Patent Abstract:
A vehicle seat adjustment assembly has an actuator adapted to move a component of the vehicle seat assembly, and a generally planar sensor array in communication with the controller and accessible from an outer surface of the vehicle seat assembly. The sensor array has a plurality of adjacent sensors accessible from an outer surface of the vehicle seat assembly. A controller is in communication with the actuator for controlling the actuator and in communication with the sensor array. The controller is configured to control the actuator to move the component in response to receiving a signal indicative of a touch input of the sensor array by a user such that the movement of the component correlates with the input to the sensor array.

Full Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 13/049,230 filed Mar. 16, 2011, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,781,689, the disclosure of which is incorporated in its entirety by reference herein. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     Various embodiments relate to systems for controlling a vehicle seat assembly. 
     BACKGROUND 
     A vehicle seat assembly may be provided with a movable seat component. An example of the movable seat component is a movable head restraint. Examples of movable head restraints are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,674,797, 5,699,668, 6,983,995, and 7,267,407. 
     SUMMARY 
     According to an embodiment, a vehicle seat adjustment assembly is provided with at least one actuator adapted to move a component of the vehicle seat assembly along a path, and a generally planar sensor array accessible from an outer surface of the vehicle seat assembly. The sensor array has a plurality of adjoining sensors arranged in at least one column and at least two rows. The vehicle seat assembly has a controller in communication with the at least one actuator for controlling the at least one actuator and in communication with the sensor array. The controller is configured to control the at least one actuator to move the component along the path in response to receiving a signal indicative of a touch input by a user when a pattern of adjacent sensors in the array are activated by the user, the pattern corresponding with the path. 
     According to another embodiment, a vehicle seat adjustment assembly is provided with an actuator adapted to move a component of the vehicle seat assembly, and a generally planar sensor array in communication with the controller and accessible from an outer surface of the vehicle seat assembly. The sensor array has a plurality of contiguous sensors positioned on an outer surface of the vehicle seat assembly. A controller is in communication with the actuator for controlling the actuator and in communication with the sensor array. The controller is configured to control the actuator to move the component in response to receiving a signal indicative of a touch input of the sensor array by a user such that the movement of the component correlates with the input to the sensor array. 
     According to yet another embodiment, a vehicle seat assembly is provided with a support structure and a seat assembly component supported by the support structure that is movable relative to the support structure between a first position and a second position. An actuator is connected to the component for moving the component between the first position and the second position. A controller is in communication with the actuator for controlling the actuator. A generally planar sensor array is in communication with the controller and is positioned on an outer surface of the vehicle seat assembly. The sensor array has a first region and a second region adjoining the first region. The sensor array is configured to sense a tactile input of the first region and second region being sequentially activated by a user. The controller is configured to receive a signal indicative of the tactile input from the sensor array and command the actuator to move the component in response to the tactile input by the user. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic of a vehicle seat assembly according to an embodiment of the disclosure; 
         FIG. 2  is another schematic of a vehicle seat assembly; 
         FIG. 3  is yet another schematic of a vehicle seat assembly; 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic of the sensor array of  FIG. 1  showing various inputs to the array according to various embodiments of the disclosure; and 
         FIG. 5  is a schematic of an electronics diagram for use with the vehicle seat assembly of  FIG. 3 . 
     
    
    
     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 a vehicle seat assembly  10 . The vehicle seat assembly  10  may be a front seat, such as a driver seat assembly or a front passenger seat assembly, or may be a rear seat assembly, such as a second row or a third row seating of a vehicle. The seat assembly  10  has a support structure  12 , such as a seatback. The support structure  12  supports a head restraint  16 . The head restraint  16  has adjustment features, which allow the head restraint  16  to move in various directions to provide ergonomic support for a cross section of different users, for example, by adjusting the height, backset and tilt, and to be able to fold and stow the head restraint when not in use, to improve driver visibility or seat stowage, or the like. The head restraint  16  is shown in the design position, and in a tilted forward or folded/stowed position shown in phantom. 
       FIG. 2  illustrates two degrees of adjustment and freedom for the head restraint  16 . A height  13  of the head restraint may be adjusted as well as an amount of backset  15  of the head restraint  16 . 
     The head restraint  16 , as shown in  FIG. 3 , contains power mechanisms as are known in the art to translate or rotate the head restraint  16 . For example, an actuator  18 , such as an electric motor, solenoid, or the like, is connected to various rack and pinions systems, lever systems, gears, cams, cranks, linkages, etc. to provide the motion of the head restraint  16 . The actuator  18  is connected to a power source  20 , such as a vehicle battery or an alternator. The actuator  18  is also connected to a controller  22 , such as a microcontroller or integrated circuit, or the like, which controls the actuator  18 . The controller  22  may turn the actuator on and off, control the direction of motion provided by the actuator  18 , and control the duration of time that the actuator  18  is operated, which may correspond to the amount of movement of the head restraint  16 . 
     For example, the head restraint  16  is configured to move in several directions, such as along a first axis  24 , along a second axis  26 , and in rotation about a third axis  28 . Of course, translation or rotation about any axis is contemplated, and the head restraint may move or translate about any number of axes, including a single axis or more than three axes. The first axis  24  is shown as being in an upright orientation, or aligned with the longitudinal axis of the vehicle seat assembly  10  or seatback  12 . The head restraint  16  travels along this axis  24  to change the height  13  of the head restraint  16  with respect to the vehicle seat assembly  10  or to the head of an occupant of the seat  10 . The second axis  26  is shown as being in line with the fore/aft direction of the head restraint  16  or the vehicle seat assembly  10 , which generally corresponds with the fore/aft direction of a vehicle that the seat assembly  10  is installed in. The head restraint  16  travels along this axis  26  to adjust the amount of backset  15  of the head restraint  16  with respect to the vehicle seat assembly  10 . The third axis  28  is shown as being in a lateral or transverse direction of the head restraint  16  or the vehicle seat assembly  10 . The head restraint  16  rotates or pivots about this axis  28  to fold or tilt the head restraint with respect to the vehicle seat assembly  10 . The head restraint  16  has an angular motion about the axis  28  to rotate between a design position and tilted or folded position as shown in  FIG. 1 . The head restraint  16  may be placed in the folded position when the vehicle seat assembly  10  is unoccupied. If the vehicle seat  10  is occupied or is going to be occupied, the amount of tilt of the head restraint  16  may be adjusted by rotating the head restraint  16  about axis  28  to better fit the head position of an occupant, for example, by tilting the head restraint  16  forward or rearwards within a range of thirty degrees, sixty degrees, or some other amount. 
     A sensor array  34  is supported by the head restraint  16  as shown, or alternatively, may be located elsewhere on the vehicle seat assembly  10 , such as on the seatback  12 , a vehicle door, an armrest, a console, or the like. The sensor array  34  is electrically connected to the controller  22  and is powered by the power source  20 . The sensor array  34  contains a plurality of capacitive sensors  36 , which may be arranged, for example, into columns and rows. Alternatively, the sensor array  34  contains a plurality of any other positional sensors as are known in the art. 
     Each capacitive sensor  36  operates through capacitive touch sensing, using for example, the concept of a variable capacitor. In some embodiments, a printed circuit board (PCB) based capacitor is formed and an electric field is allowed to leak into the area above the capacitor, which includes the outer surface of the sensor array  34 . A user interacts with this outer layer. The sensor pad and a surrounding ground pour (or ground plane underneath) create a baseline capacitance that can be measured. 
     When a conductor, e.g., a finger of a user, is near to or touches the outer surface of the sensor array  34  above an open capacitor  36 , the electric field is interfered with and causes the resulting capacitance to change. The sensitivity of the sensor  36  may be adjusted through the connected detector integrated circuit or controller  22  such that the outer surface of the sensor array  34  needs to be touched to activate the sensor  36 . The outer surface may act as an insulating layer and to provide separation between the sensor  36  and the user. The coupling of the conductive finger with the capacitive sensor  36  increases the capacitance of the structure beyond the baseline capacitance, or the capacitance of the sensor  36  with no touch. 
     In some embodiments, a ground plane underneath the sensor  36  aids in shielding it from potential interference generated by other electronics and helps to maintain a more constant baseline capacitance. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the head restraint  16  may be movable relative to the support structure  12  along one of the axes  24 ,  26 ,  28  between a first position and a second position. The first position and second position may be the locations of the head restraint  16  at its maximum travel along that respective axis, i.e. maximum and minimum heights, maximum and minimum backset, and design and tilted or folded positions. The actuator  18  moves the head restraint  16  along or about one or more of the axes  24 ,  26 ,  28 . The sensor array  34  has a first region  38  and a second region  40 . The regions  38 ,  40  are illustrated in  FIG. 4 , although any size or oriented region is contemplated. The regions  38 ,  40  are such that the user activates at least two sensors  36  in the array  34 . The user typically slides a finger along the array  34 , and activates sensors  36 . If the user activates two sensors  36 , the first sensor  36  activated would be in the first region  38 , and the second sensor  36  activated would be in the second region  40 . The path of sensors  36  activated defines the motion of the head restraint  16 . The first region  38  and second region  40  may be adjacent to one another or spaced apart from one another on the sensor array  34 . Each region  38 ,  40  contains one or more capacitive sensors  36  or other positional sensors. For example, a user interacts with the first region  38  by activating the capacitive sensors within it, and then slides their finger or otherwise activates sensors in the second region  40  immediately after interacting with the first region  38 . A time limit may be programmed into the controller  22  such that the signal from sensors  36  in the second region  40  need to be received within a predetermined time after the signal from sensor  36  in the first region  38  to be considered an input. The controller  22  receives and processes the signals from the sensor array  34  and commands the actuator to move the head restraint based on the input. 
     For example, if the first position and second position of the head restraint are spaced apart along a longitudinal or upright axis of the vehicle seat assembly, the first and second regions of the sensor array are similarly oriented on the sensor array  34 . When the user activates the first region  38  followed by the second region  40  (bottom to top motion  42  on  FIG. 4 ), the head restraint  16  moves or translates away from the support structure  12  along the longitudinal axis  24 . Based on the magnitude of the sliding motion, i.e. number of sensors  36  activated, and/or length of sensor array  34  activated, etc., the head restraint  16  may translate anywhere from an incremental amount between the first and second positions, to the complete distance between the first and second positions. Similarly, the head restraint  16  may be moved or translated from the second position to the first position by activating the second region  40  followed by the first region  38  of the sensor array  34  (top to bottom motion  42  on  FIG. 4 ). 
     If the first position and second position of the head restraint  16  are spaced apart along a fore/aft axis  26  of the vehicle seat assembly  10 , the first and second region of the sensor array  38 ,  40  are similarly oriented on the sensor array  34 . When the user activates the first region  38  followed by the second region  40  (left to right motion  44  on  FIG. 4 ), the head restraint  16  moves or translates rearward along the fore/aft axis  26 . Based on the magnitude of the sliding motion, i.e. number of sensors  36  activated, and/or length of sensor array  34  activated, etc., the head restraint  16  may translate anywhere from an incremental amount between the first and second positions, to the complete distance between the first and second positions. Similarly, the head restraint  16  may be moved or translated from the second position to the first position by activating the second region  40  followed by the first region  38  of the sensor array  34  (right to left motion  44  on  FIG. 4 ). 
     If the first position and second position are spaced apart about a lateral axis  28  of the vehicle seat assembly  10 , such that they are at different angular positions about the axis  28 , the first and second region of the sensor array  38 ,  40  are similarly oriented on the sensor array  34 . When the user activates the first region  38  followed by the second region  40  (clockwise motion  46  on  FIG. 4 ), the head restraint  16  moves towards a design position about the lateral axis  28 . The head restraint  16  will move along an arcuate path as it is tilted by rotating about the lateral axis  28 . Varying degrees of forward and backward tilt of the head restraint  16  are contemplated, including but not limited to thirty degrees, sixty degrees, to a forward folded position, or any other amount. If the head restraint  16  is capable of tilting forward or backwards through thirty degrees, the head restraint may be positioned at any position as limited by that thirty degree value, i.e. forward ten degrees, backward fifteen degrees, forward twenty degrees, etc. Based on the magnitude of the sliding motion, i.e. number of sensors  36  activated, length of sensor array  34  activated, etc., the head restraint  16  may move anywhere from an incremental amount between the first and second positions, to the complete distance between these positions. Similarly, the head restraint  16  may be moved from the second position to the first position by activating the second region  40  followed by the first region  38  of the sensor array  34  (counter clockwise motion  46  on  FIG. 4 ). 
     The head restraint  16  may include a substrate (not shown) that is covered with a foam cushion or other padding material, which in turn may be covered with trim  32  such as a fabric, leather, or other similar material. In some embodiments, the sensor array  34  is connected to the substrate, and the trim cover  32  is placed over the sensor array  34  to cover it. The trim cover  32  may have demarcation such as stitching, different material, or the like, to show the location of the sensor array  34  to a user. In other embodiments, the sensor array  34  is integrated into the trim cover  32 , and the trim cover  32  containing the sensor array  34  is affixed to the substrate of the head restraint  16 . The sensor array  34  may be made from a flexible material to have properties similar to that of the trim cover  32 . 
     For a head restraint  16  with a conventional adjustment system, such as a mechanical button or lever, the system is limited by design constraints, i.e. only one location for the button or lever and over a relatively small surface area of the head restraint  16  even if there is more than one location may be desired for the user interface. With embodiments of the present disclosure, the sensor array  34  may cover more than one of these preferred locations for user access to adjust the head restraint  16  because the array  34  is not as limited in size as the mechanical mechanisms, or more than one array  34  may be used at more than one location, i.e. an array  34  on the head restraint  16  and an array  34  on the support structure  12  or seatback is possible with the use of the controller  22 . 
     In some embodiments, shown in  FIGS. 3-4 , the vehicle seat assembly  10  has a head restraint  16  supported by the support structure  12  where the head restraint  16  is movable relative to the support structure for translation along a first axis  24 , translation along a second axis  26 , and rotation about a third axis  28 . Therefore the head restraint  16  has six degrees of freedom, although any number of degrees of freedom is contemplated, such as less than or more than six. 
     An actuator  18  is connected to the head restraint  16  to move the head restraint  16 . The actuator  18  may contain more than one motor and/or more than one mechanical system to provide required motion of the head restraint  16 . For example, three motors may be provided, with one for each of the translation movements, and one for the rotational movement of the head restraint  16 . Also, a separate rack and pinion, lever, gear, or other mechanical mechanism may be provided for each movement. 
     A sensor array  34  may contain a plurality of capacitive sensors  36  or other positional sensors and is electrically connected to the controller  22 . The capacitive sensors  36  are activated by the user, and the pattern or path of the activated sensors during an input determines the corresponding movement of the head restraint  16 . Sample paths or patterns which correspond with movement of the head restraint  16  for translation along a first axis  24 , translation along a second axis  26 , and rotation about a third axis  28  are shown in  FIG. 4 . An input to the sensor array  36  includes the activation of at least two adjacent sensors  36 , and to be considered an input by the controller  22 , the adjacent sensors may need to be activated within a predetermined time limit, such that there is a maximum time delay between sensor  36  activations. When at least two adjacent sensors  36  are activated in a direction on the sensor array  34  which corresponds with one of the axes  24 ,  26 ,  28 , the controller  22  commands the actuator  18  to move the head restraint  16  along that axis. As the number of adjacent sensors  36  activated for an input increases, the head restraint  16  may travel along a correspondingly longer distance along that axis. 
     Alternately, at the first position or the second position of the head restraint  16 , at least one input from a user is required, such as the use of two fingers to activate the head restraint  16  to translate or rotate about an axis. This would activate at least two sensors  36  of the sensor array  34  in either the first or second region  38 ,  40 , and may prevent an inadvertent activation of the head restraint  16 . 
     Alternatively, after sensors  36  are activated in either the first or second region  38 ,  40  and indicate the direction of motion of the head restraint  16 , if the finger remains in the same region  38 ,  40  and does not cross into the other region  40 ,  38 , the motion of the head restraint  16  continues in that direction until the input from a user to the sensor array  34  ends. 
     The first, second, and third axes  24 ,  26 ,  28  may be nonparallel to one another, such that they converge at a point or origin. In some embodiments, the first, second, and third axes  24 ,  26 ,  28  are orthogonal to one another. 
       FIG. 5  illustrates an electrical component schematic for use with the head restraint  16 . Capacitive sensors  36  in the array  34  are connected to the controller  22 . A ground may also be connected to the controller  22 . The controller  22  may be an integrated circuit or other microcontroller. The controller  22  is connected to the various motors or actuators  18  for the head restraint  16  using power driver circuits  48 . Each actuator  18  controls one of the movements of the head restraint  16 , i.e. translation along axis  24 , translation along axis  26 , or rotation along axis  28 . Alternatively, the controller  22  may command two or more actuators  18  to act in concert to provide one of the movements, such as rotation of the head restraint  16 . Optional features may be available through additional driver circuits and actuators such as movable comfort wings, head restraint monitors, anti-whiplash protection, and the like. 
     While exemplary 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.

Technology Classification (CPC): 1