Passenger monitoring system and autonomous driving system

Abstract

To provide a passenger monitoring system and an automatic driving system which can easily and exactly monitor a state of a passenger in a vehicle.SOLUTION: A passenger monitoring system 1 comprises: a floor sensor 11 which is installed on a floor of a vehicle which a passenger boards to detect legs of the passenger; a seating sensor 16 which is installed on a seat provided in the vehicle to detect presence / absence of seating of the passenger; and a monitoring part 12 which monitors a state of the passenger in the vehicle. The monitoring part 12 monitors the state of the passenger in the vehicle by using data regarding the legs of the passenger detected by the floor sensor 11 and seating data of the passenger detected by the seating sensor 16.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a passenger monitoring system and an automated driving system. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, in transportation such as buses and trains, it has become important to monitor passengers inside the vehicles for safe operation, etc. Patent Document 1 discloses technology relating to a monitoring system that can efficiently monitor with a small number of cameras according to the congestion state in the monitoring area. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2012-69022 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1, a surveillance camera is installed inside a vehicle to monitor the inside of the vehicle. Since surveillance cameras have blind spots, when using surveillance cameras, it is necessary to use multiple surveillance cameras to avoid blind spots. However, when multiple surveillance cameras are used to monitor the status of passengers inside a vehicle, there is a problem that the image processing becomes complicated because it is necessary to perform image processing on the images from the multiple surveillance cameras. In addition, for example, when the vehicle is crowded, passengers' faces may be hidden by other passengers, making it impossible to properly obtain images of the passengers. In such cases, there is a problem that the passengers cannot be monitored accurately.

[0005] In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a passenger monitoring system and an automatic driving system that can easily and accurately monitor the state of passengers inside a vehicle. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A passenger monitoring system according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a floor sensor that is installed on the floor of a vehicle in which passengers board and detects the feet of the passengers, and a monitoring unit that monitors the condition of the passengers inside the vehicle using data relating to the passengers' feet detected by the floor sensor.

[0007] An autonomous driving system according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises the above-mentioned passenger monitoring system and an autonomous driving device for autonomously driving the vehicle, and the autonomous driving device performs autonomous driving of the vehicle using the state of the passenger obtained from the monitoring unit. Effect of the Invention

[0008] The present invention makes it possible to provide a passenger monitoring system and an automatic driving system that can easily and accurately monitor the status of passengers inside a vehicle. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a passenger monitoring system according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining a case where the passenger monitoring system according to the first embodiment is applied to a bus. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the passenger monitoring system. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the passenger monitoring system. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the passenger monitoring system. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the passenger monitoring system. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing a passenger monitoring system according to a second embodiment. [Figure 8]FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining a case where the passenger monitoring system according to the second embodiment is applied to a bus. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the passenger monitoring system. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the passenger monitoring system. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing a passenger monitoring system according to a third embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing a passenger monitoring system according to a fourth embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing an automatic driving system according to a fifth embodiment. [Figure 14] 1 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the autonomous driving system. [Figure 15] 1 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the autonomous driving system. [Figure 16] FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining an example of generating information on a congestion state. [Figure 17] FIG. 2 is a top view showing an example of a floor sensor used in the present invention. [Figure 18] 18 is a cross-sectional view showing a detection cell provided in the floor sensor shown in FIG. 17. [Figure 19] 19 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which pressure is applied to the detection cell shown in FIG. 18. [Figure 20] FIG. 11 is a circuit diagram including a floor sensor and a seating sensor. [Figure 21] 21 is a timing chart showing drive waveforms of a circuit including the floor sensor and the seating sensor shown in FIG. 20. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] <Embodiment 1> Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing a passenger monitoring system according to a first embodiment. As shown in Fig. 1, the passenger monitoring system 1 according to this embodiment includes a floor sensor 11, a monitoring unit 12, an alarm unit 13, and a communication unit 14. The passenger monitoring system 1 according to this embodiment is a system that is installed in a vehicle, such as a bus or train, for example, and monitors the state of passengers. In the following, as an example, a case where the passenger monitoring system 1 is applied to a bus will be described, but the present invention can be similarly applied to other means of transportation.

[0011] The floor sensor 11 shown in FIG. 1 is installed on the floor of a vehicle in which passengers board, and detects the feet (soles) of the passengers. The floor sensor 11 is configured to be able to detect pressure applied when the passenger's feet (soles) come into contact with the floor sensor 11, and is configured to be able to detect the position of the passenger's feet over time. For example, the floor sensor 11 can be configured using a floor sensor in which a plurality of detection cells are arranged in a matrix, a pressure sensor using a pressure-sensitive element, a pressure sensor using capacitance, or the like. An example of the configuration of the floor sensor 11 will be described in detail in the seventh embodiment.

[0012] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining a case where the passenger monitoring system according to the present embodiment is applied to a bus. As shown in FIG. 2, a vehicle (bus) 100 has a driver's seat 110 and an exit door 113 at the front, and an entrance door 112 at the center. A plurality of seats 111 are provided inside the vehicle 100. Floor sensors 11_1 and 11_2 are provided on the floor of the vehicle 100. The floor sensor 11_1 is disposed forward from the center of the vehicle 100, and the floor sensor 11_2 is disposed at the rear of the vehicle 100. The arrangement of the floor sensors 11_1 and 11_2 shown in FIG. 2 is an example, and in this embodiment, the floor sensors may be installed in an arrangement and shape other than that shown in FIG. 2. For example, when the floor of the vehicle 100 is flat without any step, the floor sensor 11_1 and the floor sensor 11_2 may be provided as an integral unit. In this specification, the floor sensors 11_1 and 11_2 are also collectively referred to as the floor sensor 11. The same applies to other symbols.

[0013] In addition, in the vehicle (bus) 100 shown in Fig. 2, an example is shown in which the exit 113 is located at the front and the boarding entrance 112 is located in the center, but the boarding entrance and exit of the vehicle (bus) may be configured in the opposite manner to that shown in Fig. 2. Specifically, the boarding entrance may be located at the front and the exit entrance may be located in the center. Also, a single entrance to the vehicle (bus) may be configured to serve as both the boarding entrance and the exit entrance.

[0014] 1 monitors the state of passengers in the vehicle 100 using data related to the feet of passengers detected by the floor sensor 11. The monitoring unit 12 supplies data related to the monitoring results (state of passengers) to the notification unit 13 and the communication unit 14. For example, the monitoring unit 12 can monitor the state of passengers in the vehicle 100 by performing a predetermined processing (algorithm processing) on ​​the data related to the feet of passengers detected by the floor sensor 11.

[0015] The notification unit 13 notifies passengers of information according to the monitoring result in the monitoring unit 12. Here, the information according to the monitoring result is, for example, information (warning) related to the safety of passengers. The notification unit 13 is configured to notify passengers of information using at least one of visual and auditory senses, and can be configured using, for example, a display, a speaker, and the like. For example, the notification unit 13 can notify passengers of information visually by displaying text information on a display, blinking lights in the vehicle, or turning on a warning light. The notification unit 13 can also notify passengers of information auditorily by emitting a warning sound from a speaker or issuing a voice guide (warning message). FIG. 2 shows an example in which the notification unit 13 is configured using a display. In this case, it is preferable that the notification unit 13 (display) is disposed at a position where passengers can easily see it, such as at the front of the vehicle 100. In addition, a speaker may be further provided as the notification unit in the vehicle 100 shown in FIG. 2.

[0016] 1 is a device for wirelessly transmitting to the outside information relating to the status of passengers in the vehicle 100. For example, when the operating status of the vehicle 100 is collectively managed at a management center, the information relating to the status of passengers can be wirelessly transmitted from the communication unit 14 to the management center, whereby the status of passengers can be grasped in real time at the management center.

[0017] In the passenger monitoring system 1 according to the present embodiment, the notification unit 13 and the communication unit 14 may be omitted as appropriate.

[0018] Next, the operation of the passenger monitoring system 1 according to this embodiment (the operation of the monitoring unit 12) will be described. The monitoring unit 12 can estimate the number of passengers in the vehicle 100 based on the number of passengers' feet detected by the floor sensor 11. Fig. 3 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the passenger monitoring system, and is a diagram for explaining the operation when estimating the number of passengers based on the number of passengers' feet.

[0019] As shown in Fig. 3, when a passenger is standing in the vehicle 100, the floor sensors 11_1 and 11_2 detect the feet of the standing passenger. Specifically, the floor sensor 11_1 detects the right foot 21a and the left foot 21b of the passenger 21. The monitoring unit 12 determines whether the data of the right foot 21a and the left foot 21b of the passenger detected by the floor sensor 11_1 are the feet of the same person, and if it is determined that they are the feet of the same person, it pairs these feet (the right foot 21a and the left foot 21b) and counts them as one passenger 21. The same processing can be performed for the feet of the other passengers shown in Fig. 3.

[0020] In the example shown in FIG. 3, the number of passengers detected by floor sensor 11_1 is four, and the number of passengers detected by floor sensor 11_2 is two, so it can be determined that a total of six passengers are standing in vehicle 100.

[0021] The monitoring unit 12 may obtain the number of passengers standing on the floor sensors 11_1 and 11_2 by dividing the total number of the passengers' feet detected by the floor sensors 11_1 and 11_2 by 2. In the example shown in FIG. 3, the total number of the passengers' feet detected by the floor sensors 11_1 and 11_2 is 12, and the number of passengers standing on the floor sensors 11_1 and 11_2 (12÷2=6 people) can be obtained by dividing the total number 12 by 2. When this method is used, it is not necessary to determine whether the feet belong to the same person (i.e., pairing processing), so that the calculation processing in the monitoring unit 12 can be simplified. Note that, in order to use this method, it is a prerequisite that the passengers are standing still.

[0022] For example, the vehicle 100 shown in FIG. 3 has a total of 25 seats 111. Assuming that a passenger always sits in a seat 111 if it is vacant, the number of passengers in the vehicle 100 can be estimated to be 31 in total, with 25 seated and 6 standing.

[0023] Here, some of the seats 111 of the vehicle 100 are often priority seats, and some passengers do not sit in the seats 111 even if they are vacant. Therefore, even if passengers are standing in the vehicle 100, not all of the seats 111 are necessarily filled. Therefore, the monitoring unit 12 may estimate the number of passengers by assuming that passengers are seated in about 80% (20 seats) of the total number of seats 111 (25 seats). In this case, the number of passengers in the vehicle 100 can be estimated to be 26 in total, since the number of seated passengers is 20 (25×0.8=20) and the number of standing passengers is 6. The ratio of seated passengers to the total number of seats 111 (80% in the above example) can be appropriately set according to the operating time period of the vehicle 100 and the area in which the vehicle 100 operates.

[0024] Furthermore, the monitoring unit 12 may estimate the number of passengers in the vehicle 100 by using the difference between the number of passengers who have passed through the boarding entrance 112 of the vehicle 100 and the number of passengers who have passed through the deboarding entrance 113. Specifically, the monitoring unit 12 may estimate the number of passengers in the vehicle 100 by using the difference between the number of crossed legs of passengers who have passed through the boarding entrance 112 of the vehicle 100 and the number of crossed legs of passengers who have passed through the deboarding entrance 113. In this case, the floor sensor 11 only needs to be configured to be able to detect the feet of passengers at least at the boarding entrance 112 and the deboarding entrance 113 of the vehicle 100, and therefore, for example, a configuration may be adopted in which a floor sensor 11_3 is installed at the boarding entrance 112 and a floor sensor 11_4 is installed at the deboarding entrance 113 as shown in FIG. 4.

[0025] Here, the shape of the passenger's foot detected by the floor sensor 11 differs depending on the type of shoes (sneakers, business shoes, high heels, etc.) worn by the passenger. For example, the monitoring unit 12 may prepare in advance a database that associates the type of shoe with the shape of the sole (shape of the passenger's foot) and determine whether or not it is a passenger's foot by checking against this database.

[0026] Furthermore, a database of passenger attributes may be prepared in advance, and by comparing the passenger's shoe size and type, attributes such as whether the passenger is a child or an adult, male or female, etc. Also, a database of the shapes of wheelchair tires, canes, etc. may be prepared, and by comparing the database, a physically disabled passenger may be recognized and a warning may be given to the driver or other passengers.

[0027] Furthermore, the monitoring unit 12 may determine that a passenger has moved within the vehicle 100 when the floor sensor 11 detects the movement of the passenger's feet. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, when the feet of the passenger 25 (the passenger at the initial position is shown as passenger 25_1) are detected and then the feet of the passenger 25 move (the position of the passenger after the movement is shown as passenger 25_2), the monitoring unit 12 can determine that the passenger 25 has moved within the vehicle 100. At this time, the monitoring unit 12 can determine whether or not the passenger 25 has moved by tracking the movement of the feet of the passenger 25 over time. For example, when the direction of the feet of the passenger 25_1 is specified and the feet of the passenger 25_2 are detected in approximately the same direction, it can be determined that the passenger 25 has moved from the position of the passenger 25_1 to the position of the passenger 25_2.

[0028] For example, when the monitoring unit 12 determines that a passenger has moved, the notification unit 13 may display a warning to alert the passenger. Also, a notification unit (not shown) may be provided separately in the driver's seat 110, and when a passenger is moving inside the vehicle 100, the notification unit may notify the driver of this. For example, the driver may refrain from departing if there is a passenger moving inside the vehicle 100. That is, the driver may depart after confirming that there is no passenger moving inside the vehicle 100. Also, a speaker may be provided as the notification unit 13, and an in-vehicle announcement encouraging passengers to ensure their safety may be played from the speaker.

[0029] Furthermore, the monitoring unit 12 can determine that the vehicle 100 is shaking violently when the number of passengers stamping their feet detected by the floor sensor 11 in a unit time is equal to or greater than a predetermined number. Specifically, the monitoring unit 12 monitors the state of the passengers' feet over time using the floor sensor 11. When the vehicle 100 is shaking violently, the standing passengers stamp their feet on the spot, and the number of stamps detected by the floor sensor 11 increases. The monitoring unit 12 can determine the state of the vehicle 100's shaking by monitoring the number of stamps. For example, the monitoring unit 12 can determine that the passenger is stamping his / her feet on the spot when the monitoring unit 12 identifies the direction of the passenger's feet and detects the same passenger's feet regardless of the identified direction (i.e., in all directions) and the distance of the feet moving is short.

[0030] Furthermore, the monitoring unit 12 can determine that the passenger has fallen when at least one of the hands, knees, and buttocks of the passenger is detected by the floor sensor 11. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 6, when the buttocks 32 and hands 33a and 33b of the passenger 35 are detected by the floor sensor 11_1, the monitoring unit 12 can determine that the passenger has fallen.

[0031] To explain in more detail, when the monitoring unit 12 detects at least one of the passenger's buttocks 32 and hands 33a, 33b after detecting the feet 31a, 31b of the passenger 35 by the floor sensor 11_1, the monitoring unit 12 can determine that the passenger has fallen. For example, when the passenger 35 falls backward, the monitoring unit 12 can detect the passenger's buttocks 32 and hands 33a, 33b (see FIG. 6). On the other hand, when the passenger 35 falls forward, the monitoring unit 12 can detect the passenger's hands (in this case, the passenger's knees may be detected).

[0032] In addition to these, the monitoring unit 12 can monitor the state of the passengers inside the vehicle 100 by using data related to the feet of the passengers detected by the floor sensor 11.

[0033] As described above, in the invention according to this embodiment, the feet of passengers are detected using the floor sensor 11 installed on the floor of the vehicle. The monitoring unit 12 then monitors the state of the passengers in the vehicle by performing a predetermined process (algorithm process) on data related to the feet of the passengers detected by the floor sensor 11. As described above, in the invention according to this embodiment, the state of the passengers is monitored using the floor sensor 11, so that the state of the passengers in the vehicle can be easily and accurately monitored.

[0034] That is, since the invention according to this embodiment does not use a surveillance camera, there is no need for image processing, and there is no problem that images of passengers cannot be properly acquired when the passenger's face is obscured by other passengers when the vehicle is crowded. There is also no problem that images of passengers cannot be properly acquired at night when the vehicle is dark. Furthermore, when passing through a tunnel, the light inside the vehicle changes greatly, but there is no problem that images of passengers cannot be properly acquired in such cases. Therefore, the invention according to this embodiment can provide a passenger monitoring system that can easily and accurately monitor the state of passengers inside the vehicle.

[0035] <Embodiment 2> Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing a passenger monitoring system according to a second embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 7, the passenger monitoring system 2 according to this embodiment includes a floor sensor 11, a seating sensor 16, a monitoring unit 12, a notification unit 13, and a communication unit 14. The passenger monitoring system 2 according to this embodiment is different from the passenger monitoring system 1 described in the first embodiment in that it includes a seating sensor 16. Other configurations and operations are similar to those of the passenger monitoring system 1 described in the first embodiment, so that the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals and duplicated explanations are omitted. This embodiment can be appropriately combined with the first embodiment, and the same effects as those described in the first embodiment can be obtained.

[0036] Fig. 8 is a diagram for explaining a case where the passenger monitoring system according to this embodiment is applied to a bus. As shown in Fig. 8, in this embodiment, a seating sensor 16 is provided on each of a plurality of seats 111 provided inside a vehicle (bus) 101. The rest of the configuration and operation are similar to those of the vehicle 100 shown in Fig. 2.

[0037] The seating sensor 16 is a sensor that detects whether a passenger is seated in the seat 111, in other words, a sensor that detects whether a passenger is seated. The seating sensor 16 can be configured using a switch element such as a membrane switch. For example, the switch element is a switch element that is in a conductive state when a passenger is seated and is in a non-conductive state when the passenger stands up. The seating sensor 16 may also be configured using a capacitance sensor.

[0038] In the passenger monitoring system 2 according to this embodiment, the monitoring unit 12 monitors the state of passengers in the vehicle using data related to the feet of passengers detected by the floor sensor 11 and seating data of passengers (whether they are seated or not) detected by the seating sensor 16. For example, the monitoring unit 12 can monitor the state of passengers in the vehicle 100 by performing a predetermined process (algorithm process) on the data related to the feet of passengers detected by the floor sensor 11 and the seating data of passengers (whether they are seated or not) detected by the seating sensor 16.

[0039] For example, the monitoring unit 12 may estimate the number of passengers in the vehicle by adding up the number of passengers detected by the floor sensor 11 and the number of seated passengers detected by the seating sensor 16. Fig. 9 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the passenger monitoring system, and is a diagram for explaining the operation when estimating the number of passengers based on the number of passengers detected by the floor sensor 11 and the number of seated passengers detected by the seating sensor 16.

[0040] 9, when passengers are standing in the vehicle 101, the floor sensors 11_1 and 11_2 detect the feet 21a and 21b of the standing passengers. The monitoring unit 12 estimates the number of passengers standing on the floor sensors 11_1 and 11_2 based on the feet 21a and 21b of the passengers detected by the floor sensors 11_1 and 11_2. Note that the method of estimating the number of passengers standing on the floor sensors 11_1 and 11_2 has been described in the first embodiment, so a duplicated description will be omitted.

[0041] In the example shown in FIG. 9, the number of passengers detected by floor sensor 11_1 is two, and the number of passengers detected by floor sensor 11_2 is one, so it can be estimated that a total of three passengers are standing in vehicle 101.

[0042] Further, each of the seats 111 of the vehicle 101 shown in Fig. 9 is provided with a seating sensor 16. By using the seating sensor 16, the number of passengers seated in the seats 111 can be accurately calculated. In Fig. 9, the seats 111 in which passengers are seated are indicated by solid ellipses 41. That is, in the vehicle 101 shown in Fig. 9, the total number of seats 111 is 25, of which 20 seats are occupied by passengers. Therefore, the number of passengers in the vehicle 101 shown in Fig. 9 can be estimated to be 23 in total, since 20 are seated and 3 are standing.

[0043] In this way, when the seating sensor 16 is provided in the seat 111, it is possible to accurately obtain the number of passengers seated in the seat 111. Therefore, it is possible to accurately obtain the number of passengers in the vehicle 101.

[0044] Furthermore, when the seating sensor 16 detects that a passenger has stood up, the monitoring unit 12 may determine that the passenger has moved within the vehicle 101. For example, as shown in Fig. 10, when the seating sensor 16 detects that a passenger has stood up (a standing passenger is indicated by a dashed ellipse 42), the monitoring unit 12 can determine that the passenger has stood up (moved) within the vehicle 101.

[0045] Furthermore, as described in the first embodiment, when the floor sensor 11 detects the movement of the passenger's feet, the monitoring unit 12 can determine that the passenger has moved within the vehicle 101. For example, as shown in Fig. 10, when the feet of the passenger 25 (the passenger at the initial position is shown as passenger 25_1) are detected and then the feet of the passenger 25 move (the position of the passenger after the movement is shown as passenger 25_2), the monitoring unit 12 can determine that the passenger 25 has moved within the vehicle 101.

[0046] That is, the monitoring unit 12 can determine that a passenger has moved within the vehicle when the floor sensor 11 detects the movement of a passenger's feet and / or when the seat sensor 16 detects the passenger standing up. Therefore, it is possible to accurately detect that a passenger has moved within the vehicle.

[0047] In addition, by using the passenger movement data, it is possible to determine whether a passenger is seated in the seat 111 or whether luggage is placed on the seat, thereby enabling a more accurate determination of the number of passengers in the vehicle 101.

[0048] <Embodiment 3> Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing a passenger monitoring system according to a third embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 11, the passenger monitoring system 3 according to this embodiment includes a floor sensor 11, a seating sensor 16, an acceleration sensor 17, a monitoring unit 12, a notification unit 13, and a communication unit 14. The passenger monitoring system 3 according to this embodiment is different from the passenger monitoring system 2 described in the second embodiment in that it includes an acceleration sensor 17. Other configurations and operations are similar to those of the passenger monitoring systems 1 and 2 described in the first and second embodiments, so that the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals and duplicated descriptions are omitted. This embodiment can be appropriately combined with the first and second embodiments, and the same effects as those described in the first and second embodiments can be obtained.

[0049] The acceleration sensor 17 is attached to the vehicle and can obtain information related to the acceleration of the vehicle. The monitoring unit 12 can monitor the state of the passengers in the vehicle by further using the acceleration data of the vehicle obtained from the acceleration sensor 17 in addition to the data related to the feet of the passengers detected by the floor sensor 11 and the seating data of the passengers detected by the seating sensor 16. As described above, the passenger monitoring system 3 according to this embodiment further uses the acceleration data of the vehicle obtained from the acceleration sensor 17, and therefore can more accurately monitor the state of the passengers in the vehicle.

[0050] For example, if the acceleration data acquired by the acceleration sensor 17 indicates that the vehicle is stopped and at least one of the floor sensor 11 and the seating sensor 16 detects passenger movement, the monitoring unit 12 may issue a warning to the driver not to allow the vehicle to depart.

[0051] For example, if the acceleration sensor 17 detects that the vehicle has stopped suddenly and information from the floor sensor 11 indicates that a passenger has fallen, the monitoring unit 12 may send a message to the driver to check the passenger's safety.

[0052] For example, when the acceleration sensor 17 detects that the vehicle has suddenly stopped and information from the floor sensor 11 indicates that a passenger has fallen, the monitoring unit 12 may display a warning on the notification unit 13 (display) to alert the passengers, or may output a warning announcement from the notification unit 13 (speaker).

[0053] For example, the monitoring unit 12 may determine that the vehicle is shaking violently when the acceleration sensor 17 detects that the vehicle is shaking and the number of passengers' stamping feet detected by the floor sensor 11 increases and exceeds a predetermined number. In this case, a warning to alert passengers may be displayed on the notification unit 13 (display) or an alert announcement may be output from the notification unit 13 (speaker).

[0054] It should be noted that the above example is merely an example, and the passenger monitoring system according to this embodiment can carry out various types of monitoring by using the vehicle acceleration data acquired from the acceleration sensor 17.

[0055] <Fourth embodiment> Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 12 is a block diagram showing a passenger monitoring system according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 12, the passenger monitoring system 4 according to this embodiment includes a floor sensor 11, a seating sensor 16, an acceleration sensor 17, a position acquisition unit 18, a monitoring unit 12, a notification unit 13, and a communication unit 14. The passenger monitoring system 4 according to this embodiment is different from the passenger monitoring system 3 described in the third embodiment in that it includes a position acquisition unit 18. Other configurations and operations are the same as those of the passenger monitoring systems 1 to 3 described in the first to third embodiments, so that the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals and duplicated descriptions are omitted. This embodiment can be appropriately combined with the first to third embodiments, and the same effects as those described in the first to third embodiments can be obtained.

[0056] The position acquisition unit 18 is attached to the vehicle and acquires information about the current position of the vehicle. The position acquisition unit 18 can be configured using, for example, a GPS (Global Positioning System), an inertial navigation system, etc. The monitoring unit 12 can identify the current position of the vehicle by acquiring the vehicle position information from the position acquisition unit 18.

[0057] For example, the monitoring unit 12 registers information on points where passengers frequently step (i.e., points where shaking is intense) in advance in a database (memory). Then, when the current position of the vehicle acquired from the position acquisition unit 18 approaches the registered point (i.e., point where shaking is intense), a warning to alert passengers may be displayed on the notification unit 13 (display) or an alert announcement may be output from the notification unit 13 (speaker).

[0058] For example, information regarding points where passengers frequently step on the train (that is, points where shaking is intense) may be registered in advance in a database (memory) by a user.

[0059] Furthermore, the monitoring unit 12 can determine that the vehicle is shaking violently when the number of passenger stomps detected by the floor sensor 11 per unit time is equal to or greater than a predetermined number. The monitoring unit 12 may register the vehicle position information (acquired from the position acquisition unit 18) at the time when the shaking is determined to be violent in a database (memory). Furthermore, the monitoring unit 12 may detect that a passenger has fallen using information from the floor sensor 11, and register the vehicle position information (acquired from the position acquisition unit 18) at the time when the passenger has fallen in a database (memory). By repeating such processing, information on points where shaking is violent can be accumulated in the database of the monitoring unit 12.

[0060] Furthermore, when the floor sensor 11 detects that there is a standing passenger and the vehicle is about to enter a sharp curve, the monitoring unit 12 may display a warning to alert the passengers on the notification unit 13 (display) or output an alert announcement from the notification unit 13 (speaker). For example, the monitoring unit 12 can grasp that the vehicle is about to enter a sharp curve by using the vehicle position information and map information acquired from the position acquisition unit 18.

[0061] The above example is merely an example, and the passenger monitoring system according to this embodiment can perform various monitoring and alerting by using the vehicle position information acquired from the position acquisition unit 18. In this embodiment, the seating sensor 16 and the acceleration sensor 17 may be omitted as appropriate.

[0062] <Fifth Preferred Embodiment> Next, a fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the fifth embodiment, an automatic driving system including the passenger monitoring system described in the first to fourth embodiments will be described. FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing an automatic driving system according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 13, the automatic driving system 5 according to the present embodiment includes a floor sensor 11, a seating sensor 16, an acceleration sensor 17, a monitoring unit 12, an automatic driving device 19, and a communication unit 14. Note that the configuration of the passenger monitoring system, i.e., the configurations of the floor sensor 11, the monitoring unit 12, the communication unit 14, the seating sensor 16, and the acceleration sensor 17, are the same as those described in the first to fourth embodiments, and therefore repeated description will be omitted.

[0063] The automatic driving device 19 is a device for automatically driving a vehicle. In this embodiment, the automatic driving device 19 is configured to perform automatic driving of the vehicle by using the state of the passenger acquired from the monitoring unit 12 in addition to various information of the vehicle.

[0064] 14 and 15 are flowcharts for explaining the operation of the automatic driving system according to the present embodiment. For example, when the monitoring unit 12 determines that a passenger is moving in the vehicle while the vehicle is stopped, the automatic driving device 19 may control the vehicle so that the vehicle continues to be stopped.

[0065] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 14, when the vehicle is stopped (step S1), the monitoring unit 12 determines whether or not a passenger is moving in the vehicle (step S2). Then, when the monitoring unit 12 determines that there is no passenger moving in the vehicle (step S2: No), the automatic driving device 19 starts the vehicle (step S4). On the other hand, when the monitoring unit 12 determines that there is a passenger moving in the vehicle (step S2: Yes), the automatic driving device 19 maintains the vehicle stopped state (step S3). In other words, when there is a passenger moving in the vehicle, the automatic driving device 19 determines that it is dangerous to start the vehicle, and maintains the vehicle stopped state.

[0066] In addition, when the monitoring unit determines that a passenger has fallen inside the vehicle when the vehicle suddenly stops, the automatic driving device 19 may maintain the state in which the operation of the vehicle is stopped. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 15, when the vehicle suddenly stops (step S11), the monitoring unit 12 determines whether or not there is a passenger who has fallen inside the vehicle (step S12). Then, when the monitoring unit 12 determines that there is no passenger who has fallen inside the vehicle (step S12: No), the automatic driving device 19 resumes the operation of the vehicle (step S14). On the other hand, when the monitoring unit 12 determines that there is a passenger who has fallen inside the vehicle (step S12: Yes), the automatic driving device 19 maintains the state in which the vehicle is stopped (step S13). In other words, when there is a passenger who has fallen inside the vehicle, the automatic driving device 19 determines that it is dangerous to start the vehicle, and maintains the state in which the vehicle is stopped. In this case, for example, information that there is a passenger who has fallen may be wirelessly transmitted to the management center using the communication unit 14. When the management center receives information that a passenger has fallen, it can take measures such as arranging for an ambulance.

[0067] As described in the fourth embodiment, information on points where passengers frequently step on the train (i.e., points where shaking is intense) may be registered in advance in the database (memory) of the monitoring unit 12. In this case, the automatic driving device 19 can adjust the automatic driving control program using the information on the points where shaking is intense, and can perform automatic driving according to the actual road conditions.

[0068] Note that the above example of autonomous driving is just one example, and the autonomous driving system according to this embodiment can implement various autonomous driving operations by using the monitoring results in the monitoring unit 12.

[0069] <Sixth embodiment> Next, a sixth embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the sixth embodiment, a case will be described in which the monitoring results in the monitoring unit 12 described in the first to fifth embodiments, that is, the results of monitoring the states of passengers in the vehicles 100 and 101, are utilized.

[0070] The monitoring unit 12 included in the passenger monitoring system can monitor the state of passengers in the vehicles 100, 101 using information acquired by the floor sensor 11 and the seating sensor 16. For example, the monitoring unit 12 may use information acquired by at least one of the floor sensor 11 and the seating sensor 16 to generate information regarding the congestion state of the vehicles 100, 101 as a monitoring result (information regarding the state of passengers).

[0071] For example, the monitoring results in the monitoring unit 12 may be collectively managed in a management center (not shown), in which case information on the passengers' conditions can be wirelessly transmitted from the communication unit 14 (see FIG. 1, for example) to the management center. This allows the management center to grasp the passengers' conditions in real time.

[0072] For example, the management center may be configured to be able to acquire monitoring results from the monitoring units 12 mounted on each of the multiple vehicles 100, 101. With such a configuration, the status of passengers in the multiple vehicles 100, 101 can be collectively monitored at the management center.

[0073] For example, the management center may transmit information regarding the congestion status of the vehicles 100, 101 to the bus stop where the vehicles 100, 101 are scheduled to arrive next, and display the information regarding the congestion status of the vehicles 100, 101 on the display unit of the bus stop. In this way, by displaying the congestion status of the vehicles 100, 101 scheduled to arrive at the bus stop on the display unit of the bus stop, waiting passengers can be notified of the congestion status of the vehicles 100, 101 in advance.

[0074] For example, the information on the congestion state of the vehicles 100, 101 may be the number of vacant seats (i.e., the number of seats not occupied by passengers) in the vehicles 100, 101. The number of vacant seats in the vehicles 100, 101 can be detected using the seating sensor 16.

[0075] Also, for example, the information (monitoring result) on the congestion state of the vehicles 100, 101 may be the number of passengers who can board the vehicles 100, 101. The number of passengers who can board the vehicles 100, 101 can be detected by using the floor sensor 11. For example, the number of passengers who can board the vehicles 100, 101 can be estimated by using the number of passengers' feet detected by the floor sensor 11. Also, the number of passengers who can board the vehicles 100, 101 may be estimated based on the area where the floor sensor 11 detects pressure. In this case, the larger the area where the floor sensor 11 detects pressure, the smaller the number of passengers who can board. Furthermore, in addition to the floor sensor 11, the seating sensor 16 may be used to estimate the number of passengers who can board the vehicles 100, 101.

[0076] In this embodiment, the monitoring unit 12 of the vehicles 100, 101 may be configured to transmit information regarding the congestion status of the vehicles 100, 101 directly (i.e., without going through the management center) to the bus stop at which the vehicles 100, 101 are scheduled to arrive next.

[0077] In addition, when the status of passengers in a plurality of vehicles 100, 101 is collectively managed by a management center, information on the congestion status of each vehicle 100, 101 may be transmitted from the management center to each vehicle 100, 101. This allows each vehicle 100, 101 to grasp the congestion status of the route on which each vehicle is operating in real time. For example, if the route on which the vehicle is operating is a route for turning around, the congestion status when the vehicle turns around can be grasped in real time by transmitting information on the congestion status from the management center to the vehicle. In addition, by transmitting a future congestion forecast from the management center to the vehicle, information on the congestion forecast for the return journey can be provided to passengers aboard the vehicle.

[0078] The monitoring unit 12 may also accumulate data on the number of passengers getting on and off at a plurality of bus stops. In this case, the data on the number of passengers getting on and off at a plurality of vehicles 100, 101 may also be transmitted from the monitoring unit 12 to a management center, and the data on the number of passengers getting on and off may be accumulated collectively at the management center.

[0079] For example, the monitoring unit 12 (management center) may use the accumulated data on the number of passengers getting on and off at a plurality of bus stops to predict the congestion state of the vehicles 100, 101. The monitoring unit 12 (management center) may also use the accumulated data on the number of passengers getting on and off in this manner to predict the congestion state of the vehicles 100, 101 between predetermined bus stops (predetermined section).

[0080] Fig. 16 is a diagram for explaining an example of a case where the passenger monitoring system according to the present embodiment generates information on the congestion state. The example shown in Fig. 16 shows a case where a vehicle (bus) stops at stops A, B, C, D, etc. in that order, and shows predicted boarding numbers and alighting numbers at each stop, and predicted number of passengers between each stop.

[0081] As shown in Figure 16, since stop A is the starting stop, the predicted number of passengers alighting is 0 and the predicted number of passengers boarding is 5. At this time, the predicted number of passengers boarding between stop A and stop B is 5. At stop B, the predicted number of passengers boarding is 15 and the predicted number of passengers alighting is 2. The predicted number of passengers boarding between stop B and stop C is 18. At stop C, the predicted number of passengers boarding is 13 and the predicted number of passengers alighting is 3. The predicted number of passengers boarding between stop C and stop D is 28. At stop D, the predicted number of passengers boarding is 3 and the predicted number of passengers alighting is 10. The predicted number of passengers boarding between stop D and the next stop is 21.

[0082] In this way, the monitoring unit 12 (management center) accumulates data on the number of passengers getting on and off at a plurality of bus stops A, B, C, D, etc., and can predict the number of passengers getting on and off at each of the bus stops A, B, C, D, etc., and the number of passengers getting on and off between each of the bus stops by using the accumulated data on the number of passengers getting on and off at a plurality of bus stops. By using the prediction model created in this way, the monitoring unit 12 (management center) can predict the congestion status of the vehicles 100 and 101 scheduled to arrive at each of the bus stops. In addition, the prediction model (see FIG. 16) created by the monitoring unit 12 (management center) can also be used when creating a vehicle operation plan, such as reorganizing the route and considering an increase or decrease in the number of services. For example, such an operation plan may be automatically created using a system for generating an operation plan.

[0083] Furthermore, the monitoring unit 12 (management center) may further accumulate passenger boarding and alighting number data at a plurality of bus stops in association with at least one of a time period, a day of the week, a date, and weather. In this case, the congestion status of the vehicle can be predicted using the accumulated passenger boarding and alighting number data in association with at least one of a time period, a day of the week, a date, and weather. In this way, by accumulating the passenger boarding and alighting number data in association with at least one of a time period, a day of the week, a date, and weather, the accuracy of prediction of the congestion status of the vehicle can be improved. For example, the congestion status of the vehicle can be predicted in association with a time period, a day of the week, a date, and weather, such as congestion in the morning, congestion on Friday, congestion in April, and congestion on rainy days, and the accuracy of prediction can be improved.

[0084] Furthermore, the monitoring unit 12 (management center) may continuously monitor the state of passengers in the vehicles 100 and 101 and monitor the state of the route on which the vehicles 100 and 101 operate in real time. By monitoring in real time in this manner, it is possible to respond quickly when an abnormality occurs on the managed route. For example, when it is detected that the number of passengers is high in a specific section, it is possible to respond by increasing the number of vehicles in that section.

[0085] In addition, the monitoring unit 12 (management center) may use the accumulated passenger boarding and alighting data described above to predict the number of passengers on a specific section, and if the predicted number of passengers is high, may increase the number of vehicles on that section.

[0086] For example, when the vehicle is equipped with an automatic driving system 5 (see FIG. 13 and the fifth embodiment), an instruction to increase the number of vehicles may be issued from the management center to the automatic driving system 5. This allows the number of vehicles to be increased quickly.

[0087] For example, the monitoring unit 12 (management center) may be connected to an external network. By connecting the monitoring unit 12 (management center) to an external network in this manner, information regarding the congestion status of the vehicles 100, 101 can be distributed to a user terminal via the external network. For example, the monitoring unit 12 (management center) can distribute the real-time congestion status of the vehicles 100, 101 and the predicted results of the congestion status of the vehicles 100, 101 to the user terminal. The user can check the congestion status of the vehicles 100, 101 from an application or website of the user terminal.

[0088] The monitoring unit 12 (management center) may also display information on the waiting time of the vehicles 100, 101 arriving at each bus stop on a display unit of each bus stop. The monitoring unit 12 may also distribute such information on the waiting time to a user terminal via an external network.

[0089] <Embodiment 7> Next, a seventh embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the seventh embodiment, a specific configuration of a floor sensor used in the passenger monitoring system described in the first to fourth embodiments and the automatic driving system described in the fifth embodiment will be described. Note that the configuration of the floor sensor described below is an example, and the present invention may use a floor sensor having a configuration other than the one described below.

[0090] Fig. 17 is a top view showing an example of a floor sensor used in the present invention, and Fig. 18 is a cross-sectional view showing a detection cell provided in the floor sensor shown in Fig. 17.

[0091] As shown in Fig. 17, the floor sensor 200 has a plurality of detection cells 210 arranged in a matrix in the row and column directions. Fig. 17 shows an example having 8 rows x 10 columns of detection cells 210, but in the floor sensor 200 used in the present invention, the number of detection cells 210 provided in the row and column directions can be determined arbitrarily.

[0092] As shown in FIG. 18, the detection cell 210 is formed on a substrate 211. The substrate 211 can be formed using a rigid substrate such as a printed wiring board. Lower electrodes 212 and 213 are arranged close to each other on the upper surface of the substrate 211. The lower electrodes 212 and 213 can be made of a metal material such as copper or aluminum, or a carbon-based material such as carbon black or graphite. The lower electrodes 212 and 213 may be formed on the substrate 211 using, for example, a printing process. Alternatively, the lower electrodes 212 and 213 may be formed by, for example, attaching a film on which the lower electrodes 212 and 213 are printed to the substrate 211. A driving voltage is supplied to the lower electrode 212 via a transistor (see FIG. 20).

[0093] A film 215 is disposed on the upper part of the substrate 211. A spacer 217 is provided between the substrate 211 and the film 215. The spacers 217 are respectively disposed on both sides in the row direction of the detection cells 210 (in other words, on both sides of the lower electrodes 212, 213). By providing the spacers 217, the substrate 211 and the film 215 can be disposed at a distance from each other. In addition, an upper electrode 214 is formed on the lower surface of the film 215. The upper electrode 214 is disposed so as to face the lower electrodes 212, 213.

[0094] As shown in FIG. 17, the film 215 is disposed so as to cover the plurality of detection cells 210 formed on the substrate 211. The upper electrode 214 is disposed so as to extend in a line across the plurality of detection cells 210 arranged in the column direction. For example, the upper electrode 214 can be formed by attaching a conductive tape to the lower surface of the film 215. For example, the upper electrode 214 can be made of aluminum tape or copper tape. The upper electrode 214 may be formed on the film 215 by using a printing process. Similarly, the spacer 217 may be disposed so as to extend in a line across the plurality of detection cells 210 arranged in the column direction.

[0095] 19, the floor sensor 200 is configured to detect pressure when stress F1 is applied to the top surface of each detection cell 210, as the upper electrode 214 comes into contact with the lower electrodes 212, 213. In other words, each detection cell 210 is configured to detect pressure when, as the transistor supplies a drive voltage to the lower electrode 212, the film 215 is displaced in a direction approaching the substrate 211, causing the upper electrode 214 to come into contact with the lower electrodes 212, 213, and the lower electrodes 212, 213 become conductive.

[0096] Fig. 20 is a circuit diagram including a floor sensor and a seat sensor. As shown in Fig. 20, each detection cell 210 of the floor sensor 200 includes a transistor Tr and lower electrodes 212, 213. Each of the seat sensors 16_0 to 16_7 (also collectively referred to as the seat sensors 16) includes a transistor Tr and electrodes 91, 92. Like the detection cell 210, the seat sensor 16 detects seating when the electrode 91 and the electrode 92 are in a conductive state. In this specification, transistors are collectively referred to as transistors Tr.

[0097] Focusing on the circuit of the detection cell 210, the transistor Tr00 is connected between the power supply line DL0 and the lower electrode 212, and the gate is connected to the gate wiring GL0. The connections of the other transistors are similar. The power supply lines DL0 to DL9 supply a drive voltage to the lower electrode 212 of each detection cell 210. Each of the power supply lines DL0 to DL9 is connected to a voltage supply source (not shown).

[0098] The detection lines SL0 to SL9 connect the lower electrodes 213 of the detection cells 210 arranged in the same column to each other.

[0099] Focusing on the circuit of the seating sensor 16_0, the transistor Tr100 is connected between the power line DL100 and the electrode 91, and the gate is connected to the gate wiring GL0. The connections of the other transistors are similar. The power line DL100 supplies a drive voltage to the electrodes 91 of each of the seating sensors 16_0 to 16_7. The power line DL100 is connected to a voltage supply source (not shown).

[0100] The detection wiring SL100 connects the electrodes 92 of the seat sensors 16_0 to 16_7 arranged in the same column to each other. The detection wiring SL100 is connected to the detection circuit 222.

[0101] The gate wirings GL0 to GL7 are connected to the gates of the transistors Tr arranged in the same row. For example, the gate wiring GL0 is connected to the gates of the transistors Tr00 to Tr09 of the detection cells 210 arranged in the first row and the gate of the transistor Tr100 of the seat sensor 16_0. The gate wiring GL1 is connected to the gates of the transistors Tr10 to Tr19 of the detection cells 210 arranged in the second row and the gate of the transistor Tr101 of the seat sensor 16_1. The same is true for the other gate wirings. The gate wirings GL0 to GL7 are connected to a shift register 221. The shift register 221 supplies gate drive signals to the respective gate wirings GL0 to GL7.

[0102] The shift register 221 supplies gate drive signals to the gate wirings GL0 to GL7 so that the transistors arranged in the same row are driven at the same timing and the transistors are driven in sequence in the column direction. Thus, in this embodiment, the gates of the transistors Tr of the detection cells 210 and the gates of the transistors Tr of the seating sensor 16 are connected to a common gate wiring GL and driven by a common gate signal. Therefore, the floor sensor 200 and the seating sensor 16 can be driven using the same circuit.

[0103] Fig. 21 is a timing chart showing drive waveforms of a circuit including the floor sensor and the seating sensor shown in Fig. 20. A clock signal CLK is supplied to the shift register 221 shown in Fig. 20, and high-level gate drive signals are supplied to the gate wirings GL0 to GL7 in sequence in synchronization with this clock signal CLK.

[0104] 21, at timing t1, a high-level gate drive signal is supplied from the shift register 221 to the gate line GL0. As a result, the transistors Tr00 to Tr09 of the detection cells 210 in the first row and the transistor Tr100 of the seating sensor 16_0 are turned on, and a drive voltage is supplied to the lower electrodes 212 of the detection cells 210 in the first row and the electrode 91 of the seating sensor 16_0. As a result, the detection cells 210 in the first row and the seating sensor 16_0 are turned on.

[0105] In this state, when stress F1 is applied to the detection cell 210 (see Figure 19) and the upper electrode 214 comes into contact with the lower electrodes 212, 213, the lower electrodes 212 and 213 become conductive, and a drive voltage is supplied to the detection wirings SL0 to SL9 corresponding to the pressed detection cell 210, causing the voltage of the detection wirings SL0 to SL9 to increase.

[0106] Moreover, when a passenger is seated in the seat on which the seating sensor 16_0 is provided, the electrodes 91 and 92 are brought into a conductive state, and a drive voltage is supplied to the detection wiring SL100, causing the voltage of the detection wiring SL100 to rise.

[0107] The detection circuit 222 identifies the detection cell 210 that detected the pressure and the seating sensor 16 that detected the seating based on the voltages of the detection wirings SL0 to SL9 and the detection wiring SL100 and information on the transistor Tr driven by the shift register 221. That is, the detection circuit 222 can identify the column position of the detection cell 210 that detected the pressure and the seating sensor 16 that detected the seating by identifying the detection wirings SL0 to SL9 and the detection wiring SL100 where the voltage has increased. Also, the detection circuit 222 can identify the row position of the detection cell 210 that detected the pressure and the seating sensor 16 that detected the seating by acquiring information on the gate wirings GL0 to GL7 to which the shift register 221 supplies a high-level gate drive signal at this time. At the timing t1, the gate wiring GL0 is supplied with a high-level gate drive signal, so the detection cell 210 and the seating sensor 16_0 in the first row are identified. In this manner, the detection circuit 222 can identify the location of the detection cell 210 that detected the pressure, and the seat occupancy sensor 16 .

[0108] 8, the shift register 221 supplies a high-level gate drive signal to the gate line GL1. As a result, the transistors Tr10 to Tr19 of the detection cells 210 in the second row and the transistor Tr101 of the seating sensor 16_1 are turned on, and a drive voltage is supplied to the lower electrodes 212 of the detection cells 210 in the second row and the electrode 91 of the seating sensor 16_1. As a result, the detection cells 210 in the second row and the seating sensor 16_1 are turned on.

[0109] Thereafter, similarly, at timings t3 to t8, high-level gate drive signals are sequentially supplied to the gate lines GL0 to GL7, and the detection cells 210 in the third to eighth rows and the seating sensors 16_2 to 16_7 are activated at each timing.

[0110] At timing t9 after supplying a high-level gate drive signal to the gate line GL7, the shift register 221 again supplies a high-level gate drive signal to the gate line GL0. This causes the detection cells 210 and the seating sensor 16_0 in the first row to become active again. Thereafter, in the same manner, the shift register 221 sequentially supplies high-level gate drive signals to each of the gate lines GL0 to GL7 in synchronization with the clock signal CLK.

[0111] 20 shows an example of a circuit for driving 8 rows x 10 columns of detection cells 210 (floor sensors 200), but the circuit for driving the detection cells 210 can be changed as appropriate depending on the number of detection cells 210. For example, the number of rows of the detection cells 210 to be driven can be changed by changing the number of gate wirings GL. Also, the number of columns of the detection cells 210 to be driven can be changed by changing the number of power supply lines DL and detection wirings SL.

[0112] In addition, in the circuit shown in FIG. 20, a circuit for driving 8 rows×1 column seating sensors 16_0 to 16_7 is shown as an example, but the circuit for driving the seating sensors 16 can be appropriately changed according to the number of seating sensors 16. For example, the number of rows of the seating sensors 16 to be driven can be changed by changing the number of gate wirings GL. Also, the number of columns of the seating sensors 16 to be driven can be changed by changing the number of power supply lines DL and detection wirings SL. In terms of the configuration of the circuit shown in FIG. 20, it is preferable that the number of gate wirings GL for driving the detection cells 210 is equal to or greater than the number of gate wirings GL for driving the seating sensors 16.

[0113] In the above, the "number of rows" and "number of columns" of the seating sensor 16 are used to explain the circuit shown in Fig. 20, but in reality, the seating sensor 16 is installed in each of the seats 111 of the vehicle 101 (see Fig. 8). Specifically, the electrodes 91 and 92 of the seating sensor 16 and a switch for switching between conductive and non-conductive states are installed as the seating sensor 16 in each seat 111. Also, by adding a circuit (transistor) that electrically connects the electrodes 91 and 92, the detection unit of the seating sensor 16 can be configured using a sensor of another type, such as a capacitance sensor.

[0114] If the passenger monitoring system includes an acceleration sensor (see FIGS. 11 and 13), acceleration data may be acquired from the acceleration sensor in synchronization with the clock signal CLK supplied to the shift register 221. That is, in this case, acceleration data can be acquired from the acceleration sensor at each of the timings t1 to t8 in FIG.

[0115] While the present invention has been described above in accordance with the above-described embodiment, the present invention is not limited to the configuration of the above-described embodiment, and naturally includes various modifications, alterations, and combinations that may be made by a person skilled in the art within the scope of the invention as defined in the claims of the present application. [Explanation of symbols]

[0116] 1, 2, 3, 4 Passenger Monitoring System 5. Autonomous Driving System 11, 11_1~11_4 Floor sensor 12 Monitoring Department 13. Notification Department 14 Communications Department 16, 16_0~16_7 Seat sensor 17 Acceleration Sensor 18 Position acquisition part 19 Automatic Driving Device 21 passengers 21a Right foot 21b Left foot 25, 25_1, 25_2 passengers 31a, 31b feet 32 Buttocks 33a, 33b hands 35 passengers 41, 42 Oval 91, 92 electrode 100, 101 Vehicles (buses) 110 Driver's seat 111 seats 112 Boarding gate Exit 113 200 Floor Sensor 210 Detection Cell 211 Substrate 212, 213 Lower electrode 214 Upper electrode 215 Film 217 Spacer 221 Shift Register 222 Detection circuit

Claims

1. A floor sensor is installed on a floor of a vehicle in which a passenger boards and detects the feet of the passenger; a monitoring unit that monitors a state of the passenger in the vehicle by using data related to the feet of the passenger detected by the floor sensor; a notification unit that notifies passengers of information corresponding to a monitoring result by the monitoring unit using at least one of a visual sense and an audio sense; a position acquisition unit that acquires position information of the vehicle, The floor sensor is configured to detect foot movement of the passenger over time; the monitoring unit determines that the passenger has moved within the vehicle when the floor sensor detects the movement of the passenger's feet, and determines that the vehicle is shaking violently when the number of steps of the passenger detected by the floor sensor per unit time is equal to or greater than a predetermined number; The monitoring unit registers in advance in a database information on locations where the passengers frequently step on the vehicle, and when the current location of the vehicle acquired from the location acquisition unit approaches the registered location, outputs a warning to alert the passengers from the notification unit. Passenger monitoring system.

2. The passenger monitoring system further includes a seating sensor installed in a seat provided in the vehicle and detecting whether or not the passenger is seated; the monitoring unit monitors a state of the passenger in the vehicle using data related to the feet of the passenger detected by the floor sensor and seating data of the passenger detected by the seating sensor.

10. The passenger monitoring system of claim 1.

3. 3. The passenger monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the monitoring unit estimates the number of passengers in the vehicle based on the number of feet of the passengers detected by the floor sensor.

4. The floor sensor is configured to detect the feet of the passenger at least at an entrance and an exit of the vehicle, The monitoring unit estimates the number of passengers in the vehicle by using a difference between the number of passengers passing through the boarding gate and the number of passengers passing through the disembarking gate.

4. The passenger monitoring system of claim 3.

5. 3. The passenger monitoring system of claim 2, wherein the monitoring unit estimates the number of passengers in the vehicle by adding up the number of passengers detected by the floor sensor and the number of seated passengers detected by the seating sensor.

6. 3. The passenger monitoring system of claim 2, wherein the monitoring unit determines that the passenger has moved within the vehicle when the floor sensor detects the movement of the passenger's feet and / or when the seat sensor detects the passenger standing up.

7. The passenger monitoring system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the monitoring unit determines that the passenger has fallen when the floor sensor detects at least one of the passenger's hands, knees, and buttocks.

8. The passenger monitoring system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising a communication unit for wirelessly transmitting information relating to the state of the passenger in the vehicle to an outside.

9. The vehicle is equipped with an acceleration sensor, The monitoring unit further uses the acceleration data of the vehicle acquired from the acceleration sensor to monitor a state of the passenger in the vehicle. A passenger monitoring system according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. The passenger monitoring system according to claim 2 , wherein the monitoring unit generates information relating to a congestion state of the vehicle using information acquired from at least one of the floor sensor and the seating sensor.

11. The passenger monitoring system according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the monitoring unit is configured to be able to accumulate data on the number of passengers boarding and alighting at a plurality of bus stops.

12. The passenger monitoring system of claim 11 , further comprising: a predictor for predicting congestion in the vehicle using the accumulated passenger count data at the plurality of bus stops.

13. The monitoring unit is further configured to accumulate data on the number of passengers boarding and alighting at the plurality of bus stops in association with at least one of a time period, a day of the week, a date, and weather, predicting a congestion state of the vehicle using the number of passengers data accumulated in association with at least one of the time period, the day of the week, the date, and the weather; 12. The passenger monitoring system of claim 11.

14. The passenger monitoring system according to claim 12 or 13, further comprising: generating a prediction model using the predicted vehicle congestion status; and creating an operation plan for the vehicle using the prediction model.

15. A passenger monitoring system as described in any one of claims 10 to 14, wherein the monitoring unit is connected to a network and configured to be able to distribute information regarding the congestion status of the vehicle to a user terminal via the network.

16. A passenger monitoring system according to any one of claims 1 to 15; An automatic driving device for automatically driving the vehicle, The automatic driving device performs automatic driving of the vehicle using the state of the passenger acquired from the monitoring unit. Autonomous driving system.

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