Vehicle Seat and Passenger Selection System

Abstract

A vehicle seat comprises a frame member provided on a floor of a vehicle, a seat part such as a seat cushion detachably attached to the frame member, a mechanical connector device provided on the frame member and the seat part for detachably attaching the seat part to the frame member; and an electric connector device provided on the frame member and the seat part for electrically connecting an electric component provided on the seat part to an electric component provided on the frame member.

1 . A vehicle seat, comprising:
 a frame member provided on a floor of a vehicle;   a seat part detachably attached to the frame member;   a mechanical connector device provided on the frame member and the seat part for detachably attaching the seat part to the frame member; and   an electric connector device provided on the frame member and the seat part for electrically connecting an electric component provided on the seat part to an electric component provided on the frame member.   
     
     
         2 . The vehicle seat according to  claim 1 , wherein the electric connector device is integrally incorporated in the mechanical connector device. 
     
     
         3 . The vehicle seat according to  claim 2 , wherein the mechanical connector device is provided with a first tube provided on the seat part, and a second tube provided on the frame member and configured to be fitted into or onto the first tube, and the electric connector device includes a first part received in the first tube and a second part received in the second tube. 
     
     
         4 . The vehicle seat according to  claim 3 , wherein the first part of the electric connector device is provided with an identifier carrying prescribed information, and the second part of the electric connector device is provided with a recognition device configured to read information carried by the identifier. 
     
     
         5 . The vehicle seat according to  claim 1 , wherein the seat part includes at least a first seat part segment which is detachably attached to the frame member via the mechanical connector device and the electric connector device, and
 a second seat part segment which is detachably attached to the first seat part segment via a segment mechanical connector device provided on the first seat part segment and the second seat part segment.   
     
     
         6 . The vehicle seat according to  claim 1 , wherein the electric component provided on the seat part includes a plurality of pressure sensors arranged over a pressure supporting surface of the seat part and each configured to detect a pressure applied thereto, and a plurality of actuators arranged over the pressure supporting surface of the seat part and each configured to change a localized stiffness of the pressure supporting surface of the seat part, and
 the electric component provided on the frame member includes a control device or a wiring leading to a control device, the control device being configured to control operation of the actuators according to output signals from the pressure sensors.   
     
     
         7 . The vehicle seat according to  claim 6 , wherein the seat part includes a sub frame configured to be detachably attached to the frame member, a pad supported by the sub frame and a skin member covering a surface of the pad, and the actuators are interposed between the skin member and the pad. 
     
     
         8 . The vehicle seat according to  claim 7 , wherein the pressure sensors are incorporated in a pressure sensor sheet interposed between skin member and the pad. 
     
     
         9 . The vehicle seat according to  claim 7 , wherein the actuators are incorporated in a soft actuator sheet interposed between the skin member and the pad member. 
     
     
         10 . The vehicle seat according to  claim 9 , wherein the soft actuator sheet comprises linear actuators extending in a lateral direction of the seat part and arranged in a longitudinal direction of the seat part, and each configured to change a tension thereof according to an input signal supplied thereto. 
     
     
         11 . The vehicle seat according to  claim 10 , wherein the soft actuator sheet further comprises linear actuators extending in the longitudinal direction of the seat part and arranged in the lateral direction of the seat part, and each configured to change a tension thereof according to an input signal supplied thereto. 
     
     
         12 . The vehicle seat according to  claim 9 , wherein the pressure sensors comprise linear pressure sensors incorporated in the soft actuator sheet. 
     
     
         13 . The vehicle seat according to  claim 7 , wherein the pad and/or the sub frame is provided with a recess configured to receive wiring leading from the electric component provided on the seat part to the electric connector device provided on the seat part. 
     
     
         14 . A passenger selection system including the vehicle seat according to  claim 1 , the system comprising:
 a detection unit including a biometric sensor provided on the seat part and configured to detect an index pertaining to emotion of each user seated in the seat to a fellow passenger sharing a ride with the user;   a storage unit for storing a history of the indices of the user in relation to the fellow passengers detected during rides that were shared in the past; and   a computation unit for selecting a fellow passenger for a next ride to be shared by the user according to the history stored in the storage unit.   
     
     
         15 . The passenger selection system according to  claim 14 , wherein the storage unit and the computation unit are provided in a data center provided separately from the vehicle. 
     
     
         16 . The passenger selection system according to  claim 15 , wherein the vehicle is provided with a wireless transmitter for sending detection results of the biometric sensor to the data center. 
     
     
         17 . The passenger selection system according to  claim 14 , wherein the computation unit is configured to analyze the history of the indices stored in the storage unit, and select a fellow passenger for a next ride to be shared by the user according to an analysis result. 
     
     
         18 . The passenger selection system according to  claim 17 , wherein the computation unit is configured to select a fellow passenger for the user from those to whom the user registered higher levels of emotion than others as recorded in the history. 
     
     
         19 . The passenger selection system according to  claim 17 , wherein the computation unit is configured to select a fellow passenger for the user by eliminating those to whom the user registered lower levels of emotion than others as recorded in the history. 
     
     
         20 . The passenger selection system according to  claim 17 , wherein the computation unit is configured to group the users of the system into a plurality of groups such that the users in each group register high emotional level toward each other, and select a fellow passenger for each user from the group to which the particular user belongs.