Patent Publication Number: US-2018037139-A1

Title: Occupant identification for seat assemblies

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     Various embodiments relate to occupant identification of seated occupants in seat assemblies. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Galbreath et al. U.S. Patent Application Publication US 2012/0096960 A1, which published on Apr. 26, 2012, discloses a system that generates dynamic seating body distribution data. 
     SUMMARY 
     According to at least one embodiment, a seat assembly is provided with a seat bottom, a seat back, and a plurality of sensors operably connected to at least one of the seat bottom and the seat back to detect a seating condition of a seated occupant. A controller is in electrical communication with the plurality of sensors and the at least one actuator. The controller is programmed to receive input from the plurality of sensors indicative of a seating condition of the seated occupant. The seating condition of the seated occupant is compared to stored seating conditions of prior seat occupants to determine that the seated occupant is a prior occupant. 
     According to at least another embodiment, a computer-program product is embodied in a non-transitory computer readable medium that is programmed for identifying an occupant of a seat assembly. The computer-program product comprises instructions for receiving input from a plurality of sensors of a seat assembly indicative of a seating condition of a seated occupant. The seating condition of the seated occupant is compared to stored seating conditions of prior seat occupants to determine that the seated occupant is a prior occupant. 
     According to at least another embodiment, a method for identifying an occupant of a seat assembly is provided by receiving input from a plurality of sensors of a seat assembly indicative of a seating condition of a seated occupant. The seating condition of the seated occupant is compared to stored seating conditions of prior seat occupants to determine that the seated occupant is a prior occupant. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a front perspective view of a vehicle seat assembly, illustrated partially disassembled, according to an embodiment; and 
         FIG. 2  is a flow chart of a method for identifying an occupant according to an embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention that may be embodied in various and alternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to scale; some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates the vehicle seat assembly  10  with a cover removed. The vehicle seat assembly  10  may be employed in an automotive vehicle, an aircraft, a watercraft or the like. Alternatively, the seat assembly  10  may be employed in a non-transportation environment, such as an office chair, or the like. Moreover, the vehicle seat assembly  10  may be employed in any environment wherein it is desirable to identify the occupant. 
     The seat assembly  10  includes a seat bottom  12 , which may be adapted to be mounted for motor-driven adjustable translation in a fore and aft direction and in an up and down direction of a vehicle. The seat assembly  10  includes a seat back  14 , which may be pivotally connected to the seat bottom  12  to extend generally upright relative to the seat bottom  12  for motor-driven pivotal adjustment relative to the seat bottom  12 . A head restraint (not shown) is mounted for motor-driven adjustable translation to the seat back  14 . 
     At least one compressor  16  may provide a source of air to the seat assembly  10 . A plurality of valves  18  receive the compressed air and are controlled by a controller  20  for regulating compressed air into and out of the seat assembly  10 . The seat bottom  12  includes a plurality of air bladders  22 . The seatback  14  also includes a plurality of air bladders  24 . The valves  18  may be provided as a common valve bank that is housed in the seat back  14  or under the seat bottom  12 ; or the valves  18  may each be provided on each of the air bladders  22 ,  24 . The compressor  16  may be provided in the seat back  14 , the seat bottom  12  or concealed within the vehicle body. The controller  20  may be provided in a module under the seat bottom  12 , and may be a multifunction controller that also controls other functions in the vehicle. 
     The prior art offers various systems for identifying an occupant. The systems may include identification of a user input on a key fob that is communicated to a seat controller. Prior art systems may also require manual input of identification of a user, such as a mode selector. Identification upon a key fob is subject to misidentification when multiple users may share a key fob. Manual input requires an additional step from the user. The seat assembly  10  identifies a user based upon dynamic readings of the user. 
     The seat assembly  10  includes an array of sensors  26 ,  28 ,  30 ,  32  for detecting a seating condition of a seated occupant. According to one embodiment, each sensor  26 ,  28 ,  30 ,  32  may include a three-axis accelerometer, and a three-axis gyroscope to provide a six-axis inertial sensor. The sensors  26 ,  28 ,  30 ,  32  detect occupant seating position and movement. The sensors  26 ,  28 ,  30 ,  32  are in electrical communication with the controller  20  for conveying the detected information to the controller  20 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , at block  34 , the controller  20  receives the input from the sensors  26 ,  28 ,  30 ,  32 . At block  36 , the input seating condition is compared to prior seating conditions, as long as prior seating conditions are stored. At block  38 , the controller  20  determines if the seated occupant is a prior occupant. If so, this identification may be employed to adjust the seat to a stored seating position. The stored seating position may be one previously stored by the occupant, or a prescribed seating position for an occupant based on anthropometric data. 
     If the controller  20  does not identify the seated occupant, the seating conditions are stored at block  40  for future identification. Alternatively, if the occupant is identified, the seating condition may be stored at block  40  to establish a range of seating conditions for the identified occupant. 
     The steps in blocks  34 - 40  are repeated for tracking of the occupant. Thus, as the occupant moves, new seating conditions are measured at block  34 . The measured seating conditions are compared to stored seating conditions at block  36  to determine if the seated occupant is a prior occupant at block  38 . If the seated occupant was not identified based upon the first seating condition, the seated occupant may be identified at a second or subsequent seating condition. As described above, the input of the second seating condition is stored at block  40  for subsequently identifying the occupant. The data may also be stored for determining a range and/or tolerance of seating conditions for identifying the occupant. 
     The controller  20  may also be in communication with a vehicle control module to receive information pertaining to a vehicle driving condition. For example, an occupant may sit differently for performance driving than leisure driving. Such conditions may also be input to the controller  20  for identifying seating conditions associated with driving conditions for occupants. Likewise, the driving condition can be stored with seating condition for future comparison and identification. 
     While various embodiments are described above, it is not intended that these embodiments describe all possible forms of the invention. Rather, the words used in the specification are words of description rather than limitation, and it is understood that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Additionally, the features of various implementing embodiments may be combined to form further embodiments of the invention.