System, methodologies, and components acquiring, analyzing, and using occupant body specifications for improved seating structures and environment configuration

An occupant support system comprising:

• a vehicle seat including a seat bottom configured to be mounted to a vehicle frame included in a vehicle for movement relative to the vehicle frame, a seat back coupled to the seat bottom to pivot about a seat-back pivot axis relative to the seat bottom, and a seat-movement system coupled to the seat back and seat bottom to control movement of the seat back and seat bottom;
• and
• a configuration control system including an interface configured to obtain occupant data associated with an occupant and vehicle data associated with the vehicle seat and a computer configured to provide means for receiving the occupant data and the vehicle data, calculating a set of body ratios using the occupant data, calculating external body dimensions using the set of body ratios and the occupant data, calculating internal body dimensions using an estimate of a thickness of the occupant's flesh and the external body dimensions, calculating a best-fit body arrangement of the occupant using the internal body dimensions and predetermined criteria, calculating a best-fit seating solution using the best-fit body arrangement, the vehicle data, and the predetermined criteria, and communicating the best-fit seating solution to the seat-movement system to cause the seat bottom and the seat back to move to cause a best-fit arrangement of the vehicle seat to be established so that the occupant's comfort and/or safety is increased when the vehicle seat is in the best-fit arrangement.

A method of generating and using a best-fit body arrangement for a body of an occupant in a seat, the method comprising:

• obtaining occupant data associated with the occupant via an interface;
• calculating internal body dimensions using the occupant data;
• and
• calculating the best-fit body arrangement of the occupant in the seat using the internal body dimensions and predetermined criteria,
• moving the seat to the best-fit body arrangement to increase the occupant's comfort and/or safety.