# US 11,077,771 B2 · Autonomous seat adjustment in a vehicle

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- Number: US 11,077,771 B2
- Document ID: US11077771B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/221,026
- Filed: 2018-12-14
- Published: 2020-06-18
- Granted: 2021-08-03
- Earliest claimed: 2018-12-14
- Assignees: Toyota Research Institute, Inc.
- Applicants: Toyota Research Institute, Inc.
- Inventors: Hiromitsu Urano; Kentaro Ichikawa; Junya Ueno
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11077771B2

## CPC

- B60N 2/0248: {with memory of positions}
- G06V 20/59: inside of a vehicle, e.g. relating to seat occupancy, driver state or inner lighting conditions
- B60N 2/0025: {by using weight measurement}
- B60N 2/0029: {for detecting the motion of the occupant}
- B60N 2/003: {characterised by the sensor mounting location in or on the seat}
- B60N 2/0035: {characterised by the sensor data transmission, e.g. wired connections or wireless transmitters therefor; characterised by the sensor data processing, e.g. seat sensor signal amplification or electric circuits for providing seat sensor information}
- B60N 2/0273: {taking into account user data, e.g. knee height or physical state}
- G06V 20/56: exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle
- G06V 40/103: {Static body considered as a whole, e.g. static pedestrian or occupant recognition}
- B60N 2210/24: Cameras
- B60N 2210/40: Force or pressure sensors
- B60N 2220/10: using a database
- B60N 2220/20: using a deterministic algorithm
- B60N 2220/30: using a neural network
- B60N 2230/20: Wireless data transmission
- B60N 2230/30: Signal processing of sensor data
- B60N: SEATS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLES; VEHICLE PASSENGER ACCOMMODATION NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING

## Abstract

A method for adjusting a seat in a vehicle is presented. The method includes receiving a user input from a passenger to adjust the seat from a default position to a passenger adjusted position. The method also includes predicting, in response to the passenger exiting the vehicle, a likelihood of the passenger returning to the vehicle. The method still further includes maintaining the passenger adjusted position when the likelihood of the passenger returning to the vehicle is greater than a threshold.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for adjusting a seat in a vehicle, comprising:
receiving a user input from a passenger to adjust the seat from a default position to a passenger adjusted position;
determining the passenger exited the vehicle;
determining, in response to the passenger exiting the vehicle, a likelihood of the passenger returning to the vehicle based on a location of the vehicle where the passenger exited, services offered within a range of the location, information captured by a visual sensor of the vehicle, or a combination thereof;
determining a seat adjustment action based on determining the likelihood, the seat adjustment action comprising:
maintaining the passenger adjusted position when the likelihood of the passenger returning to the vehicle is greater than a threshold; and
adjusting the seat to the default position when the likelihood of the passenger returning to the vehicle is less than the threshold;
determining, based on an image, an identity of a person approaching the vehicle after the passenger exited the vehicle;
identifying the person as a previous passenger based on the determined identity; and
adjusting the seat to a position associated with the previous passenger.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising determining the passenger exited the vehicle based on at least one of a door sensor, a seat pressure sensor, a visual sensor, or a combination thereof.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising capturing the image of the person approaching the vehicle via a visual sensor.

### Claim 4

An apparatus for adjusting a seat in a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:
a memory; and
at least one processor coupled to the memory, the at least one processor configured:
to receive a user input from a passenger to adjust the seat from a default position to a passenger adjusted position;
to determine the passenger exited the vehicle;
to determine, in response to the passenger exiting the vehicle, a likelihood of the passenger returning to the vehicle based on a location of the vehicle where the passenger exited, services offered within a range of the location, information captured by a visual sensor of the vehicle, or a combination thereof;
to determine a seat adjustment action based on determining the likelihood, the seat adjustment action comprising:
maintaining the passenger adjusted position when the likelihood of the passenger returning to the vehicle is greater than a threshold; and
adjusting the seat to the default position when the likelihood of the passenger returning to the vehicle is less than the threshold;
to determine, based on an image, an identity of a person approaching the vehicle after the passenger exited the vehicle;
to identify the person as a previous passenger based on the determined identity; and
to adjust the seat to a position associated with the previous passenger.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The apparatus of claim 4, in which the at least one processor is further configured to determine the passenger exited the vehicle based on at least one of a door sensor, a seat pressure sensor, a visual sensor, or a combination thereof.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The apparatus of claim 4, in which the at least one processor is further configured to capture the image of the person approaching the vehicle via a visual sensor.

### Claim 7

A non-transitory computer-readable medium having program code recorded thereon for adjusting a seat in a vehicle, the program code executed by a processor and comprising:
program code to receive a user input from a passenger to adjust the seat from a default position to a passenger adjusted position;
program code to determine the passenger exited the vehicle;
program code to determine, in response to the passenger exiting the vehicle, a likelihood of the passenger returning to the vehicle based on a location of the vehicle where the passenger exited, services offered within a range of the location, information captured by a visual sensor of the vehicle, or a combination thereof;
program code to determine a seat adjustment action based on determining the likelihood, the seat adjustment action comprising:
maintaining the passenger adjusted position when the likelihood of the passenger returning to the vehicle is greater than a threshold; and
adjusting the seat to the default position when the likelihood of the passenger returning to the vehicle is less than the threshold;
program code to determine, based on an image, an identity of a person approaching the vehicle after the passenger exited the vehicle;
program code to identify the person as a previous passenger based on the determined identity; and
program code to adjust the seat to a position associated with the previous passenger.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7, in which the program code further comprises program code to determine the passenger exited the vehicle based on at least one of a door sensor, a seat pressure sensor, a visual sensor, or a combination thereof.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7, in which the program code further comprises program code to capture the image of the person approaching the vehicle via a visual sensor.