RU2729856C1 - Vehicle seat control device - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: transportation; control devices.SUBSTANCE: invention relates to control device for vehicle seat. Control device for vehicle seat includes actuator and control unit. Actuator is configured to adjust at least one of inclination angle or position of vehicle seat in seat lengthwise direction. Control unit is configured to determine whether a road separator is provided on the road on which the vehicle is moving, and perform (when it is determined that the road separator is not provided) one of the actuator control options, specifically so as not to tilt the back of seat backward by an angle of more than a predetermined angle, so as not to position the vehicle seat in the position further backward compared to the predetermined position, to output warning signal, when seat back is inclined backwards by angle of more specified angle, and output warning signal, when vehicle seat is positioned in position further back in comparison with preset position.EFFECT: increased safety during operation.21 cl, 23 dwg

Description

Technology area

[0001] The present invention relates to a control device for a vehicle seat.

State of the art

[0002] WO 2015/011866 describes a vehicle driving assistance device that controls the angle of the seat back of a vehicle according to the driving mode of the vehicle. In the vehicle driving aid described in the aforementioned document, the motor is controlled to tilt the seat back so that the seat back angle in the automatic driving mode is greater than the seat back angle in the manual driving mode.

The essence of the invention

[0003] Meanwhile, in the case in which the seat back angle is set large in the automatic driving mode or in the case in which the position of the vehicle in the longitudinal direction of the seat moves back, it is possible to improve the safety of the passenger.

[0004] In light of the above circumstances, it is an object of the present invention to provide a vehicle seat control device having high safety for a passenger sitting on a vehicle seat during a vehicle collision in an automatic driving mode.

[0005] An apparatus for controlling a seat of a vehicle according to an aspect of the present invention includes: at least one actuator provided in a vehicle configured to move by automatic driving, the actuator is configured to adjust at least one of an inclination angle or the position of the vehicle seat in the longitudinal direction of the seat, and the angle of inclination is the angle of the back of the vehicle seat in the rearward direction of the seat with respect to the vehicle seat cushion; and a control unit, configured to determine whether or not a road divider is provided on the road on which the vehicle is moving, and to execute when it is determined that a road divider is not provided at least one of 1) actuator control to do not tilt the backrest back more than a predetermined angle, 2) operate the actuator so as not to position the vehicle seat further back from the predetermined position, 3) output a warning signal when the backrest tilts back more than a predetermined angle, and 4) outputting a warning signal when the vehicle seat is positioned further backward from the set position.

[0006] According to the above aspect, by actuating one or a plurality of actuators, at least one of the seat back angle and the vehicle seat position in the longitudinal direction of the seat is adjusted. Here, when a road divider is not provided on a road on which a vehicle (hereinafter referred to as a "subject vehicle") including a vehicle seat control device of the present invention is moving, the subject vehicle and vehicle can be considered vehicles moving in the oncoming lane (hereinafter referred to as "oncoming vehicle") may collide with each other, and thus the deceleration acceleration of the vehicle in question may become higher. For this reason, the control unit performs any of the above (1) to (4) when the control unit determines that a road divider is not provided on the road on which the vehicle in question is moving. With such a configuration, it is possible to reduce the occurrence of a case where the seated passenger slides forward on the seat cushion and the deterioration of the upper body holding performance of the seated passenger during a collision with an oncoming vehicle, thereby reducing the increase in the amount of damage to the seated passenger.

[0007] In the above aspect, the control unit may be configured so that when the control unit determines that a road divider is provided, set at least one of a predetermined angle and a predetermined position based on at least one of the vehicle speed and the estimated vehicle speed.

[0008] According to the above configuration, when a road divider is provided (when there is a low probability of collision with a vehicle moving in the opposite lane), it is possible to set the degree of the allowable tilt angle and the allowable position in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle seat depending on the driving speed or the design speed. the vehicle in question.

[0009] In the above aspect, the control unit may be configured so that when the control unit determines that a road divider is not provided, set at least one of a predetermined angle and a predetermined position based on at least an estimated speed of an oncoming vehicle , which moves on the opposite lane of the road where the vehicle is moving.

[0010] According to the above configuration, when a road divider is not provided (when there is a possibility of collision with a vehicle moving in the opposite lane), taking into account the speed of an oncoming vehicle moving in the opposite lane, the degree of the allowable tilt angle and the allowable position in the longitudinal direction vehicle seat can be preset.

[0011] In the above aspect, the control unit may be configured so that when the control unit determines that a road divider is not provided, set at least one of a predetermined angle and a predetermined position based on the combined speed for the vehicle speed and the calculated the speed of the oncoming vehicle or the total speed for the design speed of the vehicle and the design speed of the oncoming vehicle.

[0012] According to the above configuration, when the road divider is not provided (when there is a possibility of collision with a vehicle moving in the opposite lane), it is possible to set the degree of the allowable tilt angle and the allowable position in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle seat while assuming the collision speed with an oncoming vehicle moving in the oncoming lane.

[0013] In the above aspect, the control unit may be configured to: acquire information about the road on which the vehicle is moving through wireless communication; and determine the estimated speed of the oncoming vehicle based on the road information obtained via wireless communication.

[0014] According to the above configuration, based on the road information acquired by wireless communication, it is possible to set the degree of the allowable tilt angle and the allowable position in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle seat.

[0015] In the above aspect, the control unit may be configured to: receive information from an oncoming vehicle via wireless communication; and determine the estimated speed of an oncoming vehicle based on the information received via wireless communication.

[0016] According to the above configuration, based on information from an oncoming vehicle moving in an oncoming lane obtained by wireless communication, it is possible to set the degree of the allowable tilt angle and the allowable position in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle seat.

[0017] In the above aspect, the control unit can be configured to obtain speed information of the oncoming vehicle through a sensor provided in the vehicle, and the control unit can determine the estimated speed of the oncoming vehicle based on the speed information of the oncoming vehicle received from the sensor ...

[0018] According to the above configuration, based on the speed information of an oncoming vehicle moving in the oncoming lane obtained by the sensor, it is possible to set the degree of the allowable tilt angle and the allowable position in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle seat.

[0019] In the above aspect, the control unit can be configured to obtain information about the lane where at least one of the vehicle and the oncoming vehicle is moving by a sensor provided in the vehicle, and the control unit can determine the estimated speed of the oncoming vehicle based on the lane information received from the sensor.

[0020] According to the above configuration, based on the lane information obtained by the sensor, it is possible to set the degree of the allowable inclination angle and the allowable position in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle seat.

[0021] In the above aspect, the control unit may be configured to determine the speed obtained by subtracting the deceleration amount by automatic braking from the vehicle speed as the estimated vehicle speed.

[0022] According to the above configuration, in view of the amount of deceleration by the automatic braking, it is possible to set the degree of the allowable tilt angle and the allowable position in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle seat.

[0023] In the above aspect, the vehicle seat may include a tilt actuator that adjusts the angle of the seat back in the rearward direction of the seat; the control unit may be configured so that when the control unit determines that a road divider is not provided on the road on which the vehicle is driven by automatic driving, control the tilt actuator so that the tilt angle becomes smaller than the tilt angle in the case where the control unit determines that a road divider is provided, or when the control unit determines that a road divider is not provided on the road on which the vehicle is traveling, output a warning signal when the inclination angle is less than the inclination angle in the case where the control unit determines that the road divider is provided.

[0024] According to the above configuration, the seat back is tilted in the longitudinal direction of the seat relative to the seat cushion by actuating the tilt actuator. Here, in the state where it is determined that the road divider is not provided on the road on which the subject vehicle is moving, it can be considered that there is a high probability that the acceleration of deceleration of the subject vehicle, in the case where the subject vehicle and the vehicle, oncoming traffic, collide with each other is great. For this reason, when the control unit determines that a road divider is not provided on the road on which the vehicle in question is driven by autonomous driving, the control unit controls the actuator to tilt to a predetermined tilt angle, which should be smaller than in the case in which the road the separator is provided, or outputs a warning signal when the inclination angle is smaller than the case in which the control unit determines that the road divider is provided. Accordingly, it is possible to restrict the angle of inclination of the seat back from greater in the rearward direction of the seat in a case in which a road divider is not provided on the road on which the vehicle in question is driving. As a result, during a collision with a vehicle moving in the oncoming lane, an event such that the seated passenger slides forward on the seat cushion and the upper body holding performance of the seated passenger is suppressed from deterioration, so as to increase the decrease in the amount of damage to the seated passenger. ...

[0025] In the above aspect, the control unit may be configured to set a predetermined angle based on the position in the longitudinal direction of the seat for the seat cushion.

[0026] According to the above configuration, the control unit controls the tilt actuator or outputs a warning signal based on the longitudinal position of the seat for the seat cushion. Thereby, the degree of the allowable tilt angle can be set based on the position in the longitudinal direction of the seat for the seat cushion.

[0027] In the above aspect, the control unit may be configured to set the target angle based on the knee position of the passenger sitting on the seat cushion.

[0028] According to the above configuration, the control unit controls the tilt actuator or outputs a warning signal based on the knee position of the passenger sitting on the seat cushion. Accordingly, the degree of the allowable tilt angle can be set depending on the knee position of the passenger sitting on the seat cushion.

[0029] In the above aspect, the control unit may be configured to set the target angle based on the position of the head of the passenger sitting on the seat cushion.

[0030] According to the above configuration, based on the position of the head of the passenger sitting on the seat cushion, the control unit controls the tilt actuator or outputs a warning signal. Thereby, the degree of the permissible tilt angle can be set depending on the position of the head of the passenger sitting on the seat cushion.

[0031] In the above aspect, the control unit may be configured to stop the seat back tilt by stopping the tilt actuator operation when the tilt angle reaches a predetermined angle.

[0032] According to the above configuration, when the tilt angle reaches the acceptable tilt angle, the control unit stops the tilt actuator operation. Thereby, the tilt of the backrest of the seat is stopped in order to thus prevent or limit the angle of inclination of the backrest in the rearward direction of the seat from becoming greater than the permitted angle of inclination.

[0033] In the above aspect, the control unit may be configured to instruct the seat back to tilt forward by actuating the tilt actuator so as to set the tilt angle to an angle equal to or less than the predetermined angle.

[0034] According to the above configuration, the seat back is tilted so that the tilt angle reaches an angle corresponding to the allowable tilt angle. Thus, the angle of inclination of the backrest in the rearward direction of the seat is prevented and limited from becoming more than the permissible angle of inclination.

[0035] In the above aspect, the vehicle seat may include an actuator for sliding the seat that adjusts the position of the vehicle seat in the longitudinal direction of the seat, and the control unit may be configured so that when the control unit determines that a road divider is not provided on the road driving the vehicle through the automatic driving, control the seat slide actuator to position the vehicle seat further forward as compared to the case in which the control unit determines that a road divider is provided or when the control unit determines that the road divider is not is provided, on the road on which the vehicle is moving, to output a warning signal in a state in which the seat of the vehicle is positioned further forward compared to the case in which the control unit determines that a road divider is provided.

[0036] According to the above configuration, the vehicle seat is moved in the longitudinal direction of the seat by actuating the actuator to slide the seat. Here, in a case in which a road divider is not provided on the road on which the subject vehicle is moving, it can be considered that there is a high probability that the acceleration of deceleration of the subject vehicle when the subject vehicle and the vehicle in the opposite lane are collide with each other is high. Therefore, when the control unit determines that the road divider is not provided on the road on which the vehicle in question is driven by automatic driving, the control unit controls the seat slide actuator to position the vehicle seat further forward as compared to the case in which the road divider is provided. , or outputs a warning signal in a state in which the vehicle seat is positioned further forward as compared to a case in which the control unit determines that a road divider is provided. Accordingly, the distance in the longitudinal direction of the seat between the passenger seated on the vehicle seat and the vehicle configuring member in the case in which a road divider is provided on the road along which the vehicle in question is moving is limited from becoming longer. As a result, at the time of a collision with a vehicle moving in the oncoming lane, the occurrence of a case that a seated passenger slides on the seat cushion in the forward direction of the seat is suppressed, so as to reduce the increase in the amount of damage to the seated passenger.

[0037] In the above aspect, the vehicle seat may be configured to stop the longitudinal movement of the vehicle seat by the control unit stopping the actuator to slide the seat when the vehicle seat position in the longitudinal direction of the seat reaches a predetermined position.

[0038] According to the above configuration, when the position of the vehicle seat in the longitudinal direction of the seat reaches the valid position, the control unit stops the actuator to slide the seat. In this way, the movement of the vehicle seat in the longitudinal direction of the seat is stopped, and thus the position of the vehicle seat in the longitudinal direction of the seat is prevented or suppressed from being positioned further backward compared to the permissible position.

[0039] In the above aspect, the vehicle seat may be configured to move forward by the control unit actuating the actuator to slide the seat so that the vehicle seat position is positioned at a predetermined position or a position further forward from the predetermined position in the longitudinal direction seat.

[0040] According to the above configuration, the vehicle seat is moved so that the position of the vehicle seat in the longitudinal direction of the seat reaches an acceptable position. Accordingly, the position of the vehicle seat in the longitudinal direction of the seat is prevented or restrained from being positioned further rearward than the permissible position.

[0041] In the above aspect, the control unit may be configured to decelerate the vehicle at least either when the seat back tilts backward more than a predetermined angle or when the vehicle seat is positioned further back from the predetermined position.

[0042] According to the above configuration, the collision speed between the vehicle in question and the oncoming vehicle may be lower. Thus, it is possible to reduce an increase in the amount of damage to a seated passenger during a collision between a vehicle in question and an oncoming vehicle.

[0043] In the above aspect, the control unit may be configured to receive information about the road on which the vehicle is traveling by wireless communication, and the control unit may perform at least one of actuator control and warning output, assuming that a road divider is not provided when the control unit determines that the road is a two-way road based on the road information obtained by wireless communication.

[0044] According to the above configuration, in view of the case in which two-way traffic is applied due to road restrictions or the like, for example, it is possible to set the degree of the allowable inclination angle, etc., and provide a warning.

[0045] In the above aspect, the vehicle may be configured to move by manual driving or automatic driving; the seat back can be configured to tilt back by the control unit operating the actuator when the vehicle's driving is switched from manual driving to automatic driving; and the vehicle seat can be configured to move rearward by the control unit actuating the actuator when the vehicle's driving is switched from manual to automatic driving, or moved rearward with the seat back tilted back by the control unit actuating the actuator when the vehicle is driving switches from manual driving to automatic driving.

[0046] According to the above configuration, when the driving of the vehicle is switched from manual driving to automatic driving, the seated passenger can change the posture and position of the vehicle seat, which allows the seated passenger to assume a comfortable posture.

[0047] The vehicle seat control device according to the present invention has an excellent effect to improve safety for a passenger sitting in a vehicle seat during a vehicle collision in an automatic driving mode.

Brief Description of Drawings

[0048] The features, advantages, and technical and industrial significance of exemplary embodiments of the invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals denote like elements, and in which:

FIG. 1A is a side view showing a vehicle interior including a device for controlling a vehicle seat according to the first embodiment;

FIG. 1B is a block diagram showing a control system of a vehicle seat control device;

FIG. 1C is a flowchart showing a flow of processing by the vehicle seat control apparatus;

FIG. 2 is a graph showing the relationship between the target speed of the vehicle in question and the like. and the permissible angle of inclination in the case in which the road divider is not provided;

FIG. 3 is a graph showing the relationship between the target speed of the vehicle in question and the like. and the permissible angle of inclination when a road divider is provided;

FIG. 4 is a side view showing a vehicle interior including a vehicle seat control device according to a second embodiment, showing a state in which a vehicle seat position is located on the front side;

FIG. 5 is a side view showing a vehicle interior including a vehicle seat control device according to a second embodiment, showing a state in which a vehicle seat position is located on the rear side;

FIG. 6 is a graph showing the relationship between the target speed of the vehicle in question and the like. and an acceptable angle of inclination when a road divider is not provided in the second embodiment;

FIG. 7 is a side view showing a vehicle interior including a vehicle seat control device according to a third embodiment, showing a state in which a vehicle seat position is located on the front side;

FIG. 8 is a side view showing a vehicle interior including a vehicle seat control device according to a third embodiment, showing a state in which the vehicle seat position is located on the rear side;

FIG. 9 is a graph showing the relationship between the target speed of the vehicle in question and the like. and an acceptable inclination angle in a case in which a road divider is not provided in the third embodiment;

FIG. 10 is a side view showing a vehicle interior including a vehicle seat control device according to a fourth embodiment, showing a state in which a vehicle seat position is located on the front side;

FIG. 11 is a side view showing a vehicle interior including the vehicle seat control device of the fourth embodiment, showing a state in which the vehicle seat position is located on the rear side;

FIG. 12 is a graph showing the relationship between the target speed of the vehicle in question and the like. and an acceptable inclination angle in a case in which a road divider is not provided in the fourth embodiment;

FIG. 13 is a side view showing a vehicle interior including the vehicle seat control device according to the fifth embodiment, showing a state in which the vehicle seat position is located on the front side;

FIG. 14 is a side view showing a vehicle interior including a vehicle seat control device according to a fifth embodiment, showing a state in which a vehicle seat position is located on the rear side;

FIG. 15 is a side view schematically showing a vehicle including a vehicle seat control device according to a sixth embodiment and a dynamic map;

FIG. 16 is a graph showing a relationship between a target speed of a subject vehicle and the like. and an acceptable inclination angle in a case in which a road divider is not provided in the sixth embodiment;

FIG. 17 is a top view showing a driving state of a vehicle including a vehicle seat control device according to a seventh embodiment;

FIG. 18 is a top view showing a driving state of a vehicle including a vehicle seat control device of the eighth embodiment;

FIG. 19 is a top view showing a driving state of a vehicle including a vehicle seat control device according to a ninth embodiment;

FIG. 20 is a top view showing a driving state of a vehicle including a vehicle seat control device in the tenth embodiment; and

FIG. 21 is a graph showing the relationship between the target speed of the vehicle in question and the like. and an acceptable angle of inclination in a case in which a road divider is not provided in the tenth embodiment.

Detailed description of embodiments of the invention

Vehicle seat control device 10 according to the first embodiment

[0049] An apparatus 10 for controlling a vehicle seat according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 1A-3. Note that, respectively, in each drawing, a FORWARD arrow indicates the front side in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle 12, and an UP arrow indicates the upper side in the vertical direction of the vehicle 12. Additionally, the front side and the top side of the vehicle 12 coincide with the front side and the top side of the seat. 14 vehicles, respectively. In the following description, when the longitudinal, lateral and vertical directions are simply used unless otherwise indicated, these directions respectively designate the front and rear in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle 12 and the vehicle seat 14, left and right in the lateral direction (vehicle width direction) the vehicle 12 and the vehicle seat 14 and the top and bottom in the vertical direction of the vehicle 12 and the vehicle seat 14.

[0050] FIG. 1A shows a cabin 16 of a vehicle 12 including a vehicle seat control device 10 of the present embodiment. As shown in the drawing, the compartment 16 is provided with a vehicle seat 14 in which the passenger P holding the steering wheel 18 and the like is seated. The vehicle seat 14 includes a seat cushion 20 that supports the buttocks P1 of the passenger P and a backrest 22 that supports the upper body P2 of the passenger P. The vehicle seat 14 includes a headrest 24 that supports the head P3 of the passenger P.

[0051] The seat cushion 20 is configured by installing the seat cushion padding covered with a cushioning material on a seat cushion frame or the like. The seat cushion 20 is supported on the floor 28 of the cabin 16 by a seat rail 26 (upper rail 26A and a lower rail, not shown), which allows the seat cushion 20 to slide longitudinally.

[0052] Here, the vehicle seat 14 of the present embodiment is provided in the cabin 16 of the vehicle 12 adapted to perform automatic driving and manual driving. Therefore, the vehicle seat 14 is longitudinally movable from a position where the passenger P sitting on the vehicle seat 14 can hold the steering wheel 18 and the like with his hands to a position where the passenger P cannot grip them. FIG. 1A shows a state in which the vehicle seat 14 moves forward to a position where a passenger P seated on the vehicle seat 14 can grip the steering wheel 18 and the like.

[0053] As with the seat cushion 20, the seat back 22 is configured by installing a seat back pad covered with a cushioning material onto a seat back frame or the like. The seat back 22 is mounted on the rear edge of the seat cushion 20 so as to recline (tilt) in the longitudinal direction of the seat. Further, in the present embodiment, the seat back 22 is tiltable by operation of the tilt motor 30 as an actuator.

[0054] The headrest 24 is configured by installing the headrest body including the soft headrest pad covered with the cushioning material on the headrest post. When the head restraint post is inserted into the not shown insertion portion provided in the seat back 22, the head rest 24 is mounted on the upper edge of the seat back 22.

[0055] As shown in FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B, the vehicle seat control device 10 includes: a motor 30 that tilts the seat back 22; and an electronic control unit (ECU) 32 serving as a control unit that controls the motor 30.

[0056] The motor 30 is a DC motor that rotates when the excitation for the motor 30 is controlled by the ECU 32. The motor 30 is provided with an angle sensor 34 for calculating the inclination angle θ of the seat back 22 in the rear seat direction based on the number of revolutions (rotation angle) of the shaft motor rotation 30.

[0057] ECU 32 is configured to include a CPU (central processing unit) 32A, ROM (read only memory) 32B, RAM (random access memory) 32C, and an input / output (I / O) interface unit 32D that provides communication with an external device, and these components are interconnected with each other via the 32E bus. The motor 30 and various sensors provided in the vehicle 12, such as a navigation system 36, an angle sensor 34, and a vehicle speed sensor 35 that detects the speed of the vehicle 12 are electrically connected to the I / O interface unit 32D.

[0058] The CPU 32A is a central processing unit and executes various programs and controls the motor 30 and the like. That is, the CPU 32A reads the control program from the ROM 32B and executes the control program while using the RAM 32C as the work area so as to control the motor 30.

[0059] Then, the ECU 32 determines whether or not a road divider is provided on the road on which the vehicle 12 is traveling based on information from the navigation system 36 during the automatic driving of the vehicle 12 and controls the driving of the motor 30. Here, the road divider divides the road to the lane where the vehicle 12 (the vehicle in question) is moving, and the lane where the oncoming vehicle is moving. For example, a road divider can be a ledge, curb, wall, barrier, or road ditch. In addition, this road divider may be referred to as a center divider.

[0060] Additionally, when the deceleration acceleration of the vehicle 12 is expected to increase during a frontal collision of the vehicle 12, the ECU 32 controls the motor 30 to make the inclination angle θ small.

When no road divider is provided

[0061] More specifically, as shown in FIG. 1A, fig. 1B and FIG. 1C, when the ECU 32 determines that the road divider is not provided on the road on which the vehicle 12 is traveling, that is, when a positive determination is made in step S01 in FIG. 1C, ECU 32 determines, in step S02, an allowable inclination angle θ based on the speed V ₁ obtained by adding together the speed of the vehicle 12 (the speed of the vehicle in question) and the road speed limit (the speed limit for the oncoming lane determined as the design speed oncoming vehicle) recorded in advance in the navigation system 36. Note that “vehicle speed 12 (speed of the vehicle in question)” is the target speed or the actual speed of the vehicle 12 during automatic driving. The actual speed is the speed of the vehicle 12 based on the speed signal, the speed of the vehicle 12 based on the GPS signal, and the like. The target speed of the vehicle 12 during automatic driving is set to the road speed limit (the speed limit of the lane in question) when road conditions and weather are good. Additionally, the top speed of the lane in question and the top speed of the oncoming lane often have the same top speed.

[0062] As shown in FIG. 2, when the speed V ₁ obtained by adding together the speed of the vehicle in question and the speed limit for the oncoming lane is 0 km / h or more and v ₁ km / h or less, ECU 32 determines the allowable inclination angle θ as θ ₁ . Then, after determining the allowable inclination angle θ as θ ₁ , the ECU 32 determines whether or not the inclination angle θ of the seat back 22 is greater than θ ₁ in step S03. When an affirmative determination is made in step S03, the ECU 32 controls the drive for the motor 30 in step S04 so as to set the inclination angle θ of the seat back 22 to not more than θ ₁ . That is, when the ECU 32 determines the allowable inclination angle θ as θ ₁ , the ECU 32 starts driving the motor 30 in a case in which the seat back 22 is deflected more than θ ₁ . Therefore, the seat back 22 is tilted until the inclination angle θ is equal to or less than θ ₁ . When negative determination is made in step S03, ECU 32 ends the processing. Or, when negative determination is made in step S03, ECU 32 may tilt the seat back 22 backward by driving the motor 30 and then stop driving the motor 30 when the seat back 22 inclination angle θ reaches θ ₁ . As an example, v ₁ is 30 km / h and θ ₁ is 60 °.

[0063] Additionally, as shown in FIG. 2, when the speed V ₁ obtained by adding together the speed of the vehicle in question and the limit speed of the oncoming lane is greater than v ₂ km / h, the ECU 32 determines the allowable inclination angle θ as θ ₂ and then performs the above-described processing in steps S03 and S04. Then, when the ECU 32 determines the allowable tilt angle θ as θ ₂ , the ECU 32 starts driving the motor 30 if the seat back 22 is tilted more than θ ₂ . As a result, the seat back 22 tilts until the inclination angle θ is equal to or less than θ ₂ . If the seat back 22 does not tilt more than θ ₂ , the ECU 32 may end processing. Or, the ECU 32 may tilt the seat back 22 backward by driving the motor 30 and then stop driving the motor 30 when the seat back 22 inclination angle θ reaches θ ₂ . As an example, v ₂ is 110 km / h and θ ₂ is 30 °.

[0064] Additionally, when the speed V ₁ obtained by adding together the speed of the vehicle in question and the limit speed of the oncoming lane is a speed v ₃ that is greater than v ₁ km / h and less than v ₂ km / h, the ECU 32 determines the permissible tilt angle θ as the angle θ ₃ corresponding to the speed v ₃ obtained by adding together the speed of the vehicle in question and the limit speed of the oncoming lane, and performs the processing in step S03 and step S04. In the present embodiment, θ _{3 is} calculated by proportional interpolation between (v ₁ , θ ₁ ) and (v ₂ , θ ₂ ) as shown in the graph in FIG. 2. Then, when the ECU 32 determines the allowable tilt angle θ as θ ₃ , the ECU 32 starts driving the motor 30 if the seat back 22 is tilted more than θ ₃ . Accordingly, the backrest 22 of the seat tilts until the inclination angle θ is equal to or less than θ ₃ . If the seat back 22 does not tilt more than θ ₃ , the ECU 32 may end processing. Or, the ECU 32 may tilt the seat back 22 backward by driving the motor 30 and then stop driving the motor 30 when the seat back 22 tilt angle θ reaches θ ₃ .

When a road divider is provided

[0065] When ECU 32 determines that a road divider is provided on the road on which the vehicle 12 is traveling, that is, when negative determination is performed in step S01, ECU 32 determines the allowable inclination angle θ based on the vehicle speed V ₂ ( speed of the vehicle in question) for the vehicle 12 in step S05.

[0066] As shown in FIG. 3, when the speed V _{2 of} the vehicle in question is 0 km / h or more and v ₄ km / h or less, the ECU 32 determines the allowable inclination angle θ as θ ₄ . Then, after determining the allowable inclination angle θ as θ ₄ , the ECU 32 determines whether or not the inclination angle θ of the seat back 22 is inclined more than θ ₄ in step S03. When an affirmative determination is made in step S03, the ECU 32 controls the drive for the motor 30 in step S04, so as to control the inclination angle θ of the seat back 22 at most θ ₄ . When the ECU 32 determines the allowable tilt angle θ to be θ ₄ , the ECU 32 starts driving the motor 30 if the seat back 22 is tilted more than θ ₄ . Accordingly, the seat back 22 tilts until the inclination angle θ becomes θ ₄ or less. When negative determination is made in step S03, ECU 32 ends the processing. Or, when negative determination is made in step S03, ECU 32 may tilt the seat back 22 backward by driving the motor 30 and then stop driving the motor 30 when the seat back 22 inclination angle θ reaches θ ₄ . As an example, v ₄ is 20 km / h and θ ₄ is 60 °.

[0067] Additionally, when the speed V _{2 of} the vehicle in question becomes greater than v ₅ km / h, ECU 32 determines the allowable inclination angle θ as θ ₅ and performs the above-described processing in step S03 and step S04. Then, when the ECU 32 determines the allowable tilt angle θ to be θ ₅ , the ECU 32 starts driving the motor 30 if the seat back 22 is tilted more than θ ₅ . Accordingly, the seat back 22 is tilted until the inclination angle θ becomes θ ₅ or less. If the seat back 22 is not tilted more than θ ₅ , the ECU 32 may end processing. Or, the ECU 32 may tilt the seat back 22 backward by driving the motor 30 and then stop driving the motor 30 when the seat back 22 inclination angle θ reaches θ ₅ . As an example, v ₅ is 50 km / h and θ ₅ is 30 °.

[0068] Additionally, when the speed V _{2 of the} considered vehicle is a speed v ₆ greater than v ₄ km / h and less than v ₅ km / h, the ECU 32 determines the allowable inclination angle θ as an angle θ ₆ corresponding to the speed v _{6 of the} considered vehicle, and the above-described processing in step S03 and step S04 is performed. In the present embodiment, θ _{6 is} calculated by proportional interpolation between (v ₄ , θ ₄ ) and (v ₅ , θ ₅ ) shown in the graph in FIG. 3. Then, when the ECU 32 determines the allowable tilt angle θ to be θ ₆ , the ECU 32 starts driving the motor 30 if the seat back 22 tilts more than θ ₆ . Accordingly, the seat back 22 tilts until the inclination angle θ becomes θ ₆ or less. If the seat back 22 does not tilt more than θ ₆ , the ECU 32 may end processing. Or, the ECU 32 may tilt the seat back 22 backward by driving the motor 30 and then stop driving the motor 30 when the seat back 22 inclination angle θ reaches θ ₆ .

[0069] As described above, in the present embodiment, the threshold value of the allowable tilt angle θ is set based on the presence or absence of a road divider and the speed V ₁ obtained by adding together the speed of the vehicle in question and the oncoming lane speed limit, or the speed V _{2 of the} considered vehicle. vehicle. That is, when it is assumed that the deceleration acceleration of the vehicle 12 becomes higher when the vehicle 12 has a head-on collision, the ECU 32 controls the motor 30 to make the inclination angle θ smaller. With this configuration, the inclination angle θ of the seat back 22 is limited from becoming larger when a road divider is provided on the road on which the vehicle is traveling and when the relative speed between the vehicle in question and the oncoming vehicle is high. As a result, during a collision with a vehicle moving in the oncoming lane, an event in which the seated passenger P slides on the seat cushion 20 in the forward direction of the seat (slipping phenomenon under the lumbar branch of the seat belt) and the upper body holding characteristic of the seated passenger P (the retention characteristic of the three-point seat belt or airbag) are limited so as to reduce the increase in the amount of damage to the seated passenger P. Here, the amount of damage to the passenger P indicates the degree of impact received by the passenger P in a collision with a vehicle in the opposite lane ...

[0070] In addition, it can be configured that, after the driving mode is switched from manual driving to automatic driving, the passenger P sitting on the seat back 14 can assume a comfortable posture by tilting the seat back 22 back automatically or by a switching action a passenger. Even with this configuration, it is possible to reduce the increase in the amount of damage to the passenger P by limiting the inclination angle θ of the seat back 22 as described above.

[0071] In the present embodiment, description has been provided by way of example, in which a threshold value of an allowable tilt angle θ is set based on the presence or absence of a road divider, the speed V ₁ obtained by adding together the speed of the vehicle in question and the speed limit of the oncoming lane, and the speed V _{2 of} the vehicle in question; however, the present invention is not limited to this example. For example, the threshold value of the allowable inclination angle θ when the road divider is not provided on the road on which the vehicle 12 is traveling and the threshold value of the allowable inclination angle θ when the road divider is provided on the road along which the vehicle 12 is traveling may be fixed values. ... In addition, the threshold value of the allowable inclination angle θ may be set based on at least one of the presence / absence of a road divider, the speed of the vehicle in question, and the limit speed.

[0072] In the present embodiment, description has been provided on an example in which the motor 30 is controlled to set the seat back 22 inclination angle θ to not more than the above-described threshold, but the present invention is not limited to this example. For example, when the inclination angle θ of the seat back 22 is greater than the above-described threshold value, the ECU 32 may output a warning signal to emit a warning sound in the passenger compartment 16. Alternatively, the ECU 32 may output a warning signal to enable the warning lamp to flash in the passenger compartment 16. T. That is, ECU 32 can alert the passenger that high safety is not guaranteed by outputting a warning signal.

A device 38 for controlling a vehicle seat according to a second embodiment

[0073] An apparatus 38 for controlling a vehicle seat according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 4-6. Note that, in the vehicle seat control device 38 according to the second embodiment, elements and parts corresponding to elements and parts of the vehicle seat control device 10 according to the first embodiment will be designated with the same reference numerals as corresponding elements and parts of the device. 10 for driving a vehicle seat, and their description may be omitted.

[0074] Meanwhile, depending on the longitudinal position of the vehicle seat 14, during a frontal collision of the vehicle 12, the legs of the passenger P sitting on the vehicle seat 14 may be limited by the dashboard (knee panel) 39, the knee airbag (not shown) or the like. in some cases. In this case, the phenomenon of slipping under the lap section of the seat belt hardly occurs. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, in the vehicle seat control device 38 according to the present embodiment, in consideration of the longitudinal position of the vehicle seat 14 (seat cushion 20), the threshold value of the allowable inclination angle θ of the seat back 22 is set. The longitudinal position of the vehicle seat 14 (seat cushion 20) is detected by the seat position sensor 40, and the seat position sensor 40 is electrically connected to the ECU 32.

[0075] When the ECU 32 determines that the road divider is not provided on the road on which the vehicle 12 is traveling, the ECU 32 determines the allowable inclination angle θ based on the speed V ₁ obtained by adding together the speed of the vehicle 12 (the speed of the vehicle in question) and the road speed limit (speed limit of the oncoming lane) recorded in advance in the navigation system 36 and the longitudinal position of the vehicle seat 14.

[0076] As shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, in a state in which the longitudinal position of the vehicle seat 14 is located in the rear region 42, the ECU 32 sets the threshold value of the allowable inclination angle θ smaller than the state in which the longitudinal position of the vehicle seat 14 is located in the front region 44 (see. Fig. 4). In the state in which the longitudinal position of the vehicle seat 14 is located in the intermediate region 46, the ECU 32 sets the threshold value θ of the allowable inclination angle θ smaller than the threshold value in the state in which the longitudinal position of the vehicle seat 14 is located in the front region 44 ( see Fig. 4), and sets the threshold value θ for the allowable inclination angle θ to be large compared to the threshold value in a state in which the longitudinal position of the vehicle seat 14 is located in the rear region 42 (see Fig. 5). In the present embodiment, as an example, in a state in which the longitudinal position of the vehicle seat 14 is located in the intermediate region 46, the ECU 32 determines the allowable inclination angle θ as θ ₂ when the speed V ₁ obtained by adding together the speed of the vehicle in question and the maximum speed of the oncoming lane, more than v ₂ km / h. Further, in a state in which the longitudinal position of the vehicle seat 14 is located in the front region 44, the ECU 32 sets the allowable inclination angle θ as θ ₂ when the speed V ₁ obtained by adding together the speed of the vehicle in question and the limit speed of the oncoming lane is greater v ₂ +10 km / h. Further, in a state in which the longitudinal position of the vehicle seat 14 is located in the rear region 42, the ECU 32 determines the allowable inclination angle θ as θ ₂ when the speed V ₁ obtained by adding together the speed of the vehicle in question and the limit speed of the oncoming lane is greater v ₂ -10 km / h.

[0077] Here, the rear region 42 is an area in which the vehicle seat 14 is positioned further rearward than a predetermined position (eg, a position 200 mm behind the position where the vehicle seat 14 is located on the frontmost side. , the front region 44 is an area extending from the position where the vehicle seat 14 is located on the frontmost side to 100 mm beyond that position, by way of example. The intermediate region 46 is the region between the rear region 42 and the front region 44 ...

[0078] When the ECU 32 determines that a road divider is provided on the road on which the vehicle 12 is traveling, the ECU 32 determines the allowable inclination angle θ based on the speed of the vehicle 12 (the speed of the vehicle in question) and the longitudinal position of the vehicle seat 14. Note that the processing by the ECU 32 in this case is the same as that of the first embodiment except taking into account the longitudinal position of the vehicle seat 14 in step S05 in FIG. 1C.

[0079] As described above, in the present embodiment, the motor 30 is controlled by setting an allowable inclination angle θ based on the presence or absence of a road divider, the longitudinal position of the vehicle seat 14, the speed V ₁ obtained by adding the speed of the considered vehicle and the top speed together oncoming lane, etc. That is, when the vehicle seat 14 is positioned at a position where the phenomenon of slippage under the lap leg of the seat belt is likely to occur, and when high deceleration acceleration is expected during a frontal collision of the vehicle 12, ECU 32 controls the motor 30 to set the angle the slope θ is smaller. Thereby, during a collision with a vehicle moving in the opposite lane, occurrence of the phenomenon of slippage under the lumbar section of the seat belt and the deterioration of the upper body holding performance of the seated passenger P are reduced, and the increase in the amount of damage to the seated passenger P is also reduced. Note that the processing by the ECU 32 of the present embodiment is substantially the same as the processing shown in FIG. 1C, except taking into account the longitudinal position of the vehicle seat 14.

[0080] Additionally, it can be configured that, after the driving mode is switched from manual driving to automatic driving, the passenger P sitting on the seat back 14 can assume a comfortable posture by moving the vehicle seat 14 backward automatically or through a switching action a passenger. Even with this configuration, it is possible to reduce the increase in the amount of damage to the passenger P by limiting the rearward movement of the vehicle seat 14 as described above.

Vehicle seat control device 48 according to third embodiment

[0081] An apparatus 48 for controlling a vehicle seat according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 7-9. Note that, in the vehicle seat control device 48 according to the third embodiment, elements and parts corresponding to elements and parts of the vehicle seat control device 10 according to the first embodiment will be denoted with the same reference numerals as corresponding elements and parts of the device. 10 for driving a vehicle seat, and their description may be omitted.

[0082] As described above, depending on the longitudinal position of the vehicle seat 14, during a frontal collision of the vehicle 12, the legs of the passenger P sitting on the vehicle seat 14 may be limited by the dashboard 39, the knee airbag, or the like. P. in some cases. In this case, the phenomenon of slipping under the lap section of the seat belt hardly occurs. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 7 and FIG. 8, in the vehicle seat control device 48 according to the present embodiment, taking into account the position (mostly longitudinal, lateral and vertical positions) of the knees P4 of the passenger P sitting on the vehicle seat 14, the threshold value of the allowable backrest angle θ 22 seats are preset. The knee position P4 of the passenger P sitting on the vehicle seat 14 is detected by the knee detection camera 50, and the knee detection camera 50 is electrically connected to the ECU 32.

[0083] When the ECU 32 determines that a road divider is provided on the road on which the vehicle 12 is traveling, the ECU 32 determines the allowable inclination angle θ based on the knee position P4 of the passenger P sitting on the vehicle seat 14 as well as the speed V ₁ , obtained by adding together the speed of the vehicle 12 (the speed of the vehicle in question) and the maximum road speed (maximum speed of the oncoming lane) recorded in advance in the navigation system 36.

[0084] As shown in FIG. 8 and FIG. 9, due to the rearward positioning of the longitudinal position of the vehicle seat 14, etc., when a state 52 where it is difficult to restrain the knees P4 by the dashboard 39 or the like is detected by the knee detection camera 50, the ECU 32 sets the threshold value of the allowable inclination angle θ is smaller than the threshold value in state 54 when it is determined that the knees P4 of the passenger P sitting on the vehicle seat 14 may be limited by the dashboard 39 or the like. (a state in which the passenger P is sitting without crossing his legs, as shown in Fig. 7). In the present embodiment, by way of example, in a state 52 where it is difficult to restrict the knees P4 of the passenger P sitting on the vehicle seat 14 by the dashboard 39 or the like. during a frontal collision, when the speed V ₁ obtained by adding together the speed of the vehicle in question and the limit speed of the oncoming lane is greater than v ₂ -10 km / h, the ECU 32 determines the allowable inclination angle θ as θ ₂ . In state 54, when it is determined that the knees P4 of the passenger P sitting on the vehicle seat 14 may be limited by the dashboard 39 or the like when the speed V ₁ obtained by adding the speed of the vehicle in question and the speed limit of the oncoming lane together greater than v ₂ +10 km / h, ECU 32 determines the permissible inclination angle θ as θ ₂ .

[0085] Even in the case in which the longitudinal position of the vehicle seat 14 is located on the front side, when a state 52 in which it is difficult to restrain the knees P4 by the dashboard 39 or the like is detected by the knee detection camera 50, since the passenger P sitting on the vehicle seat 14, crosses his legs or the like, ECU 32 sets the threshold value of the allowable inclination angle θ to be smaller than the threshold value in state 54, in which it is determined that the knees P4 of the passenger P sitting on the vehicle seat 14 means may be limited to the dashboard 39 or the like. (a state in which the passenger P is sitting without crossing his legs, as shown in Fig. 7). Note that the processing by the ECU 32 of the present embodiment is substantially the same as the processing shown in FIG. 1C, except taking into account the longitudinal position of the vehicle seat 14 and the knees P4 of passenger P.

[0086] When the ECU 32 determines that a road divider is provided on the road on which the vehicle 12 is traveling, the ECU 32 determines the allowable inclination angle θ based on the speed of the vehicle 12 (the speed of the vehicle in question) and the knee position P4 of the passenger P sitting on seat 14 of the vehicle. Note that the processing by the ECU 32 in this case is the same as that of the first embodiment, except for taking into account the knee position P4 of the passenger P in step S05 in FIG. 1C.

[0087] As described above, in the present embodiment, the motor 30 is controlled by setting a threshold value of an allowable inclination angle θ based on the presence or absence of a road divider, the knee position P4 of the passenger P sitting on the vehicle seat 14, the speed V ₁ obtained by adding together the speed of the vehicle in question and the speed limit of the oncoming lane, and the like. That is, the ECU 32 controls the motor 30 to make the inclination angle θ small when it is assumed that the deceleration acceleration becomes higher at the time of a frontal collision of the vehicle 12 and when the passenger P is seated on the vehicle seat 14 in a state in which the phenomenon slippage under the lap strap is likely to occur. Thus, during a collision with a vehicle moving in the opposite lane, it is possible to reduce the occurrence of the phenomenon of slippage under the lap arm of the seat belt and the deterioration of the upper body holding performance of the seated passenger P, so as to reduce the increase in the amount of damage to the seated passenger P ...

A device 56 for controlling a vehicle seat according to a fourth embodiment

[0088] An apparatus 56 for controlling a vehicle seat according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 10-12. Note that, in the vehicle seat control device 56 according to the fourth embodiment, elements and parts corresponding to elements and parts of the vehicle seat control device 10 according to the first embodiment will be designated with the same reference numerals as corresponding elements and parts of the device. 10 for driving a vehicle seat, and their description may be omitted.

[0089] Meanwhile, in the configuration in which the airbag 58 is deployed from the steering wheel 18 during a frontal collision of the vehicle, it is important to prevent the head holding performance P3 of the passenger P sitting on the vehicle seat 14 from deteriorating by the airbag 58 during head-on collision. collision of vehicle 12. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 10 and FIG. 11, in the vehicle seat control device 56 of the present embodiment, considering the position (mainly longitudinal and vertical positions) of the head P3 of the passenger P sitting on the vehicle seat 14, i.e., taking into account the distance between the head P3 of the passenger P sitting on the vehicle seat 14 and the airbag 58 after deployment, a threshold value of the allowable inclination angle θ of the seat back 22 is set. In the present embodiment, during the automatic driving of the vehicle 12, the distance L between the head P3 of the passenger P sitting on the vehicle seat 14 and the airbag 58 after deployment is supposed to be in the range from l ₁ (900 mm) to l ₂ (1200 mm), for example. The position of the head P3 of the passenger P sitting on the vehicle seat 14 is detected by the head detection camera 60, and the head detection camera 60 is electrically connected to the ECU 32.

[0090] When the ECU 32 determines that the road divider is not provided on the road on which the vehicle 12 is traveling, the ECU 32 determines the allowable inclination angle θ based on the speed V ₁ obtained by adding together the speed of the vehicle 12 (the speed of the vehicle in question) and the road speed limit (speed limit of the oncoming lane) recorded in advance in the navigation system 36, as well as the head position P3 of the passenger P sitting on the vehicle seat 14.

[0091] As shown in FIG. 11 and FIG. 12, due to the rearward placement of the longitudinal position of the vehicle seat 14, etc., when a state 62 in which the head P3 of the occupant P is difficult to hold by the airbag 58 is detected by the head detection camera 60, the ECU 32 sets the threshold value of the allowable tilt angle θ is smaller than the threshold value in state 64, in which it is determined that the head P3 of the passenger P sitting on the vehicle seat 14 may be confined by an airbag 58 or the like. (see Fig. 10).

[0092] When the ECU 32 determines that a road divider is provided on the road on which the vehicle 12 is traveling, the ECU 32 determines the allowable inclination angle θ based on the speed of the vehicle 12 (the speed of the vehicle in question) and the position of the head P3 of the passenger P sitting on seat 14 of the vehicle. Note that the processing by the ECU 32 in this case is the same as that of the first embodiment, except that the position of the head P3 of the passenger P in step S05 in FIG. 1C.

[0093] As described above, in the present embodiment, the motor 30 is controlled by setting a threshold value of an allowable inclination angle θ based on the presence or absence of a road divider, the position of the head P3 of the passenger P sitting on the vehicle seat 14, the speed obtained by adding the speed together the vehicle in question and the speed limit of the oncoming lane, etc. That is, the ECU 32 controls the motor 30 to make the inclination angle θ smaller when the deceleration acceleration of the vehicle 12 is expected to be higher at the time of a frontal collision of the vehicle 12 and when the head holding behavior P3 of the passenger P by the pillow 58 security may become impaired. Thus, during a collision with a vehicle moving in an oncoming lane, it is possible to reduce the deterioration of the head holding performance P3 of the seated passenger P, and also to reduce the increase in the amount of damage to the seated passenger P. Note that the processing by the ECU 32 of the present embodiment is practically the same. the same as the processing shown in FIG. 1C, except taking into account the longitudinal position of the vehicle seat 14 and the position P3 of the head of passenger P.

Vehicle seat control device 66 according to the fifth embodiment

[0094] An apparatus 66 for controlling a vehicle seat according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 13 and FIG. 14. Note that, in the vehicle seat control device 66 according to the fifth embodiment, elements and parts corresponding to elements and parts of the vehicle seat control device 10 according to the first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals as corresponding elements and parts of the device 10 for controlling the seat of the vehicle, and their description may be omitted.

[0095] As described above, depending on the longitudinal position of the vehicle seat 14, the legs of the passenger P sitting on the vehicle seat 14 may be limited by the dashboard 39 or a knee airbag (not shown) or the like. during a frontal collision of the vehicle 12 in some cases. For this reason, as shown in FIG. 13 and FIG. 14, in the vehicle seat control device 66 of the present embodiment, the allowable position in rearward movement of the vehicle seat 14 (seat cushion 20) is set depending on the presence or absence of a road divider. The longitudinal position of the vehicle seat 14 (seat cushion 20) is detected by the seat position sensor 40, and the vehicle seat 14 is moved longitudinally by driving the seat slide motor 68 as an actuator. The seat position sensor 40 and the motor 68 are electrically connected to the ECU 32.

[0096] When the ECU 32 determines that a road divider is provided on the road on which the vehicle 12 is traveling, the ECU 32 sets the allowable position D in the rearward movement of the vehicle seat 14 at d2 as shown in FIG. 14. Accordingly, in the case in which a road divider is provided on the road on which the vehicle 12 is traveling, the vehicle seat 14 can be moved longitudinally in a range between a position where the vehicle seat 14 is on the frontmost side and an acceptable position d2. When the motor 68 is driven, the vehicle seat 14 moves rearward; and when the vehicle seat 14 reaches the d2 position, the operation of the motor 68 stops.

[0097] On the other hand, when ECU 32 determines that a road divider is not provided on the road on which the vehicle 12 is traveling, ECU 32 sets the allowable position D in the rearward movement of the vehicle seat 14 at d1 shown in FIG. 13, which is further forward compared to d2 (see Fig. 14). Thus, when a road divider is not provided on the road on which the vehicle 12 is traveling, it is possible to move the vehicle seat 14 longitudinally in a range between the position where the vehicle seat 14 is on the front-most side and the valid position d1. More specifically, when the motor 68 is driven, the vehicle seat 14 moves rearward; and when the vehicle seat 14 reaches the d1 position, the operation of the motor 68 stops.

[0098] As described above, in the present embodiment, the motor 68 is controlled by setting an allowable position D (threshold) in the rearward movement of the vehicle seat 14 based on the presence or absence of a road divider. That is, when it is expected to have a high deceleration acceleration during a frontal collision of the vehicle 12, and when the vehicle seat 14 is positioned at a position where the phenomenon of slippage under the lap belt is likely to occur, the ECU 32 controls the motor 68 so that protect the longitudinal distance between the knees P4 of the passenger P sitting on the vehicle seat 14 and the dashboard 39 or the like. from becoming longer. Thus, at the time of a collision with a vehicle moving in the oncoming lane, it is possible to reduce the occurrence of the slippage phenomenon under the lap leg of the seat belt and to reduce the increase in the amount of damage to the seated passenger P. Note that the processing by the ECU 32 by the present embodiment is practically the same as the processing shown in FIG. 1C, except that instead of the allowable inclination angle θ, the allowable position in rearward movement of the vehicle seat 14 is limited.

A device 70 for controlling a vehicle seat according to a sixth embodiment

[0099] An apparatus 70 for controlling a vehicle seat according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 15 and FIG. 16. Note that, in the vehicle seat control device 70 according to the sixth embodiment, elements and parts corresponding to elements and parts of the vehicle seat control device 10 according to the first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals as corresponding elements and parts of the vehicle seat control device 10, and their description may be omitted.

[0100] As shown in FIG. 15, the vehicle seat control apparatus 70 of the present embodiment may acquire information about the road on which the vehicle 12 is traveling by wireless communication, and set the threshold value of the allowable inclination angle θ based on the road information obtained by wireless communication. In particular, ECU 32 can acquire information of dynamic map 72 via wireless communication.

[0101] Here, the dynamic map 72 is a high-precision three-dimensional map including various information about the road on which the vehicle 12 is traveling, and is a map mainly including "static information 74", "quasi-static information 76", "quasi-dynamic information 78" and "dynamic information 80". The static information 74 is map information as a basis for a dynamic map of roads, road structures on roads, lane information, road surface information, and permanent regulatory information, and this static information is updated every predetermined period. The quasi-static information 76 is information including: traffic control information about road works and events; weather information for a wide area; and traffic congestion forecast, and other data, and is information that is updated more frequently than static information 74. Quasi-dynamic information 78 is information including: actual traffic conditions and temporary traffic restrictions temporary stop conditions such as falling objects and faulty vehicles, actual traffic accident conditions and weather information for a narrow area, etc., at or near the location where the vehicle 12 is moving, and this information is updated more frequently than quasi-static information 76. Dynamic information 80 includes: information transmitted and exchanged between vehicles; information for displaying the signal; information about pedestrians and bicycles at the intersection; and information on vehicles driving directly at the intersection, which information is updated more frequently than quasi-dynamic information 78.

[0102] As shown in FIG. 15 and FIG. 16, when the ECU 32 determines that the road divider is not provided on the road on which the vehicle 12 is traveling based on the information in the dynamic map 72, the ECU 32 determines the allowable inclination angle θ based on the speed V ₃ obtained by adding together the speed of the vehicle 12 ( speed of the vehicle in question) and the design speed of the oncoming vehicle. The “speed of the vehicle 12 (the speed of the vehicle in question)” is the target speed or the actual speed of the vehicle 12 during automatic driving. In addition, the valuable speed of the oncoming vehicle is the driving speed of the oncoming vehicle calculated from the information of the dynamic map 72, and denotes the average driving speed, the speed limit for the oncoming lane, and the like. for an oncoming vehicle moving in the oncoming lane, opposite the lane where the vehicle is moving 12.

[0103] When the speed V ₃ obtained by adding together the speed of the considered vehicle and the design speed of the oncoming vehicle is 0 km / h or more and v ₁ km / h or less, the ECU 32 determines the allowable inclination angle θ as θ ₁ . When the speed V ₃ obtained by adding together the speed of the vehicle in question and the design speed of the oncoming vehicle is greater than v ₂ km / h, the ECU 32 determines the allowable inclination angle θ as θ ₂ . Additionally, when the speed V ₃ obtained by adding together the speed of the vehicle in question and the design speed of the oncoming vehicle is greater than v ₁ km / h and less than v ₂ km / h, the ECU 32 determines the allowable inclination angle θ as the angle θ ₃ that corresponds to the speed v ₃ obtained by adding together the speed of the vehicle in question and the speed limit of the oncoming lane. In the present embodiment, θ _{3 is} calculated by proportional interpolation between (v ₁ , θ ₁ ) and (v ₂ , θ ₂ ) shown in the graph in FIG. 16. The above processing by the ECU 32 is the same as the above processing of the vehicle seat control apparatus 10 of the first embodiment, except that the allowable inclination angle θ is determined based on the speed V ₃ .

[0104] Additionally, by updating the information of the dynamic map 72, the allowable inclination angle θ is set smaller when the average speed of an oncoming vehicle moving in the opposite lane becomes higher or when the limit speed for the opposite lane becomes higher. In this case, the ECU 32 starts driving the motor 30. As a result, the seat back 22 tilts at an angle equal to or less than the tilt angle threshold θ determined after the information of the dynamic map 72 is updated.

[0105] In addition, when the information of the dynamic map 72 is updated, the allowable inclination angle θ can be rapidly decreased when the average speed of an oncoming vehicle moving in the opposite lane quickly becomes higher. In this case, even when the ECU 32 starts driving for the motor 30, the seat back 22 cannot be tilted quickly in some cases. In this case, ECU 32 starts driving motor 30 and activates automatic braking to tilt the seat back 22 forward, as well as decelerate the vehicle 12. In addition, ECU 32 can be configured to output a signal for lighting a lamp or display for notification on the deceleration of the vehicle 12 to the vehicle following it.

[0106] Here, when the valuable speed of the oncoming vehicle is set by announcing the average speed of the oncoming vehicle moving in the opposite lane, the allowable inclination angle θ can be set more preferable than the case where the valuable speed of the oncoming vehicle is set using speed limit for the oncoming lane. For example, when the average speed of an oncoming vehicle moving in the opposite lane is lower than the speed limit for the oncoming lane, the allowable tilt angle θ may be greater than the tilt angle if the design speed of the oncoming vehicle is set using the oncoming lane speed limit.

[0107] When the ECU 32 determines that a road divider is provided on the road on which the vehicle 12 is traveling based on the information of the dynamic map 72, the ECU 32 determines the allowable inclination angle θ based on the speed V ₂ (the speed of the vehicle in question) of the vehicle 12 as shown in FIG. 3. That is, when the ECU 32 determines that a road divider is provided on the road on which the vehicle 12 is traveling based on the information of the dynamic map 72, the same processing as that of the first embodiment is performed. The allowable tilt angle θ can be determined based on the estimated speed of the vehicle 12. Here, the valuable speed of the vehicle 12 is the speed of the vehicle 12 calculated from the information of the dynamic map 72, which includes the average speed of the vehicles traveling in the lane, where vehicle 12 is moving, the lane speed limit where vehicle 12 is moving, and so on. Note that the processing by the ECU 32 of the present embodiment is almost the same as the processing shown in FIG. 1C, with the exception of taking into account information from dynamic map 72.

[0108] Even in the case where the ECU 32 determines that a road divider is provided on the road on which the vehicle 12 is traveling based on the static information 74 of the dynamic map 72, when the ECU 32 determines that two-way traffic is acting on the road on which the vehicle 12 is moving, based on the quasi-static information 76 and the quasi-dynamic information 78 of the dynamic map 72, the ECU 32 determines the allowable tilt angle θ assuming no road divider is provided as shown in FIG. 16. This means that the ECU 32, at the time of switching the control from the case in which the road divider is provided, to the control for the case in which the road divider is not provided, controls the vehicle seat 14.

[0109] In the present embodiment, the threshold value of the allowable inclination angle θ is set based on the information of the dynamic map 72; and similarly, the threshold value of the allowable position in the rearward movement of the vehicle seat 14 can be set based on the information of the dynamic map 72.

Vehicle seat control device 82 according to seventh embodiment

[0110] An apparatus 82 for controlling a vehicle seat according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 16 and FIG. 17. Note that, in the vehicle seat control device 82 according to the seventh embodiment, elements and parts corresponding to elements and parts of the vehicle seat control device 10 according to the first embodiment will be denoted with the same reference numerals as the corresponding elements and parts of the device 10 for controlling the seat of the vehicle, and their description may be omitted.

[0111] As shown in FIG. 17, the device 82 for controlling the vehicle seat according to the present embodiment can acquire information of an oncoming vehicle 84 via wireless communication as a communication between vehicles, and sets a threshold value of an allowable inclination angle θ based on information about an oncoming vehicle 84 obtained therefrom. wireless communication. In the vehicle seat control device 82 of the present embodiment, the ECU 32 may obtain the above-described information from the navigation system 36 (see FIG. 1B) and the above-described information of the dynamic map 72 (see FIG. 15).

[0112] When the ECU 32 determines that the road divider is not provided on the road on which the vehicle 12 is traveling based on information from the navigation system 36 or information from the dynamic map 72 as shown in FIG. 16 and FIG. 17, ECU 32 determines the allowable tilt angle θ based on the speed V ₃ obtained by adding together the speed of the vehicle 12 (the speed of the vehicle in question) and the estimated speed of the oncoming vehicle 84. The "speed of the vehicle 12 (the speed of the vehicle in question)" is set the speed or the actual speed of the vehicle 12 during automatic driving. Additionally, the valuable speed of the oncoming vehicle 84 is the traveling speed of the oncoming vehicle 84 calculated from the information if information about the oncoming vehicle 84 has already been acquired via wireless communication. The valuable speed of the oncoming vehicle 84 is determined based on information such as a driving route and a speed signal, which are part of the oncoming vehicle 84 wirelessly acquired information. The processing by the ECU 32 after the ECU 32 determines the design speed of the oncoming vehicle 84 is the same as the above-described processing of the device 70 for controlling the vehicle seat according to the sixth embodiment.

[0113] When the ECU 32 determines that a road divider is provided on the road on which the vehicle 12 is traveling based on information from the navigation system 36 or information from the dynamic map 72 as shown in FIG. 3, ECU 32 determines the allowable tilt angle θ based on the speed V ₂ of the vehicle 12 (the speed of the vehicle in question). That is, when the ECU 32 determines that a road divider is provided on the road on which the vehicle 12 is traveling based on information from the navigation system 36 or information from the dynamic map 72, the same processing as that of the first embodiment is performed.

Vehicle seat control device 86 according to the eighth embodiment

[0114] An apparatus 86 for controlling a vehicle seat according to an eighth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 16 and FIG. 18. Note that, in the vehicle seat control device 86 according to the eighth embodiment, elements and parts corresponding to elements and parts of the vehicle seat control device 10 according to the first embodiment will be denoted with the same reference numerals as the corresponding elements and parts of the device 10 for controlling the seat of the vehicle, and their description may be omitted.

[0115] As shown in FIG. 18, the vehicle seat control apparatus 86 according to the present embodiment can acquire speed information of an oncoming vehicle 84 by means of a radar 88 as a sensor provided in the vehicle 12, and sets a threshold value of an allowable inclination angle θ based on the speed information of the oncoming vehicle. means 84 received by this radar 88. The vehicle seat control device 86 of the present embodiment can detect the presence or absence of a road divider by the radar 88. In the vehicle seat control device 86 of the present embodiment, the ECU 32 can obtain the above-described information from the navigation system 36 (see FIG. 1B) and the above-described dynamic map information 72 (see FIG. 15).

[0116] When ECU 32 determines that a road divider is not provided on the road on which the vehicle 12 is traveling based on information from the navigation system 36 or information from the dynamic map 72 as shown in FIG. 16 and FIG. 18, ECU 32 determines the allowable tilt angle θ based on the speed V ₃ obtained by adding together the speed of the vehicle 12 (the speed of the vehicle in question) and the estimated speed of the oncoming vehicle 84. The "speed of the vehicle 12 (the speed of the vehicle in question)" is set the speed or the actual speed of the vehicle 12 during automatic driving. Additionally, the valuable speed of the oncoming vehicle 84 is the traveling speed of the oncoming vehicle 84 calculated from the speed information if the speed information for the oncoming vehicle 84 has already been obtained by the radar 88. After the speed information for the oncoming vehicle 84 has already been obtained by the radar 88, ECU 32 determines the speed of the oncoming vehicle 84 corresponding to the speed information as the design speed of the oncoming vehicle 84. Processing by the ECU 32, after ECU 32 determines the design speed of the oncoming vehicle 84, is the same as as the above-described processing of the vehicle seat control device 70 according to the sixth embodiment.

[0117] When the ECU 32 determines that a road divider is provided on the road on which the vehicle 12 is traveling based on information from the navigation system 36, information from the dynamic map 72, or information from the radar 88 as shown in FIG. 3, ECU 32 determines the allowable tilt angle θ based on the speed V ₂ of the vehicle 12 (the speed of the vehicle in question). That is, when the ECU 32 determines that a road divider is provided on the road on which the vehicle 12 is traveling based on information from the navigation system 36 or information from the dynamic map 72, the same processing as in the first embodiment is performed. ...

Vehicle seat control device 90 according to the ninth embodiment

[0118] An apparatus 90 for controlling a vehicle seat according to a ninth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 16 and FIG. 19. Note that, in the vehicle seat control device 90 according to the ninth embodiment, elements and parts corresponding to elements and parts of the vehicle seat control device 10 according to the first embodiment will be denoted with the same reference numerals as the corresponding elements and parts of the device 10 for controlling the seat of the vehicle, and their description may be omitted.

[0119] As shown in FIG. 19, the vehicle seat control device 90 of the present embodiment can obtain lane information where at least one of the vehicle 12 and the oncoming vehicle 84 is moving through a pair of front and rear cameras 92 as sensors provided in the vehicle 12, and sets the threshold value of the allowable inclination angle θ based on the lane information obtained by the cameras 92.

[0120] When the ECU 32 determines that the road divider is not provided on the road on which the vehicle 12 is traveling based on information from the cameras 92, the ECU 32 determines the allowable tilt angle θ based on the speed V ₃ obtained by adding together the speed of the vehicle 12 (the speed of the vehicle in question) and the design speed of the oncoming vehicle 84. "Speed of the vehicle 12 (speed of the vehicle in question)" is the target speed or the actual speed of the vehicle 12 during automatic driving. Additionally, the valuable speed of the oncoming vehicle 84 is the speed limit for the oncoming lane indicated by the road sign 94 when the information on the road sign 94, which is part of the information on the oncoming lane where the oncoming vehicle 84 is moving, is already obtained by only the rear camera. 92 of the vehicle 12. In the vehicle 12 having only the front camera 92, the speed limit indicated on the road sign 94 for the lane where the vehicle 12 is moving can be determined as the valuable speed of the oncoming vehicle 84. Processing by ECU 32, after the ECU 32 determines the design speed of the oncoming vehicle 84 is the same as the above-described processing of the vehicle seat control device 70 according to the sixth embodiment.

[0121] In addition, when the ECU 32 determines that a road divider is provided on the road on which the vehicle 12 is traveling based on information from the cameras 92, the allowable inclination angle θ is determined based on the speed V ₂ of the vehicle 12 (the speed of the vehicle in question ) as shown in FIG. 3. That is, when the ECU 32 determines that a road divider is provided on the road on which the vehicle 12 is traveling based on information from the cameras 92, the same processing as that of the first embodiment is performed.

Vehicle seat control device 96 according to a tenth embodiment

[0122] An apparatus 96 for controlling a vehicle seat according to a tenth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 20 and FIG. 21. Note that, in the vehicle seat control device 96 according to the tenth embodiment, elements and parts corresponding to elements and parts of the vehicle seat control device 10 according to the first embodiment will be denoted with the same reference numerals as the corresponding elements and parts of the device 10 for controlling the seat of the vehicle, and their description may be omitted.

[0123] As shown in FIG. 20, the vehicle seat control device 96 according to the present embodiment is provided in the vehicle 12 adapted to be driven by automatic driving. Therefore, deceleration by automatic braking can be expected when a collision with an oncoming vehicle 84 is predicted based on information from radar 88, cameras 92, or the like. Therefore, the device 96 for controlling the vehicle seat of the present embodiment sets the threshold value of the inclination angle θ in consideration of the deceleration amount α of the vehicle 12 that can be expected by the automatic braking. The vehicle seat control device 96 according to the present embodiment may obtain the above-described information from the navigation system 36 (see FIG. 1B) or the above-described information of the dynamic map 72 (see FIG. 15).

[0124] As shown in FIG. 20 and FIG. 21, when ECU 32 determines that a road divider is not provided on the road on which the vehicle 12 is traveling based on information from the navigation system 36 or information from the dynamic map 72, ECU 32 determines an allowable inclination angle θ based on the speed V ₄ obtained by adding together the design speed of the oncoming vehicle 84 and the speed obtained by subtracting the amount of deceleration α expected by automatic braking from the speed of the vehicle 12 (the speed of the vehicle in question), which is the design speed of the vehicle 12. "The speed of the vehicle 12 (the speed of the vehicle in question) means) "is the target speed or the actual speed of the vehicle 12 during automatic driving. In addition, the deceleration amount α that can be expected by the automatic braking is a variable that varies depending on the speed of the vehicle 12, road surface conditions, and the like. and is determined from the information recorded in advance in the ECU 32. In addition, the valuable speed of the oncoming vehicle 84 is the driving speed of the oncoming vehicle 84 calculated from the information of the dynamic map 72 and the like. In the following description, “the speed obtained by subtracting the deceleration amount α expected by the automatic braking from the speed of the vehicle 12 (the speed of the vehicle in question)” is called “the speed after deceleration of the vehicle 12”. The amount of deceleration α that can be expected by automatic braking can be determined based on the "International Standards for Automatic Emergency Braking System (AEBS)", which are international standards set at the 178th meeting of the World Forum for Harmonization of Automotive Standards (WP29) of the Organization United Nations. According to international standards for the automatic emergency braking system (AEBS), the following is stated: “while driving at 40 km / h there is no risk of collision with a stationary vehicle in front”; "while driving at a speed of 60 km / h, there is no risk of collision with a vehicle moving ahead at a speed of 20 km / h"; and "while driving at 30 km / h, there is no risk of collision with a pedestrian walking and crossing the road at 5 km / h."

[0125] When the speed V ₄ obtained by adding together the speed after decelerating the vehicle 12 and the design speed of the oncoming vehicle 84 is 8 km / h or more and v ₁ km / h or less, the ECU 32 determines the allowable inclination angle θ as θ ₁ . When the speed V ₄ obtained by adding together the speed after decelerating the vehicle 12 and the estimated speed of the oncoming vehicle 84 is greater than v ₂ km / h, the ECU 32 determines the allowable inclination angle θ as θ ₂ . In addition, when the speed V ₄ obtained by adding together the speed after deceleration of the vehicle 12 and the design speed of the oncoming vehicle 84 is a speed v ₃ that is greater than v ₁ km / h and less than v ₂ km / h, the ECU 32 sets the allowable angle slope θ as the angle θ ₃ corresponding to the speed V ₃ obtained by adding together the speed of the vehicle in question and the speed limit for the oncoming lane of the oncoming vehicle 84. In the present embodiment, θ _{3 is} calculated by proportional interpolation between (v ₁ , θ ₁ ) and (v ₂ , θ ₂ ) shown in the graph in FIG. 21.

[0126] When the ECU 32 determines that a road divider is provided on the road on which the vehicle 12 is traveling based on information from the navigation system 36 or information from the dynamic map 72, the ECU 32 determines the allowable inclination angle θ based on the speed V ₂ of the vehicle 12 (the speed of the vehicle in question) as shown in FIG. 3. That is, when the ECU 32 determines that a road divider is provided on the road on which the vehicle 12 is traveling based on information from the navigation system 36 or information from the dynamic map 72, the same processing as that of the first embodiment, performed.

[0127] In the above-described present embodiment, the allowable tilt angle θ can be set more appropriately in consideration of the deceleration amount α of the vehicle 12 that can be expected by the automatic braking. That is, in the present embodiment, the allowable inclination angle θ can be made larger than in the case without taking into account the deceleration amount α of the vehicle 12, which can be expected by the automatic braking.

[0128] The vehicle seat control apparatus may be configured by interconnecting the configurations and thresholds of the respective embodiments described above. Additionally, the vehicle seat control device of the present invention can be applied to a vehicle that can only be driven by automatic driving.

[0129] Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications other than the above-described embodiment can be realized without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

Claims (72)

1. A control device for a vehicle seat, comprising: at least one actuator provided in a vehicle capable of being driven by automatic driving, wherein the actuator is configured to adjust at least one of the tilt angle or position of the vehicle seat in the longitudinal direction of the seat, the tilt angle being the seat back angle the vehicle in the rearward direction of the seat relative to the vehicle seat cushion; the control unit is configured to: determining whether or not a road divider is provided on the road on which the vehicle is moving, and performance, when determining that a road divider is not provided, at least one of: 1) controlling the actuator so as not to tilt the backrest backward by more than a predetermined angle, 2) controlling the actuator in such a way as not to position the vehicle seat in a position further back from the target position, 3) output a warning signal when the seat back is tilted back more than a specified angle, and 4) outputting a warning signal when the vehicle seat is positioned further backward from the set position. 2. The control device of claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured, when the control unit determines that a road divider is provided, to set at least one of a predetermined angle and a predetermined position based on at least one of the vehicle speed and the estimated vehicle speed. 3. The control device according to claim. 1, in which the control unit is configured, when the control unit determines that the road divider is not provided, setting at least one of a predetermined angle and a predetermined position based on at least the estimated speed of the oncoming a vehicle that moves in the opposite lane of the road along which the vehicle is moving. 4. The control device according to claim 3, wherein the control unit is configured, when the control unit determines that a road divider is not provided, setting at least one of a predetermined angle and a predetermined position based on the total vehicle speed and the estimated speed the oncoming vehicle or the total speed for the design vehicle speed and the design speed of the oncoming vehicle. 5. The control device according to claim 3 or 4, in which the control unit is configured to: obtaining information about the road on which the vehicle is moving through wireless communication; and determining the estimated speed of an oncoming vehicle based on the road information obtained via wireless communication. 6. The control device according to claim 3 or 4, in which the control unit is configured to: receiving information from an oncoming vehicle via wireless communication and determining the estimated speed of an oncoming vehicle based on information received via wireless communication. 7. The control device according to claim 3 or 4, in which the control unit is configured to: obtaining information about the speed of an oncoming vehicle by means of a sensor provided in the vehicle; and determining the estimated speed of the oncoming vehicle based on the information about the speed of the oncoming vehicle received from the sensor. 8. The control device according to claim 3 or 4, in which the control unit is configured to: obtaining information about the lane along which at least one of the vehicle and the oncoming vehicle is moving by means of a sensor provided in the vehicle; and determining the estimated speed of the oncoming vehicle based on the lane information received from the sensor. 9. The control device according to claim 2, wherein the control unit is configured to determine the speed obtained by subtracting the deceleration amount by the automatic braking from the vehicle speed as the estimated vehicle speed. 10. Control device according to any one of paragraphs. 1-4 and 9, in which: the vehicle seat includes a tilt actuator that adjusts the angle of the seat back in the rearward direction of the seat; and the control unit is configured to: when the control unit determines that a road divider is not provided on the road on which the vehicle is driven by automatic driving, control the tilt actuator so that the inclination angle becomes less than the inclination angle in the case where the control unit determines that the road divider provided, or, when the control unit determines that the road divider is not provided on the road on which the vehicle is moving, outputting a warning signal when the inclination angle is less than the inclination angle in the case where the control unit determines that the road divider is provided. 11. The control device of claim 10, wherein the control unit is configured to set a predetermined angle based on a position in the longitudinal direction of the seat for the seat cushion. 12. The control device of claim 10, wherein the control unit is configured to set the predetermined angle based on the knee position of the passenger sitting on the seat cushion. 13. The control device of claim 10, wherein the control unit is configured to set the predetermined angle based on the position of the head of the passenger seated on the seat cushion. 14. The control device according to any one of paragraphs. 2-4 and 9, in which: the vehicle seat includes a tilt actuator that adjusts the angle of the seat back in the rearward direction of the seat; and the control unit is configured to: when the control unit determines that a road divider is not provided on the road on which the vehicle is driven by automatic driving, control the tilt actuator so that the inclination angle becomes less than the inclination angle in the case where the control unit determines that the road divider provided, or, when the control unit determines that the road divider is not provided on the road on which the vehicle is moving, outputting a warning signal when the inclination angle is less than the inclination angle in the case where the control unit determines that the road divider is provided; wherein the control unit is configured to stop tilting the seat back by stopping the tilt actuator when the tilt angle reaches a predetermined angle. 15. The control device according to any one of paragraphs. 2-4 and 9, in which: the vehicle seat includes a tilt actuator that adjusts the angle of the seat back in the rearward direction of the seat; and the control unit is configured to: when the control unit determines that a road divider is not provided on the road on which the vehicle is driven by automatic driving, control the tilt actuator so that the inclination angle becomes less than the inclination angle in the case where the control unit determines that the road divider provided, or, when the control unit determines that the road divider is not provided on the road on which the vehicle is moving, outputting a warning signal when the inclination angle is less than the inclination angle in the case where the control unit determines that the road divider is provided; wherein the control unit is configured to instruct the seatback to tilt forward, actuating the tilt actuator so as to set the tilt angle to an angle equal to or less than the predetermined angle. 16. The control device according to any one of paragraphs. 1-4 and 9, in which: the vehicle seat includes a cushion slide actuator that adjusts the position of the vehicle seat in the longitudinal direction of the seat; and the control unit is configured to: when the control unit determines that a road divider is not provided on the road on which the vehicle is driven by automatic driving, controlling the actuator for sliding the seat so as to position the vehicle seat further forward compared to the case where the control unit determines that that a road divider is provided, or, when the control unit determines that the road divider is not provided on the road on which the vehicle is moving, outputting a warning signal in a state in which the vehicle seat is positioned further forward compared to the case where the control unit determines that the road divider is provided ... 17. The control device according to any one of paragraphs. 2-4 and 9, in which: the vehicle seat includes a seat slide actuator that adjusts the position of the vehicle seat in the longitudinal direction of the seat; and the control unit is configured to: when the control unit determines that a road divider is not provided on the road on which the vehicle is driven by automatic driving, control of the actuator for sliding the seat so as to position the vehicle seat further forward compared to the case where the control unit determines that a road divider is provided, or, when the control unit determines that the road divider is not provided on the road on which the vehicle is moving, outputting a warning signal in a state in which the vehicle seat is positioned further forward compared to the case where the control unit determines that the road divider is provided ; wherein the vehicle seat is configured to stop longitudinal movement of the vehicle seat by means of a control unit stopping operation of the seat slide actuator when the vehicle seat position in the longitudinal direction of the seat reaches a predetermined position. 18. The control device according to any one of paragraphs. 2-4 and 9, in which: the vehicle seat includes a seat slide actuator that adjusts the position of the vehicle seat in the longitudinal direction of the seat; and the control unit is configured to: when the control unit determines that a road divider is not provided on the road on which the vehicle is driven by automatic driving, controlling the actuator for sliding the seat so as to position the vehicle seat further forward compared to the case where the control unit determines that that a road divider is provided, or, when the control unit determines that the road divider is not provided on the road on which the vehicle is moving, output a warning signal in a state in which the vehicle seat is positioned further forward compared to the case where the control unit determines that the road divider is provided ; wherein the vehicle seat is movable forward by a control unit actuating an actuator to slide the seat such that the vehicle seat position is positioned at a predetermined position or further forward than a predetermined position in the longitudinal direction of the seat. 19. Control device according to any one of paragraphs. 1-4 and 9, wherein the control unit is configured to decelerate the vehicle at least either when the seat back is tilted backward by an angle greater than a predetermined angle, or when the vehicle seat is positioned further back from the predetermined position. 20. The control device according to any one of paragraphs. 1-4 and 9, in which the control unit is configured to: obtaining information about the road on which the vehicle is moving through wireless communication; and performing at least one of actuator control and warning signal output assuming no road divider is provided when the control unit determines that the road is a two-way road based on the road information obtained by wireless communication. 21. The control device according to any one of paragraphs. 1-4 and 9, in which: the vehicle is configured to be driven by manual driving or automatic driving; the seat back is tilted backward by a control unit operating an actuator when driving the vehicle is switched from manual driving to automatic driving; and the vehicle seat is configured to: backward movement by the control unit operating the actuator when the vehicle's driving is switched from manual driving to automatic driving, or backward movement with the seat back tilted back by means of the control unit actuating the actuator when the vehicle's driving is switched from manual driving to automatic driving.

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