Since the pressure sensor 120 cannot detect the pressure, it is impossible to adjust the protruding height of the backrest.

In this case, it is necessary to give a notification to the seated person to adopt a posture in which both backs are in contact with the backrest.

Therefore, in this embodiment, the control unit 140 may display a notification to the occupant when pressure is not sensed for a predetermined period of time in some of the pressure sensing units 120 .

Here, it is preferable that the range of the part where the pressure is not detected, which is the criterion for generating the notification, is 20% or more of the entire area, but is not limited to the above value.

The displayed alarm is not limited in any way by which the occupant can perceive the notification, such as a visual alarm displayed on the display device in the vehicle, an audible alarm through the audio system, or a method of applying vibration to the vehicle seat occupants are seated.

On the other hand, in the case of a driver's vehicle seat, if the seat back 110 protrudes while driving, an unexpected posture change may occur during driving or a traffic accident may occur by disturbing the driver's concentration.

In order to prevent this, the vehicle seat according to the present invention detects the current state of the vehicle, monitors the driver's posture while driving, derives an adjustment value, and drives the backrest according to the adjustment value only when the driver is not driving. posture can be corrected.

To this end, the pressure sensor 120 senses the pressure of the seat back 110 when the vehicle transmission 200 is in a driving mode and the seat belt 300 is worn.

More specifically, as described above, the controller 140 may be connected to the in-vehicle communication network 400 and receive state information of each part of the vehicle broadcasted through the in-vehicle communication network 400, of which State information of the transmission 200 and state information of the seat belt 300 are recognized and received.

By analyzing the received state information of the transmission 200 and the seat belt 300 of the occupant, if the current state of the transmission 200 is in driving mode and the seat belt is worn, the control unit 140 determines the current state of the transmission 200. The driving state is determined, and the pressure of the left and right backrests 111 and 112 of the vehicle seat on which the driver is seated is sensed through the pressure sensor 120, and an adjustment value is derived.

Here, the control unit 140 only monitors the pressure value and derives the adjustment value while it is determined that the driving state is in operation, and does not adjust the protrusion height of the backrest unit 110 .

Meanwhile, the control unit 140 updates the first adjustment value to a second adjustment value when the transmission of the vehicle is in the parking mode and the seat belt 300 is not worn, and the controller 140 updates the second adjustment value according to the updated second adjustment value. The adjusting unit 130 adjusts the protruding heights of the left and right backrests 111 and 112, respectively.

More specifically, the control unit 140 analyzes the state information of the transmission 200 and seat belt 300 received from the vehicle internal communication network 400 and determines that the current state of the transmission is in parking mode. , If the seat belt 300 is not worn, the control unit 140 determines the current state as a non-driving state, and adjusts the protruding heights of the left and right backrests 111 and 112 through the control unit 130 with the derived adjustment value. make adjustments

Here, the final adjustment value for the adjustment of the protruding height of the left and right backrests 111 and 112 becomes the first adjustment value, and the finally performed protrusion height of the left and right backrests 111 and 112 After the adjustment, the adjustment value newly derived by the pressure values of the left and right backrests 111 and 112 sensed by the driver while driving becomes the second adjustment value.

Through this, even if the driver's current state changes according to the posture correction effect, it is possible to adjust the protruding height of the seat back 110 optimized for the driver's current state.

On the other hand, the time point at which the protruding height of the seat back 110 is adjusted is at any point in the range after the driver sits in the driver's seat and turns on the engine, until the transmission 200 is changed to the driving mode for driving. It can be.

Meanwhile, in order to derive the adjustment value optimized for the occupant, it is necessary to identify the occupant.

To this end, a pressure sensor 150 may be further provided in the seat seating portion 160 where the seated person's buttocks are seated, and the pressure sensor 150 measures the pressure applied to each unit area on a plane divided into unit areas. It is preferable to be composed of a pressure sensor or a pressure sensor in the form of a plane capable of detecting each.

The control unit 140 may identify a seated person based on the pressure of the seat seating unit 160 detected by the pressure sensor 150 .

More specifically through this embodiment, the pressure sensor 120 can measure the pressure value and pressure distribution for each part that each buttocks touch when the seated person is seated on the seat seating part 160. Since each person has a different weight and the condition of the pelvis and spine is also different, the measured values are different for each seated person.

After storing the values measured by the pressure sensor 150, the control unit 140 stores the current pressure value and pressure distribution measured by the pressure sensor 150 and the stored values when the occupant operates the vehicle after being seated. If they are identical or similar within the permitted margin of error by comparison, they can be identified as the same seated person.

Here, the comparison algorithm may be implemented in various ways other than the above embodiment.

Then, when driving starts, the pressure sensor 150 measures the pressure value and pressure distribution of the seated person again, and the control unit 140 updates and stores the values. identify the person

Through this, it is possible to identify the seated person even if the measured pressure changes as the posture of the seated person is corrected.

Furthermore, for more accurate user identification, the pressure data of the seated person's back detected by the pressure sensor 120 and the pressure data of the seated person detected by the pressure sensor 150 are combined to obtain both pressure data. A configuration of identifying the same seated person when all of them match is also possible.

7 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a second embodiment of a vehicle seat 100 according to the present invention.

The first embodiment described above corresponds to a case where the vehicle seat 100 according to the present invention is separately installed in a vehicle as an aftermarket third party product.

In this case, since the control unit 140 is composed of a separate module, a process of additionally connecting the control unit 140 to the vehicle internal communication network 400 is required.

On the other hand, the second embodiment of FIG. 7 corresponds to a case where the vehicle seat according to the present invention is a genuine product.

In this case, the vehicle control ECU, which is one of the original parts of the vehicle, may be configured as the controller 140 .

Therefore, there is no need to configure the control unit 140 as a separate module as in the first embodiment, and a process of additionally connecting to the vehicle internal communication network 400 is also unnecessary.

In addition, since the ECU, the control unit 130, and the pressure sensing unit 120 can transmit and receive data through the vehicle internal communication network 400, a separate wiring process is also unnecessary.

Other configurations and operations of the second embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment.

8 is a flow chart showing a posture correction method by a vehicle seat according to the present invention in order.

The first step is to identify a seated person (S100).

When an occupant gets into the vehicle and starts operating the vehicle, the control unit 140 compares the current pressure value and pressure distribution measured by the pressure sensor 120 or the pressure sensor 150 with the stored values to identify the occupant. .

The next step is a step (S200) of adjusting the height of the left backrest part 111 and the protruding height of the right backrest part 112 by the adjusting part 130 according to the first adjustment value.

When the occupant is identified, the control unit 140 detects whether the transmission is in the parking mode and the vehicle internal communication network 400 is not in use, and if the above conditions are met, the control unit 140 determines that the vehicle is not driving and returns the pressure measured during the previous vehicle operation. The protruding height of the backrest is adjusted through the adjusting unit 130 according to the first adjustment value derived based on the base.

The next step is a step of sensing the pressure applied to the left backrest part 111 and the pressure applied to the right backrest part 112 respectively (S300).

The control unit 140 detects whether the transmission is in the driving mode and whether the seat belt 300 is worn, and if the conditions are met, the control unit 140 determines that the driver is driving and uses the pressure sensing unit 120 to detect whether the seat belt 300 is worn or not. Detect the pressure of the backrest.

That is, after the backrest is adjusted by the first adjustment value, it is necessary to detect the change in the pressure of the left and right backrests in order to determine the change in the state of the seated person. In this step, the pressure of the left and right backrests is detected and monitored again. is to do

The next step is to compare the pressure of the left backrest part 111 and the pressure of the right backrest part 112 detected in step S300 so that, if there is a difference in pressure, the pressure difference is lower than the current one. 2 This is the step of deriving the adjustment value.

Based on the new pressure detected again in step S300, the difference in pressure is determined again, and a second adjustment value is newly derived.

The pressure difference comparison between the left and right backrests 111 and 112 and the algorithm for deriving the seat setting value are the same as described above.

The next step is to update the first adjustment value to the second adjustment value (S500).

The control unit 140 detects whether the transmission is in the parking mode and the seat belt 300 is not fastened, and if the conditions are met, the control unit 140 determines that the driving is not in progress, and converts the first adjustment value into the newly derived second adjustment value. update

Later, when the first step (S100) is restarted by the seated person getting on and operating the vehicle again, the first adjustment value becomes the updated second adjustment value, and the above process is performed on the left and right backrests of the seated person. This is repeated until the pressure difference between (111 and 112) becomes less than the critical value.

The technical idea of the present invention was examined through several examples.

It is obvious that a person skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains can variously modify or change the above-described embodiments from the description of the present invention. In addition, even if not explicitly shown or described, a person skilled in the art may make various modifications from the description of the present invention to the technical idea according to the present invention. is obvious, which still belongs to the scope of the present invention. The above embodiments described with reference to the accompanying drawings are described for the purpose of explaining the present invention, and the scope of the present invention is not limited to these embodiments.

100: vehicle seat
110: seat back portion
111: left backrest
112: right backrest
120: pressure sensor
130: control unit
140: control unit
150: pressure sensor
160: seat seating portion
200: transmission
300: seat belt
400: In-vehicle communication network

Claims (7)

In the vehicle seat,
a seat back portion including a left back portion on which a left portion of a seated occupant, etc. is seated, and a right back portion on which a right portion thereof is seated;
a pressure sensor configured to sense a pressure applied to the left backrest and a pressure applied to the right backrest, respectively;
an adjusting unit for adjusting protruding heights of each of the left backrest and the right backrest; and
a control unit controlling an operation of the adjusting unit based on the pressure sensed by the pressure sensing unit;
Including,
The control unit compares the pressure of the left backrest and the pressure of the right backrest detected by the pressure sensing unit, and when there is a difference in pressure, derives a first adjustment value that makes the pressure difference lower than the current value, and A vehicle seat having a posture correcting function, characterized in that the protruding height of the left backrest and the protruding height of the right backrest are respectively adjusted by the adjusting unit according to the adjustment value. According to claim 1,
After the protruding height of the seat back portion is adjusted by the first adjustment value, the control unit compares the pressure of the left back portion and the pressure of the right back portion detected by the pressure sensing unit, and if there is a difference in pressure, the control unit measures the pressure A second adjustment value is derived so that the difference is lower than the current one, and the protrusion height of the left backrest and the projection height of the right backrest are respectively adjusted by the adjusting unit according to the second adjustment value. A vehicle seat with a correction function. According to claim 1 or 2,
The vehicle seat having a posture correction function, characterized in that two or more adjusting units are provided, and each adjusts a protruding height of the backrest portion at a position corresponding to a portion detected by the pressure sensing unit. According to claim 1 or 2,
The vehicle seat having a posture correction function, characterized in that the pressure sensor senses the pressure of the seat back when the transmission of the vehicle is in a driving mode and the seat belt is worn. According to claim 1 or 2,
The control unit updates the first adjustment value to the second adjustment value when the transmission of the vehicle is in a parking mode and a seat belt is not worn, and the adjustment unit adjusts the left backrest according to the updated second adjustment value. A vehicle seat having a posture correcting function, characterized in that to adjust the protruding height of the right backrest portion and the protruding height of the right backrest portion, respectively. According to claim 3,
The vehicle seat having a posture correction function, characterized in that the control unit displays a notification to the occupant when pressure is not sensed for a predetermined period of time by some of the pressure sensing units. A method for controlling a vehicle seat,
Identifying a seated person (S100);
adjusting, by the adjusting unit, the protruding heights of the left backrest and the right backrest, respectively, according to a first adjustment value (S200);
respectively detecting the pressure applied to the left backrest and the pressure applied to the right backrest (S300);
Comparing the pressure of the left backrest and the pressure of the right backrest detected in the step, and if there is a difference in pressure, deriving a second adjustment value that makes the difference in pressure lower than the current one (S400); and
Updating the first adjustment value to the second adjustment value (S500);
A method for controlling a vehicle seat having a posture correction function comprising a.

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