Electricity: motive power systems – Motor-reversing
Reexamination Certificate
1999-05-21
2001-07-03
Nappi, Robert E. (Department: 2837)
Electricity: motive power systems
Motor-reversing
C318S286000, C318S562000, C318S563000, C318S565000, C318S568240, C307S009100, C307S010100, C340S438000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06255790
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a vehicle seat with a control device.
The number of electronic controls with associated sensors and actuators in motor vehicles has increased steadily in recent years. The motor vehicle seat as well, which years ago had no electronics whatever and was merely mechanically adjustable, has, with the introduction of electronics into the motor vehicle, been provided with numerous electronic components. For instance, motor vehicle seats of the prior art have electric adjusting devices that make it possible to adjust the seat back or the entire vehicle seat by pressing a button. In association with seat adjusters of this kind, pickups (i.e. sensors) for detecting the position of the vehicle seat are disposed in the vehicle seat. Only once the current seat position is known can a preferred vehicle seat position be attained, under program control, by pressing a button.
Other electronic components disposed in or on vehicle seats are pickups for detecting seat occupation. Pickups of this kind are used particularly for front passenger seats. If it is detected by such a pickup that the front passenger seat is unoccupied, then inflation of a front passenger air bag or of a side air bag, disposed to the side of the front passenger seat, is prevented.
The electric and electronic components described in the vehicle seat serve essentially two different purposes. Seat adjusters, associated sensors, seat heaters and the like are for the comfort of the passenger seated there; pickups for detecting seat occupation or restraints disposed on the vehicle seat, such as a side air bag or belt tightener, are there for the safety of the vehicle passengers.
Every electronic component in the vehicle seat is typically supplied with energy separately. Each individual electronic component, for instance each sensor or actuator, and especially if the sensors and actuators used serve different purposes, also has its own assigned control circuit. Each control circuit, for instance in the form of a microcomputer includes its own memory, its own microprocessor, and so forth. A control circuit assigned to a sensor for instance carries out a first evaluation of the sensor signal. A control circuit assigned to an actuator serves as a final control element, for instance. With more and more electronics installed in the vehicle seat, the expense and complexity of the control circuits rises considerably, while the space available in the vehicle seat decreases.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a vehicle seat with a control device which overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages of the prior art devices of this general type, and in particular to create a control device with electronic components disposed in the vehicle seat that has only a small number of components.
With the foregoing and other objects in view there is provided, in accordance with the invention, in combination with a vehicle seat, a control device for the vehicle seat, including:
a pickup for detecting seat occupation, and/or a second pickup for detecting a position of the vehicle seat, and/or a restraint device for passenger protection, and/or a seat adjuster for adjusting the vehicle seat;
a common control circuit electrically conductively connected to the first pickup, and/or the second pickup, and/or the restraint device, and/or the seat adjuster; and
an energy supply for supplying energy to the common control circuit.
According to the invention, fixed sensors and actuators disposed in a vehicle seat share a common control circuit, preferably in the form of a single microprocessor, and a common energy supply.
In an advantageous refinement, the control device, containing the fixed sensors and actuators, the common control circuit and the common energy supply, also has a common interface for coupling the control device to a data line. Thus over a single data line, preferably embodied as a data bus, all the data are transmitted from and to the control device in the vehicle seat.
The control circuit of the control device for instance evaluates sensor signals of at least one sensor disposed in the vehicle seat, or converts signals, furnished to the vehicle seat, into suitable control signals for the at least one actuator mounted in or on the vehicle seat. The control circuit can also perform diagnostic routines to check the operability of sensors and actuators disposed in the vehicle seat. The control circuit optionally serves solely to convert data, for instance from an analog data format furnished by a sensor, into a digital data format required for data transmission.
The control device of the invention, because of the common control circuit for many control events—regardless of the purpose of the control events—occupies little space, which is especially advantageous for use in the vehicle seat. The number of components is also less, compared with known control devices. Particularly when the control device is connected to a data line for serial data transmission, only little expense for cables is needed, and the flexibility of the control device, for instance when further sensors and actuators are disposed in the seat are connected to the control device, is increased. Redundant embodiments of control circuits and energy supplies in the vehicle seat are avoided. The control circuit advantageously has a common memory for data of all the electrical devices connected. The control circuit of the invention is preferably disposed on a single circuit carrier.
According to the invention, a common control circuit has the following: a pickup for detecting seat occupation and a pickup for detecting the position of the vehicle seat, or a pickup for detecting seat occupation and a seat adjuster, or a pickup for detecting seat occupation and a restraint device for passenger protection, or a restraint device for passenger protection and a seat adjuster, or a restraint device for passenger protection and a pickup for detecting the position of the vehicle seat. Each of these components is disposed in or on the vehicle seat, as is the control circuit, so that all the prerequisites for connecting the control device to a data line are also met.
Other features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims.
Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in a vehicle seat with a control device, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.
The construction and method of operation of the invention, however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.
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Heitzer Günther
Lenninger Ralf-Johannes
Popp Peter
Greenberg Laurence A.
Lerner Herbert L.
Nappi Robert E.
Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
Smith Tyrone
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