Automatic vehicle seat adjuster

In a motor vehicle having a passenger compartment including a seat on which an occupant sits, said seat having power means for moving said seat relative to said passenger compartment from an initial position to an adjusted position, and control means connected to said power means for controlling said power means, an automatic seat adjustment system comprising:

• (a) measurement means for measuring values of at least one morphological characteristic of said occupant, said measurement means generating a first signal proportional to said at least one measured morphological characteristic;
• (b) adjustment means for enabling said occupant to adjust said seat to an adjusted position;
• (c) memory means for retaining data on said adjusted position in association with said first signal proportional to said at least one measured morphological characteristic;
• and
• (d) positioning means coupled to said measurement means and said memory means for positioning said seat at said adjusted position when said measurement means subsequently measure a value of said at least one morphological characteristic of an occupant of said seat having approximately the same measured value of said at least one morphological characteristic associated with said adjusted position.

In a motor vehicle having a passenger compartment including a driver's seat on which a driver sits, said passenger comapartment also having an apparatus other than said seat operable by said driver and which is movable in relation to said driver, power means for moving said apparatus from an initial position to an adjusted position, and control means connected to said power means for controlling said power means, an automatic apparatus adjustment system comprising:

• (a) a plurality of measurement means for measuring a respective one of at least two morphological characteristics of said occupant, each of said measurement means generating a first signal proportional to the respective one of said at least two measured morphological characteristics;
• (b) a processor comprising computational means for determining an optimum adjusted apparatus position based on said at least two measured morphological characteristic in which the occupant will be positioned in an optimum position with respect to said apparatus, said processor providing a second signal corresponding to said optimum adjusted apparatus position which is based on said first signal from each of said measurement means;
• (c) first input means coupled to each of said measurement means and said processor for inputting said first signal from each of said measurement means into said processor;
• and
• (d) second input means coupled to said processor and said control means for inputting said second signal into said control means such that said control means affects said power means to move said apparatus to said optimum adjusted apparatus position.