阅读说明：本技术 车辆用座椅的控制装置 (Vehicle seat control device ) 是由 大野光由 坂上弘 于 2020-02-25 设计创作，主要内容包括：车辆用座椅的控制装置包括：致动器,被配置为调整斜倚角度和车辆用座椅的向座椅前后方向的位置中的至少一方；以及控制部,被配置为判断在所述车辆行驶的道路上是否设有分隔带,在判断为未设有所述分隔带的情况下,所述控制部进行以下动作中的至少任一个：以所述座椅靠背不超过规定的角度地向后方侧倾倒的方式控制所述致动器；以所述车辆用座椅不位于比规定的位置靠后方侧的方式控制所述致动器；在所述座椅靠背超过规定的角度地向后方侧倾倒的情况下输出警告信号；以及在所述车辆用座椅位于比规定的位置靠后方侧的情况下输出警告信号。(A control device for a vehicle seat includes: an actuator configured to adjust at least one of a reclining angle and a position of the vehicle seat in a seat front-rear direction; and a control unit configured to determine whether or not a partition is provided on a road on which the vehicle travels, and when it is determined that the partition is not provided, the control unit performs at least any one of the following operations: controlling the actuator so that the seat back falls rearward without exceeding a predetermined angle; controlling the actuator so that the vehicle seat is not positioned on the rear side of the predetermined position; outputting a warning signal when the seat back falls rearward beyond a predetermined angle; and outputting a warning signal when the vehicle seat is located rearward of the predetermined position.)

1. A control device for a vehicle seat, characterized by comprising:

at least one actuator provided in a vehicle that can travel by autopilot, the actuator being configured to adjust at least one of a reclining angle of a seat back of the vehicle seat toward a seat rear side with respect to a seat cushion and a position of the vehicle seat in a seat front-rear direction; and

a control section configured to determine whether a division belt is provided on a road on which the vehicle travels,

when determining that the partition is not provided, the control unit performs at least one of the following operations:

1) controlling the actuator so that the seat back falls rearward without exceeding a predetermined angle;

2) controlling the actuator so that the vehicle seat is not positioned on the rear side of the predetermined position;

3) outputting a warning signal when the seat back falls rearward beyond a predetermined angle; and

4) and a warning signal is output when the vehicle seat is located rearward of the predetermined position.

2. The control device for the vehicle seat according to claim 1,

the control section is configured to: when it is determined that the bank is provided, at least one of the predetermined angle and the predetermined position is set based on at least one of a traveling speed of the vehicle and an estimated speed of the vehicle.

3. The control device for the vehicle seat according to claim 1,

the control section is configured to: when it is determined that the bank is not provided, at least one of the predetermined angle and the predetermined position is set based on at least an estimated speed of an oncoming vehicle traveling on an oncoming lane of a road on which the vehicle travels.

4. The control device for the vehicle seat according to claim 3,

the control section is configured to: when it is determined that the bank is not provided, at least one of the predetermined angle and the predetermined position is set based on a total speed of a traveling speed of the vehicle and an estimated speed of the oncoming vehicle or a total speed of the estimated speed of the vehicle and the estimated speed of the oncoming vehicle.

5. The control device for the vehicle seat according to claim 3 or claim 4,

the control section is configured to:

acquiring information on a road on which the vehicle is traveling through wireless communication,

and determining an estimated speed of the oncoming vehicle based on the information of the road obtained through the wireless communication.

6. The control device for the vehicle seat according to claim 3 or claim 4,

the control section is configured to:

information from the oncoming vehicle is acquired through wireless communication,

and determining an estimated speed of the oncoming vehicle based on information from the oncoming vehicle obtained through the wireless communication.

7. The control device for the vehicle seat according to claim 3 or claim 4,

the control section is configured to:

acquiring speed information of the oncoming vehicle through a sensor provided to the vehicle,

and determining an estimated speed of the oncoming vehicle based on the speed information of the oncoming vehicle obtained from the sensor.

8. The control device for the vehicle seat according to claim 3 or claim 4,

the control section is configured to:

acquiring information on a lane on which at least one of the vehicle and the oncoming vehicle is traveling by a sensor provided in the vehicle,

and determining an estimated speed of the oncoming vehicle based on the information of the lane obtained from the sensor.

9. The control device for the vehicle seat according to claim 2,

the control portion is configured to set a speed obtained by subtracting a deceleration amount achieved by automatic braking from a traveling speed of the vehicle as an estimated speed of the vehicle.

10. The control device for a vehicle seat according to any one of claims 1 to 9,

the vehicle seat device includes the actuator for reclining, which adjusts a reclining angle of the seat back toward a seat rear side,

the control section is configured to:

controlling the actuator for reclining so that the reclining angle becomes a smaller reclining angle than when the division belt is determined to be provided, when it is determined that the division belt is not provided on the road on which the vehicle is traveling by autonomous driving,

alternatively, the warning signal may be output at a smaller reclining angle when it is determined that the bank is not provided on the road on which the vehicle is traveling than when it is determined that the bank is provided.

11. The control device for the vehicle seat according to claim 10,

the control portion is configured to set the predetermined angle based on a position of the seat cushion in a seat front-rear direction.

12. The control device for the vehicle seat according to claim 10 or claim 11,

the control unit is configured to set the predetermined angle based on a position of a knee of an occupant seated on the seat cushion.

13. The control device for a vehicle seat according to any one of claims 10 to 12,

the control portion is configured to set the prescribed angle based on a position of a head of an occupant seated on the seat cushion.

14. The control device for a vehicle seat according to any one of claims 2 to 9,

the vehicle seat device includes the actuator for reclining, which adjusts a reclining angle of the seat back toward a seat rear side,

the control section is configured to:

controlling the actuator for reclining so that the reclining angle becomes a smaller reclining angle than when the division belt is determined to be provided, when it is determined that the division belt is not provided on the road on which the vehicle is traveling by autonomous driving,

or, when it is determined that the bank is not provided on the road on which the vehicle is traveling, the warning signal is output at the reclining angle smaller than that when it is determined that the bank is provided,

and, the control section is configured to: when the reclining angle reaches the predetermined angle, the operation of the reclining actuator is stopped, and the tilting of the seat back is stopped.

15. The control device for a vehicle seat according to any one of claims 2 to 9,

the vehicle seat device includes the actuator for reclining, which adjusts a reclining angle of the seat back toward a seat rear side,

the control section is configured to:

controlling the actuator for reclining so that the reclining angle becomes a smaller reclining angle than when the division belt is determined to be provided, when it is determined that the division belt is not provided on the road on which the vehicle is traveling by autonomous driving,

or, when it is determined that the bank is not provided on the road on which the vehicle is traveling, the warning signal is output at the reclining angle smaller than that when it is determined that the bank is provided,

and, the control section is configured to: the control unit operates the actuator for reclining so that the reclining angle is equal to or less than the predetermined angle, and tilts the seat back forward.

16. The control device for a vehicle seat according to any one of claims 1 to 15,

the vehicle seat device includes the actuator for seat sliding that adjusts a position of the vehicle seat in a seat front-rear direction,

and, the control section is configured to:

controlling the actuator for seat sliding so that the vehicle seat is positioned further forward than when it is determined that the bank is provided, when it is determined that the bank is not provided on the road on which the vehicle travels by autonomous driving,

alternatively, when it is determined that the partition line is not provided on the road on which the vehicle is traveling, the warning signal is output in a state where the vehicle seat is positioned on the front side of the vehicle seat than when it is determined that the partition line is provided.

17. The control device for a vehicle seat according to any one of claims 2 to 9,

the vehicle seat device includes the actuator for seat sliding that adjusts a position of the vehicle seat in a seat front-rear direction,

the control section is configured to:

controlling the actuator for seat sliding so that the vehicle seat is positioned further forward than when it is determined that the bank is provided, when it is determined that the bank is not provided on the road on which the vehicle travels by autonomous driving,

or, when it is determined that the divider is not provided on the road on which the vehicle is traveling, a warning signal is output in a state where the vehicle seat is positioned further forward than when it is determined that the divider is provided,

and, the vehicle seat is configured to: when the seat front-rear direction position of the vehicle seat reaches the predetermined position, the control unit stops the operation of the actuator for seat sliding, thereby stopping the movement of the vehicle seat in the seat front-rear direction.

18. The control device for a vehicle seat according to any one of claims 2 to 9,

the vehicle seat device includes the actuator for seat sliding that adjusts a position of the vehicle seat in a seat front-rear direction,

the control section is configured to:

controlling the actuator for seat sliding so that the vehicle seat is positioned further forward than when it is determined that the bank is provided, when it is determined that the bank is not provided on the road on which the vehicle travels by autonomous driving,

or, when it is determined that the divider is not provided on the road on which the vehicle is traveling, a warning signal is output in a state where the vehicle seat is positioned further forward than when it is determined that the divider is provided,

and, the vehicle seat is configured to: the control unit operates the actuator for sliding the seat so that the vehicle seat is positioned at a predetermined position in a seat front-rear direction or forward of the predetermined position, and thereby the vehicle seat moves forward.

19. The control device for a vehicle seat according to any one of claims 1 to 18,

the control section is configured to: the vehicle is decelerated when the seat back is tilted rearward beyond a predetermined angle and when the vehicle seat is positioned rearward beyond a predetermined position.

20. The control device for a vehicle seat according to any one of claims 1 to 19,

the control section is configured to:

acquiring information on a road on which the vehicle is traveling through wireless communication,

when it is determined that the road is a two-way traffic road based on the information on the road obtained by the wireless communication, the control of the actuator and/or the output of the warning signal are performed on the road that is determined to be not provided with the bank.

21. The control device for a vehicle seat according to any one of claims 1 to 20,

the vehicle is configured to travel in a manual or autonomous manner,

the seat back is configured to: the control portion activates the actuator when the vehicle is switched from manual driving to automatic driving, whereby the seat back is tilted rearward,

and, the vehicle seat is configured to:

the control portion activates the actuator when the vehicle is switched from manual driving to automatic driving, whereby the vehicle seat moves rearward,

alternatively, the control unit may operate the actuator when the vehicle is switched from manual driving to automatic driving, whereby the seat back tilts rearward and the vehicle seat also moves rearward together.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a control device for a vehicle seat.

Background

International publication No. 2015/011866 discloses a vehicle driving assistance device that controls a reclining angle of a seat back of a vehicle seat according to a driving mode of a vehicle. In the vehicle driving assistance device described in this document, the control of the motor for tilting the seat back is performed such that the reclining angle of the seat back in the automatic driving mode is larger than the reclining angle of the seat back in the manual driving mode.

Further, when the reclining angle of the seat back is set to be large in the automatic drive mode, or when the position of the vehicle seat in the seat front-rear direction is moved rearward, there is room for improvement in terms of occupant safety.

Disclosure of Invention

In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a control device for a vehicle seat that is highly safe for an occupant seated in the vehicle seat in a collision of a vehicle in an automatic drive mode.

A control device for a vehicle seat according to an aspect of the present invention includes: at least one actuator (20; 68) provided in a vehicle (12) that can travel in an autonomous manner, the actuator being configured to adjust at least one of a reclining angle (θ) of a seat back (22) of the vehicle seat to a seat rear side with respect to a seat cushion (20) and a position of the vehicle seat in a seat front-rear direction; and a control unit configured to determine whether or not a partition is provided on a road on which the vehicle travels, and when it is determined that the partition is not provided, the control unit performs at least any one of the following operations: 1) controlling the actuator so that the seat back falls rearward without exceeding a predetermined angle; 2) controlling the actuator so that the vehicle seat is not positioned on the rear side of the predetermined position; 3) outputting a warning signal when the seat back falls rearward beyond a predetermined angle; and 4) outputting a warning signal when the vehicle seat is located rearward of the predetermined position.

According to the above aspect, at least one of the reclining angle of the seat back and the position of the vehicle seat in the seat front-rear direction is adjusted by operating the single or multiple actuators. Here, it is conceivable that: when a vehicle (hereinafter, referred to as "own vehicle") including the control device for a vehicle seat according to the present invention is traveling on a road without a bank, the own vehicle collides with a vehicle (hereinafter, referred to as "oncoming vehicle") traveling on an oncoming lane, and the deceleration acceleration of the own vehicle increases. Therefore, when determining that the bank is not provided on the road on which the host vehicle travels, the control unit performs any of the above (1) to (4). Thus, when the vehicle collides with the opposing vehicle, the phenomenon that the seated occupant slides toward the seat front side along the seat cushion is suppressed, the deterioration of the restraining performance of the upper body of the seated occupant is suppressed, and the increase of the injury value of the seated occupant can be suppressed.

In the above aspect, the control section may be configured to: when it is determined that the bank is provided, at least one of the predetermined angle and the predetermined position is set based on at least one of a traveling speed of the vehicle and an estimated speed of the vehicle.

According to the above configuration, when the bank is provided (when the possibility of collision with the vehicle traveling on the opposite lane is low), the magnitude of the allowable reclining angle and the allowable seat front-rear direction position of the vehicle seat can be set based on the traveling speed and the estimated speed of the host vehicle.

In the above aspect, the control section may be configured to: when it is determined that the bank is not provided, at least one of the predetermined angle and the predetermined position is set based on at least an estimated speed of an oncoming vehicle traveling on an oncoming lane of a road on which the vehicle travels.

According to the above configuration, in a case where the bank is not provided (in a case where there is a possibility of collision with the vehicle traveling on the opposite lane), the magnitude of the allowable reclining angle and the allowable seat front-rear direction position of the vehicle seat can be set in consideration of the speed of the opposite vehicle traveling on the opposite lane.

In the above aspect, the control section may be configured to: when it is determined that the bank is not provided, at least one of the predetermined angle and the predetermined position is set based on a total speed of a traveling speed of the vehicle and an estimated speed of the oncoming vehicle or a total speed of the estimated speed of the vehicle and the estimated speed of the oncoming vehicle.

According to the above configuration, in a case where the bank is not provided (in a case where there is a possibility of a collision with the vehicle traveling on the opposite lane), the magnitude of the allowable reclining angle and the seat front-rear direction position of the allowable vehicle seat can be set on the assumption of the collision speed with the opposite vehicle traveling on the opposite lane.

In the above aspect, the control section may be configured to: information of a road on which the vehicle travels is acquired through wireless communication, and an estimated speed of the oncoming vehicle is determined based on the information of the road acquired through the wireless communication.

According to the above configuration, the magnitude of the allowable reclining angle and the allowable seat front-rear direction position of the vehicle seat can be set based on the information on the road obtained by the wireless communication.

In the above aspect, the control section may be configured to: information from the oncoming vehicle is acquired through wireless communication, and an estimated speed of the oncoming vehicle is determined based on the information from the oncoming vehicle acquired through the wireless communication.

According to the above configuration, the magnitude of the allowable reclining angle and the allowable seat front-rear direction position of the vehicle seat can be set based on the information obtained by wireless communication from the oncoming vehicle traveling on the oncoming traffic lane.

In the above aspect, the control section may be configured to: the speed information of the oncoming vehicle is acquired by a sensor provided to the vehicle, and the estimated speed of the oncoming vehicle is determined based on the speed information of the oncoming vehicle obtained from the sensor.

According to the above configuration, the magnitude of the allowable reclining angle and the allowable seat front-rear direction position of the vehicle seat can be set based on the speed information of the oncoming vehicle traveling on the oncoming traffic lane obtained by the sensor.

In the above aspect, the control section may be configured to: information of a lane in which at least one of the vehicle and the oncoming vehicle is traveling is acquired by a sensor provided to the vehicle, and an estimated speed of the oncoming vehicle is determined based on the information of the lane acquired from the sensor.

According to the above configuration, the magnitude of the allowable reclining angle and the seat front-rear direction position of the allowable vehicle seat can be set based on the information of the lane obtained by the sensor.

In the above aspect, the control section may be configured to: the estimated speed of the vehicle is set to a speed obtained by subtracting a deceleration amount by automatic braking from a traveling speed of the vehicle.

According to the above configuration, the magnitude of the allowable reclining angle and the allowable seat front-rear direction position of the vehicle seat can be set in consideration of the deceleration amount by the automatic braking.

In the above aspect, the vehicle seat may include the actuator for reclining that adjusts a reclining angle of the seat back toward a seat rear side, and the control unit may control the actuator for reclining such that the reclining angle becomes a smaller reclining angle than when the partition belt is determined to be provided, when it is determined that the partition belt is not provided on a road on which the vehicle is traveling by autonomous driving, or may output the warning signal at a smaller reclining angle than when it is determined that the partition belt is provided, when it is determined that the partition belt is not provided on a road on which the vehicle is traveling.

According to the above configuration, the seat back is tilted in the seat front-rear direction with respect to the seat cushion by operating the reclining actuator. Here, it is conceivable that: in a situation where it is determined that the bank is not provided on the road on which the host vehicle is traveling, there is a high possibility that the deceleration acceleration of the host vehicle is large when the host vehicle collides with the vehicle traveling on the opposite lane. Therefore, when it is determined that the bank is not provided on the road on which the host vehicle travels by the autonomous driving system, the control unit controls the actuator for reclining so that the reclining angle becomes smaller than the reclining angle when it is determined that the bank is provided, or outputs a warning signal when the reclining angle is smaller than the reclining angle when it is determined that the bank is provided. This suppresses an increase in the reclining angle of the seat back toward the seat rear side when no partition belt is provided on the road on which the host vehicle is traveling. As a result, when a collision with a vehicle traveling on an opposite lane occurs, the phenomenon that a seated occupant slides toward the seat front side along the seat cushion is suppressed, the restraining performance of the upper body of the seated occupant is suppressed from being impaired, and the increase in the injury value of the seated occupant can be suppressed.

In the foregoing aspect, the control portion may be configured to set the prescribed angle based on a position of the seat cushion in a seat front-rear direction.

According to the above configuration, the control unit controls the reclining actuator or outputs the warning signal based on the position of the seat cushion in the seat front-rear direction. Thus, the magnitude of the allowable reclining angle can be set according to the position of the seat cushion in the seat front-rear direction.

In the above aspect, the control portion may be configured to set the predetermined angle based on a position of a knee of an occupant seated on the seat cushion.

According to the above configuration, the control unit controls the reclining actuator or outputs the warning signal based on the position of the knee of the occupant seated on the seat cushion. This allows the magnitude of the allowable reclining angle to be set according to the position of the knees of the occupant seated on the seat cushion.

In the above aspect, the control portion may be configured to set the predetermined angle based on a position of a head of an occupant seated on the seat cushion.

According to the above configuration, the control unit controls the reclining actuator or outputs the warning signal based on the position of the head of the occupant seated on the seat cushion. This allows the magnitude of the allowable reclining angle to be set according to the position of the head of the occupant seated on the seat cushion.

In the above aspect, the control section may be configured to: when the reclining angle reaches the predetermined angle, the operation of the reclining actuator is stopped, and the tilting of the seat back is stopped.

According to the above configuration, the control unit stops the operation of the reclining actuator when the reclining angle reaches the allowable reclining angle. This stops the tilting of the seat back, and prevents or suppresses the reclining angle of the seat back toward the seat rear side from becoming larger than the allowable reclining angle.

In the above aspect, the control section may be configured to: the control unit operates the actuator for reclining so that the reclining angle is equal to or less than the predetermined angle, and tilts the seat back forward.

According to the above configuration, the seat back is tilted so that the reclining angle reaches the allowable reclining angle. This prevents or suppresses the reclining angle of the seat back to the seat rear side from becoming larger than the allowable reclining angle.

In the above aspect, the vehicle seat may include the actuator for seat sliding that adjusts a position of the vehicle seat in a seat front-rear direction, and the control unit may control the actuator for seat sliding such that the vehicle seat is positioned further forward than when it is determined that the partition belt is provided, when it is determined that the partition belt is not provided on a road on which the vehicle travels by autonomous driving, or may output the warning signal when it is determined that the vehicle seat is positioned further forward than when it is determined that the partition belt is provided.

According to the above configuration, the vehicle seat is moved in the seat front-rear direction by operating the actuator for seat sliding. Here, it is conceivable that: when the bank is not provided on the road on which the host vehicle is traveling, there is a high possibility that the deceleration acceleration of the host vehicle is large when the host vehicle collides with the vehicle traveling on the oncoming lane. Therefore, when it is determined that the partition line is not provided on the road on which the host vehicle travels by the autonomous driving system, the control unit controls the actuator for seat sliding so that the vehicle seat is positioned further forward than when it is determined that the partition line is provided, or outputs a warning signal when the vehicle seat is positioned further forward than when it is determined that the partition line is provided. This suppresses an increase in the distance in the seat front-rear direction between an occupant seated in the vehicle seat and a member constituting the vehicle when the bank is not provided on the road on which the host vehicle travels. As a result, when the vehicle collides with the vehicle traveling on the opposite lane, the occurrence of a phenomenon in which the seated occupant slides toward the seat front side along the seat cushion is suppressed, and the increase in the injury value of the seated occupant can be suppressed.

In the above aspect, the vehicle seat may be configured to: when the seat front-rear direction position of the vehicle seat reaches the predetermined position, the control unit stops the operation of the actuator for seat sliding, thereby stopping the movement of the vehicle seat in the seat front-rear direction.

According to the above configuration, when the seat front-rear direction position of the vehicle seat reaches the allowable position, the control unit stops the operation of the seat sliding actuator. This stops the movement of the vehicle seat in the seat front-rear direction, and prevents or suppresses the position of the vehicle seat in the seat front-rear direction from being arranged on the rear side of the allowable position.

In the above aspect, the vehicle seat may be configured to: the control unit operates the actuator for sliding the seat so that the vehicle seat is positioned at a predetermined position in a seat front-rear direction or forward of the predetermined position, and thereby the vehicle seat moves forward.

According to the above configuration, the vehicle seat is moved such that the seat front-rear direction position of the vehicle seat reaches the allowable position. This prevents or suppresses the position of the vehicle seat in the seat front-rear direction from being disposed on the rear side of the allowable position.

In the above aspect, the control section may be configured to: the vehicle is decelerated when the seat back is tilted rearward beyond a predetermined angle and when the vehicle seat is positioned rearward beyond a predetermined position.

According to the above configuration, the collision speed between the host vehicle and the oncoming vehicle can be reduced. This can suppress an increase in the injury value of the seated occupant when the host vehicle collides with the oncoming vehicle.

In the above aspect, the control section may be configured to: information of a road on which the vehicle is traveling is acquired by wireless communication, and when it is determined that the road is a two-way traffic (two-way traffic) based on the information of the road acquired by the wireless communication, the vehicle regards the road as a road on which the bank is not provided, and performs at least one of control of the actuator and output of the warning signal.

According to the above configuration, for example, the magnitude of the allowable reclining angle can be set and a warning can be given in consideration of the fact that the traffic control is performed bidirectionally due to the control of the road.

In the foregoing aspect, the vehicle may be configured to travel in a manual driving manner or an automatic driving manner, and the seatback may be configured to: the control portion may operate the actuator when the vehicle is switched from manual driving to automatic driving, whereby the seat back is tilted rearward, and the vehicle seat may be configured to: the control portion activates the actuator when the vehicle is switched from manual driving to automatic driving, thereby moving the vehicle seat rearward, or activates the actuator when the vehicle is switched from manual driving to automatic driving, thereby tilting the seat back rearward, and the vehicle seat also moves rearward together.

According to the above configuration, when the vehicle is switched from manual driving to automatic driving, the posture and position of the vehicle seat can be changed to a posture and position at which the seated occupant can take a comfortable posture.

The control device for a vehicle seat according to the present invention has an excellent effect of improving safety against an occupant seated in the vehicle seat at the time of a collision of a vehicle in an automatic drive mode.

Drawings

Features, advantages and technical and industrial significance of exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals denote like elements, and wherein:

fig. 1A is a side view showing a cab of a vehicle including a control device for a vehicle seat according to a first embodiment.

Fig. 1B is a block diagram showing a control system of the control device of the vehicle seat.

Fig. 1C is a flowchart showing a processing flow of the control device for the vehicle seat.

Fig. 2 is a graph showing the relationship between the vehicle set speed and the like and the allowable reclining angle in the case where no divider is provided.

Fig. 3 is a graph showing the relationship between the vehicle set speed and the like and the allowable reclining angle when the bank is provided.

Fig. 4 is a side view showing a cab of a vehicle including a control device for a vehicle seat according to a second embodiment, and shows a state where the vehicle seat is positioned on the front side.

Fig. 5 is a side view showing a cab of a vehicle including a control device for a vehicle seat according to a second embodiment, and shows a state where the vehicle seat is positioned on the rear side.

Fig. 6 is a graph showing the relationship between the vehicle set speed and the like and the allowable reclining angle in the case where the bank is not provided in the second embodiment.

Fig. 7 is a side view showing a cab of a vehicle including a control device for a vehicle seat according to a third embodiment, and shows a state where the vehicle seat is positioned on the front side.

Fig. 8 is a side view showing a cab of a vehicle including a control device for a vehicle seat according to a third embodiment, and shows a state where the vehicle seat is positioned on the rear side.

Fig. 9 is a graph showing the relationship between the vehicle set speed and the like and the allowable reclining angle in the case where no divider is provided in the third embodiment.

Fig. 10 is a side view showing a cab of a vehicle including a control device for a vehicle seat according to a fourth embodiment, and shows a state where the vehicle seat is positioned on the front side.

Fig. 11 is a side view showing a cab of a vehicle including a control device for a vehicle seat according to a fourth embodiment, and shows a state where the vehicle seat is positioned on the rear side.

Fig. 12 is a graph showing the relationship between the vehicle set speed and the like and the allowable reclining angle in the case where no divider is provided in the fourth embodiment.

Fig. 13 is a side view showing a cab of a vehicle including a control device for a vehicle seat according to a fifth embodiment, and shows a state where the vehicle seat is positioned on the front side.

Fig. 14 is a side view showing a cab of a vehicle including a control device for a vehicle seat according to a fifth embodiment, and shows a state where the vehicle seat is positioned on the rear side.

Fig. 15 is a side view schematically showing a vehicle and a dynamic map (dynamic map) provided with the control device for a vehicle seat according to the sixth embodiment.

Fig. 16 is a graph showing the relationship between the vehicle set speed and the like and the allowable reclining angle when no divider is provided in the sixth embodiment.

Fig. 17 is a plan view showing a running state of a vehicle provided with the control device for a vehicle seat according to the seventh embodiment.

Fig. 18 is a plan view showing a running state of a vehicle provided with the control device for a vehicle seat according to the eighth embodiment.

Fig. 19 is a plan view showing a running state of a vehicle provided with the control device for a vehicle seat according to the ninth embodiment.

Fig. 20 is a plan view showing a running state of a vehicle provided with the control device for a vehicle seat according to the tenth embodiment.

Fig. 21 is a graph showing the relationship between the vehicle set speed and the like and the allowable reclining angle in the case where no divider is provided in the tenth embodiment.

Detailed Description

(control device 10 for vehicle seat of first embodiment)

A control device 10 for a vehicle seat according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to fig. 1A to 3. Note that an arrow FR appropriately shown in each drawing indicates a front-rear direction front side of the vehicle 12, and an arrow UP indicates a vertical direction upper side of the vehicle 12. Further, the front side and the upper side of the vehicle 12 coincide with the front side and the upper side of the vehicle seat 14, respectively. In the following description, only the front-rear direction, the left-right direction, and the up-down direction are used, and unless otherwise specified, the front-rear direction of the vehicle 12 and the vehicle seat 14, the left-right direction (vehicle width direction) of the vehicle 12 and the vehicle seat 14, and the up-down direction of the vehicle 12 and the vehicle seat 14 are shown.

Fig. 1A shows an operator's cab 16 of a vehicle 12 provided with a control device 10 for a vehicle seat according to the present embodiment. As shown in the drawing, a vehicle seat 14, on which an occupant P who operates a steering wheel 18 or the like sits, is provided in a cab 16. The vehicle seat 14 includes a seat cushion 20 that supports hip portions P1 of an occupant P, and a seat back 22 that supports an upper body P2 of the occupant P. The vehicle seat 14 is provided with a headrest 24 that supports a head P3 of an occupant P.

The seat cushion 20 is configured by attaching a seat cushion pad covered with a skin material to a seat cushion frame or the like. The seat cushion 20 is supported on a floor 28 of the cab 16 via seat rails 26 (an upper rail 26A and a lower rail (not shown)) that slide the seat cushion 20 in the front-rear direction.

Here, the vehicle seat 14 of the present embodiment is provided in the cab 16 of the vehicle 12 that can be driven automatically or manually. Therefore, the vehicle seat 14 can move in the front-rear direction from a position where the occupant P seated in the vehicle seat 14 can operate the steering wheel 18 or the like to a position where the occupant P cannot operate. Fig. 1A shows a state in which the vehicle seat 14 is moved forward to a position where the steering wheel 18 and the like can be operated by the occupant P seated in the vehicle seat 14.

The seat back 22 is configured by attaching a seat back cushion covered with a skin material to a seat back frame or the like, similarly to the seat cushion 20. The seat back 22 is attached to a seat back side end portion of the seat cushion 20, and the seat back 22 is allowed to recline (tiltable) in the seat front-rear direction. In the present embodiment, the seat back 22 is tilted by the operation of the reclining motor 30 as an actuator.

The headrest 24 is configured by mounting a headrest main body configured to include a headrest pad covered with a skin material on a headrest stay or the like. The headrest stay is inserted into an insertion portion, not shown, provided in the seat back 22, and the headrest 24 is thereby fitted to the upper end portion of the seat back 22.

As shown in fig. 1A and 1B, the control device 10 for a vehicle seat includes a motor 30 that tilts the seat back 22, and an ECU32 that is a control unit that controls the motor 30.

The motor 30 is a dc motor that is rotated by being energized under the control of the ECU 32. The motor 30 is provided with an angle sensor 34 for calculating a reclining angle θ of the seat back 22 to the seat rear side based on the rotation speed (rotation angle) of the rotation shaft and the like.

The ECU32 is configured as follows: the CPU (Central Processing Unit) 32A, ROM (Read Only Memory) 32B, RAM C (Random Access Memory) and an input/output interface (I/O)32D for communicating with an external device are provided, and are connected to each other via a bus 32E so as to be communicable with each other. To the input/output interface unit 32D, various sensors such as a motor 30, a navigation system 36 provided in the vehicle 12, an angle sensor 34, and a vehicle speed sensor 35 for detecting the speed of the vehicle 12 are electrically connected.

The CPU32A is a central processing unit that executes various programs and controls the motor 30 and the like. That is, the CPU32A reads out a control program from the ROM32B and controls the motor 30 by executing the control program with the RAM32C as a work area.

The ECU32 determines whether or not a bank is provided on the road on which the vehicle 12 travels based on information from the navigation system 36 when the vehicle 12 is automatically driven, and controls the energization of the motor 30. Here, the bank refers to a facility for separating a lane in which the vehicle 12 (the own vehicle) travels from a lane in which an oncoming vehicle travels. For example, a division strip refers to a shelf, a curb, an obstacle, a guardrail, or a depression. Furthermore, the separator may also be referred to as a central separator.

Further, the ECU32 controls the motor 30 such that the reclining angle θ becomes smaller, assuming that the deceleration acceleration of the vehicle 12 becomes higher when the vehicle 12 is involved in a frontal collision.

(case where no dividing tape is provided)

Specifically, as shown in fig. 1A, 1B, and 1C, when the ECU32 determines that no bank is provided on the road on which the vehicle 12 travels, that is, when the ECU 01 in fig. 1C determines affirmative, the ECU32 in step S02 bases the speed V obtained by adding the speed of the vehicle 12 (the speed of the vehicle of interest) to the speed limit of the road (the speed limit of the oncoming lane, which is the estimated speed of the oncoming vehicle) recorded in advance in the navigation system 36 on the basis of the speed V₁An allowable recline angle theta is determined. The "speed of the vehicle 12 (vehicle speed)" refers to a set speed or an actual speed of the vehicle 12 during automatic driving. The actual speed refers to the speed of the vehicle 12 based on the speed signal, the speed of the vehicle 12 based on the GPS signal, and the like. The set speed of the vehicle 12 during autonomous driving is set to the speed limit of the road (the own-vehicle speed limit) when the road condition and weather are good. In addition, the own-lane limit speed and the oncoming-lane limit speed are often the same limit speed.

As shown in FIG. 2, the speed of the vehicle is compared withSpeed V obtained by adding speed limits of opposite lanes₁Is 0km/h or more and v₁When km/h or less, the ECU32 determines the allowable reclining angle theta as theta₁. Then, the allowable reclining angle theta is determined as theta₁Thereafter, the ECU32 determines in step S03 whether the seat back 22 is reclined until the reclining angle θ of the seat back 22 exceeds θ₁The angle of (c). When the affirmative determination is made in step S03, the ECU32 controls the energization to the motor 30 in step S04 such that the reclining angle θ of the seat back 22 does not exceed θ₁. That is, the ECU32 starts energization of the motor 30, and the seat back 22 tilts until the reclining angle θ becomes θ₁The following angles. When the negative determination is made in step S03, the ECU32 ends the process. Alternatively, if the determination in step S03 is negative, ECU32 may turn on motor 30 to tilt seat back 22 rearward, and when reclining angle θ of seat back 22 reaches θ₁The energization of the motor 30 is stopped. As an example, v₁Is 30km/h, theta₁Is 60 degrees.

Further, as shown in fig. 2, a speed V obtained by adding the speed of the vehicle and the speed of the lane limit of the oncoming vehicle is obtained₁Over v₂In the case of km/h, the ECU32 determines the allowable reclining angle theta as theta₂The processing of step S03 and step S04 described above is performed. Then, when the ECU32 determines the allowable reclining angle θ as θ₂When the seat back 22 reclines to exceed θ₂When the angle of (a) is reached, the ECU32 starts the energization of the motor 30, and the seat back 22 tilts until the reclining angle θ reaches θ₂The following angles. The seat back 22 is not reclined beyond θ₂In the case of angle (c), the ECU32 ends the process. Alternatively, the ECU32 may tilt the seat back 22 rearward by energizing the motor 30 so that the reclining angle θ of the seat back 22 reaches θ₂The energization of the motor 30 is stopped. As an example, v₂Is 110km/h, theta₂Is 30 deg..

Then, the speed V obtained by adding the speed of the vehicle and the speed limit of the opposite lane₁Is in excess of v₁km/h and less than v₂km/hVelocity v of₃In the case of (3), the ECU32 determines the allowable reclining angle θ as a speed v obtained by adding the speed of the vehicle and the speed of restriction of the oncoming traffic lane₃Corresponding angle theta₃The processing of step S03 and step S04 described above is performed. In the present embodiment, θ₃Is shown by (v) for the graph of FIG. 2₁，θ₁) And (v)₂，θ₂) Calculated by proportional interpolation (proportional interpolation). Then, the ECU32 determines the allowable reclining angle θ as θ₃When the seat back 22 reclines to exceed θ₃When the angle of (a) is large, the ECU32 starts the energization of the motor 30, and the seat back 22 tilts until the reclining angle θ becomes θ₃The following angles. The seat back 22 is not reclined beyond θ₃In the case of angle (c), the ECU32 ends the process. Alternatively, the ECU32 may tilt the seat back 22 rearward by energizing the motor 30 so that the reclining angle θ of the seat back 22 reaches θ₃The energization of the motor 30 is stopped.

(case of providing a dividing strip)

In the case where the ECU32 determines that the bank is provided on the road on which the vehicle 12 is traveling, that is, when a negative determination is made in step S01, the ECU32 determines in step S05 based on the speed V of the vehicle 12₂The allowable reclining angle θ is determined (the vehicle speed).

As shown in fig. 3, at the vehicle speed V₂Is 0km/h or more and v₄When km/h or less, the ECU32 determines the allowable reclining angle theta as theta₄. Then, the allowable reclining angle theta is determined as theta₄Thereafter, the ECU32 determines in step S03 whether the seat back 22 is reclined until the reclining angle θ of the seat back 22 exceeds θ₄The angle of (c). When the affirmative determination is made in step S03, the ECU32 controls the energization to the motor 30 in step S04 such that the reclining angle θ of the seat back 22 does not exceed θ₄. That is, the ECU32 determines the allowable reclining angle θ as θ₄When the seat back 22 reclines to exceed θ₄In the case of the angle of (3), the ECU32 starts energization to the motor 30, whereby the seat is setThe backrest 22 is tilted to a reclining angle theta₄The following angles. When a negative determination is made in step S03, the ECU32 ends the process. Alternatively, if the determination in step S03 is negative, ECU32 may turn on motor 30 to tilt seat back 22 rearward, and when reclining angle θ of seat back 22 reaches θ₄The energization of the motor 30 is stopped. As an example, v₄Is 20km/h, theta₄Is 60 degrees.

Further, at the vehicle speed V₂Over v₅In the case of km/h, the ECU32 determines the allowable reclining angle theta as theta₅The processing of step S03 and step S04 described above is performed. Then, the allowable reclining angle theta is determined as theta₅When the seat back 22 reclines to exceed θ₅When the angle of (a) is large, the ECU32 starts the energization of the motor 30, and the seat back 22 tilts until the reclining angle θ becomes θ₅The following angles. The seat back 22 is not reclined beyond θ₅In the case of angle (c), the ECU32 ends the process. Alternatively, the ECU32 may tilt the seat back 22 rearward by energizing the motor 30 so that the reclining angle θ of the seat back 22 reaches θ₅The energization of the motor 30 is stopped. As an example, v₅Is 50km/h, theta₅Is 30 deg..

Then, at the vehicle speed V₂Is in excess of v₄km/h and less than v₅Speed v of km/h₆In the case of (3), the ECU32 determines the allowable reclining angle θ to be equal to the vehicle speed v₆Corresponding angle theta₆The processing of step S03 and step S04 described above is performed. In the present embodiment, θ₆Is shown by (v) for the graph of FIG. 3₄，θ₄) And (v)₅，θ₅) Calculated by proportional interpolation. Then, the ECU32 determines the allowable reclining angle θ as θ₆When the seat back 22 reclines to exceed θ₆When the angle of (a) is large, the ECU32 starts the energization of the motor 30, and the seat back 22 tilts until the reclining angle θ becomes θ₆The following angles. Chair backrest22 not reclined to more than θ₆In the case of angle (c), the ECU32 ends the process. Alternatively, the ECU32 may tilt the seat back 22 rearward by energizing the motor 30 so that the reclining angle θ of the seat back 22 reaches θ₆The energization of the motor 30 is stopped.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the speed V obtained by adding the vehicle speed and the oncoming lane restriction speed is based on the presence or absence of the bank and the speed V obtained by adding the vehicle speed to the oncoming lane restriction speed₁The vehicle speed V₂A threshold value of the allowable reclining angle theta is set to control the motor 30. That is, the ECU32 controls the motor 30 such that the reclining angle θ becomes smaller, assuming that the deceleration acceleration of the vehicle 12 becomes higher at the time of a frontal collision of the vehicle 12. Thus, when the bank is not provided on the road on which the vehicle is traveling and when the relative speed between the host vehicle and the oncoming vehicle is high, the reclining angle θ of the seat back 22 is suppressed from increasing. As a result, when a collision with a vehicle traveling on an opposite lane occurs, an event (submarine phenomenon) in which the seated occupant P slides toward the seat front side along the seat cushion 20 is suppressed, and the performance of restraining the upper body of the seated occupant P (performance of restraining by a three-point seat belt or an airbag) is suppressed from being impaired, so that the injury value of the seated occupant P can be suppressed from increasing. Here, the injury value of the seated occupant P indicates the degree of influence that the seated occupant P receives when the host vehicle collides with the opposing vehicle.

Further, the following configuration may be adopted: after switching from manual driving to automatic driving, the seat back 22 is tilted rearward by automatic operation or by a switching operation by the occupant, whereby the occupant P seated in the vehicle seat 14 can take a comfortable posture. In this configuration, as described above, the reclining angle θ of the seat back 22 is limited, and thus the increase in the injury value of the occupant P can be suppressed.

In the present embodiment, the speed V obtained by adding the speed of the vehicle and the speed limit of the oncoming lane based on the presence or absence of the bank is set₁The vehicle speed V₂The example of setting the threshold value of the allowable reclining angle θ has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the vehicle can be inThe threshold value of the allowable reclining angle θ in the case where the bank is not provided on the road on which the vehicle 12 travels and the threshold value of the allowable reclining angle θ in the case where the bank is provided on the road on which the vehicle 12 travels are fixed values. The threshold value of the allowable reclining angle θ may be set based on at least one of the presence or absence of the bank, the vehicle speed, and the limit speed.

In the present embodiment, an example in which the motor 30 is controlled so that the reclining angle θ of the seat back 22 does not exceed the threshold value is described, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the ECU32 may be configured to output a warning signal to emit a warning sound into the cabin 16 when the reclining angle θ of the seat back 22 exceeds the threshold value. Further, it may be configured such that the ECU32 outputs a warning signal, and a warning lamp blinks in the cab 16. That is, the ECU32 can warn the occupant P that high safety cannot be ensured by outputting a warning signal.

(control device 38 for vehicle seat of second embodiment)

A control device 38 for a vehicle seat according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to fig. 4 to 6. In the control device 38 for a vehicle seat according to the second embodiment, the same reference numerals are given to members and portions corresponding to the control device 10 for a vehicle seat according to the first embodiment as described above, and the description thereof will be omitted.

Further, depending on the front-rear position of the vehicle seat 14, the leg portions of the occupant P seated in the vehicle seat 14 may be restrained by an instrument panel (knee panel) 39, a knee airbag (not shown), or the like, at the time of a front collision of the vehicle 12. In this case, the diving phenomenon is not easily generated. Therefore, as shown in fig. 4 and 5, in the control device 38 for a vehicle seat according to the present embodiment, the threshold value of the allowable reclining angle θ of the seat back 22 is set in consideration of the front-rear position of the vehicle seat 14 (seat cushion 20). The front-rear position of the vehicle seat 14 (seat cushion 20) is detected by a seat position sensor 40, and the seat position sensor 40 is electrically connected to the ECU 32.

If the ECU32 determines that no bank is provided on the road on which the vehicle 12 is traveling, the ECU32 adds the speed of the vehicle 12 (the speed of the vehicle) to the speed limit of the road (the speed limit of the oncoming lane) recorded in advance in the navigation system 36 to form a speed V₁And the front-rear position of the vehicle seat 14 to determine the allowable reclining angle θ.

As shown in fig. 5 and 6, in a state where the front-rear position of the vehicle seat 14 is disposed in the rear region 42, the ECU32 sets the threshold value of the allowable reclining angle θ smaller than in a state where the front-rear position of the vehicle seat 14 is disposed in the front region 44 (see fig. 4). Further, in a state where the front-rear position of the vehicle seat 14 is disposed in the intermediate region 46, the ECU32 sets the threshold value of the allowable reclining angle θ to be smaller than that in a state where the front-rear position of the vehicle seat 14 is disposed in the front region 44 (see fig. 4), and the ECU32 sets the threshold value of the allowable reclining angle θ to be larger than that in a state where the front-rear position of the vehicle seat 14 is disposed in the rear region 42 (see fig. 5). In the present embodiment, as an example, in a state where the front-rear position of the vehicle seat 14 is disposed in the intermediate region 46, the speed V obtained by adding the vehicle speed and the opposing-lane limiting speed is obtained₁Over v₂In the case of km/h, the ECU32 determines the allowable reclining angle theta as theta₂. Further, in a state where the front-rear position of the vehicle seat 14 is disposed in the front side region 44, the speed V obtained by adding the vehicle speed and the opposing-lane limiting speed is obtained₁Over v₂In the case of +10km/h, the ECU32 determines the allowable reclining angle theta as theta₂. Then, in a state where the front-rear position of the vehicle seat 14 is disposed in the rear area 42, the speed V obtained by adding the vehicle speed and the opposing-lane limiting speed is obtained₁Over v₂In the case of-10 km/h, the ECU32 determines the allowable reclining angle theta as theta₂。

Here, the rear region 42 is a region in which the vehicle seat 14 is disposed on the rear side of a predetermined position (for example, a position 200mm behind the position at which the vehicle seat 14 is disposed on the frontmost side). The front region 44 is a region between a position at which the vehicle seat 14 is disposed at the forefront side and 100mm rearward, as an example. The intermediate region 46 is a region between the rear region 42 and the front region 44.

When the ECU32 determines that a bank is provided on the road on which the vehicle 12 travels, the ECU32 determines the allowable reclining angle θ based on the speed of the vehicle 12 (the vehicle speed) and the front-rear position of the vehicle seat 14. The process of the ECU32 in this case is the same as that of the first embodiment, except that the front-rear position of the vehicle seat 14 is taken into consideration in step S05 of fig. 1C.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the speed V obtained by adding the speed of the vehicle and the speed limit of the opposite lane is determined based on the presence or absence of the bank, the front and rear positions of the vehicle seat 14, and the like₁For example, the motor 30 is controlled by setting a threshold value of the allowable reclining angle θ. That is, the ECU32 controls the motor 30 such that the reclining angle θ becomes smaller, assuming that the deceleration acceleration of the vehicle 12 becomes higher at the time of a frontal collision of the vehicle 12 and the vehicle seat 14 is disposed at a position where a submarine phenomenon is likely to occur. Thus, when the vehicle collides with the vehicle traveling on the opposite lane, the generation of the submarine phenomenon is suppressed, the deterioration of the restraining performance of the upper body of the seated occupant P is suppressed, and the increase of the injury value of the seated occupant P can be suppressed. The process of the ECU32 according to the present embodiment is substantially the same as the process shown in fig. 1C, except that the front-rear position of the vehicle seat 14 is taken into consideration.

Further, the following configuration may be adopted: after switching from manual driving to automatic driving, the occupant P seated in the vehicle seat 14 can take a comfortable posture by moving the vehicle seat 14 rearward automatically or by the occupant performing a switching operation or the like. In this configuration, as described above, the increase in the injury value of the occupant P can be suppressed by restricting the rearward movement of the vehicle seat 14.

(control device 48 of vehicle seat of third embodiment)

A control device 48 for a vehicle seat according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to fig. 7 to 9. In the control device 48 for a vehicle seat according to the third embodiment, the same reference numerals are given to members and portions corresponding to the control device 10 for a vehicle seat according to the first embodiment and the like, and the description thereof will be omitted.

As described above, depending on the front-rear position of the vehicle seat 14, the leg portions of the occupant P seated in the vehicle seat 14 may be restrained by the instrument panel 39, the knee airbag, not shown, or the like at the time of a front collision of the vehicle 12. In this case, the diving phenomenon is not easily generated. Therefore, as shown in fig. 7 and 8, in the control device 48 of the vehicle seat according to the present embodiment, the threshold value of the allowable reclining angle θ of the seat back 22 is set in consideration of the position (mainly, the front-rear, left-right, and up-down positions) of the knee P4 of the occupant P seated in the vehicle seat 14. The position of the knee P4 of the occupant P seated in the vehicle seat 14 is detected by the knee detection camera 50, and the knee detection camera 50 is electrically connected to the ECU 32.

If the ECU32 determines that no bank is provided on the road on which the vehicle 12 is traveling, the ECU32 adds the speed of the vehicle 12 (the speed of the vehicle) to the speed limit of the road (the speed limit of the oncoming lane) recorded in advance in the navigation system 36 to form a speed V₁And the position of a knee P4 of an occupant P seated in the vehicle seat 14.

As shown in fig. 8 and 9, when the knee detection camera 50 detects a state 52 in which it is difficult to restrain the knees P4 of the occupant P seated in the vehicle seat 14 with the instrument panel 39 or the like at the time of a front collision because the front-rear position of the vehicle seat 14 is arranged on the rear side or the like, the ECU32 sets the threshold value of the allowable reclining angle θ smaller than a state 54 (a state in which the occupant P is seated without tilting the legs as shown in fig. 7) in which it is determined that the knees P4 of the occupant P seated in the vehicle seat 14 can be restrained with the instrument panel 39 or the like. It should be noted that, in this embodiment, theIn the embodiment, as an example, in the state 52 where it is difficult to restrain the knee P4 of the occupant P seated in the vehicle seat 14 by the instrument panel 39 or the like at the time of a front collision, the speed V obtained by adding the vehicle speed and the opposing-lane limiting speed is set to the vehicle speed₁Over v₂In the case of-10 km/h, the ECU32 determines the allowable reclining angle theta as theta₂. In the state 54 where it is determined that the knee P4 of the occupant P seated in the vehicle seat 14 can be restrained by the instrument panel 39 or the like, the vehicle speed and the opposing-lane limiting speed are added to each other to form the speed V₁Over v₂In the case of +10km/h, the ECU32 determines the allowable reclining angle theta as theta₂。

Even when the front-rear position of the vehicle seat 14 is disposed on the front side, when the knee detection camera 50 detects a state 52 in which the knees P4 of the occupant P seated in the vehicle seat 14 are difficult to restrain by the instrument panel 39 or the like at the time of a front collision due to the occupant P seated in the vehicle seat 14 tilting legs or the like, the ECU32 sets the threshold value of the allowable reclining angle θ smaller than a state 54 (a state in which the occupant P is seated without tilting legs as shown in fig. 7) in which it is determined that the knees P4 of the occupant P seated in the vehicle seat 14 can be restrained by the instrument panel 39 or the like. The process of the ECU32 according to the present embodiment is substantially the same as the process shown in fig. 1C, except that the front-rear position of the vehicle seat 14 and the knees P4 of the occupant P are taken into consideration.

When the ECU32 determines that a bank is provided on the road on which the vehicle 12 travels, the ECU32 determines the allowable reclining angle θ based on the speed of the vehicle 12 (the vehicle speed) and the position of the knee P4 of the occupant P seated in the vehicle seat 14. The process of the ECU32 in this case is the same as that of the first embodiment, except that the position of the knee P4 of the occupant P is taken into account in step S05 of fig. 1C.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the speed V obtained by adding the vehicle speed and the opposing-lane restriction speed is based on the presence or absence of the bank, the position of the knee P4 of the occupant P seated in the vehicle seat 14, and the like₁And the like,the motor 30 is controlled by setting a threshold value of the allowable reclining angle θ. That is, the ECU32 controls the motor 30 such that the reclining angle θ becomes smaller, assuming that the deceleration acceleration of the vehicle 12 becomes higher at the time of a frontal collision of the vehicle 12 and that the occupant P is seated in the vehicle seat 14 in a state in which a submarine phenomenon is likely to occur. Thus, when the vehicle collides with the vehicle traveling on the opposite lane, the generation of the submarine phenomenon is suppressed, the deterioration of the restraining performance of the upper body of the seated occupant P is suppressed, and the increase of the injury value of the seated occupant P can be suppressed.

(control device 56 for vehicle seat of fourth embodiment)

A control device 56 for a vehicle seat according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to fig. 10 to 12. In the control device 56 for a vehicle seat according to the fourth embodiment, the same reference numerals are given to members and portions corresponding to the control device 10 for a vehicle seat according to the first embodiment as described above, and the description thereof will be omitted.

Further, in the configuration in which the airbag 58 is deployed from the steering wheel 18 at the time of a frontal collision of the vehicle, it is important that the restraining performance of the airbag 58 with respect to the head P3 of the occupant P seated in the vehicle seat 14 is not impaired at the time of a frontal collision of the vehicle 12. Therefore, as shown in fig. 10 and 11, in the control device 56 for a vehicle seat according to the present embodiment, the threshold value of the allowable reclining angle θ of the seat back 22 is set in consideration of the position (mainly, the front-rear and up-down positions) of the head P3 of the occupant P seated in the vehicle seat 14, that is, in consideration of the distance L between the head P3 of the occupant P seated in the vehicle seat 14 and the airbag 58 after the deployment is completed. In the present embodiment, the distance L between the head P3 of the occupant P seated in the vehicle seat 14 and the airbag 58 after deployment is assumed to be L as an example during the automatic driving of the vehicle 12₁(900mm)～l₂(1200 mm). The position of the head P3 of the occupant P seated in the vehicle seat 14 is detected by the head detection camera 60, and the head detection camera 60 is electrically connected to the ECU 32.

If the ECU32 determines that no bank is provided on the road on which the vehicle 12 is traveling, the ECU32 adds the speed of the vehicle 12 (the speed of the vehicle) to the speed limit of the road (the speed limit of the oncoming lane) recorded in advance in the navigation system 36 to form a speed V₁And the position of the head P3 of the occupant P seated in the vehicle seat 14.

As shown in fig. 11 and 12, when the head detection camera 60 detects a state 62 in which it is difficult for the airbag 58 to restrain the head P3 of the occupant P seated in the vehicle seat 14 at the time of a front collision because the front-rear position of the vehicle seat 14 is disposed on the rear side or the like, the ECU32 sets the threshold value of the allowable reclining angle θ smaller than a state 64 (see fig. 10) in which it is determined that the head P3 of the occupant P seated in the vehicle seat 14 can be restrained by the airbag 58.

When the ECU32 determines that a bank is provided on the road on which the vehicle 12 travels, the ECU32 determines the allowable reclining angle θ based on the speed of the vehicle 12 (the vehicle speed) and the position of the head P3 of the occupant P seated in the vehicle seat 14. The process of the ECU32 in this case is the same as that of the first embodiment, except that the position of the head P3 of the occupant P is taken into account in step S05 of fig. 1C.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the threshold value of the allowable reclining angle θ is set and the motor 30 is controlled based on the presence or absence of the bank, the position of the head P3 of the occupant P seated in the vehicle seat 14, the speed obtained by adding the vehicle speed and the opposite-direction lane restriction speed, and the like. That is, if it is assumed that the deceleration acceleration of the vehicle 12 becomes high at the time of a frontal collision of the vehicle 12 and if there is a possibility that the restraining performance of the airbag 58 against the head P3 of the occupant P may be degraded, the ECU32 controls the motor 30 such that the reclining angle θ becomes small. Thus, when colliding with a vehicle traveling on an opposing lane, the restraint performance of the airbag 58 on the head P3 of the seated occupant P is suppressed from being impaired, and the injury value of the seated occupant P can be suppressed from increasing. The process of the ECU32 according to the present embodiment is substantially the same as the process shown in fig. 1C, except that the front-rear position of the vehicle seat 14 and the head P3 of the occupant P are taken into consideration.

(control device 66 for vehicle seat in fifth embodiment)

A control device 66 for a vehicle seat according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to fig. 13 and 14. In the control device 66 for a vehicle seat according to the fifth embodiment, the same reference numerals are given to members and portions corresponding to the control device 10 for a vehicle seat according to the first embodiment as described above, and the description thereof will be omitted.

As described above, depending on the front-rear position of the vehicle seat 14, the leg portions of the occupant P seated in the vehicle seat 14 may be restrained by the instrument panel 39, a knee airbag, not shown, or the like at the time of a frontal collision of the vehicle 12. Therefore, as shown in fig. 13 and 14, in the control device 66 for a vehicle seat according to the present embodiment, the allowable position for the vehicle seat 14 (seat cushion 20) to move rearward is set according to the presence or absence of the bank. The front-rear position of the vehicle seat 14 (seat cushion 20) is detected by the seat position sensor 40, and the vehicle seat 14 is moved in the front-rear direction by the operation of the seat sliding motor 68 as an actuator. The seat position sensor 40 and the motor 68 are electrically connected to the ECU 32.

When the ECU32 determines that a bank is provided on the road on which the vehicle 12 travels, the ECU32 sets the allowable position D for movement of the vehicle seat 14 toward the rear side to D2, as shown in fig. 14. Thus, when the bank is provided on the road on which the vehicle 12 travels, the vehicle seat 14 can move in the front-rear direction in the range from the position at which the vehicle seat 14 is disposed on the forefront side to the allowable position d 2. Then, the operation of the motor 68 is stopped at a point in time when the vehicle seat 14 moves rearward by the operation of the motor 68 to reach the position d 2.

On the other hand, when the ECU32 determines that no bank is provided on the road on which the vehicle 12 travels, the ECU32 sets the allowable position D for movement of the vehicle seat 14 toward the rear side to D1 that is located forward of D2 (see fig. 14), as shown in fig. 13. Thus, when the bank is not provided on the road on which the vehicle 12 travels, the vehicle seat 14 can be moved in the front-rear direction within the range from the position at which the vehicle seat 14 is disposed on the forefront side to the allowable position d 1. Specifically, the operation of the motor 68 is stopped at a point in time when the vehicle seat 14 moves rearward by the operation of the motor 68 to reach the position d 1.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the motor 68 is controlled by setting the allowable position D (threshold value) of the rearward movement of the vehicle seat 14 based on the presence or absence of the bank. That is, the ECU32 controls the motor 68 so that the front-rear distance between the knees P4 of the occupant P seated in the vehicle seat 14 and the instrument panel 39 is not increased, assuming that the deceleration acceleration of the vehicle 12 is increased at the time of a frontal collision of the vehicle 12 and the vehicle seat 14 is arranged at a position where a submarine phenomenon is likely to occur. This suppresses the occurrence of a submarine phenomenon at the time of a collision with a vehicle traveling on an opposite lane, and can suppress an increase in the injury value of the seated occupant P. The process of the ECU32 according to the present embodiment is substantially the same as the process shown in fig. 1C except for the allowable position at which the rearward movement of the vehicle seat 14 is restricted in place of the allowable reclining angle θ.

(control device 70 for vehicle seat of sixth embodiment)

A control device 70 for a vehicle seat according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to fig. 15 and 16. In the vehicle seat control device 70 according to the sixth embodiment, the same reference numerals are given to members and portions corresponding to the vehicle seat control device 10 and the like of the first embodiment as described above, and the description thereof will be omitted.

As shown in fig. 15, the control device 70 of the vehicle seat according to the present embodiment can acquire information on the road on which the vehicle 12 travels by wireless communication, and set the threshold value of the allowable reclining angle θ based on the information on the road acquired by the wireless communication. Specifically, the ECU32 can acquire the information of the dynamic map 72 through wireless communication.

Here, the dynamic map 72 is a high-precision three-dimensional map including various information on the road on which the vehicle 12 travels, and is a map mainly including "static information 74", "quasi-static information 76", "quasi-dynamic information 78", and "dynamic information 80". The static information 74 is map information that is a basis of a dynamic map, such as roads, structures on roads, lane information, road surface information, and permanent regulation information, and is updated in a predetermined period. The quasi-static information 76 is information such as traffic control information based on road construction, activities, and the like, wide-area weather information, and congestion prediction, and is updated more frequently than the static information 74. The quasi-dynamic information 78 is information such as an actual traffic jam, a temporary travel obstacle such as a temporary travel control, a falling object, and a faulty vehicle, an actual accident state, and narrow-area weather information at the position where the vehicle 12 travels and its vicinity, and is updated more frequently than the quasi-static information 76. The dynamic information 80 is information such as information transmitted/exchanged between vehicles, signal display information, pedestrian/bicycle information in an intersection, and straight-ahead information at an intersection, and is updated more frequently than the quasi-dynamic information 78.

As shown in fig. 15 and 16, when the ECU32 determines that no separator is provided on the road on which the vehicle 12 travels based on the information on the dynamic map 72, the ECU32 adds the speed of the vehicle 12 (the speed of the vehicle) and the estimated speed of the oncoming vehicle based on the speed V₃To determine the allowable recline angle theta. The "speed of the vehicle 12 (vehicle speed)" refers to a set speed or an actual speed of the vehicle 12 during automatic driving. The estimated speed of the oncoming vehicle is a traveling speed of the oncoming vehicle estimated from the information of the dynamic map 72, and is an average traveling speed, an oncoming lane limit speed, or the like of the oncoming vehicle traveling in an oncoming lane opposite to the lane in which the vehicle 12 travels.

Velocity V obtained by adding speed of the vehicle and estimated velocity of the oncoming vehicle₃Is 0km/h or more and v₁km/h or lessIn this case, the ECU32 determines the allowable reclining angle θ as θ₁. Further, the speed V obtained by adding the speed of the vehicle and the estimated speed of the oncoming vehicle₃Over v₂In the case of km/h, the ECU32 determines the allowable reclining angle theta as theta₂. Then, the speed V obtained by adding the speed of the vehicle and the estimated speed of the oncoming vehicle is added₃Is in excess of v₁km/h and less than v₂Speed v of km/h₃In the case of (3), the ECU32 determines the allowable reclining angle θ as a speed v obtained by adding the speed of the vehicle and the speed of restriction of the oncoming traffic lane₃Corresponding angle theta₃. In the present embodiment, θ₃Is shown by (v) in the graph of FIG. 16₁，θ₁) And (v)₂，θ₂) Calculated by proportional interpolation. Further, the processing of these ECUs 32 is based on the speed V in addition to₃The process of the control device 10 for a vehicle seat according to the first embodiment is the same as that described above except that the allowable reclining angle θ is determined.

Further, by updating the information of the dynamic map 72, the allowable reclining angle θ becomes smaller when the average traveling speed of the oncoming vehicle traveling on the oncoming traffic lane increases, or when the speed of restricting the oncoming traffic lane increases. In this case, the ECU32 starts energization to the motor 30. Thereby, the seat back 22 is tilted to an angle equal to or smaller than the threshold value of the reclining angle θ determined after the update of the information of the dynamic map 72.

Further, when the information of the dynamic map 72 is updated and the average traveling speed of the oncoming vehicle traveling on the oncoming traffic lane increases rapidly, the allowable reclining angle θ may decrease rapidly. In this case, even if the ECU32 starts energizing the motor 30, the seat back 22 may not be able to be tilted quickly. In this case, the ECU32 starts energization of the motor 30 and activates automatic braking, and moves the seatback 22 forward and decelerates the vehicle 12. In addition, the ECU32 may be configured to output a signal for lighting, display, or the like, for transmitting the deceleration of the vehicle 12 to the following vehicle.

Here, when the estimated speed of the oncoming vehicle is set to the average traveling speed of the oncoming vehicle traveling on the oncoming traffic lane, the allowable reclining angle θ can be set more appropriately than when the estimated speed of the oncoming vehicle is set to the oncoming traffic lane limit speed. For example, when the average traveling speed of the oncoming vehicle traveling on the oncoming traffic lane is lower than the oncoming traffic lane limit speed, the allowable reclining angle θ can be made larger than when the estimated speed of the oncoming vehicle is set as the oncoming traffic lane limit speed.

Further, in the case where the ECU32 determines that a bank is provided on the road on which the vehicle 12 travels based on the information of the dynamic map 72, as shown in fig. 3, the ECU32 determines that the vehicle 12 is traveling based on the speed V of the vehicle 12₂The allowable reclining angle θ is determined (the vehicle speed). That is, when the ECU32 determines that the separator is provided on the road on which the vehicle 12 travels based on the information of the dynamic map 72, the process similar to that of the first embodiment is performed. The allowable reclining angle θ may be determined based on the estimated speed of the vehicle 12. Here, the estimated speed of the vehicle 12 is the traveling speed of the vehicle 12 estimated from the information of the dynamic map 72, and is an average traveling speed of the vehicle traveling on the lane on which the vehicle 12 travels, a limit speed of the lane on which the vehicle 12 travels, or the like. The process of the ECU32 according to the present embodiment is substantially the same as the process shown in fig. 1C, except that information from the dynamic map 72 is taken into account.

Even if the ECU32 determines that a bank is provided on the road on which the vehicle 12 is traveling based on the static information 74 of the dynamic map 72, if the ECU32 determines that two-way traffic is being performed based on the quasi-static information 76 and the quasi-dynamic information 78 of the dynamic map 72, the allowable reclining angle θ is determined as a road on which no bank is provided, as shown in fig. 16. That is, the ECU32 switches from the control in the case where the banks are provided to the control in the case where the banks are not provided, and controls the vehicle seat 14.

In the present embodiment, the threshold value of the allowable reclining angle θ is set based on the information of the dynamic map 72, but in the same manner, the threshold value of the allowable position of the allowable rearward movement of the vehicle seat 14 may be set based on the information of the dynamic map 72.

(controller 82 of vehicle seat in seventh embodiment)

A control device 82 for a vehicle seat according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to fig. 16 and 17. In the control device 82 for a vehicle seat according to the seventh embodiment, the same reference numerals are given to members and portions corresponding to the control device 10 for a vehicle seat according to the first embodiment and the like, and the description thereof will be omitted.

As shown in fig. 17, the control device 82 of the vehicle seat according to the present embodiment can acquire information of the opposing vehicle 84 by wireless communication as vehicle-to-vehicle communication, and set the threshold value of the allowable reclining angle θ based on the information of the opposing vehicle 84 acquired by the wireless communication. In the vehicle seat control device 82 according to the present embodiment, the ECU32 can acquire information from the navigation system 36 (see fig. 1B) and information from the dynamic map 72 (see fig. 15).

When the ECU32 determines that the bank is not provided on the road on which the vehicle 12 travels based on the information from the navigation system 36 and the information from the dynamic map 72, the ECU32 adds the speed V of the vehicle 12 (the speed of the vehicle) and the estimated speed of the oncoming vehicle 84 based on the speed V, as shown in fig. 16 and 17₃To determine the allowable recline angle theta. The "speed of the vehicle 12 (vehicle speed)" refers to a set speed or an actual speed of the vehicle 12 during automatic driving. The estimated speed of the oncoming vehicle 84 is the traveling speed of the oncoming vehicle 84 estimated from information of the oncoming vehicle 84, which has been acquired by wireless communication. The estimated speed of the oncoming vehicle 84 is determined based on information such as a travel route, a speed signal, and the like acquired by wireless communication as part of the information of the oncoming vehicle 84. The processing of the ECU32 after the ECU32 determines the estimated speed of the oncoming vehicle 84 is the same as the control device 70 for the vehicle seat of the sixth embodiment described above.

In addition, the ECU32 is based on the information fromWhen the information of the navigation system 36 and the information of the dynamic map 72 determine that the separator is provided on the road on which the vehicle 12 travels, the ECU32 determines that the vehicle 12 is moving on the basis of the speed V of the vehicle 12 as shown in fig. 3₂The allowable reclining angle θ is determined (the vehicle speed). That is, the ECU32 performs the same processing as the first embodiment when determining that the separator is provided on the road on which the vehicle 12 travels, based on the information from the navigation system 36 and the information from the dynamic map 72.

(control device 86 for vehicle seat of eighth embodiment)

A vehicle seat control device 86 according to an eighth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to fig. 16 and 18. In the control device 86 for a vehicle seat according to the eighth embodiment, the same reference numerals are given to members and portions corresponding to the control device 10 for a vehicle seat according to the first embodiment and the like, and the description thereof will be omitted.

As shown in fig. 18, the control device 86 for a vehicle seat according to the present embodiment can acquire speed information of the oncoming vehicle 84 by a radar 88 provided as a sensor in the vehicle 12, and can set a threshold value of the allowable reclining angle θ based on the speed information of the oncoming vehicle 84 acquired by the radar 88. The control device 86 for a vehicle seat according to the present embodiment can detect the presence or absence of a bank by the radar 88. In the vehicle seat control device 86 according to the present embodiment, the ECU32 can acquire information from the navigation system 36 (see fig. 1B) and information from the dynamic map 72 (see fig. 15).

When the ECU32 determines that no bank is provided on the road on which the vehicle 12 travels based on the information from the navigation system 36, the information from the dynamic map 72, or the information from the radar 88, the ECU32 adds the speed V of the vehicle 12 (the speed of the vehicle) and the estimated speed of the oncoming vehicle 84 to each other based on the speed V as shown in fig. 16 and 18₃To determine the allowable recline angle theta. The "speed of the vehicle 12 (vehicle speed)" refers to a set speed or an actual speed of the vehicle 12 during automatic driving. In addition, the opposite vehicleThe estimated speed of the oncoming vehicle 84 is a traveling speed of the oncoming vehicle 84 estimated from speed information already acquired by the radar 88 when the speed information of the oncoming vehicle 84 is acquired. In the case where the speed information of the oncoming vehicle 84 has been acquired by the radar 88, the ECU32 determines the traveling speed of the oncoming vehicle 84 corresponding to the speed information as the estimated speed of the oncoming vehicle 84. The processing of the ECU32 after the ECU32 determines the estimated speed of the oncoming vehicle 84 is the same as the control device 70 for the vehicle seat of the sixth embodiment described above.

Further, when the ECU32 determines that a bank is provided on the road on which the vehicle 12 is traveling based on the information from the navigation system 36, the information from the dynamic map 72, or the information from the radar 88, the ECU32 determines that the bank is provided on the road on which the vehicle 12 is traveling based on the speed V of the vehicle 12, as shown in fig. 3₂The allowable reclining angle θ is determined (the vehicle speed). That is, the ECU32 performs the same processing as the first embodiment when determining that the separator is provided on the road on which the vehicle 12 travels, based on the information from the navigation system 36 and the information from the dynamic map 72.

(control device 90 for vehicle seat of ninth embodiment)

A control device 90 for a vehicle seat according to a ninth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to fig. 16 and 19. In the control device 90 for a vehicle seat according to the ninth embodiment, the same reference numerals are given to members and portions corresponding to the control device 10 for a vehicle seat according to the first embodiment and the like, and the description thereof will be omitted.

As shown in fig. 19, the control device 90 of the vehicle seat according to the present embodiment can acquire information on a lane in which at least one of the vehicle 12 and the opposing vehicle 84 is traveling by a pair of front and rear cameras 92 provided in the vehicle 12 as sensors, and can set a threshold value of the allowable reclining angle θ based on the information on the lane acquired by the cameras 92.

When the ECU32 determines that the bank is not provided on the road on which the vehicle 12 travels based on the information from the camera 92, the ECU32 bases the speed of the vehicle 12 (the speed of the vehicle) on the basis of the speed of the vehicle (the speed of the vehicle) as shown in fig. 16 and 19) Velocity V added to the estimated velocity of the oncoming vehicle 84₃To determine the allowable recline angle theta. The "speed of the vehicle 12 (vehicle speed)" refers to a set speed or an actual speed of the vehicle 12 during automatic driving. The estimated speed of the oncoming vehicle 84 is an oncoming lane speed limit indicated by a road sign 94 when information of the road sign 94, which is a part of information of an oncoming lane on which the oncoming vehicle 84 travels, has been acquired by the camera 92 on the rear side of the vehicle 12. In the vehicle 12 including only the front camera 92, the speed limit of the road sign 94 shown in the lane in which the vehicle 12 travels may be set as the estimated speed of the oncoming vehicle 84. The processing of the ECU32 after the ECU32 determines the estimated speed of the oncoming vehicle 84 is the same as the control device 70 for the vehicle seat of the sixth embodiment described above.

Further, in the case where the ECU32 determines that a bank is provided on the road on which the vehicle 12 travels based on the information from the camera 92, the ECU32 determines that the vehicle 12 is traveling based on the speed V of the vehicle 12 as shown in fig. 3₂The allowable reclining angle θ is determined (the vehicle speed). That is, the ECU32 performs the same processing as the first embodiment when determining that the separator is provided on the road on which the vehicle 12 travels, based on the information from the camera 92.

(control device 96 for vehicle seat of tenth embodiment)

A vehicle seat control device 96 according to a tenth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to fig. 20 and 21. In the control device 96 for a vehicle seat according to the tenth embodiment, the same reference numerals are given to members and portions corresponding to the control device 10 for a vehicle seat according to the first embodiment as described above, and the description thereof will be omitted.

As shown in fig. 20, a control device 96 of the vehicle seat according to the present embodiment is provided in a vehicle 12 that can travel by autonomous driving. Therefore, in the case where a collision with the oncoming vehicle 84 is predicted based on information from the radar 88, the camera 92, and the like, deceleration due to automatic braking is predicted. Therefore, the control device 96 for the vehicle seat of the present embodiment sets the threshold value of the reclining angle θ in consideration of the deceleration amount α of the vehicle 12 predicted by the automatic braking. In addition, the control device 96 for a vehicle seat according to the present embodiment can acquire information from the navigation system 36 (see fig. 1B) and information of the dynamic map 72 (see fig. 15).

As shown in fig. 20 and 21, when the ECU32 determines that no bank is provided on the road on which the vehicle 12 is traveling based on the information from the navigation system 36 and the information from the dynamic map 72, the ECU32 adds the estimated speed of the oncoming vehicle 84 to the speed V obtained by subtracting the deceleration amount α predicted by automatic braking from the speed of the vehicle 12 (the vehicle speed) which is the estimated speed of the vehicle 12, and the estimated speed of the oncoming vehicle 84₄It should be noted that the "speed of the vehicle 12 (own vehicle speed)" means a set speed and an actual speed of the vehicle 12 at the time of automatic driving, the deceleration amount α predicted by automatic braking is a variable that varies depending on the speed, road surface conditions, etc. of the vehicle 12, and is determined from information recorded in advance in the ECU32, and the estimated speed of the oncoming vehicle 84 is the traveling speed of the oncoming vehicle 84 estimated from information of the dynamic map 72, etc. furthermore, in the following description, the "speed obtained by subtracting the deceleration amount α predicted by automatic braking from the speed of the vehicle 12 (own vehicle speed)" is referred to as the "speed after deceleration of the vehicle 12", and it is noted that the deceleration amount α predicted by automatic braking may be determined based on the "international standard for collision damage mitigation brake (AEBS)" established at the 178 th meeting of the automobile standard coordination world forum (WP29) in the united nations, as an international standard for collision, and that the vehicle travels with no collision damage mitigation brake (aeh) at the time of 60km, and the vehicle travels with no crossing at the road at the speed of 30 km/km at the time of the collision of the road before the vehicle 60/km.

The speed V obtained by adding the decelerated speed of the vehicle 12 to the estimated speed of the oncoming vehicle 84₄Is more than 0km/h andv₁when km/h or less, the ECU32 determines the allowable reclining angle theta as theta₁. Further, the speed V obtained by adding the decelerated speed of the vehicle 12 to the estimated speed of the oncoming vehicle 84 is used₄Over v₂In the case of km/h, the ECU32 determines the allowable reclining angle theta as theta₂. Then, the speed V obtained by adding the decelerated speed of the vehicle 12 to the estimated speed of the oncoming vehicle 84 is added₄Is in excess of v₁km/h and less than v₂Speed v of km/h₃In the case of (3), the ECU32 determines the allowable reclining angle θ as a speed v obtained by adding the own vehicle speed and the lane limiting speed of the oncoming vehicle 84₃Corresponding angle theta₃. In the present embodiment, θ₃Is shown by (v) in the graph of FIG. 21₁，θ₁) And (v)₂，θ₂) Calculated by proportional interpolation.

Further, when the ECU32 determines that a bank is provided on the road on which the vehicle 12 is traveling based on the information from the navigation system 36 and the information from the dynamic map 72, the ECU32 determines that the bank is provided based on the speed V of the vehicle 12 as shown in fig. 3₂The allowable reclining angle θ is determined (the vehicle speed). That is, the ECU32 performs the same processing as the first embodiment when determining that the separator is provided on the road on which the vehicle 12 travels, based on the information from the navigation system 36 and the information from the dynamic map 72.

In the present embodiment described above, the allowable reclining angle θ can be set more appropriately by taking into account the deceleration amount α of the vehicle 12 predicted by automatic braking. That is, in the present embodiment, the allowable reclining angle θ can be made larger than in the case where the deceleration amount α of the vehicle 12 predicted by automatic braking is not considered.

The control device for the vehicle seat may be configured by combining the configuration of each of the embodiments described above and the threshold value. The control device for a vehicle seat according to the present invention may be applied to a vehicle that can travel only by autonomous driving.

While one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, it is needless to say that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications other than the above-described embodiment may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.