Invented by Adrian Tan, Nissan Motor Co Ltd
The Market for Autonomous Vehicle Seating Positioning System
The market for autonomous vehicle seating positioning system is expected to experience growth over the forecast period. This report provides an in-depth evaluation of the industry, highlighting its key drivers, restraints, and opportunities.
This market study is segmented by type, component, application, propulsion type and region. Furthermore, it offers detailed forecasts for the global market from 2020 to 2030.
Drivers
Major automobile and technology firms are working on technologies that will revolutionize how people engage with vehicles. These firms are developing advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), telematics systems, and sensor systems to assist cars in making decisions based on changing driving situations around them.
Companies are investing in vehicle design and technology to enhance driver comfort and safety. These efforts will enable the auto industry to meet demand for Autonomous vehicle seating positioning system.
Automotive OEMs and suppliers plan to introduce autonomous features gradually as the underlying technologies mature into commercial grade, becoming cost-effective for consumers and profitable for manufacturers. The exact timing of AV introduction will depend on how ready these technologies are, how quickly OEM validation occurs, as well as which regulatory requirements apply in each country.
The first partially autonomous features will likely be offered in the premium segment of the automotive market. These products will likely be expensive to manufacture and require extensive R&D, particularly with regards to fully autonomous capabilities that may need investments in software and hardware as well as extensive testing and validation.
Many of these new autonomous vehicle technologies rely on artificial intelligence to determine how best to drive a car in different scenarios. This necessitates complex computer code that interprets sensor data and triggers actuators for braking, acceleration, and steering control.
However, as vehicle manufacturers transition away from ADAS to partial autonomy and then full autonomy, the complexity of computer code required will exponentially increase. By 2035, it is estimated that this amount of code will be 15 times larger than in today’s vehicles.
As such, OEMs will need to invest heavily in sensors and processing technology. Furthermore, they must develop integration software as well as test, validate, and pilot these technologies before bringing them onto the market.
These technologies will inevitably require changes to the interior space of a vehicle. These modifications must be designed with the user experience in mind and optimized for flexible layouts.
Restraints
One of the major difficulties presented by autonomous vehicles is their nontraditional seating configurations. These nontraditional arrangements may make it difficult for parents to utilize child restraint systems or for children to adjust their seats in case of a crash scenario.
A study conducted by Humanetics and sponsored by NHTSA measured how long it took parents to install and remove child restraint systems in three simulated vehicle interiors: front-facing-back (FFB), side-facing-in (SFI), and X configuration. Results showed that participants preferred the X configuration with all seats facing forward in the middle of the car as it required less time for installation and removal compared with other configurations and also found it most satisfying overall.
Though this study was conducted in a lab setting, the data it produced could be applied to creating safer autonomous vehicles and more useful usability testing protocols for modern cars. Furthermore, while much research has been done on occupant protection, little is known about how different seat configurations and restraint systems interact in real-world scenarios.
Humanetics’ THOR 50M frontal crash ATD (acronym for test device for human occupant restraints) emerged as the standout contender. This innovative device utilizes multiple sensors to collect crucial data about its performance in an oblique frontal collision scenario, using several patented technologies for accurate results.
Though more expensive than its predecessors, the new car is expected to be a hit with drivers and passengers alike. Furthermore, various organizations are likely to use it in shaping the future of driving.
Though not everyone may find the THOR appealing, it could easily be a contender to be named the greatest ATD of all time. Not only does it boast an eye-catching design, but its technological prowess could save lives in case of a frontal collision.
Opportunities
Autonomous vehicle seating positioning system presents a new market opportunity for component suppliers, automakers, software integrators, infrastructure providers, third-party data processors and service providers such as insurers and advertisers. When assessing potential collaborations it is essential to take into account each player’s original business models and place within the autonomous driving ecosystem.
The market for autonomous vehicle seating positioning systems is expected to experience a compound annual growth rate of 4-10% over the next ten years, driven by OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers who aim to incorporate features that customers are likely to desire in the future, such as more storage and seating space, flexibility in seat positioning, and more advanced controls.
Adient is creating two revolutionary seating concepts for ride-sharing and private vehicles. One concept, AI18, is tailored towards level 4 ride-sharing vehicles and provides safety and comfort in addition to other features. It has an intelligent front seat that monitors occupant sitting position, measures heart and respiration rates, and can assess stress levels to provide solutions if any exist. Furthermore, this seat can be controlled via a smart command panel integrated into the driver’s seat.
In order to better comprehend the relationship between spatial components and design elements, we conducted a study using an interior mock-up of an autonomous vehicle. The investigation focused on analyzing spatial relationships in various contexts such as sleeping/reclining, face-to-face conversation, watching videos, and online shopping.
As shown in Table 1, participants rated the flexibility of their preferred spatial designs for face-to-face seating arrangements. Unfortunately, some aspects of this flexible layout did not meet participant preferences, such as a sliding center console that was used for snacks. Therefore, it is critical to identify the dimensions necessary for creating flexible face-to-face seating arrangements across various vehicle classes and sizes.
In this study, 52 participants aged 11 to 63 were asked to position four seats in a simplified physical environment representing an automated car. They were encouraged to imagine both short drives alone and long journeys with multiple occupants, as well as to visualize how their bodies would interact with various spatial components within each arrangement.
Challenges
Autonomous vehicles have the potential to revolutionize the automotive industry, offering a multitude of benefits for users. But in order to guarantee they meet safety regulations, weather conditions and provide a comfortable experience for passengers, an extensive strategy is necessary.
To meet these challenges, OEMs and suppliers are investing in advanced seat technologies and design concepts to cater to occupant needs in autonomous vehicles. This strategy includes creating seating systems with more adjustment features, greater degrees of movement and rotation, as well as the capability to adjust according to different body sizes and heights.
The challenge lies in achieving high accuracy when positioning and orienting to support safety-critical applications such as lane change management, driver rerouting and obstacle detection. These solutions involve gathering, synthesizing and analyzing data from various sources before verifying its accuracy before providing it back to the vehicle at precisely when needed.
Scania has taken on this complex task with great data volume and processing speed in order to develop an innovative system that integrates centimetre-level positioning, collaborative perception sensor data and infrastructure-to-vehicle communications. This solution was demonstrated during the PRoPART project – a collaboration between Scania and six other industry partners – where ten centimetre level positioning allowed safe and efficient lane changes in traffic.
Additionally, the company developed a technology that can help determine if a vehicle is in the correct lane. This system takes into account signals from multiple sensors like cameras, radars and other technologies to decide which lane it should be in.
Development and implementation of this technology will necessitate a substantial investment in R&D as well as extensive testing. It will take some time before it is widely adopted, so automakers must plan ahead for their investments.
Another major challenge lies in designing and establishing the optimal seat position that is suitable for self-driving vehicles. It’s essential to guarantee that passengers do not get thrown from their restraint system during an accident, like what can happen with some conventional cars.
The Nissan Motor Co Ltd invention works as follows
An autonomous vehicle seat positioning system consists of a seat controller that is connected to an autonomous vehicle controller and a positioning device for a seat assembly. The positioning mechanism is operated by the seat controller. In this configuration, the autonomous car controller is operating the vehicle in self-driving mode. With the operator’s chair in recline mode, the controller activates the positioning system to move the operator from the reclined to the upright position in an emergency repositioning mode. If the autonomous vehicle control detects an unavoidable condition, the controller switches to manual driving mode.
Background for Autonomous vehicle seating positioning system
Field of Invention
The present invention generally refers to an autonomous vehicle seat positioning device. The present invention is a vehicle seat positioning system that automatically positions an operator’s chair assembly in a relaxed or reclined position to a driving, or upright position.
Background Information
Autonomous vehicles can operate a vehicle in both a self-driving and manual mode. An autonomous vehicle’s operator can sit back and relax while it operates in the self-driving mode.
One object in the present disclosure is to provide an autonomic vehicle equipped with a seat positioning system that allows the operator to move his/her seat from a relaxed or reclined orientation to driving or upright orientations depending on whether the vehicle’s mode of operation has changed from self-driving to manually operated.
In light of the current state of technology, the present disclosure provides an autonomous vehicle seat positioning device, including an operator’s chair assembly, an autonomous vehicle controller and a seat controller. The autonomous vehicle controller can operate a vehicle in both a self-driving and manual driving modes. A positioning mechanism is included in the operator’s chair assembly. It allows for the operator to adjust his/her seat between an upright or reclined setting. The vehicle’s seat controller is connected with the positioning mechanism and the autonomous vehicle controller. The positioning mechanism is controlled by the seat controller. When the vehicle is in self-driving mode, and the vehicle operator’s seats are in reclined orientation; the seat controller activates the positioning system to move the operator?s seat from the reclined to the upright position in an emergency repositioning mode. In response to an autonomous vehicle controller sensing a non emergency condition, the seat control operates the positioning device to move the operator?s seat from the reclined to the upright position in an non-emergency.
Selected embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings.” The disclosure will make it clear to all those who are skilled in the art that the following descriptions of embodiments are for illustration purposes only. They do not limit the invention as defined in the appended claims or their equivalents.
FIG. FIG. 1 shows a block diagram that illustrates a number of vehicles 10, 10a, and 10b that have an autonomous vehicle controller 12, which can be used as part of a vehicle management system (autonomous vehicle network) shown schematically in FIG. 1. FIGS. 2 shows that the vehicle 10 includes a display 16, which is located within the vehicle 10. This display 16 will be described in more detail below. FIGS. FIGS. 3-6 show that the vehicle 10 includes an autonomous vehicle seating system 18 (also known as the seat positioning device 18). This system is designed to work in conjunction with the autonomous vehicle controller 12.
The autonomous vehicle control 12 communicates with at most one of the vehicles 10, a, and 10 b. It can also include the autonomous controller 12. Alternativly, other vehicles 10, a, and 10b may include an alternative type of two-way communications system such as an adaptive cruise controller system that can communicate information about the speed and location of other vehicles 10a, 10b in a traditional manner.
The autonomous vehicle controller 12 communicates with the vehicles 10a and 10b via a two-way wireless communication network. FIG. FIG. 1 shows that the two-way wireless communications network may include one or several global positioning satellites 20, (only one is shown) and one or multiple terrestrial units (e.g. roadside (terrestrial), units 22 (two are displayed), as well as a base station 24 or an external server 24. The vehicle’s autonomous vehicle controller 12 and the roadside units 22 transmit and receive signals from the global positioning satellites 20, and the vehicles 10, a, and 10 b through communication components 12a (connected to the autonomous controller 12). The base station 24 transmits and receives signals from the vehicle control 12 of the host vehicle 10, and the vehicles 10a and 10b via a network made up of roadside units 22 or other suitable wireless communications network.
FIG. 6. The autonomous vehicle controller 12 is connected with elements of the seat position system 18, as further described below. The vehicle 10 can be operated by the autonomous vehicle controller 12. It is capable of operating in both a self-driving and manual mode. The autonomous vehicle controller 12 controls all driving operations, including speed, steering, and braking. The manual driving mode is when the autonomous vehicle controller 12 stops operating vehicle 10, and a human operator or driver H (FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 operate the vehicle manually, controlling speed and steering, as well as braking. The autonomous vehicle controller 12 can also be connected to sensors and exterior cameras of the vehicle (see FIGS. 5, 6 The sensors are mounted to the exterior of the vehicle on the rear, front and opposite sides. They detect other vehicles in a standard manner. Similar to the vehicle exterior cameras, they are mounted to exterior surfaces. They capture images of vehicle movements in a traditional manner. The operations of an autonomous car by the autonomous controller 12, and the configurations thereof 12 are well-known and are disclosed in numerous U.S. Patents and U.S. Published Patent Applications. Therefore, we will not go into detail about the operations and configurations 12 of the autonomous device controller 12.
A short description of vehicle 10 is now given with reference to FIGS. 2-6. The vehicle 10 features a vehicle body with a roof structure 32, and a floor structure 34. A passenger compartment 36 is defined between them. The vehicle 10 includes a steering column 38 and an accelerator and brake pedal assembly 40. A 42-inch operator’s seat is also included.
The display 16 can be attached directly to the interior surface 32 of the roof structure. The display 16 may also be used as part of a sun shade in a sunroof assembly. Additional description of the display 16 is available in U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. No. U.S. patent application Ser. No. No. 15/383/565 is included herein in its entirety. U.S. patent application Ser. No. No. 15/383/565 also discloses operational characteristics of the display 16.
The steering column 38 is attached to the instrument panel or a dash wall at the front portion of 36 in a traditional manner as shown in FIGS. 3-4. 3-4. The position of the steering column 38 can be adjusted between the retracted orientation shown as phantom lines or dashed lines (FIG. 4 and any one of a number of in-use orientations, such as the one shown in solid lines at FIGS. 3-4.
The brake pedal assembly 40 and the accelerator pedal assembly 40 are both conventional mechanisms that allow the vehicle driver to control braking and engine acceleration in a traditional manner. The brake and accelerator pump assembly 40 also includes a pedal positioner40 that can be electronically controlled to position the brake and accelerator pedal assemblies 40. The brake and accelerator pedal assemblies 40 can be moved between the retracted orientation shown as phantom lines or dashed line in FIG. 4., and any one of a variety of in-use orientations such as tine in use orientation shown in solid lines at FIGS. 3-4.
As shown schematically at FIGS. The operator’s seat 42 is attached to the vehicle’s floor structure 34 in FIGS. The base portion 50, the seat cushion portion 52 and the seatback portion 54 make up the operator’s 42-seat assembly. A positioning mechanism 56 is also included. The base portion 50 should be attached directly to the 34-inch passenger compartment 36. The base portion 50 supports the seat cushion portion 52 in a traditional manner. It is linearly moveable relative to the base portion 50. The seat cushion portion 52 is able to move forward or backward relative to the base portion 50, and the floor structure 34.
The pivotal movement of the seatback portion 54 relative to the cushion portion 52 is possible. The pivoting structure that supports the seatback 54 is not shown is connected to the 54-inch seatback and the 52-inch seat cushion. The pivot axis of the 54-inch seatback pivots around the 52-inch seat cushion portion 52.
The positioning mechanism 56 may include two separate electronic controlled devices or motors that position and move portions of the operator?s seat assembly 42. The positioning mechanism 56 positions the cushion portion 52 relative the floor structure 34. The positioning mechanism 56 may include a motor (not illustrated) or a linear track (not illustrated). This affects the movement and repositioning the seat cushion portion 52. The positioning mechanism 56 can move the seat cushion portion 52 forward or backward in a vehicle to any one of a number of positions relative to base portion 50. The positioning mechanism 56 includes a motor and gearing mechanism (not illustrated) that are designed to move the seatback section 54 in any of a plurality upright orientations or a plurality reclined orientations relative the seat cushion portion 52.
The positioning mechanism 56 can be used to move the seat cushion portion 52 forward or rearward in a vehicle to any one of a number of positions relative to base portion 50. The configuration of the positioning system 56 determines the number of positions that the seat cushion portion 52 can be moved relative to the base portion portion 50. The electric motor (not illustrated) can be any one of several positioning motors such as a stepper or stepper motors that, with the appropriate gearing, can move the seat cushion portion 52 and return it to predetermined positions relative to the base portion 50.
The positioning mechanism 56 can move the seatback section 54 in any of the plurality upright orientations or the plurality reclined orientations relative the seat cushion portion 52. The plurality of upright orientations can vary and are generally defined by orientations of 54 of the seatback that place a vehicle operator in the operator?s seat assembly 42 so that the vehicle operator is able to steer and operate it 10. There are a variety of reclined orientations. They can be described as orientations of 54 of the seatback that place a vehicle operator in the operator?s seat assembly 42 so that he or she can see the display 16 or rest.
Not all vehicle operators will be the same size. To suit their needs and comfort, the vehicle operator adjusts 52 the position of the cushion portion and 54 the angle of the cushion portion to match the base portion 50. FIG. FIG. 4 is an example of a reclined orientation.
