Patent ID: 11884192
Assignee: ZOOX, INC.
Field: Transport (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC B | IPC A  B

Claim 0:
1. A vehicle comprising a vehicle seat having a seat frame, at least one seat cushion mounted to the seat frame and control apparatus,
wherein the seat cushion comprises a controllable deformable material that has a controllable resistance to deformation, the control apparatus being configured to control a variation in the resistance to deformation,
wherein the control apparatus is configured to reduce the resistance to deformation of the controllable deformable material based at least in part on detecting a trigger indicating occupancy or an anticipated occupancy of the vehicle seat and to increase the resistance to deformation of the controllable deformable material based at least in part on at least one of:
an indication that the cushion has been deformed by a threshold amount; or
an indication that a time period has expired, and
wherein the control apparatus is further configured to reduce the resistance to deformation of the controllable deformable material based at least in part on detecting, by a perception and prediction component of the vehicle, an anticipated collision event, whereby to allow compression of the seat cushion by weight of an occupant in anticipation of the collision event to improve management of coupling of a mechanical force imparted to the seat frame from the occupant during the collision event.