# US 10,245,976 B2 · Controller and interface for vehicle seat

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- Number: US 10,245,976 B2
- Document ID: US10245976B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/082,699
- Filed: 2016-03-28
- Published: 2016-09-29
- Granted: 2019-04-02
- Earliest claimed: 2015-03-27
- Assignees: Faurecia Automotive Seating, LLC
- Applicants: Faurecia Automotive Seating, LLC
- Inventors: James T Hotary; Ignacio Alvarez; Brian R Dexter
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10245976B2

## CPC

- B60N 2/0244: {with logic circuits}
- B60N 2/0228: {Hand-activated mechanical switches (B60N2/0229 takes precedence)}
- B60N 2/0233: {Touchscreens}
- B60N 2/0235: {Joysticks}
- B60N 2/06: slidable (B60N2/12 {, B60N2/2209} take precedence)
- B60N 2210/40: Force or pressure sensors
- B60N 2220/10: using a database
- B60N 2230/10: Wired data transmission
- B60N 2230/20: Wireless data transmission
- B60N: SEATS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLES; VEHICLE PASSENGER ACCOMMODATION NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR

## Abstract

A vehicle seat includes a seat bottom and a seat back coupled to the seat bottom to move relative to the seat bottom. The seat bottom is coupled to a floor of a vehicle and configured to move back and forth relative to the floor. The vehicle seat includes an electronic control unit configured to control movement of the seat bottom.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A controller and interface system comprising
an electronic control unit,
a human-machine interface,
the electronic control unit integrated with the human-machine interface;
the integrated electronic control unit and human-machine interface incorporated physically and electronically within a vehicle seat side shield;
wherein the vehicle seat side shield comprises a substrate and a conductive layer coupled to the substrate;
wherein electrical components of the electronic control unit and the human-machine interface are disposed on a common circuit board; and
the substrate and conductive layer substrate are configured as the common circuit board.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The controller and interface system of claim 1, wherein a human-machine interface switch is molded into the side shield and coupled to the electronic control unit.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The controller and interface system of claim 1, wherein the combined electronic control unit and human-machine interface is coupled to a vehicle seat frame component and the connection is configured to create a heat sink from the vehicle seat frame component.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The controller and interface system of claim 1, wherein the human-machine interface is a touch screen.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The controller and interface system of claim 1, further comprising modules selected from motion engines, climate engines, microcontroller, sensors, and memory.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The controller and interface system of claim 1, wherein the circuit board is flexible.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The controller and interface system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle seat side shield comprises switches molded to the substrate, flexible surface pads molded over the switches, and a conductive material at least partially surrounding the switches and extending through the substrate.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The controller and interface system of claim 1, where the vehicle seat side shield comprises plastics material configured to conduct electricity.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The controller and interface system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle seat side shield comprises a substrate and the substrate is doped.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The vehicle seat side shield of claim 1, further comprising plastics material configured to conduct electricity.