Occupant comfort system
AssigneeFaurecia Automotive Seating, LLC
InventorsCedric Ketels, Rod Goodrich, Matthew K. Benson, Alfred H. Bransdorfer
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A vehicle is adapted for movement along a roadway. A cabin of the vehicle is adapted for surrounding and supporting an occupant with movement of the vehicle. Systems of the vehicle control an environment within the cabin.
Claims8
A motion-sickness mitigation system comprising a vehicle, a control system configured to monitor for motion input including at least one of a concurrent, an anticipated, or an instructed change in movement of the vehicle, the control system configured to produce a signal indicative of the change in movement in response to detecting the motion input, and a sensory feedback system configured to generate at least one of a tactile, visual, audial, and olfactory alert indicative of the change in movement to inform an occupant of the vehicle of the change in movement in response to receiving the signal from the control system to reduce a likelihood of the occupant becoming motion-sick,
- wherein the sensory feedback system includes an engagement system that comprises a first plurality of inflatable bladders arranged along a right-side portion of a vehicle seat supporting the occupant and a second plurality of inflatable bladders arranged along a left-side portion of the vehicle seat, wherein the first plurality of inflatable bladders is configured to inflate in response to the signal received from the control system being indicative of a right turn of the vehicle, wherein the second plurality of inflatable bladders is configured to inflate in response to the signal received from the control system being indicative of a left turn of the vehicle, wherein the first and second plurality of inflatable bladders are configured to inflate in a sequence moving in a direction from a front of a cabin of the vehicle toward a rear of the cabin in response to the signal received from the control system being indicative of an increase in speed of the vehicle, and wherein the first and second plurality of inflatable bladders are configured to inflate in a sequence moving in a direction from the rear of the cabin toward the front of the cabin in response to the signal received from the control system being indicative of a decrease in speed of the vehicle.
A motion-sickness mitigation system, comprising a vehicle, a control system configured to monitor for motion input including at least one of a concurrent, an anticipated, or an instructed change in movement of the vehicle, the control system configured to produce a signal indicative of the change in movement in response to detecting the motion input, and a sensory feedback system configured to generate at least one of a tactile, visual, audial, and olfactory alert indicative of the change in movement to inform an occupant of the vehicle of the change in movement in response to receiving the signal from the control system to reduce a likelihood of the occupant becoming motion-sick,
- wherein the sensory feedback system includes an engagement system that comprises a first plurality of vibration generators arranged along a right-side portion of a vehicle seat supporting the occupant and a second plurality of vibration generators arranged along a left-side portion of the vehicle seat, wherein the first plurality of vibration generators is configured to vibrate in response to the signal received from the control system being indicative of a right turn of the vehicle, wherein the second plurality of vibration generators is configured to vibrate in response to the signal received from the control system being indicative of a left turn of the vehicle, wherein the first and second plurality of vibration generators are configured to vibrate in a sequence moving in a direction from a front of a cabin of the vehicle toward a rear of the cabin in response to the signal received from the control system being indicative of an increase in speed of the vehicle, and wherein the first and second plurality of vibration generators are configured to vibrate in a sequence moving in a direction from the rear of the cabin toward the front of the cabin in response to the signal received from the control system being indicative of a decrease in speed of the vehicle.
A motion-sickness mitigation system, comprising a vehicle, a control system configured to monitor for motion input including at least one of a concurrent, an anticipated, or an instructed change in movement of the vehicle, the control system configured to produce a signal indicative of the change in movement in response to detecting the motion input, and a sensory feedback system configured to generate at least one of a tactile, visual, audial, and olfactory alert indicative of the change in movement to inform an occupant of the vehicle of the change in movement in response to receiving the signal from the control system to reduce a likelihood of the occupant becoming motion-sick;
- and
- a vehicle seat configured to support the occupant on a support surface thereof, wherein the vehicle seat includes a seat bottom and a seat back, wherein an engagement system of the sensory feedback system comprises variable engagement pads included in right-side and left-side bolsters of the seat bottom and seat back and in central portions of the seat bottom and seat back, wherein the variable engagement pads are configured to alter the support surface on the right-side bolsters in response to the signal received from the control system being indicative of a right turn of the vehicle, wherein the variable engagement pads are configured to alter the support surface on the left-side bolsters in response to the signal received from the control system being indicative of a left turn of the vehicle, wherein the variable engagement pads are configured to alter the support surface on a central portion of the seat back in response to the signal received from the control system being indicative of an increase in speed of the vehicle, and wherein the variable engagement pads are configured to alter the support surface on a central portion of the seat bottom in response to the signal received from the control system being indicative of a decrease in speed of the vehicle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.