Patent Publication Number: US-2019184933-A1

Title: Seat orientation and alert system and method

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The embodiments disclosed herein are directed to the field of vehicles with slidable or movable seats, particularly those in a row behind the first row of the vehicle. 
     BACKGROUND 
     In motor vehicles equipped with slidable or movable seats, buckle switch information can be transmitted to a vehicle&#39;s control system, such as information related to whether the seat belt in a specific seat is latched or buckled and to provide a warning to the operator of the vehicle if a seat that is occupied is not latched or buckled. However, several arrangements of seats may exist within one vehicle. The vehicle must be able to distinguish and particularly identify and display the seat position when a seat belt becomes unbuckled. There is, therefore, a need for a system and method for identifying the position of the occupied seats with unbuckled seat belts accurately, and displaying the information to the operator of the vehicle. 
     APPLICATION SUMMARY 
     The features and advantages described in the specification are not all inclusive and, in particular, many additional features and advantages will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art in view of the drawings, specification, and claims. Moreover, it should be noted that the language used in the specification has been principally selected for readability and instructional purposes, and may not have been selected to delineate or circumscribe the inventive subject matter. 
     According to one aspect, a method of detecting seatbelt position in a vehicle having a seat, a seatbelt assembly, and an image sensor is disclosed. The method includes the steps of determining a latch status of the seatbelt assembly as being latched or unlatched, taking an image of the seat with the image sensor if the seatbelt assembly is unlatched, determining a position of the seat from the image, and displaying the position of the seat on a display and a seatbelt unlatched warning to a user. 
     According to another aspect, a seat belt latch alert system for a vehicle includes a first row of seats, a seat located in a second row of seats, the seat movable between a plurality of positions, a seatbelt assembly connected to the seat, the seatbelt assembly having a latch configured to be latched and unlatched, an image sensor, the image sensor taking an image of the seat if the latch is unlatched, a processor for determining a position of the seat from the image, and a display for displaying the one of the plurality of positions of the seat and a seatbelt unlatched warning to a user. 
     According to yet another aspect, a method of detecting seatbelt position in a vehicle having a seat, a seatbelt assembly connected to the seat, the seatbelt assembly including a webbing, an image sensor, a processor, and a display is disclosed. The method includes the steps of employing the image sensor to provide a plurality of training images of the seat in a plurality of positions in the vehicle, employing the image sensor to provide an image of a position of the seat in the vehicle, and comparing the image to the plurality of training images in the processor to identify the position of the seat in the vehicle. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a top view of an interior of a vehicle having a second row of seats including two standard seats and a center seat. 
         FIG. 2  is the top view of the interior of the vehicle with the second row of seats including two standard seats and with the center seat removed to provide access to a third row of seats. 
         FIG. 3  is the top view of the interior of the vehicle with each of the seats in the second row of seats moved inboard toward a longitudinal centerline of the vehicle. 
         FIG. 4  is the top view of the interior of the vehicle with the first seat in the second row of seats moved to an outboard position in the second row and the second seat moved inboard toward a longitudinal centerline of the vehicle and in contact the first seat. 
         FIG. 5  illustrates a perspective view of the second row of seats as illustrated in  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 6  illustrates a perspective view of a portion of an interior roof of the vehicle. 
         FIG. 7  is a schematic view of a seat belt latch alert system. 
         FIG. 8  is a cross sectional view of one of the seats taken along plane along line A-A illustrated in  FIG. 5 . 
         FIG. 9  is a schematic view of a dedicated meter in a display in the vehicle. 
         FIG. 10  is a schematic view of a shared display in the vehicle. 
         FIG. 11  is a flowchart illustrating a method detecting the position of a seat in the vehicle with an unlatched seat belt. 
     
    
    
     The figures depict various embodiments for purposes of illustration only. One skilled in the art will readily recognize from the following discussion that alternative embodiments of the structures and methods illustrated herein may be employed without departing from the principles of the embodiments described herein. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIGS. 1-4  illustrate the interior  102  of a vehicle  100 , the illustrated embodiment being a minivan. The vehicle  100  includes a first row of seats  104 , which are typically the driver seat  106  and passenger seat  108 , and a second row of seats  110  located behind the first row of seats  104 . Each of a first seat  112  and the second seat  114  in the second row of seats  110  is movable between a plurality of positions, and a center seat  116  is removable from the vehicle  100 . 
     In the embodiment illustrated in  FIGS. 1-4 , four separate arrangements of the second row of seats  110  are illustrated.  FIG. 1  illustrates a super mode with the center seat  116  in place between the first seat  112  and a second seat  114 , each of which is in full outboard position away from a longitudinal centerline CL of the vehicle  100 . 
       FIG. 2  illustrates a wide mode with the first seat  112  and the second seat  114  each in full outboard position. In wide mode, the center seat  116  is removed to create a center aisle for access to a third row of seats  118 , as illustrated in each of  FIGS. 1-4 . Alternatively, the third row of seats  118  may not be present, or the third row of seats  118  may be folded away to create a greater cargo storage area  120  behind the second row of seats  110 . 
       FIG. 3  illustrates a buddy mode in which the center seat  116  is removed and the first seat  112  and second seat  114  are moved inward next to each other adjacent the longitudinal centerline CL, providing easier access to the second row of seats  110  from the first row of seats  104 . Such an arrangement may be preferable when small children are sitting in the second row of seats  110 . 
       FIG. 4  illustrates an easy access mode where a first seat  112  in the second row of seats  110  is in its full outboard position, and the second seat  114  is slid inward to abut the first seat  112 , providing full and easy access to the third row of seats  118 , as illustrated, or to the rear cargo area  120  in alternate embodiments if the third row of seats  118  are not present or folded away. The mirror arrangement, not shown, with the second seat  114  in its full outboard position and the first seat  112  slid inward to abut the second seat  114  may also be employed with the same effects. 
       FIG. 5  illustrates the second row of seats  110  of the vehicle  100  of  FIGS. 1-4 . Each of the first seat  112  and second seat  114  includes a base  500 , a seat cushion  502 , a seat back  504 , and a seatbelt assembly  506  connected to the seat back  504 . The seatbelt assembly  506  includes a latch  508  configured to be latched and unlatched to allow a passenger to sit in each seat  112 ,  114 . As illustrated in  FIG. 6 , an image sensor  600  may be located in the vehicle  100 , such as on the ceiling  602  of the vehicle  100 . The image sensor  100 , which may be a camera or any other suitable sensor known to one skilled in the art, is configured to take one or more images of the seats  112 ,  114  if the latch  508  in either of the seats  112 ,  114  is unlatched. Additionally, latch  508  may further include a sensor (not shown), or the image sensor  100  may be used, to determine the latch state, latched or unlatched, of the seats  112 ,  114 . 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 7 , a processor  700  is in communication with the image sensor  600 . The images taken by the image sensor  600  may be transmitted via a wired connection  702 , such as over a vehicle bus interface known to those skilled in the art, or via an in-vehicle wireless connection by any appropriate method known to those skilled in the art. The processor  700  is configured to determine a position of the seat  114  from the image and directs a display  704  to display a position of the seat  114  and a “seatbelt unlatched” warning  706  to a user. The processor  700  may detect one of the plurality of positions of the seat  114  based upon markers in the seat  114  from the image, such as an arm rest  510  or head rest  512  as illustrated in  FIG. 5 , or the processor  700  may detect the seat belt assembly  506  to identify the one of the plurality of positions of the seat  114 . 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 8 , which is an illustration of a cross-section of seat  114  taken along a plane along line A-A in  FIG. 5 , the vehicle  100  may also include an occupancy sensor  800  in the seat cushion  502  of the seat  114  for determining if a passenger is in the seat  114 . The occupancy sensor  800  may be a weight sensor, a pressure sensor, or any other suitable sensor known to those skilled in the art for determining the presence of a passenger in the seat  114 . While illustrated with respect to second seat  114 , each seat  106 ,  108 ,  112 ,  114 ,  116  may include an occupancy sensor  800 . 
     The vehicle  100  may include either a dedicated meter  900  in the vehicle  100  for displaying the one of the plurality of positions  902  of the seats  106 ,  108 ,  112 ,  114 ,  116  and providing “seatbelt unlatched” warnings  706  for unlatched and occupied seats as illustrated in  FIG. 9 . Alternately, a shared display  1000  in the vehicle  100  for displaying the one of the plurality of positions  902  of the seats  106 ,  108 ,  112 ,  114 ,  116  and providing “seatbelt unlatched” warnings  706  for unlatched and occupied seats as illustrated in  FIG. 10 . The shared display  1000  may further provide warnings for other vehicle systems, such as low tire pressure  1002 , door ajar or open  1004 , tailgate open  1006 , and the like. The embodiment of a dedicated meter  900  or the embodiment of a shared display  1000  may be located in the dashboard  708 , schematically illustrated in  FIG. 7 , or alternatively on a screen in a center console (not illustrated). 
     A method  1100  of detecting seatbelt position in a vehicle having a seat is illustrated in  FIG. 11 . The first step  1102  is employing the image sensor  600  to provide a plurality of training images of the seats  106 ,  108 ,  112 ,  114 ,  116  in a plurality of positions in the vehicle  100 . The training images, each associated with a specific location of one of the seats  106 ,  108 ,  112 ,  114 ,  116 , allow the processor  700  to have baseline images against which to compare further images to determine seat position. The second step  1104  is employing the image sensor  600  to provide a current, real-time image of the seats  106 ,  108 ,  112 ,  114 ,  116  in the vehicle  100 . In the third step  1106 , the current, real-time image is compared to the plurality of training images in the processor  700  to identify the position of the seats  106 ,  108 ,  112 ,  114 ,  116  in the vehicle  100 . In an additional fourth step  1108 , the position of the seats  106 ,  108 ,  112 ,  114 ,  116  in the vehicle  100  is provided to the display  704  for display to the operator of the vehicle  100 . 
     As previously indicated, the position of the seats  106 ,  108 ,  112 ,  114 ,  116  may be communicated to a dedicated meter  900  in the vehicle  100  over a bus  702 , a wired connection, or by any other suitable method known to those skilled in the art, for display to the operator, or the position of the seats  106 ,  108 ,  112 ,  114 ,  116  may be communicated to a shared display  1000  in the vehicle  100 . 
     The third step  1106  of comparing the current, real-time image to training images may work by the processor  700  identify the webbing of the seatbelt assembly  506  to identify the position of the seats  106 ,  108 ,  112 ,  114 ,  116  in the current image. Alternatively, the processor  700  may identify a headrest  512 , an armrest  510 , or any other identifying marker to identify the position of the seats  106 ,  108 ,  112 ,  114 ,  116  in the current image. 
     Additionally, the method  1100  may further include the step  1110  of determining if the seats  106 ,  108 ,  112 ,  114 ,  116  are occupied or unoccupied using an occupancy sensor  800 , and the additional step  1112  of determining if the seatbelt assembly  506  is in a latched or an unlatched condition using a latch sensor to determine if the status of latch  508 . Therefore, when the current position of the seats  106 ,  108 ,  112 ,  114 ,  116  is communicated to the display  704 , the display  704  may further be directed, in a final step  1114 , to display a warning  706  to the operator or user of the vehicle  100  if one of the seats  106 ,  108 ,  112 ,  114 ,  116  is occupied and the seatbelt assembly  506  is unlatched, with the warning  706  illustrating the location of the one of the seats  106 ,  108 ,  112 ,  114 ,  116  that is causing the warning  706 . 
     Reference in the specification to “one embodiment” or to “an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiments is included in at least one embodiment. The appearances of the phrase “in one embodiment” or “an embodiment” in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. 
     In addition, the language used in the specification has been principally selected for readability and instructional purposes, and may not have been selected to delineate or circumscribe the inventive subject matter. Accordingly, the disclosure of the embodiments is intended to be illustrative, but not limiting, of the scope of the embodiments, which is set forth in the claims. 
     While particular embodiments and applications have been illustrated and described herein, it is to be understood that the embodiments are not limited to the precise construction and components disclosed herein and that various modifications, changes, and variations may be made in the arrangement, operation, and details of the methods and apparatuses of the embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the embodiments as defined in the appended claims.