US Patent 11241980 Vehicle seat positioning system and method

A vehicle seat positioning system includes a seat occupancy sensor that generates a signal indicating the presence or absence of an occupant in each of a first vehicle seat and a second vehicle seat, a seat proximity sensor that generates a seat proximity signal indicating a distance between the first vehicle seat and an occupant of the second vehicle seat, and vehicle seat position controller configured to command the first vehicle seat to move away from the second vehicle seat in response to a signal from the seat occupancy sensor indicating absence of an occupant in the first vehicle seat and the presence of an occupant in the second vehicle seat and a signal from the seat proximity sensor indicating a distance between the first vehicle seat and the occupant of the second vehicle seat is less than a predetermined threshold distance.