WO2021033516A1 - Seat control device - Google Patents

Abstract

A seat control device (3) comprises: an obtaining unit (19) configured to obtain image information (Sa) from an image capturing unit (18) capable of capturing an image of a seated person in a seat (2); and an adjusting unit (20) configured to adjust a state of the seat (2) on the basis of movement of a head area (12) of the seated person found from the image information (Sa).

Description

Seat control device Cross-reference of related applications

This application is based on Japanese Application No. 2019-152235, which was filed on August 22, 2019, and the contents of the description are incorporated herein by reference.

The present disclosure relates to a seat control device that controls seat operation.

As in Patent Document 1, conventionally, a seat control device that controls an operating state of a seat based on detection signals of load sensors provided in various parts of the seat is well known. Patent Document 1 detects how a load is applied to the seat based on the load distribution acquired from the load sensor, and adjusts the front-rear position, the vertical position, the left-right position, etc. of the seat from the detection result.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2008-195323

In the case of the method of adjusting the seat by changing the load of the seat back that is always in contact with the back of the seated person, it is necessary for the seated person to apply a force that changes the way the load is applied to the seat, which imposes a burden on the operation. There was a problem that it would end up. It is also conceivable to provide a load sensor on the headrest and adjust the seat based on how the load is applied to the load sensor, but this was insufficient as a countermeasure because the seated person's head is not always in contact with the headrest. ..

An object of the present disclosure is to provide a seat control device that enables seat adjustment by a simple operation.

The seat control device according to the first aspect of the present disclosure includes an acquisition unit configured to acquire image information from a photographing unit capable of photographing a seated person, and a head of the seated person obtained from the image information. It is provided with an adjusting unit configured to adjust the state of the seat based on the movement of the unit.

According to this configuration, when the seated person adjusts the seat state, it is possible to perform the seat adjustment through an operation with a small load of moving the head. Therefore, the seat can be adjusted by a simple operation.

The above objectives and other objectives, features and advantages of the present disclosure will be clarified by the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings. The drawing is
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of the seat control device of the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a state in which the user is seated on the seat. FIG. 3 is a flowchart executed when the seat adjustment is activated. FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a state in which the seated person moves his / her upper body to express the intention to operate the seat adjustment. FIG. 5 is a schematic view of a state in which the seated person moves his / her head to express the intention to operate the seat adjustment. FIG. 6 is a flowchart executed when the seat adjustment of the second embodiment is activated. FIG. 7 is a graph showing the relationship between the amount of change and the seat movement speed. FIG. 8 is a flowchart executed during the speed setting process. FIG. 9 is an explanatory view showing specific parts of the head and body of the seated person according to the third embodiment. FIG. 10 is a schematic view of a state in which the seated person moves his / her head to express the intention to operate the seat adjustment. FIG. 11 is a flowchart executed when the seat adjustment is activated. FIG. 12 is a configuration diagram of another example seat control device. FIG. 13 is a configuration diagram of another example seat control device. FIG. 14 is a block diagram of another example seat control device.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the seat control device will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5.

As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle 1 includes a seat control device 3 that controls the operation of the seat 2 provided in the vehicle 1. The seat control device 3 includes a seat control unit 4 that controls the operation of the seat control device 3. The seat control unit 4 adjusts the front-rear position of the seat 2, the vertical position of the seat 2, the reclining angle of the seat 2, and the like via the seat operating device 6 including the actuator 5 such as a motor. As described above, the seat operation executed by the seat control device 3 includes the front-rear direction position adjustment, the up-down direction position adjustment, the reclining angle adjustment, and the like of the seat 2.

The seat control device 3 includes a seat position detection sensor 7 that detects the position of the seat 2. When the actuator 5 of the seat operating device 6 is a motor, the seat position detection sensor 7 is preferably a rotation detection sensor that detects the rotation speed of the motor. The seat position detection sensor 7 includes, for example, one that detects the position in the front-rear direction of the seat 2, one that detects the position in the height direction of the seat 2, and one that detects the reclining angle. The seat control device 3 adjusts the seat position while recognizing the state (position and angle) of the seat 2 based on the detection signal S1 input from the seat position detection sensor 7.

As shown in FIG. 2, the seat 2 includes a seat cushion 10 on which a seated person who is a user sits, a seat back 11 that supports the back of the seated person, and a headrest 13 that supports the head 12 of the seated person. The seat cushion 10 moves in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body (direction of arrow A in FIG. 2) along a pair of slide rails 14 provided on the floor surface inside the vehicle. The position of the seat 2 is adjusted in the front-rear direction by moving the seat back 11 in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body. The vertical position of the seat 2 is adjusted via a guide mechanism (not shown) that guides the vertical movement of the seat cushion 10 (in the direction of arrow B in FIG. 2). Further, the reclining angle of the seat back 11 changes by rotating along the shaft portion 15 of the base end (direction of arrow C in FIG. 2). The reclining angle of the seat 2 is adjusted by rotating the seat back 11 around the shaft portion 15.

Returning to FIG. 1, the seat control device 3 has a function (seat adjustment function) of determining the movement of the seated person's head 12 based on the image information Sa acquired by the photographing unit 18 and adjusting the state of the seat 2. .. The seat adjustment function of this example monitors the movement of the head 12 of the seated person on the seat 2 from the image information Sa taken by the photographing unit 18, and executes the seat adjustment based on the monitoring result. In the case of this example, the reclining angle adjustment is given as an example of the seat adjustment using the image information Sa, but other than this, it may be applied to, for example, the seat front-rear position adjustment, the seat up-down position adjustment, and the like.

The photographing unit 18 is arranged in front of the seat 2 so that the seated person of the seat 2 can be photographed. Specifically, the photographing unit 18 is arranged, for example, in a camera, where the head 12 of the seated person can be photographed at least. As an example, it is preferable that the photographing unit 18 is attached to a rearview mirror used when checking the rear from the driver's seat, for example. The photographing unit 18 outputs the acquired image information Sa to the sheet control device 3. It is preferable that the photographing unit 18 is activated, for example, when the vehicle power is turned on, to start photographing the seated person.

The seat control device 3 includes an acquisition unit 19 that acquires image information Sa from an imaging unit 18 capable of photographing a seated person on the seat 2. The acquisition unit 19 is provided in the seat control unit 4. The acquisition unit 19 periodically acquires the image information Sa captured by the photographing unit 18.

The seat control device 3 includes an adjusting unit 20 that adjusts the state of the seat 2 based on the movement of the seated person's head 12 obtained from the image information Sa. The adjusting unit 20 is provided in the seat control unit 4. The adjusting unit 20 recognizes the movement of the seated person's head 12 based on the image information Sa acquired by the acquiring unit 19, and executes the seat adjustment. In the case of this example, the adjusting unit 20 uses the image information Sa of the photographing unit 18 to change the distance of the seated person's head 12 in the perspective direction and the head 12 in the perspective crossing direction which is the direction intersecting the perspective direction. The seat adjustment is performed in search of the position change. The position change of the head portion 12 in the perspective crossing direction is preferably, for example, a position change in the coordinate plane (XY coordinate plane) of the screen of the image information Sa.

The adjusting unit 20 may limit the seat adjustment operation when it is determined that the vehicle 1 is in operation based on the vehicle information Sb indicating the current state of the traveling system of the vehicle 1. The vehicle information Sb includes, for example, vehicle speed information indicating the speed of the vehicle 1, shift position information indicating the position of the transmission of the vehicle 1, wheel rotation information indicating the wheel rotation speed of the vehicle 1, and the like. From such vehicle information Sb, the adjusting unit 20 determines whether or not the vehicle 1 is driving, and limits the seat adjustment operation when the vehicle 1 is driving.

Next, the operation of the seat control device 3 of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 to 5. In the case of this example, the operation of tilting the reclining to the front side by changing the head distance and tilting the reclining to the rear side by changing the head position will be given as an example.

As shown in FIG. 3, in step 101, the adjusting unit 20 determines whether or not the trigger Ta related to the start of the operation of the seat adjustment (for example, the reclining angle adjustment) is input. That is, it is determined whether or not the user intends to start the seat adjustment. For example, an on-operation switch signal is input to this trigger Ta from a switch (not shown) provided for seat adjustment, and the gesture of starting seat adjustment by the seated person is image-recognized from the image information Sa of the photographing unit 18. In addition, the voice of the seated person at the start of seat adjustment may be collected by a microphone (not shown) or the like to recognize the voice. In this step, if the trigger Ta is input, the process proceeds to step 102, and if the trigger Ta is not input, the flow processing ends.

In step 102, the acquisition unit 19 acquires the image information Sa from the photographing unit 18 when the trigger Ta for starting the sheet adjustment is input. Then, the acquisition unit 19 outputs the acquired image information Sa to the adjustment unit 20.

In step 103, the adjusting unit 20 first sets a reference distance Lk, which is a reference for determining the seat adjustment, with respect to the seated person reflected in the image information Sa. In the case of this example, the adjusting unit 20 image-recognizes the image reflected in the image information Sa, recognizes a predetermined portion (for example, eyes, nose, etc.) of the head 12 of the seated person on the seat 2, and starts from the photographing unit 18. The distance to the predetermined portion is obtained as the reference distance Lk. As the image recognition method, various known methods can be adopted. The predetermined portion of the head 12 is calculated at the X and Y coordinate positions in the image projected on the image information Sa.

In step 104, after setting the reference distance Lk, when the seated person's head 12 moves, the adjusting unit 20 acquires the distance change data Lx of the head 12. In the case of this example, the adjusting unit 20 acquires the distance change data Lx when the image recognizes that the head 12 has moved from the reference distance Lk. The distance change data Lx is preferably data indicating how much the predetermined portion of the image-recognized head 12 has moved in which direction (for example, front-back, up-down, left-right).

In step 105, the adjusting unit 20 calculates the movement amount Rt1 of the head distance as the movement amount of the head 12 in the perspective direction reflected in the image information Sa when it is determined that the head 12 of the seated person has moved. To do. As described above, the movement amount Rt1 of the head distance is preferably the amount of movement of the head 12 in the front-rear direction. The movement amount Rt1 of the head distance may be, for example, a change in the distance between the photographing unit 18 and a predetermined portion of the seated person's head 12. Further, the movement amount Rt1 may be calculated from the change in the size of the head 12 of the seated person reflected in the image information Sa.

Here, as shown in FIG. 4, when the seated person wants to adjust the reclining angle of the seat 2, for example, he / she expresses his / her intention to operate by moving his / her upper body in the front-rear direction (arrow P1 direction in the same figure). Specifically, when the reclining angle of the seat 2, that is, the seat back 11 is desired to be tilted forward, the upper body including the head 12 is largely moved forward while sitting on the seat 2. In this way, the seated person of the seat 2 expresses to the photographing unit 18 the operation intention to tilt the reclining of the seat 2 to the front side by changing the distance of the head 12 in the perspective direction by moving the upper body.

Returning to FIG. 3, in step 106, the adjusting unit 20 determines whether or not the calculated change amount Rx (hereinafter referred to as Rx1) of the movement of the head distance is equal to or greater than the threshold value. That is, it is determined whether or not there is a sufficient change in the movement of the head distance in the image of the image information Sa. The amount of change Rx1 may be the amount of movement Rt1 itself, or may be any of the other parameters converted from the amount of movement Rt1. In the same step, if the change amount Rx1 of the movement of the head distance is equal to or more than the threshold value, the process proceeds to step 107, and if the change amount Rx1 of the movement of the head distance is not equal to or more than the threshold value, the process proceeds to step 108.

In step 107, when the amount of change Rx1 is equal to or greater than the threshold value, the adjusting unit 20 operates the actuator 5 of the seat operating device 6 to adjust the state of the seat 2. In the case of this example, the operation of tilting the seat back 11 forward is executed via the actuator 5 for switching the reclining angle of the seat 2. As a result, the angle adjustment for tilting the reclining seat 2 forward can be easily performed.

In step 108, the adjusting unit 20 sets the movement amount Rt2 of the head position as the movement amount of the head 12 in the perspective crossing direction reflected in the image information Sa when it is determined that the head 12 of the seated person has moved. calculate. In the case of this example, the movement amount Rt2 is preferably the coordinate movement amount on the screen of the predetermined image-recognized part (for example, eyes, nose, etc.). As described above, the movement amount Rt2 of the head position is the amount of movement of the head 12 in the direction intersecting the front-back direction. The movement amount Rt2 of the head position is preferably a composite vector of the X coordinate and the Y coordinate on the coordinate plane of the recognized image for the seated head 12 reflected in the image information Sa.

Here, as shown in FIG. 5, when adjusting the reclining angle of the seat 2, for example, the seated person keeps the upper body as it is and only the head 12 is in the vertical direction (arrow P2 direction in the figure). By moving to, the operation intention is expressed. Specifically, when the reclining angle of the seat 2, that is, the seat back 11 is desired to be tilted backward, only the head 12 is tilted backward without moving the upper body. In this way, the seated person of the seat 2 expresses to the photographing unit 18 the operation intention to tilt the reclining angle of the seat 2 backward by changing the position of the head 12 in the perspective crossing direction.

Returning to FIG. 3, in step 109, the adjusting unit 20 determines whether or not the calculated change amount Rx (hereinafter referred to as Rx2) of the movement of the head position is equal to or greater than the threshold value. The change amount Rx2 may be either the movement amount Rt2 itself or another parameter converted from the movement amount Rt2. In the same step, if the amount of change in the movement of the head position Rx2 is equal to or greater than the threshold value, the process proceeds to step 107 to operate the actuator 5 and perform seat adjustment (adjustment of the reclining angle to the rear). On the other hand, in the same step, if the change amount Rx2 of the movement of the head position is not equal to or more than the threshold value, the process proceeds to step 110.

In step 110, when both the change amount Rx1 of the head distance and the change amount Rx2 of the head movement do not exceed the threshold value, the adjusting unit 20 stops the actuator 5 of the seat operating device 6 to move the seat 2. stop. The adjusting unit 20 adjusts the sheet state by executing the processes of steps 102 to 109 while inputting the trigger Ta.

Further, the adjusting unit 20 may monitor the intention of seat operation using a portion other than the seated person's head 12 from the image of the image information Sa, and adjust the state of the seat 2 based on the monitoring result. .. Specifically, a gesture using the seated person's body is image-recognized from the image of the photographing unit 18, and the seat state is adjusted according to the gesture. In addition, when the seated person touches the seat part to be operated, this image is captured by the photographing unit 18 to recognize the image, and the seat state is adjusted by moving the seat part touched by the seated person. May be good. In this way, it becomes possible to more accurately recognize the operating intention of the seated person and execute the seat adjustment.

Further, the adjusting unit 20 inputs vehicle information Sb from various on-board devices, determines whether or not the vehicle 1 is in operation based on the vehicle information Sb, and performs a seat adjustment operation based on the determination result. You may limit it. Vehicle speed information as vehicle information Sb is input from the meter ECU, shift position information as vehicle information Sb is input from the shift device, and wheel rotation information as vehicle information Sb is input from, for example, TPMS (Tire Pressure Monitoring System). It is preferable to enter it.

When the adjustment unit 20 determines that the vehicle 1 is in operation through the determination using the vehicle information Sb, the adjustment unit 20 limits the operation of the seat adjustment. For example, when the adjusting unit 20 detects that the vehicle speed exceeds 0 km / h, the shift position is other than the parking position or the neutral position, the wheel rotation speed exceeds 0, and the like, the vehicle 1 is driving. Judging that, the operation of the seat adjustment is restricted. To limit the operation of the seat adjustment, for example, the operation amount of the seat 2 at the time of seat adjustment is limited, the seat movement speed at the time of seat adjustment is slowed down, or the threshold value to be compared with the change amounts Rx1 and Rx2 is made sensitive. .. By doing this, the driving posture of the seated person while driving is prevented from suddenly changing.

According to the seat control device 3 of the above embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

(1) The seat control device 3 is provided with an acquisition unit 19 and an adjustment unit 20. The acquisition unit 19 acquires the image information Sa from the photographing unit 18 capable of photographing the seated person of the seat 2. The adjusting unit 20 adjusts the state of the seat 2 based on the movement of the seated person's head 12 obtained from the image information Sa. According to this configuration, when the seated person adjusts the seat state, the seat adjustment can be performed through an operation with a small load of moving the head. Therefore, the seat can be adjusted with a simple operation.

(2) The movement of the head 12 is at least one of a change in the distance of the head 12 reflected in the image information Sa in the perspective direction and a change in the position of the head 12 in the perspective crossing direction reflected in the image information Sa. Therefore, the seat adjustment can be performed accurately by using at least one of the distance change of the seated person's head 12 with respect to the photographing unit 18 in the perspective direction and the position change of the seated person's head 12 in the perspective crossing direction with respect to the photographing unit 18. Can be executed.

(3) The adjusting unit 20 monitors the intention of seat operation using a portion other than the seated person's head 12 from the image of the image information Sa, and adjusts the state of the seat 2 based on the monitoring result. In this case, the seat 2 can be adjusted in an appropriate manner according to the intention of the seated person by recognizing the seat operation by a portion other than the seated person's head 12. In addition, seat adjustment before seating can be realized.

(4) The adjusting unit 20 limits the adjustment of the seat 2 when the vehicle 1 on which the seat 2 is mounted is driving. Therefore, since the seat state does not suddenly change significantly while the vehicle 1 is being driven, it is advantageous to secure the driving posture.

(Second Embodiment)
Next, the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 to 8. The second embodiment is an example in which the seat moving speed is changed according to the described change amount Rx in the sheet adjusting process of the first embodiment. Therefore, the same parts as those in the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals, detailed description thereof will be omitted, and only different parts will be described in detail.

As shown in FIG. 6, the adjusting unit 20 passes the seat through speed control (process of step 201 in the figure: referred to as speed setting process) that changes the seat state at a speed corresponding to the movement of the seated person's head 12. Adjust the state of 2. The speed setting process of this example is performed when the change amount Rx1 of the movement of the head 12 in the perspective direction becomes equal to or more than the threshold value, or when the change amount Rx2 of the movement of the head 12 in the perspective crossing direction becomes equal to or more than the threshold value. , Is executed before the actuator 5 is operated.

As shown in FIG. 7, in the speed setting process, the seat movement speed at the time of seat adjustment is set to a speed corresponding to the change amount Rx of the movement of the head 12. In the case of this example, the deceleration region E1 and the normal speed region E2 are set with respect to the amount of change Rx. When the change amount Rx is in the deceleration area E1, the seat movement speed is set according to the change amount Rx, and when the change amount Rx is in the normal speed area E2, the seat movement speed is set to the normal speed (maximum speed). .. When the change amount Rx is equal to or less than the threshold value, the stop region E0 at which the seat 2 does not operate is reached.

Next, the operation of the seat control device 3 of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 to 8. In the case of this example, since step 101 to step 106, step 108, and step 109 shown in FIG. 6 are the same processes as those in the first embodiment, they will be described in detail from step 201, which is a new process in the second embodiment. ..

In step 201, the adjusting unit 20 executes the speed setting process when the amount of change Rx (Rx1, Rx2) is equal to or greater than the threshold value. The speed setting process is a process of setting the rotation speed of the motor as the actuator 5, that is, the seat moving speed in the seat adjustment.

As shown in FIG. 8, in step 301, after the start of the speed setting process, the adjusting unit 20 determines whether or not the change amount Rx of the movement of the head 12 is in the deceleration region E1. In the case of this example, there is a change amount Rx1 of the head 12 in the perspective direction with respect to the photographing unit 18 and a change amount Rx2 of the head 12 in the perspective crossing direction with respect to the photographing unit 18. Therefore, the relationship between the change amount Rx and the seat movement speed as shown in FIG. 7, that is, the speed setting relational expression (map or the like) is prepared for each change amount Rx1 and Rx2. Therefore, when the change amount Rx1 becomes equal to or more than the threshold value and the actuator 5 is operated, the adjusting unit 20 sets the seat movement speed by using the speed setting relational expression for the change amount Rx1. Further, when the change amount Rx2 becomes equal to or more than the threshold value and the actuator 5 is operated, the adjusting unit 20 sets the seat movement speed by using the speed relational expression for the change amount Rx2. In this step, if the change amount Rx is in the deceleration region E1, the process proceeds to step 302, and if the change amount Rx is not in the deceleration area E1, the process proceeds to step 303.

In step 302, when the change amount Rx of the movement of the head 12 is within the deceleration region E1, the adjusting unit 20 sets the seat adjustment process to the deceleration process. That is, the adjusting unit 20 sets the seat moving speed at the time of seat adjustment to "deceleration". In the case of this example, the deceleration speed is set to a speed corresponding to the value of the amount of change Rx.

On the other hand, in step 303, when the change amount Rx of the movement of the head 12 is not in the deceleration region E1, in other words, when the change amount Rx is in the normal speed region E2, the seat at the time of seat adjustment Set the movement speed to normal speed processing. That is, the adjusting unit 20 sets the seat moving speed at the time of seat adjustment to a constant "normal speed".

Returning to FIG. 6, in step 107, the adjusting unit 20 operates the actuator 5 at the seat moving speed set in the speed setting process to adjust the state of the seat 2. In the case of this example, when the seat moving speed is set to "deceleration", the seat 2 is moved at a speed lower than the normal speed to execute the seat adjustment. On the other hand, when the seat moving speed is set to the "normal speed", the seat 2 is moved at a normal speed higher than that during deceleration, and the seat adjustment is executed.

According to the seat control device 3 of the above embodiment, in addition to (1) to (4) described in the first embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

(5) The adjusting unit 20 adjusts the state of the seat 2 through speed control that changes the seat state at a speed corresponding to the movement of the seated person's head 12. Therefore, the seat state can be adjusted by operating the seat 2 at an appropriate speed according to the operating intention of the seated person.

(Third Embodiment)
Next, the third embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 to 11. The third embodiment will also be described in detail only in the parts different from the first and second embodiments.

As shown in FIG. 9, the adjusting unit 20 of this example detects the seat adjustment operation by the seated person only from the position change of the seated person's head 12 reflected in the image information Sa, and the seat is based on the detection result. Adjust the condition. Specifically, the adjusting unit 20 obtains a change between the specific part of the seated person's body 29 and the specific part of the head 12 reflected in the image information Sa as the position change of the head 12, and the seat is changed from this change. Adjust the condition.

When the adjusting unit 20 detects the movement of the seated person's head 12 from the image information Sa of the photographing unit 18, the adjusting unit 20 determines the specific part of the body 29 and the specific part of the head 12 from the image of the seated person reflected in the image information Sa. Image recognition. In the case of this example, the specific part of the body 29 is a part where the seated person's body 29 does not move when the seated person performs the seat adjustment operation by the movement of the head 12. The specific part of the body 29 of this example is preferably, for example, the base of the neck. Further, the specific portion of the head 12 is preferably a facial part in the head 12. The specific part of the head 12 of this example is preferably, for example, the nose of the face.

The adjusting unit 20 calculates the distance Ls between the specific part of the body 29 and the specific part of the head 12 that have been image-recognized from the image of the image information Sa, and based on the change of this distance Ls, the seat state (for example, for example). Perform reclining angle) adjustment.

Next, the operation of the seat control device 3 of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 10 and 11. In the case of this example, steps 401 and 402 shown in FIG. 11 are the same as steps 101 and 102 of the first embodiment, and will be described from step 403 onward.

As shown in FIG. 11, in step 403, the adjusting unit 20 detects a specific part of the body 29 by image recognition based on the image of the seated person reflected in the image information Sa. In the case of this example, the base of the neck, which is unlikely to move even if the head 12 is moved in the seated state, is detected. Further, the specific part of the body 29 is preferably the X and Y coordinate positions on the image coordinates of the base of the neck reflected in the image, for example.

In step 404, the adjusting unit 20 detects a specific part of the head 12 by image recognition based on the image of the seated person reflected in the image information Sa. In the case of this example, the position of the nose of the seated person's head 12 is detected. Further, it is preferable that the specific portion of the head 12 is, for example, the X and Y coordinate positions on the image coordinates of the nose reflected in the image.

In step 405, the adjusting unit 20 calculates the distance Ls between the specific part of the body 29 and the specific part of the head 12 obtained by image recognition. In the case of this example, the distance Ls is preferably a difference on the screen coordinates.

In step 406, the adjusting unit 20 calculates the amount of movement Rt2 of the head position when the seated person's head 12 moves. Whether or not the seated person's head 12 has moved is determined by, for example, recognizing the image of the image information Sa to determine whether or not the seated person's head 12 has moved in a predetermined portion of the image.

As shown in FIG. 10, for example, in order for the seated person to tilt the seat back 11 backward, it is assumed that the seated person performs an operation of tilting only the head 12 backward. At this time, it is assumed that the distance Ls of the difference between the specific part of the body 29 and the specific part of the head 12 changes to "Ls'". In this case, the adjusting unit 20 calculates the difference between the initial distance Ls and the distance Ls'after moving the head 12 as the movement amount Rt2 (= Ls'-Ls).

Returning to FIG. 11, in step 407, the adjusting unit 20 determines whether or not the calculated change amount Rx (Rx2) of the movement of the head position is equal to or greater than the threshold value. At this time, if the amount of change Rx (Rx2) becomes equal to or greater than the threshold value, the adjustment of the reclining angle is started. In the case of this example, it is preferable to determine whether to tilt the reclining back or forth, for example, depending on whether the movement amount Rt1 takes a positive or negative value. For example, when the movement amount Rt1 takes a "positive" value, the operation of tilting the reclining backward is selected, and when the movement amount Rt1 takes a "negative" value, the operation of tilting the reclining forward is selected. Will be done. Further, the determination of whether to tilt the reclining forward or backward may be determined by recognizing the image of the image information Sa. In the same step, if the change amount Rx2 of the movement of the head position is equal to or more than the threshold value, the process proceeds to step 408, and if the change amount Rx2 of the movement of the head position is not equal to or more than the threshold value, the process proceeds to step 409.

In step 408, when the amount of change Rx2 is equal to or greater than the threshold value, the adjusting unit 20 operates the actuator 5 of the seat operating device 6 to adjust the state of the seat 2. In the case of this example, the operation of adjusting the angle of the seat back 11 is executed via the actuator 5 for switching the reclining angle of the seat 2.

In step 409, when the change amount Rx2 of the head movement does not exceed the threshold value, the adjusting unit 20 stops the actuator 5 of the seat operating device 6 to stop the movement of the seat 2. As a result, the operation of the seat adjustment is shifted to the stop.

According to the seat control device 3 of the above embodiment, the following effects can be obtained in addition to (1) to (5) described in the first and second embodiments.

(6) The adjusting unit 20 obtains a change between the specific part of the seated person's body 29 and the specific part of the head 12 reflected in the image information Sa as the position change of the head 12, and determines the seat state from this change. adjust. Therefore, the angle before and after reclining can be appropriately adjusted in a simple manner using only the movement of the head 12.

Note that this embodiment can be modified and implemented as follows. The present embodiment and the following modified examples can be implemented in combination with each other within a technically consistent range.

-In each embodiment, as shown in FIG. 12, the adjusting unit 20 determines the fatigue of the seated person based on the image information Sa of the photographing unit 18, and adjusts the state of the seat 2 according to the determination result. May be good. There is a method of determining fatigue from an image, for example, in a video of a seated person, confirming whether or not the face parts (eyes, mouth, etc.) of the seated person and the head 12 are moving according to fatigue. It is preferable that the target seated person is other than the driver who is driving. When the adjusting unit 20 detects the fatigue of the seated person from the image of the photographing unit 18, it is preferable to switch the seat 2 to the relaxed posture. In this way, the seated person can be relaxed and stress can be reduced.

-In each embodiment, as shown in FIG. 13, the adjusting unit 20 is based on the image information Sa of the photographing unit 18 and the detection signal Sc input from the detecting unit 30 capable of detecting the seat operation by the seated person. The state of the sheet 2 may be adjusted. The detection unit 30 includes, for example, an infrared sensor 30a, an ultrasonic sensor 30b, a capacitance sensor 30c, a pressure sensor 30d, and the like. The infrared sensor 30a detects the distance between the seat 2 and the seated person by infrared rays. The ultrasonic sensor 30b detects the distance between the seat 2 and the seated person by ultrasonic waves. The capacitance sensor 30c detects a touch operation of the human body (hand, finger, arm, etc.) by the seated person. The pressure sensor 30d detects the pressure applied to the seat 2 from the seated person.

In addition to the image information Sa of the photographing unit 18, the adjusting unit 20 includes a detection signal Sc1 of the infrared sensor 30a, a detection signal Sc2 of the ultrasonic sensor 30b, a detection signal Sc3 of the capacitance sensor 30c, and a detection signal Sc4 of the pressure sensor 30d. The seat operation by the seated person is judged by using the above, and the seat state is adjusted based on the judgment result. In this case, more accurate and sensuous seat operation can be realized. Further, even if the face of the seated person is obstructed and the head 12 cannot be photographed by the photographing unit 18, the seat state can be adjusted based on the outputs of other sensors. Further, the mode of the seat state other than the reclining angle of the seat 2 can be appropriately adjusted.

The detection unit 30 may be, for example, a load sensor, a biological sensor, a microphone, a touch panel, or a high-performance mobile phone. The load sensor detects the load of the seated person on the seat 2. The biosensor detects the pressure of the seated person on the seat 2. The microphone collects the voice uttered by the seated person. For example, the high-performance mobile phone outputs the user information input to the telephone to the adjusting unit 20, and adjusts the seat state in a manner based on the user information. Even in such an example, optimum seat adjustment can be realized.

-In each embodiment, as shown in FIG. 14, the adjusting unit 20 monitors the operating state of the seat 2 and, when the seat 2 is detected to be pinched, the seat 2 is stopped or operated in the opposite direction. May be good. It is preferable to monitor the operating state of the seat 2, that is, to detect the pinching by the seat 2, for example, based on the detection signal S1 of the seat position detection sensor 7. For example, when the detection signal S1 of the seat position detection sensor 7 is output as a pulse signal, it is determined that the seat 2 has been pinched when the pulse rise continues for a predetermined time or longer when the seat 2 is operated. In this case, when the pinching occurs, the sheet 2 can be made to perform the optimum movement to eliminate the pinching.

-In the second embodiment, the seat moving speed is not limited to being set to a speed corresponding to the amount of change Rx only in the deceleration region E1. For example, the seat moving speed may be set to a speed corresponding to the amount of change Rx in the entire region.

-In the second embodiment, the seat movement speed may be set for each change amount Rx in a predetermined range. That is, the sheet movement speed is not limited to being set to a unique value with respect to the change amount Rx, and a predetermined sheet movement speed may be set with respect to the change amount Rx in a certain predetermined range. ..

-In each embodiment, the coordinates indicating the reference distance Lk may be, for example, the X and Y coordinates on the coordinate plane (screen coordinate system) of the head 12 (the center thereof) reflected in the image information Sa.

-In each embodiment, the perspective direction may be any direction in which the seated person's head 12 approaches and separates from the photographing unit 18.

-In each embodiment, the perspective crossing direction is not limited to the direction of crossing at right angles to the perspective direction, and may be a direction intersecting the perspective direction.

-In each embodiment, various members such as a camera can be applied to the photographing unit 18.

-In each embodiment, the photographing unit 18 may be capable of simultaneously photographing a plurality of seated persons seated on the seat 2 in the vehicle.

-In each embodiment, various modes such as voice can be applied to the seat operation using a portion other than the seated person's head 12.

-In each embodiment, the seat control device 3 may include a function of adjusting the left-right position of the seat 2.

-In each embodiment, the adjusting unit 20 identifies the movement of the seated person reflected in the image information Sa by image recognition, determines the operation intention of the seat 2 of the seated person, and operates the actuator 5 according to the determination result. You may let me. For example, when the operation intention to adjust the reclining angle of the seat 2 is recognized from the movement of the seated person including the head 12, the reclining angle is adjusted via the actuator 5 for switching the reclining angle. Specifically, when a movement due to an operation intention to tilt the seat back 11 of the seat 2 forward is detected, the operation of tilting the seat back 11 forward is performed via the actuator 5 for switching the reclining angle of the seat 2. Execute.

Further, when a movement due to an operation intention to move the seat 2 in the front-rear direction is detected from the movement of the seated person including the head 12, the seat 2 is moved via the actuator 5 for moving the seat 2 in the front-rear direction. Adjust the position in the front-back direction. Specifically, when an operation intention to move the seat 2 forward is detected, the seat 2 is moved forward via the actuator 5 for switching the seat front-rear position to adjust the front-rear position of the seat 2. To do. As described above, in the case of this example, the movement of the seated person's head 12 can be detected by the photographing unit 18, and the seat adjustment can be executed from the detection result.

-In each embodiment, the seat adjustment target by the adjusting unit 20 is not limited to the reclining angle, the front-rear direction position, the up-down direction position, and the left-right direction position of the seat 2, and for example, the position adjustment of the armrest, the temperature adjustment of the seat heater, etc. Includes various objects.

-In each embodiment, the movement of the head 12 is not limited to the distance change in the perspective direction and the position change in the perspective crossing direction of the head 12, and is changed to other parameters such as the angle of the head 12. May be good.

-In each embodiment, the seat position detection sensor 7 may be either a magnetic type or an optical type in the case of a rotation detection sensor. Further, the seat position detection sensor 7 is not limited to the sensor that detects the motor rotation speed, and may be sensors or switches that can detect the seat position.

-In each embodiment, the seat control device 3 is not limited to the vehicle-mounted device, and may be used for other devices or devices.

In each embodiment, the seat control unit 4 having the acquisition unit 19 and the adjustment unit 20 executes at least a part of 1) one or more processors operating according to a computer program (software), and 2) various processes. It can be configured by one or more dedicated hardware circuits such as an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or a processing circuit including 3) a combination thereof. The processor includes a CPU and a memory such as a RAM and a ROM, and the memory stores a program code or an instruction configured to cause the CPU to execute a process. Memory or computer-readable media includes any available medium accessible by a general purpose or dedicated computer.

-Although this disclosure has been described in accordance with the examples, it is understood that the disclosure is not limited to the examples and structures. The present disclosure also includes various modifications and modifications within an equal range. In addition, various combinations and forms, as well as other combinations and forms that include only one element, more, or less, are also within the scope of the present disclosure.

Claims (9)

1. An acquisition unit configured to acquire image information from a photography unit that can photograph the seated person,
   A seat control device including an adjusting unit configured to adjust the state of the seat based on the movement of the seated person's head obtained from the image information.
2. The movement of the head includes a change in the distance of the head reflected in the image information in the perspective direction and a change in the position of the head reflected in the image information in the perspective crossing direction which is a direction intersecting the perspective direction. The seat control device according to claim 1, which is at least one of the above.
3. The adjusting unit is configured to monitor the intention of the seated person to operate the seat using a portion other than the head of the seated person from the image of the image information, and adjust the state of the seat based on the monitoring result. The seat control device according to claim 1 or 2.
4. Any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the adjusting unit is configured to adjust the state of the seat through speed control that changes the state of the seat at a speed corresponding to the movement of the head of the seated person. The seat control device according to claim 1.
5. The seat control device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the adjusting unit is configured to limit adjustment of the state of the seat when the vehicle on which the seat is mounted is driving.
6. The adjusting unit obtains a change between the specific part of the seated person's body and the specific part of the head reflected in the image information as the position change of the head, and adjusts the state of the seat from this change. The seat control device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the seat control device is configured to be used.
7. The adjusting unit is configured to determine the fatigue of the seated person based on the image information and adjust the state of the seat according to the determination result according to any one of claims 1 to 6. The seat control device described.
8. The adjusting unit is configured to adjust the state of the seat based on the image information and the detection signal input from the detecting unit capable of detecting the seat operation by the seated person. The seat control device according to any one of the items.
9. The adjusting unit monitors the operating state of the seat, and when it detects pinching by the seat, the adjusting unit is configured to stop or operate the seat in the opposite direction, any one of claims 1 to 8. The seat control device according to.

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