# US 10,864,867 B2 · Method for adjusting switch position, and operation device for vehicle > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,864,867 B2 - Document ID: US10864867B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/336,975 - Filed: 2016-09-29 - Published: 2019-07-18 - Granted: 2020-12-15 - Earliest claimed: 2016-09-29 - Assignees: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Atsushi Takamatsu; Hiroaki Miura; Shinichirou Nakajima - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10864867B2 ## CPC - B60R 16/037: for occupant comfort {, e.g. for automatic adjustment of appliances according to personal settings, e.g. seats, mirrors, steering wheel} - B60K 35/10: Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor - B60N 2/003: {characterised by the sensor mounting location in or on the seat} - B60N 2/02: the seat or part thereof being movable, e.g. adjustable (adjustable arm-rests B60N2/75; adjustable head-rests B60N2/806) - B60N 2/0228: {Hand-activated mechanical switches (B60N2/0229 takes precedence)} - B60N 2/0248: {with memory of positions} - B60N 2/0284: {Adjustable seat-cushion length (B60N2/0224 takes precedence)} - B60N 2/10: tiltable (B60N2/12 {, B60N2/2875} take precedence) - B60N 2/14: rotatable, e.g. to permit easy access (B60N2/10 {, B60N2/2869} take precedence) - B60N 2/20: the back-rest being tiltable, e.g. to permit easy access (B60N2/04, B60N2/22 {, B60N2/3002} take precedence) - B60R 16/02: electric {constitutive elements} - B60W 60/0053: {from vehicle to occupant} - G05D 1/00: Control of position, course, altitude or attitude of land, water, air or space vehicles, e.g. using automatic pilots (drive control systems specially adapted for autonomous road vehicles B60W60/00) - B60K 35/28: characterised by the type of the output information, e.g. video entertainment or vehicle dynamics information; characterised by the purpose of the output information, e.g. for attracting the attention of the driver - B60K 2360/175: Autonomous driving - B60N 2210/24: Cameras - B60N 2210/40: Force or pressure sensors - B60N 2220/20: using a deterministic algorithm - B60R 16/023: for transmission of signals between vehicle parts or subsystems - B60R 21/015: including means for detecting the presence or position of passengers, passenger seats or child seats {, and the related safety parameters therefor, e.g. speed or timing of airbag inflation in relation to occupant position or seat belt use} - B60R: VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - B60K: ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PROPULSION UNITS OR OF TRANSMISSIONS IN VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PLURAL DIVERSE PRIME-MOVERS IN VEHICLES; AUXILIARY DRIVES FOR VEHICLES; INSTRUMENTATION OR DASHBOARDS FOR VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH COOLING, AIR INTAKE, GAS EXHAUST OR FUEL SUPPLY OF PROPULSION UNITS IN VEHICLES - B60N: SEATS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLES; VEHICLE PASSENGER ACCOMMODATION NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - B60W: CONJOINT CONTROL OF VEHICLE SUB-UNITS OF DIFFERENT TYPE OR DIFFERENT FUNCTION; CONTROL SYSTEMS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR HYBRID VEHICLES; ROAD VEHICLE DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR PURPOSES NOT RELATED TO THE CONTROL OF A PARTICULAR SUB-UNIT - G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES ## Abstract A method for adjusting a switch position includes adjusting a position of a changeover switch for changing over a travel mode of a vehicle between an automated driving mode in which travel of the vehicle is controlled in an automated manner and a manual driving mode in which travel of the vehicle is operated by a driver is adjusted according to a state of the driver seat. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for adjusting a switch position of a changeover switch of a vehicle, comprising: storing, when a travel mode of the vehicle is changed from an automated driving mode to a manual driving mode by operating the changeover switch, a relative position between the changeover switch and a driver seat, as a stored relative position for the automated driving mode, wherein the changeover switch is configured to change the travel mode of the vehicle between the automated driving mode and the manual driving mode, and wherein the changeover switch is movably disposed proximate, but separate from, the driver seat; and in response to detecting an operation of the changeover switch to the automated driving mode: determining whether a distance between the changeover switch and the driver seat is within a predetermined distance; in response to the distance between the changeover switch and the driver seat not being within the predetermined distance, adjusting the relative position between the changeover switch and the driver seat to be the stored relative position for the automated driving mode. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method for adjusting the switch position according to claim 1, further comprising: detecting a position of a seat cushion of the driver seat as a state of the driver seat and storing the position of the seat cushion as the stored relative position; and adjusting the relative position between the changeover switch and the driver seat according to the state of the driver seat, wherein the changeover switch is adjusted more rearward as the position of the seat cushion is located more rearward. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method for adjusting the switch position according to claim 1, further comprising: detecting inclination of a seat cushion of the driver seat as a state of the driver seat and storing the inclination of the seat cushion as the stored relative position; and adjusting the relative position between the changeover switch and the driver seat according to the state of the driver seat, wherein the changeover switch is adjusted more rearward as a seat surface of the seat cushion is inclined more downward from a front to a rear. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method for adjusting the switch position according to claim 1, further comprising: detecting a position of a seat back of the driver seat as a state of the driver seat and storing the position of the seat back as the stored relative position; and adjusting the relative position between the changeover switch and the driver seat according to the state of the driver seat, wherein the changeover switch is adjusted more rearward as the position of the seat back is located more rearward. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method for adjusting the switch position according to claim 1, further comprising: detecting inclination of a seat back of the driver seat as a state of the driver seat and storing the inclination of the seat back as the stored relative position; and adjusting the relative position between the changeover switch and the driver seat according to the state of the driver seat, wherein the changeover switch is adjusted more rearward as the seat back is inclined more rearward with respect to a vertical direction of the vehicle. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method for adjusting the switch position according to claim 1, further comprising: detecting a sitting position of the driver sitting on the driver seat and storing the sitting position of the driver as the stored relative position; and adjusting the relative position between the changeover switch and the driver seat according to the sitting position, wherein the changeover switch is adjusted more rearward as the sitting position is located more rearward. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The method for adjusting the switch position according to claim 5, wherein the inclination of the seat back when the travel mode is the automated driving mode is set to be larger than an inclination of the seat back when the travel mode is the manual driving mode. ### Claim 8 (depends on 2) The method for adjusting the switch position according to claim 2, wherein the position of the seat cushion when the travel mode is the automated driving mode is adjusted more rearward than a position of the seat cushion when the travel mode is the manual driving mode. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method for adjusting the switch position according to claim 1, further comprising: adjusting a state of the driver seat including at least any of a position of a seat cushion or a seat back in a longitudinal direction, inclination of a seat surface of the seat cushion with respect to a horizontal plane of the vehicle, inclination of the seat back with respect to a vertical direction of the vehicle, and a rotational position of the driver seat about an up-down direction of the driver seat as a rotational axis in response to an instruction from the driver when the travel mode of the vehicle is the automated driving mode; storing the state of the driver seat having been adjusted in response to an instruction from the driver in a storage device as the stored relative position in response to an operation by the driver; and when the travel mode of the vehicle is changed over from the manual driving mode to the automated driving mode after the state of the driver seat has been stored, adjusting the relative position between the changeover switch and the driver seat to the stored relative position in the storage device. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method for adjusting the switch position according to claim 1, further comprising: adjusting a state of the driver seat including at least any of a position of a seat cushion or a seat back in a longitudinal direction, inclination of a seat surface of the seat cushion with respect to a horizontal plane of the vehicle, inclination of the seat back with respect to a vertical direction of the vehicle, and a rotational position of the driver seat about an up-down direction of the driver seat as a rotational axis in response to an instruction from the driver when the travel mode of the vehicle is the manual driving mode; storing the state of the driver seat having been adjusted in response to an instruction from the driver in a storage device in response to an operation by the driver; and when the travel mode of the vehicle is changed over from the automated driving mode to the manual driving mode after the state of the driver seat has been stored, adjusting the state of the driver seat to the state stored in the storage device. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method for adjusting the switch position according to claim 1, further comprising: storing a state of the driver seat including at least any of a position of a seat cushion or a seat back in a longitudinal direction, inclination of a seat surface of the seat cushion with respect to a horizontal plane of the vehicle, inclination of the seat back with respect to a vertical direction of the vehicle, and a rotational position of the driver seat about an up-down direction of the driver seat as a rotational axis in a storage device before the travel mode of the vehicle is changed over from the manual driving mode to the automated driving mode; and when the travel mode of the vehicle is changed over from the automated driving mode to the manual driving mode after the state of the driver seat has been stored, adjusting the state of the driver seat to the state stored in the storage device. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method for adjusting the switch position according to claim 1, further comprising: storing a state of the driver seat including at least any of a position of a seat cushion or a seat back in a longitudinal direction, inclination of a seat surface of the seat cushion with respect to a horizontal plane of the vehicle, inclination of the seat back with respect to a vertical direction of the vehicle, and a rotational position of the driver seat about an up-down direction of the driver seat as a rotational axis in a storage device as the stored relative position before the travel mode of the vehicle is changed over from the automated driving mode to the manual driving mode; and when the travel mode of the vehicle is changed over from the manual driving mode to the automated driving mode after the state of the driver seat has been stored, adjusting the relative position between the changeover switch and the driver seat to the stored relative position in the storage device. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The method for adjusting the switch position according to claim 1, wherein the changeover switch is disposed on a center console of the vehicle. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The method for adjusting the switch position according to claim 1, wherein the changeover switch is disposed on a side console of the vehicle. ### Claim 15 An operation device for vehicle comprising: a changeover switch configured to change over a travel mode of a vehicle between an automated driving mode in which travel of the vehicle is controlled in an automated manner and a manual driving mode in which travel of the vehicle is operated by a driver, wherein the changeover switch is movably disposed proximate a driver seat; and a controller configured to: store, when an operation on the changeover switch is detected in the automated driving mode, a relative position between the changeover switch and the driver seat, as a stored relative position for the automated driving mode; and in response to detecting an operation of the changeover switch to the automated driving mode: determine whether a distance between the changeover switch and the driver seat is within a predetermined distance; in response to the distance between the changeover switch and a driver seat not being within the predetermined distance, adjust the relative position between the changeover switch and the driver seat to be the stored relative position for the automated driving mode. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: detecting a state of the driver seat, the state including at least one of a position of the driver seat or an inclination of the driver seat; and adjusting a position of the changeover switch according to the state of the driver seat by a first actuator by accepting an instruction for the driver seat from the driver when the travel mode is the automated driving mode and then adjusting the position of the changeover switch according to the instruction, wherein the first actuator is separate from a second actuator that is for changing the state of the driver seat. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The operation device of claim 15, further comprising: an actuator configured to adjust a state of the driver seat including at least either a position of the driver seat or an inclination of the driver seat; and a movement mechanism separate from the actuator, the movement mechanism being configured to adjust a position of the changeover switch according to a state of the driver seat, wherein the controller further configured to: accept an instruction for the driver seat from the driver when the travel mode is the automated driving mode and adjust the position of the changeover switch according to the instruction.