1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a vehicle seat support system, and, more particularly, to an intelligent vehicle seat support system capable of automatically providing a passenger with a seat form suitable for the passenger although the passenger does not directly control the seat support system.
2. Description of Related Art
In general, seats are installed in a vehicle so that a driver and passengers can use them. Such a seat is fabricated by arranging elastic springs, sponge, etc. on a seat frame typically made of iron material and covering the exterior of the seat with fiber or (synthetic) leather.
Meanwhile, in some cases, such a seat is fabricated using polyurethane foam. In this case, there are problems in that a driver and/or passengers may have poor riding comfort and feel very tired during long distance riding because the material is hard. In contrast, when sponge or the like is excessively used to make a seat soft, there is the problem of the body of a driver or each passenger being easily shaken when a vehicle is driven, thereby also making the driver or the passengers very tired during long distance drive.
Recently, there has been used a scheme of installing air cushions inside the seat covers of a vehicle and controlling the pressure of the air cushions, thereby improving the riding comfort that is felt by a driver and/or passengers in such seats. Air pressure control means applies air pressure to the air cushions and controls the air pressure applied to the air cushions, thereby improving riding comfort.
However, in order to improve riding comfort using air cushions, passengers must directly adjust the air cushions to the forms that are suitable for their physiques. Furthermore, if the postures of passengers are changed while riding after the air cushions have been set to optimal forms by manipulating the air cushion settings, seat forms suitable for the changed postures of passengers can be provided only when the passengers directly manipulate the air cushion settings again.
The information disclosed in this Background of the Invention section is only for enhancement of understanding of the general background of the invention and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information forms the prior art already known to a person skilled in the art.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds