Testing equipment, testing methods and vehicles

Abstract

The detection device (1) has a first transmitting antenna (31) and a second transmitting antenna (32) for transmitting radio waves, and a first receiving antenna (41) and a second receiving antenna (42) for receiving reflected waves generated by the reflection of radio waves by an object. Furthermore, it is configured in the carriage (10) such that, when viewed from above, a first virtual straight line (L1) connecting the first transmitting antenna (31) and the second transmitting antenna (32) intersects with a second virtual straight line (L2) connecting the first receiving antenna (41) and the second receiving antenna (42), and at least one of the first virtual straight line (L1) and the second virtual straight line (L2) is tilted at an angle of less than 90 degrees relative to a first direction (X) of the carriage (100). Then, the detection device (1) uses the reflected waves to detect a living organism (H) inside the carriage, which is the object of detection.

Description

[0001] This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-191753 (title of the invention "Detection Apparatus, Detection Method and Vehicle") filed on November 9, 2023, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Technical Field

[0002] This invention relates to a testing device, a testing method, and a vehicle. Background Technology

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a device for detecting and alerting when a living being (e.g., an infant) is left in a train car. In such a device, a timer operates when the portable device is outside the vehicle's communication area, and when a set timer expires, an alert is issued indicating that a predetermined time has elapsed since the infant was left in the car.

[0004] Existing technical documents

[0005] Patent documents

[0006] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-149487 Summary of the Invention

[0007] The problem that the invention aims to solve

[0008] Furthermore, in the residual detection device described in Patent Document 1, an electromagnetic wave sensor is used to detect organisms inside a train car. The electromagnetic wave sensor emits electromagnetic waves to the surrounding environment, and detects organisms inside the train car based on the received signal obtained by receiving the reflected waves. According to the method of using an electromagnetic wave sensor to detect organisms inside a train car, in addition to the electromagnetic waves passing through obstacles such as blankets covering the organisms inside the train car, it is possible to detect minute movements of the organisms' hands and feet, and minute movements of the chest caused by breathing, etc., thus high detection accuracy can be expected.

[0009] However, on the other hand, the method of using radio wave sensors to detect living organisms inside a train carriage presents the following problems. When moving objects outside the train carriage, such as pedestrians, grass swaying in the wind, or moving cars, intrude into the proximity area outside the carriage at a distance equal to or closer to the potential location of a living organism inside the carriage, they may interfere with the detection of the organism. For example, if a passerby is present in the proximity area outside the carriage, that passerby may be mistakenly detected as a living organism inside the carriage.

[0010] As a way to avoid such false detections, one method is to increase the number of transmitting antennas that transmit radio waves and receiving antennas that receive reflected waves, thereby identifying and detecting living organisms inside the carriage and moving objects outside the carriage in terms of angle and direction.

[0011] However, excessively increasing the number of transmitting and receiving antennas directly leads to increased manufacturing costs. In particular, the size of the transmitting and receiving antennas increases inversely with the frequency of the radio waves. Therefore, in radio wave sensors using UWB (Ultra-Wide Band) radar that operates in a relatively low frequency domain, the increase in device size due to increasing the number of transmitting and receiving antennas becomes significant.

[0012] The present invention was made in view of this purpose, and its object is to provide a detection device, a detection method using the detection device, and a vehicle equipped with the detection device, which can reduce manufacturing costs and miniaturize by using as few transmitting and receiving antennas as possible, and can detect organisms in a vehicle compartment with high precision.

[0013] Methods for solving problems

[0014] Such an objective is achieved by the present invention described in (1) to (3) below.

[0015] (1) A detection device for detecting an object present in the passenger compartment of a vehicle.

[0016] The detection device includes: a first transmitting antenna and a second transmitting antenna, which transmit radio waves; and...

[0017] The first and second receiving antennas receive reflected waves generated by the radio waves being reflected by an object.

[0018] The detection device is configured in the carriage such that, when viewed from above, a first virtual straight line connecting the first transmitting antenna and the second transmitting antenna intersects a second virtual straight line connecting the first receiving antenna and the second receiving antenna, and at least one of the first virtual straight line and the second virtual straight line is inclined at an angle of less than 90 degrees relative to a first direction of the carriage.

[0019] The detection device uses the reflected wave to detect the object being detected.

[0020] (2) A detection method for detecting an object present inside the passenger compartment of a vehicle.

[0021] A detection device comprising a first transmitting antenna and a second transmitting antenna for transmitting radio waves, and a first receiving antenna and a second receiving antenna for receiving reflected waves generated by the radio waves being reflected by an object, is configured in the vehicle compartment in such a manner that, when viewed from above, a first virtual straight line connecting the first transmitting antenna and the second transmitting antenna intersects with a second virtual straight line connecting the first receiving antenna and the second receiving antenna, and at least one of the first virtual straight line and the second virtual straight line is inclined at an angle of less than 90 degrees relative to a first direction of the vehicle compartment.

[0022] The reflected wave is used to detect the target object.

[0023] (3) A vehicle equipped with a detection device for detecting an object present in the vehicle compartment.

[0024] The detection device includes: a first transmitting antenna and a second transmitting antenna for transmitting radio waves, and a first receiving antenna and a second receiving antenna for receiving reflected waves generated by the radio waves being reflected by an object.

[0025] The detection device is configured in the carriage such that, when viewed from above, a first virtual straight line connecting the first transmitting antenna and the second transmitting antenna intersects a second virtual straight line connecting the first receiving antenna and the second receiving antenna, and at least one of the first virtual straight line and the second virtual straight line is inclined at an angle of less than 90 degrees relative to a first direction of the carriage.

[0026] The detection device uses the reflected wave to detect the object being detected.

[0027] Invention Effects

[0028] The detection device of the present invention is configured in a vehicle compartment such that, when viewed from above, a first virtual straight line connecting a first transmitting antenna and a second transmitting antenna intersects a second virtual straight line connecting a first receiving antenna and a second receiving antenna, and at least one of the first and second virtual straight lines is tilted at an angle of less than 90 degrees relative to a first direction of the vehicle compartment. By configuring the four antennas in this way, the number of antennas can be reduced, and the angular resolution relative to the first direction can be improved. Therefore, it becomes a low-cost, compact detection device capable of detecting the object with high precision.

[0029] Furthermore, the detection method of the present invention uses reflected waves obtained by a detection device to detect the target object. The detection device is configured in the vehicle compartment such that, when viewed from above, a first virtual straight line connecting the first transmitting antenna and the second transmitting antenna intersects with a second virtual straight line connecting the first receiving antenna and the second receiving antenna, and at least one of the first and second virtual straight lines is inclined at an angle of less than 90 degrees relative to a first direction of the vehicle compartment. Therefore, the angular resolution relative to the first direction is improved, enabling high-precision detection of the target object.

[0030] Furthermore, the vehicle of the present invention includes a detection device configured in the vehicle compartment such that, when viewed from above, a first virtual straight line connecting a first transmitting antenna and a second transmitting antenna intersects a second virtual straight line connecting a first receiving antenna and a second receiving antenna, and at least one of the first and second virtual straight lines is inclined at an angle of less than 90 degrees relative to a first direction of the vehicle compartment, and a detected object is used using reflected waves. Therefore, the angular resolution relative to the first direction is improved, enabling high-precision detection of the detected object. Additionally, since it is a low-cost and miniaturized detection device, it facilitates cost reduction for vehicles, and makes installation of the detection device in the vehicle easier. Attached Figure Description

[0031] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the vehicle according to the first embodiment, viewed from above.

[0032] Figure 2 It is Figure 1 The diagram shows an enlarged view of the rear seats of the vehicle.

[0033] Figure 3 This indicates that it is configured in Figure 1 A top view of the vehicle's detection device.

[0034] Figure 4 It means Figure 3 The diagram shows the types of signals transmitted and received by the detection device.

[0035] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram used to illustrate the problems with the detection device.

[0036] Figure 6 This is a diagram showing an example of the shape data of a train carriage.

[0037] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram used to illustrate the problems with the detection device.

[0038] Figure 8 It means Figure 3 A top view of a modified example of the detection device shown.

[0039] Figure 9It means Figure 3 A top view of a modified example of the detection device shown.

[0040] Figure 10 This is a block diagram representing the structure of the control unit.

[0041] Figure 11 This is a block diagram representing the structure of the control unit.

[0042] Figure 12 This is a chart representing an example of the time series of the first received signal.

[0043] Figure 13 This is a diagram showing an example of a two-dimensional spectrum representing the direction of a moving object.

[0044] Figure 14 This is a diagram illustrating an example of the first received signal, the second received signal, the third received signal, and the fourth received signal.

[0045] Figure 15 It means Figure 3 A top view of a comparative example of the detection device shown.

[0046] Figure 16 It means Figure 15 The diagram shows an example of the first, second, third, and fourth received signals obtained by the detection device.

[0047] Figure 17 It is shown that it is represented by Figure 3 The diagram shows an example of a two-dimensional spectrum of the direction of existence of a moving object, as analyzed by the detection device shown.

[0048] Figure 18 It means Figure 17 A graph of the spectrum at latitude θ = 0.

[0049] Figure 19 It is shown that it is represented by Figure 15 The diagram shows an example of a two-dimensional spectrum of the direction of existence of a moving object, as analyzed by the detection device shown.

[0050] Figure 20 It means Figure 19 A graph of the spectrum at latitude θ = 0.

[0051] Figure 21 This is a flowchart illustrating the detection method using a detection device.

[0052] Figure 22 This is a top view showing the detection device according to the second embodiment.

[0053] Figure 23 This is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a vehicle.

[0054] Figure 24 It means Figure 22 A top view of a modified example of the detection device shown.

[0055] Figure 25 It means Figure 3 A top view of a modified example of the detection device shown.

[0056] Figure 26 It means Figure 3 A top view of a modified example of the detection device shown. Detailed Implementation

[0057] The detection apparatus, detection method, and vehicle of the present invention will now be described in detail based on the preferred embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings.

[0058] <First Implementation Method>

[0059] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the vehicle according to the first embodiment, viewed from above. Figure 2 It is Figure 1 The diagram shows an enlarged view of the rear seats of the vehicle. Figure 3 This indicates that it is configured in Figure 1 A top view of the vehicle's detection device. Figure 4 It means Figure 3 The diagram shows the types of signals transmitted and received by the detection device. Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram used to illustrate the problems with the detection device. Figure 6 This is a diagram showing an example of the shape data of a train carriage. Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram used to illustrate the problems with the detection device. Figure 8 It means Figure 3 A top view of a modified example of the detection device shown. Figure 9 It means Figure 3 A top view of a modified example of the detection device shown. Figure 10 This is a block diagram representing the structure of the control unit. Figure 11 This is a block diagram representing the structure of the control unit. Figure 12 This is a graph representing an example of the time series of the first received signal. Figure 13 This is a diagram of an example of a two-dimensional spectrum representing the direction of a moving object. Figure 14 This is a diagram illustrating an example of the first received signal, the second received signal, the third received signal, and the fourth received signal. Figure 15 It means Figure 3 A top view of a comparative example of the detection device shown. Figure 16 It means Figure 15 The diagram shows an example of the first, second, third, and fourth received signals obtained by the detection device. Figure 17 It is shown that it is represented by Figure 3 The diagram shows an example of a two-dimensional spectrum of the direction of existence of a moving object, as analyzed by the detection device shown. Figure 18 It means Figure 17 A graph of the spectrum at latitude θ = 0. Figure 19 It is shown that it is represented by Figure 15 The diagram shows an example of a two-dimensional spectrum of the direction of existence of a moving object, as analyzed by the detection device shown. Figure 20 It means Figure 19 A graph of the spectrum at latitude θ = 0. Figure 21 This is a flowchart illustrating the detection method using a detection device.

[0060] Figure 1 The vehicle 10 shown has a detection device 1 disposed within the passenger compartment 100 and a vehicle control unit 11 that controls various parts of the vehicle 10. The detection device 1 detects any living organisms H present in the passenger compartment 100 as the subject of detection and reports this information to a user's terminal 9. Such a detection device 1 is suitable for detecting living organisms H left in the passenger compartment 100, especially infants and young children. This effectively reduces the risk of infants and young children being exposed to dangers caused by the harsh environment inside the passenger compartment 100. However, the application of the detection device 1 is not particularly limited.

[0061] The vehicle 10 is not specifically limited, but can be a passenger vehicle such as a light-duty car, a small car, a regular car, or a medium-sized or larger car. However, the vehicle 10 is not limited to passenger vehicles; it can also be a train, an airplane, or a ship. Similarly, the terminal 9 is not specifically limited to anything that can receive signals from the detection device 1; a smartphone is a representative example. However, the terminal 9 is not limited to smartphones; it can also be a wearable device such as a smartwatch, a tablet, a laptop, or a desktop computer.

[0062] Here, on Figure 1 The vehicle 10 shown will be briefly described. The vehicle 10 has a front row of seats 101 with the driver and front passenger seats arranged laterally, and a rear row of seats 102 located behind the front row of seats 101 with three seats arranged laterally. Additionally, the vehicle 10 has a front window GL1 located at the front of the passenger compartment 100 and a rear window GL2 located at the rear of the passenger compartment 100. Furthermore, front doors FD1 and FD2 for getting in and out are located on the left and right sides of the front row of seats 101, and front door windows GL3 and GL4 are located on the front doors FD1 and FD2. Similarly, rear doors RD1 and RD2 for getting in and out are located on the left and right sides of the rear row of seats 102, and rear door windows GL5 and GL6 are located on the rear doors RD1 and RD2.

[0063] However, the structure of vehicle 10 is not particularly limited. For example, the rear seats 102 can be omitted, or third or fourth rows of seats can be further configured behind the rear seats 102.

[0064] The detection device 1 is, for example, disposed on the ceiling of the carriage 100 to more reliably detect the organism H inside the carriage. As a result, obstacles are less likely to be located between the detection device 1 and the organism H inside the carriage, and thus the radio waves emitted from the detection device 1 can easily reach the organism H inside the carriage. Therefore, the organism H inside the carriage can be detected more reliably.

[0065] However, the configuration of the detection device 1 is not particularly limited; for example, it can also be configured on the side wall or floor of the carriage 100.

[0066] Furthermore, it is preferable to equip each row of seats in the vehicle 10 with at least one detection device 1. This ensures that the detection of the organism H within the vehicle compartment is more reliable, regardless of its seating position. As described above, the vehicle 10 has a two-row configuration with front seats 101 and rear seats 102. Therefore, in this embodiment, a detection device 1 for the front seats 101 is disposed in the ceiling at the center of the front seats 101, and a detection device 1 for the rear seats 102 is disposed in the ceiling at the center of the rear seats 102.

[0067] However, there are no particular limitations on the configuration of the detection device 1. For example, a detection device 1 can be configured on the front seat 101, and this detection device 1 can simultaneously detect the organism H in the passenger compartment seated in the front seat 101 and the organism H in the passenger compartment seated in the rear seat 102. Alternatively, a detection device 1 can be configured on the rear seat 102, and this detection device 1 can simultaneously detect the organism H in the passenger compartment seated in the front seat 101 and the organism H in the passenger compartment seated in the rear seat 102. Alternatively, a detection device 1 can be configured in the central part of the passenger compartment 100 (for example, between the front seat 101 and the rear seat 102), and this detection device 1 can simultaneously detect the organism H in the passenger compartment seated in the front seat 101 and the organism H in the passenger compartment seated in the rear seat 102.

[0068] Furthermore, since most of the living organisms H, especially infants and young children, are left in the rear seats 102, the following explanation will focus on the detection of living organisms H in the rear seats 102 by the detection device 1 on the rear seats 102. Additionally, for ease of explanation, the direction in which the rear doors RD1 and RD2 are arranged, i.e., the left-right direction of the vehicle 10, will be referred to as "first direction X" in a top-down view of the vehicle 10 (hereinafter referred to as "top-down view of vehicle 10"). The direction in which the front windows GL1 and GL2 are arranged, i.e., the front-rear direction of the vehicle 10, will be referred to as "second direction Y". Therefore, in this embodiment, first direction X and second direction Y are orthogonal.

[0069] However, the first direction X and the second direction Y are not particularly limited and can be appropriately set according to the structure of the vehicle 10, especially the window configuration. For example, the front-to-back direction of the vehicle 10 can be defined as the first direction X, and the left-to-right direction of the vehicle 10 can be defined as the second direction Y. In addition, the first direction X and the second direction Y may not be orthogonal, or they may intersect at an angle of less than 90 degrees.

[0070] The detection device 1 is a UWB communicator that communicates with the terminal 9 and vehicle 10 (which are external devices) via UWB (Ultra-Wide Band) communication, and can also be used as a UWB radar to detect the living organism H inside the vehicle compartment. However, the radar used in the detection device 1 is not particularly limited; for example, it can be an FMCW (Frequency Continuous Modulation) radar, a CW (Continuous Wave) radar, etc. Furthermore, the radio waves used for communication with the terminal 9 and vehicle 10 and the radio waves used for detecting the living organism H inside the vehicle compartment can be different. For example, communication can be conducted via UWB communication, while the detection of moving objects can be performed using an FMCW radar or a CW radar.

[0071] like Figure 2 As shown, when viewed from above, the detection device 1 is positioned in area Q opposite to the rear door windows GL5 and GL6.

[0072] In addition, such as Figure 3 As shown, the detection device 1 includes a wiring board 2, a transmitting antenna group 3 and a receiving antenna group 4 disposed on the wiring board 2, and a control unit 5 disposed on the wiring board 2 and executing control of the detection device 1. The transmitting antenna group 3 includes a first transmitting antenna 31 and a second transmitting antenna 32. The receiving antenna group 4 includes a first receiving antenna 41 and a second receiving antenna 42. These four antennas 31, 32, 41, and 42 are electrically connected to the control unit 5 via the wiring board 2.

[0073] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the detection device 1 includes a control unit 5, but it is not limited to this. For example, the control unit 5 may also be assembled into the vehicle control unit 11 included in the vehicle 10.

[0074] The wiring substrate 2 can be a rigid substrate or a flexible substrate, but in this embodiment, a rigid substrate is used. First and second transmitting antennas 31 and 32, and first and second receiving antennas 41 and 42 are discretely arranged on the wiring substrate 2. The first and second transmitting antennas 31 and 32 transmit radio waves into the vehicle compartment 100. Furthermore, as described above, the detection device 1 is a UWB radar; therefore, the radio waves transmitted by the first and second transmitting antennas 31 and 32 are based on short-pulse UWB pulse signals such as microwaves. On the other hand, the first and second receiving antennas 41 and 42 receive reflected waves generated by the reflection of the radio waves transmitted by the first and second transmitting antennas 31 and 32 by objects.

[0075] Moreover, in detection device 1, such as Figure 4 As shown in (A) to (D), a first received signal Sg1, a second received signal Sg2, a third received signal Sg3, and a fourth received signal Sg4 are obtained, and these first to fourth received signals Sg1 to Sg4 are used to detect a living organism H in the carriage. The first received signal Sg1 is obtained by receiving the reflected wave generated by the radio wave transmitted from the first transmitting antenna 31 by the first receiving antenna 41 and reflected by the surrounding objects. The second received signal Sg2 is obtained by receiving the reflected wave generated by the radio wave transmitted from the first transmitting antenna 31 by the second receiving antenna 42 and reflected by the surrounding objects. The third received signal Sg3 is obtained by receiving the reflected wave generated by the radio wave transmitted from the second transmitting antenna 32 by the first receiving antenna 41 and reflected by the surrounding objects. The fourth received signal Sg4 is obtained by receiving the reflected wave generated by the radio wave transmitted from the second transmitting antenna 32 by the second receiving antenna 42 and reflected by the surrounding objects.

[0076] Here, the rear door glass GL5 and GL6 allow radio waves transmitted from the first and second transmitting antennas 31 and 32 to pass through. Therefore, as Figure 5 As shown, even when a moving object W is present near the rear door glass GL6 outside the vehicle compartment 100, the detection device 1 can detect the presence of the moving object W through the rear door glass GL6. By using UWB radar, the distance r from the detection device 1 to the moving object W can be easily detected.

[0077] However, as Figure 5As shown, even at the same distance r0, depending on the direction of the self-detection device 1, the moving object W could be an organism H inside the carriage 100, or an object A outside the carriage 100. Therefore, to identify whether the moving object W is an organism H inside the carriage or an object A outside the carriage, distance r alone is insufficient. In addition to distance r, it is also necessary to detect the direction (longitude φ and latitude θ) of the moving object W relative to the detection device 1. Thus, if the distance r and the angle are known, the position of the moving object W can be estimated. By comparing the estimated position with the pre-prepared shape data of the carriage 100, it is possible to identify whether the moving object W is an organism H inside the carriage or an object A outside the carriage with higher accuracy.

[0078] Furthermore, the moving object W is not particularly limited, and can include living organisms such as people, birds, dogs, and cats; plants such as roadside trees and weeds; and moving vehicles such as cars, motorcycles, and bicycles. Additionally, the shape data of the carriage 100 is not particularly limited, for example, as... Figure 6 As shown, a table T, etc., can be used to pre-determine whether a situation is inside or outside carriage 100 for each combination of polar coordinates (r, θ, φ). Based on this method, it is possible to identify an organism H inside the carriage and a moving object A outside the carriage using a simple approach.

[0079] This also applies to the orientation of the front glass GL1 and the rear glass GL2, i.e., the second direction Y. For example, as Figure 7 As shown, even if a moving object W is present near the rear window GL2 outside the carriage 100, the detection device 1 can detect the presence of the moving object W through the rear window GL2. In order to identify whether the moving object W is an organism H inside the carriage or a moving object A outside the carriage, distance r alone is not enough. In addition to distance r, it is also necessary to detect the direction, i.e., the angle (longitude φ and latitude θ) of the moving object W relative to the detection device 1.

[0080] Based on the above, in the detection device 1, through in-depth research on the number and configuration of the first and second transmitting antennas 31 and 32 and the first and second receiving antennas 41 and 42, the increase in the number of antennas is suppressed, thereby achieving low cost and miniaturization of the device. Furthermore, the angular resolution in the first direction X relative to the rear door glass GL5 and GL6 and the angular resolution in the second direction Y relative to the front glass GL1 and rear glass GL2 are improved, thereby enhancing the accuracy of identifying whether the moving object W is a living organism H inside the vehicle or a moving object A outside the vehicle. Therefore, the detection device 1 is a low-cost, small-sized detection device capable of high-precision detection of a living organism H inside the vehicle.

[0081] The following is based on Figure 3The configurations of the first and second transmitting antennas 31 and 32, and the first and second receiving antennas 41 and 42 are described in detail. When viewed from above the vehicle 10, the first and second transmitting antennas 31 and 32, and the first and second receiving antennas 41 and 42, are symmetrically arranged with respect to the central axis of the vehicle 10. Furthermore, in Figure 3 For ease of illustration, the first transmitting antenna 31 and the second transmitting antenna 32 are shown in circular shapes, but their shapes are not particularly limited. The same applies to the first receiving antenna 41 and the second receiving antenna 42.

[0082] Furthermore, the first transmitting antenna 31 and the second transmitting antenna 32 are staggered relative to each other in the first direction X, and the second transmitting antenna 32 is disposed on the outer side of the first transmitting antenna 31 (the GL6 side of the rear door glass). Additionally, the first transmitting antenna 31 and the second transmitting antenna 32 are staggered relative to each other in the second direction Y, and the second transmitting antenna 32 is disposed on the rear side of the first transmitting antenna 31 (the GL2 side of the rear glass).

[0083] Similarly, the first receiving antenna 41 and the second receiving antenna 42 are staggered relative to each other in the first direction X, and the second receiving antenna 42 is disposed on the outer side of the first receiving antenna 41 (the GL5 side of the rear door glass). In addition, the first receiving antenna 41 and the second receiving antenna 42 are staggered relative to each other in the second direction Y, and the second receiving antenna 42 is disposed on the rear side of the first receiving antenna 41 (the GL2 side of the rear glass).

[0084] In addition, the first transmitting antenna 31 and the first receiving antenna 41 are arranged in the first direction X, and the second transmitting antenna 32 and the second receiving antenna 42 are also arranged in the first direction X.

[0085] Therefore, when the straight line connecting the first transmitting antenna 31 and the second transmitting antenna 32 is designated as the first virtual straight line L1, and the straight line connecting the first receiving antenna 41 and the second receiving antenna 42 is designated as the second virtual straight line L2, when viewed from above, the first virtual straight line L1 and the second virtual straight line L2 extend in different directions and intersect at the intersection point O.

[0086] Furthermore, the first virtual straight line L1 can simply be any straight line connecting any point on the first transmitting antenna 31 and any point on the second transmitting antenna 32 when viewed from above. The arbitrary point can be freely set on both the first transmitting antenna 31 and the second transmitting antenna 32, but it is preferable to set them correspondingly. That is, it is preferable to define the first virtual straight line L1 as the straight line connecting the same points of the first transmitting antenna 31 and the second transmitting antenna 32 to each other. In this embodiment, the first transmitting antenna 31 and the second transmitting antenna 32 are designed with identical structures, and the straight line connecting their centers (origin) to each other is defined as the first virtual straight line L1.

[0087] The same applies to the second virtual line L2. The second virtual line L2 is simply a straight line connecting any point on the first receiving antenna 41 and any point on the second receiving antenna 42 when viewed from above. The arbitrary point can be freely set on both the first receiving antenna 41 and the second receiving antenna 42, but it is preferable to set them correspondingly. That is, it is preferable to define the second virtual line L2 as the straight line connecting the same points of the first receiving antenna 41 and the second receiving antenna 42 to each other. In this embodiment, the first receiving antenna 41 and the second receiving antenna 42 are designed with identical structures, and the straight line connecting their centers (origins) to each other is defined as the second virtual line L2.

[0088] Furthermore, when viewed from above, the first virtual line L1 is inclined at an angle θx1 of less than 90 degrees relative to the first direction X. Also, the first virtual line L1 is inclined at an angle θy1 of less than 90 degrees relative to the second direction Y. That is, the first virtual line L1 is inclined relative to both the first direction X and the second direction Y.

[0089] Similarly, when viewed from above, the second virtual line L2 is inclined at an angle θx2 less than 90 degrees relative to the first direction X. Furthermore, the second virtual line L2 is inclined at an angle θy2 less than 90 degrees relative to the second direction Y. That is, the second virtual line L2 is inclined relative to both the first direction X and the second direction Y.

[0090] As described above, by arranging four antennas 31, 32, 41, and 42 such that the first virtual line L1 intersects the second virtual line L2 and the first virtual line L1 and the second virtual line L2 are tilted at an angle of less than 90 degrees relative to the first direction X and the second direction Y, respectively, the angular resolution relative to the first direction X and the angular resolution relative to the second direction Y can be improved simultaneously without excessively increasing the number of antennas. Therefore, this results in a detection device 1 capable of detecting a living organism H inside the vehicle compartment with high precision, unaffected by moving objects A outside the vehicle compartment that pass through the front glass GL1, rear glass GL2, and rear door glass GL5 and GL6. Furthermore, by reducing the number of antennas to four, the detection device 1 can also be made cheaper and smaller.

[0091] Here, the intersection angle θL of the first virtual line L1 and the second virtual line L2 is not particularly limited, but it is preferred to be as close to 90 degrees (right angle). Specifically, the intersection angle θL is preferably 45 degrees to 135 degrees, more preferably 60 degrees to 120 degrees, and even more preferably 85 degrees to 95 degrees. In addition, the intersection angle θL in this embodiment is 90 degrees. Furthermore, the angles θx1, θy1, θx2, and θy2 are not particularly limited, but it is preferred to be as close to 45 degrees. Specifically, the angles θx1, θx2, θy1, and θy2 are preferably 30 degrees to 60 degrees, more preferably 35 degrees to 55 degrees, and even more preferably 40 degrees to 50 degrees. In addition, in this embodiment, all angles θx1, θx2, θy1, and θy2 are 45 degrees. By setting it in this configuration, the angular resolution relative to the first direction X and the angular resolution relative to the second direction Y can be improved in a balanced manner.

[0092] Preferably, the distances between the first transmitting antenna 31 and the second transmitting antenna 32, and between the first receiving antenna 41 and the second receiving antenna 42, are configured to converge to 16mm to 25mm, matching the wavelengths of radio waves in the UWB band (approximately 6.0GHz to 8.5GHz) in free space. However, when the radiation beamwidth of each antenna is narrow, i.e., when the angular range detectable by UWB radar is narrow, increasing the distance between the antennas can achieve higher angular resolution. For example, when the radiation beamwidths of antennas 31, 32, 41, and 42 are relatively narrow (-45 degrees to 45 degrees), separating the antennas to 50mm can achieve approximately twice the angular resolution.

[0093] The above provides a detailed description of the configuration of the four antennas 31, 32, 41, and 42. However, these configurations are not particularly limited, provided that the first virtual line L1 and the second virtual line L2 intersect and at least one of the first virtual line L1 and the second virtual line L2 is tilted at an angle of less than 90 degrees relative to the first direction X. For example, as... Figure 8 As shown, the configuration of antennas 31, 32, 41, and 42 can also be reversed left to right relative to this embodiment. Additionally, as... Figure 9 As shown, the configuration of antennas 31, 32, 41, and 42 can also be reversed relative to this embodiment.

[0094] In addition, such as Figure 10 As shown, the control unit 5 includes a transmitting unit 51, a receiving unit 52, a receiving signal holding unit 53, a receiving signal parsing unit 54, a residual determination unit 55, and an alarm issuing unit 56.

[0095] Control unit 5 is, for example, composed of a computer, such as Figure 11As shown, it has one or more processors 501 for processing information and a memory 502 that is communicatively connected to the processors 501.

[0096] Furthermore, the processor 501 is an arithmetic unit that performs signal manipulation and other arithmetic operations based on computer-readable commands from one or more microprocessors, microcomputers, microcontrollers, digital signal processors (DSPs), central processing units (CPUs), memory control units (MCUs), graphics processing units (GPUs), state machines, logic circuits, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), or combinations thereof. In particular, the processor 501 is configured to acquire computer-readable commands (e.g., data, programs, etc.) stored in the memory 502, and perform arithmetic operations, signal manipulations, and control.

[0097] Additionally, memory 502 may be a computer-readable medium comprising volatile storage media (e.g., RAM, SRAM, DRAM), non-volatile storage media (e.g., ROM, EPROM, EEPROM, flash memory, hard disk, solid-state drive, optical disk, CD-ROM, digital universal disc (DVD), Blu-ray disc, magnetic cartridge, magnetic tape, magnetic disk) or combinations thereof.

[0098] Such a memory 502 is communicatively connected to the processor 501, storing programs and data that can be executed by the processor 501. The processor 501 reads and executes the program stored in the memory 502. Thus, the control unit 5 functions as a transmitting unit 51, a receiving unit 52, a receiving signal holding unit 53, a receiving signal parsing unit 54, a legacy determination unit 55, and an alarm issuing unit 56.

[0099] like Figure 10 As shown, the transmitting unit 51 generates a pulse signal. The pulse signal generated by the transmitting unit 51 is multiplied by the local oscillation signal transmitted from the local oscillator 50 in the multiplier 57a, and is modulated (up-converted) to a predetermined frequency band, for example, a short wavelength of about 6.0 GHz to 8.5 GHz. The pulse signal up-converted by the multiplier 57a is transmitted as a pulsed radio wave (pulse wave) from the first transmitting antenna 31 or the second transmitting antenna 32 via the RF switch 58a.

[0100] RF switch 58a periodically switches between states where multiplier 57a is connected to the first transmitting antenna 31 and transmits radio waves from the first transmitting antenna 31, and states where multiplier 57a is connected to the second transmitting antenna 32 and transmits radio waves from the second transmitting antenna 32. The switching period of RF switch 58a is not particularly limited; for example, it can be set to approximately 100Hz.

[0101] Radio waves transmitted from the first transmitting antenna 31 or the second transmitting antenna 32 reach an object present in the detection area of ​​the detection device 1 and are reflected. Then, the first receiving antenna 41 or the second receiving antenna 42 receives the reflected wave generated by the reflection. The first receiving antenna 41 and the second receiving antenna 42 are connected to the RF switch 58b.

[0102] RF switch 58b periodically switches between a state where the reflected wave is received by the first receiving antenna 41 and a state where the reflected wave is received by the second receiving antenna 42. The switching period of RF switch 58b is equal to that of RF switch 58a, and the phase is offset by 180 degrees relative to the switching period of RF switch 58a.

[0103] Therefore, the system switches between four receiving states: a first receiving state where the first receiving antenna 41 receives the reflected wave of the radio wave transmitted from the first transmitting antenna 31; a second receiving state where the second receiving antenna 42 receives the reflected wave of the radio wave transmitted from the first transmitting antenna 31; a third receiving state where the first receiving antenna 41 receives the reflected wave of the radio wave transmitted from the second transmitting antenna 32; and a fourth receiving state where the second receiving antenna 42 receives the reflected wave of the radio wave transmitted from the second transmitting antenna 32. That is, one cycle consisting of the first receiving state, the second receiving state, the third receiving state, and the fourth receiving state is repeated at a 200Hz cycle.

[0104] The reflected waves received by the first receiving antenna 41 or the second receiving antenna 42 are branched and fed into multiplier 57b and quadrature multiplier 57c. In multiplier 57b, the reflected waves received by the first and second receiving antennas 41 and 42 are demodulated (down-converted) in a form that is in phase with the pulse signal transmitted from transmitter 51. Then, in receiver 52, a in-phase component signal SgA representing the time response characteristics based on the pulse signal transmitted from transmitter 51 is derived. On the other hand, in quadrature multiplier 57c, the reflected waves received by the first and second receiving antennas 41 and 42 are demodulated (down-converted) in a form that is orthogonal to the pulse signal transmitted from transmitter 51, i.e., staggered by 1 / 4 period. Then, in receiver 52, a quadrature phase component signal SgB representing the time response characteristics based on a signal orthogonal to the pulse signal transmitted from transmitter 51 is derived. The correlation between the thus obtained in-phase component signal SgA and quadrature phase component signal SgB contains phase information. Thus, the received signal Sg, which contains the in-phase component signal SgA and the quadrature-phase component signal SgB, is obtained.

[0105] The receiving signal holding unit 53 is synchronized with the timing of the pulse signal generated by the transmitting unit 51 and the switching timing of the RF switches 58a and 58b. Then, based on these timings, the receiving signal holding unit 53 divides the receiving signal Sg derived by the receiving unit 52 into a first receiving signal Sg1 obtained in the first receiving state, a second receiving signal Sg2 obtained in the second receiving state, a third receiving signal Sg3 obtained in the third receiving state, and a fourth receiving signal Sg4 obtained in the fourth receiving state, and holds them.

[0106] And, as Figure 12 As shown, the received signal holding unit 53 generates and holds a first received signal time sequence Sg1t, which is formed by arranging the first received signal Sg1, which is obtained repeatedly at a period of 200Hz, in a time sequence order. Similarly, it generates and holds a second received signal time sequence Sg2t, which is formed by arranging the second received signal Sg2 in a time sequence order, a third received signal time sequence Sg3t, which is formed by arranging the third received signal Sg3 in a time sequence order, and a fourth received signal time sequence Sg4t, which is formed by arranging the fourth received signal Sg4 in a time sequence order.

[0107] also, Figure 12 The first received signal time sequence Sg1t shown is a schematic diagram for easy explanation. The horizontal axis represents the distance r from the detection device 1, the vertical axis represents the amplitude (intensity) of the reflected wave received by the first receiving antenna 41, and the depth axis represents time. According to this first received signal time sequence Sg1t, there exists a moving object, either an organism H inside the carriage or a moving object A outside the carriage, at a distance r (the distance shown by the shaded line) where the amplitude of the reflected wave changes over time. Although not shown, the same applies to the other second, third, and fourth received signal time sequences Sg2t, Sg3t, and Sg4t. That is, based on the first, second, third, and fourth received signal time sequences Sg1t, Sg2t, Sg3t, and Sg4t, the distance r from the detection device 1 to the moving object can be detected.

[0108] Based on the individual time sequences Sg1t, Sg2t, Sg3t, and Sg4t of the first, second, third, and fourth received signals, the distance r from the detection device 1 to the moving object can be detected, but the direction of the moving object, i.e., the angle (longitude φ and latitude θ), cannot be detected. Therefore, the receiving signal analysis unit 54 analyzes the first, second, third, and fourth received signal time sequences Sg1t, Sg2t, Sg3t, and Sg4t to estimate the direction of the detected moving object.

[0109] There are no particular limitations on the estimation method; for example, well-known analytical methods such as MUSIC (Multiple Signal Classification), ESPRIT (Estimation of Signal Parameters via Rotational Invariance Techniques), beamforming, Capon method, and linear prediction method can be used. In this embodiment, the MUSIC method is used to analyze the correlation between the four received signal time series Sg1t, Sg2t, Sg3t, and Sg4t to perform the above estimation. Thus, by using the MUSIC method, the above estimation can be performed with higher accuracy.

[0110] The received signal analysis unit 54 obtains the following through analysis based on the MUSIC method: Figure 13 The image shows a two-dimensional spectrum representing the direction of a moving object. Furthermore, in this two-dimensional spectrum, the vertical axis is set to the latitude θ representing the position in the second direction Y (see reference). Figure 7 The horizontal axis is set to the longitude φ representing the position in the first direction X (refer to...). Figure 5 A detection device 1 is located at the origin, where both longitude φ and latitude θ are 0. Furthermore, the receiving signal analysis unit 54 can estimate the position of the peak of the spectrum in the two-dimensional spectrum, i.e., the whitest part in the figure, indicating the presence of a moving object. Therefore, the direction of the moving object, i.e., the angle (longitude φ and latitude θ) of the moving object relative to the detection device 1, can be easily and accurately detected. Additionally, the receiving signal analysis unit 54 uses at least one of the first, second, third, and fourth received signal time sequences Sg1t, Sg2t, Sg3t, and Sg4t to detect the distance r from the detection device 1 to the moving object. The receiving signal analysis unit 54 can estimate the position of the moving object based on the distance r, longitude φ, and latitude θ obtained as described above.

[0111] The residual determination unit 55 determines whether the moving object is an intravehicular organism H located inside the carriage 100 or an extravehicular moving object A located outside the carriage 100 by comparing the position of the moving object estimated by the received signal analysis unit 54 with the shape data of the carriage 100 pre-stored in the memory 502. The shape data of the carriage 100 is not particularly limited; for example, it can use... Figure 6 Table T, as shown, determines whether a vehicle is inside or outside carriage 100 based on each combination of (r, θ, φ).

[0112] Here, Figure 14 As shown Figure 5As shown, the first received signal Sg1, the second received signal Sg2, the third received signal Sg3, and the fourth received signal Sg4 are given when an organism H inside the carriage and a moving object A outside the carriage are located at the same distance r (= r0) from the detection device 1. Figure 14 As shown, in the detection device 1, although the first received signal Sg1 is similar to the fourth received signal Sg4, the other three signals, namely the first and fourth received signals Sg1 and Sg4, the second received signal Sg2, and the third received signal Sg3, are significantly different from each other. Therefore, in the detection device 1, as waveform information used in the analysis of the received signal analysis unit 54, three kinds of received signals are essentially obtained.

[0113] Here, as a comparative example, for instance, when using, as Figure 15 In the case of a detection device 1A configured with four antennas 31, 32, 41, and 42 as shown, in Figure 16 The text shows that in relation to Figure 7 The first received signal Sg1, the second received signal Sg2, the third received signal Sg3, and the fourth received signal Sg4 were obtained under the same conditions. For example... Figure 16 As shown, in the detection device 1A, the first received signal Sg1 is similar to the second received signal Sg2, and the third received signal Sg3 is similar to the fourth received signal Sg4. Only the first and second received signals Sg1 and Sg2 are sufficiently different from the third and fourth received signals Sg3 and Sg4. Therefore, in the detection device 1A, as the waveform information used for analysis in the received signal analysis unit 54, essentially only two received signals are obtained.

[0114] Thus, according to detection device 1, compared to detection device 1A (as a comparative example), three additional types of received signals can be used for analysis in the received signal analysis unit 54. The more types of received signals used for analysis, the higher the analysis accuracy. Therefore, according to detection device 1, compared to detection device 1A, the angle of the detected moving object can be estimated with higher accuracy.

[0115] Here, Figure 17 The diagram shows a two-dimensional spectrum representing the direction of the moving object as determined by detection device 1. Figure 18 Showing the representation Figure 17 A graph of the spectrum at latitude θ = 0. Similarly, Figure 19 The diagram shows a two-dimensional spectrum representing the direction of the moving object as determined by the detection device 1A. Figure 20 Showing the representation Figure 19The graph shows the spectrum at latitude θ = 0. From the two graphs, it can be seen that in detection device 1, the peaks are separated into the organism H inside the carriage and the moving object A outside the carriage; conversely, in detection device 1A, the peaks are not separated into the organism H inside the carriage and the moving object A outside the carriage. Based on this, it can be concluded that by using three signals for analysis—increasing the number of signals from two to three—the accuracy of the analysis is significantly improved.

[0116] exist Figure 17 as well as Figure 18 In the example shown, the receiving signal analysis unit 54 detects moving objects at a first position (r, θ, φ) = (100cm, 0deg, -60deg) and a second position (r, θ, φ) = (100cm, 0deg, +45deg). Then, the retention determination unit 55 determines whether the first and second positions are located inside or outside the carriage 100 based on Table T. In this embodiment, the first position is inside the carriage 100, and the second position is outside the carriage 100. Therefore, the receiving signal analysis unit 54 determines the moving object at the first position as a moving object A outside the carriage, and the moving object at the second position as a living organism H inside the carriage. Based on this determination method, it is possible to easily and accurately identify whether the detected moving object is a living organism H inside the carriage or a moving object A outside the carriage.

[0117] When the presence of a living organism H in the carriage is detected by the abandonment determination unit 55, the alarm issuing unit 56 wirelessly communicates with the terminal 9 to notify the terminal 9 that a living organism H has been detected in the carriage 100, thus warning the user. This allows for a simpler and more reliable way to warn the user of the presence of a living organism H in the carriage.

[0118] Furthermore, communication with the terminal 9 is achieved using transmitting antenna group 3 and receiving antenna group 4. Specifically, radio waves are transmitted to the terminal 9 from at least one of the first transmitting antenna 31 and the second transmitting antenna 32, and radio waves from the terminal 9 are received from at least one of the first receiving antenna 41 and the second receiving antenna 42. By using both transmitting antenna group 3 and receiving antenna group 4 for the detection of the biological entity H inside the vehicle and for communication with the terminal 9, the structure of the detection device 1 can be simplified, and the device can be miniaturized.

[0119] As described above, in this embodiment, the alarm issuing unit 56 sends the information about the presence of a living organism H in the passenger compartment to the user's terminal 9, but the alarm method is not limited to this. For example, an alarm may also be issued to people around the vehicle 10, notifying them of the presence of a living organism H in the passenger compartment 100. In this case, the alarm issuing unit 56 can issue an alarm by communicating with the vehicle control unit 11 of the vehicle 10, causing the vehicle 10's lights to flash or its horn to sound a warning tone.

[0120] The above describes the method by which detection device 1 detects a living organism H inside the vehicle compartment. Furthermore, detection device 1 initiates detection of the living organism H inside the vehicle compartment by triggering a specific action on the side of vehicle 10. While not specifically limited, such specific actions include, for example, the timing of locking vehicle 10, opening or closing of front doors FD1, FD2 or rear doors RD1, RD2, engine stopping, gear switching from drive to parking, application of side brakes, and stopping of vehicle 10. By triggering detection based on detection device 1 with actions caused by the user exiting the vehicle—actions that may leave behind a living organism H—detection can be initiated more reliably. Additionally, by suppressing unnecessary actuation of detection device 1, power saving can also be achieved.

[0121] Furthermore, there is no particular limitation on the timing for ending the detection of the organism H in the carriage; for example, it can end after a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of the detection. Additionally, the predetermined time is not particularly limited; for example, it can be set to approximately 5 seconds, 10 seconds, or 20 seconds. By setting the time to this range, sufficient time can be ensured for detecting the organism H in the carriage, preventing the detection period from becoming too long. Therefore, the power consumption of the detection device 1 can be effectively reduced.

[0122] Furthermore, the detection of the organism H inside the passenger compartment can be terminated by triggering a specific action on the side of vehicle 10. While not specifically limited, such specific actions include, for example, the timing of unlocking vehicle 10, the opening and closing of front doors FD1, FD2 or rear doors RD1, RD2, engine starting, gear switching from parking to drive, the release of the side brakes, and the start of movement of vehicle 10. By using actions caused by the user's entry into the vehicle—actions that can eliminate the presence of the organism H inside the passenger compartment—as triggers to terminate the detection by the detection device 1, useless detection by the device can be suppressed, effectively reducing the power consumption of the detection device 1.

[0123] The structure of detection device 1 has been described above. Next, the method for detecting the biological organism H inside the carriage using detection device 1 will be explained. For example... Figure 21 As shown, the detection device 1 has the following method for detecting a biological entity H inside a carriage: a signal acquisition step S1, which obtains a first received signal Sg1, a second received signal Sg2, a third received signal Sg3, and a fourth received signal Sg4; and a detection step S2, which uses the first received signal Sg1, the second received signal Sg2, the third received signal Sg3, and the fourth received signal Sg4 to detect the biological entity H inside the carriage. These steps S1 and S2 will be explained in detail below.

[0124] <Signal Acquisition Step S1>

[0125] like Figure 21 As shown, the signal acquisition step S1 includes: a detection start determination step S11, determining whether to start the detection of the organism H in the carriage; a radio wave transmission and reception step S12, transmitting and receiving radio waves while changing the combination of the first and second transmitting antennas 31 and 32 with the first and second receiving antennas 41 and 42; and a received signal generation step S13, processing the received reflected waves to generate a first received signal Sg1, a second received signal Sg2, a third received signal Sg3, and a fourth received signal Sg4.

[0126] In the detection start determination step S11, the control unit 5 determines whether the vehicle 10 has performed a specific action by communicating with the vehicle control unit 11. If the vehicle 10 has performed a specific action, the control unit 5 proceeds to the radio wave transceiver step S12.

[0127] In radio wave transmission and reception step S12, the control unit 5 performs radio wave transmission and reception while changing the combination of the first and second transmitting antennas 31 and 32 with the first and second receiving antennas 41 and 42. That is, it performs radio wave transmission and reception by periodically switching between a first receiving state in which radio waves are transmitted from the first transmitting antenna 31 and reflected waves are received by the first receiving antenna 41, a second receiving state in which radio waves are transmitted from the first transmitting antenna 31 and reflected waves are received by the second receiving antenna 42, a third receiving state in which radio waves are transmitted from the second transmitting antenna 32 and reflected waves are received by the first receiving antenna 41, and a fourth receiving state in which radio waves are transmitted from the second transmitting antenna 32 and reflected waves are received by the second receiving antenna 42.

[0128] In the received signal generation step S13, firstly, the control unit 5 branches the received reflected wave and inputs it into multiplier 57b and quadrature multiplier 57c. Then, in the receiving unit 52, a co-phase component signal SgA representing the time response characteristics based on the pulse signal transmitted from the transmitting unit 51, and a quadrature phase component signal SgB representing the time response characteristics based on a signal orthogonal to the pulse signal transmitted from the transmitting unit 51 are derived. Thus, a received signal Sg containing the co-phase component signal SgA and the quadrature phase component signal SgB is obtained.

[0129] Next, in the receive signal holding unit 53, the control unit 5, based on the timing of the pulse signal generated by the transmitting unit 51 and the switching timing of the RF switches 58a and 58b, divides the receive signal Sg derived from the receiving unit 52 into a first receive signal Sg1 obtained in the first receive state, a second receive signal Sg2 obtained in the second receive state, a third receive signal Sg3 obtained in the third receive state, and a fourth receive signal Sg4 obtained in the fourth receive state, and holds them. As described above, the first receive signal Sg1, the second receive signal Sg2, the third receive signal Sg3, and the fourth receive signal Sg4 are generated and held.

[0130] <Detection Step S2>

[0131] In detection step S2, firstly, as step S21, the control unit 5 generates and holds a first received signal time sequence Sg1t, a second received signal time sequence Sg2t, a third received signal time sequence Sg3t, and a fourth received signal time sequence Sg4t in the received signal holding unit 53. The first received signal time sequence Sg1t is formed by arranging the first received signal Sg1 repeatedly obtained at a predetermined period in time sequence order; the second received signal time sequence Sg2t is formed by arranging the second received signal Sg2 repeatedly obtained at a predetermined period in time sequence order; the third received signal time sequence Sg3t is formed by arranging the third received signal Sg3 repeatedly obtained at a predetermined period in time sequence order; and the fourth received signal time sequence Sg4t is formed by arranging the fourth received signal Sg4 repeatedly obtained at a predetermined period in time sequence order.

[0132] Next, as step S22, the control unit 5 calculates the power value of the amplitude variation component of the reflected wave based on the time series Sg1t, Sg2t, Sg3t, and Sg4t of the first, second, third, and fourth received signals, and determines whether the calculated power value is above a predetermined threshold. Then, if the calculated power value is above the threshold, it is determined that a moving object exists in the detection area, and the position detection of the moving object begins. According to this method, for example, small fluctuations in the power value caused by signal noise can be substantially ignored, and useless detection by the detection device 1 can be suppressed.

[0133] In the detection of the position of a moving object, firstly, as step S23, the control unit 5 uses any one of the first, second, third, and fourth received signal time sequences Sg1t, Sg2t, Sg3t, and Sg4t in the received signal analysis unit 54 to detect the distance r from the detection device 1 to the moving object. Furthermore, as step S24, the control unit 5 analyzes the first, second, third, and fourth received signal time sequences Sg1t, Sg2t, Sg3t, and Sg4t using the MUSIC method in the received signal analysis unit 54 to detect the direction, i.e., the angle (longitude φ and latitude θ), where the moving object exists. Then, as step S25, the control unit 5 detects the position of the moving object in the received signal analysis unit 54 based on the distance r, longitude φ, and latitude θ. Furthermore, the order of steps S23 and S24 is not particularly limited.

[0134] Next, as step S26, the control unit 5, in the residual determination unit 55, determines whether the detected moving object is an intra-carriage organism H located inside the carriage 100 or an external moving object A located outside the carriage 100 by comparing the position of the moving object detected by the received signal analysis unit 54 with Table T. Then, if it is determined that the moving object is an intra-carriage organism H, as step S27, the control unit 5 wirelessly communicates with the terminal 9 in the alarm issuing unit 56 to notify the terminal 9 of the presence of an intra-carriage organism H, thus issuing a warning to the user.

[0135] The detection method has been explained above. According to this method, four antennas 31, 32, 41, and 42 are configured such that the first virtual line L1 and the second virtual line L2 intersect, and the first virtual line L1 and the second virtual line L2 are tilted at an angle of less than 90 degrees relative to the first direction X of the carriage 100. Therefore, the number of antennas is not excessively increased, while simultaneously improving the angular resolution relative to the first direction X and the angular resolution relative to the second direction Y. Thus, it is not affected by moving objects A outside the carriage that pass through the front glass GL1, rear glass GL2, and rear door glass GL5 and GL6, and can detect living organisms H inside the carriage with high precision.

[0136] The detection device 1, the detection method, and the vehicle 10 have been described above. As described above, the detection device 1 is a detection device for detecting a biological object H inside the passenger compartment 100 of the vehicle 10. It includes a first transmitting antenna 31 and a second transmitting antenna 32 for transmitting radio waves, and a first receiving antenna 41 and a second receiving antenna 42 for receiving reflected waves generated by the reflection of radio waves by an object. Furthermore, the detection device 1 is configured in the passenger compartment 100 such that, when viewed from above, a first virtual straight line L1 connecting the first transmitting antenna 31 and the second transmitting antenna 32 intersects a second virtual straight line L2 connecting the first receiving antenna 41 and the second receiving antenna 42, and at least one of the first virtual straight line L1 and the second virtual straight line L2 is tilted at an angle of less than 90 degrees relative to a first direction X of the passenger compartment 100. Then, the detection device 1 uses the reflected waves to detect the biological object H inside the passenger compartment. With this structure, the angular resolution relative to the first direction X can be improved, thereby increasing the detection accuracy of the biological object H inside the passenger compartment. Furthermore, it is possible to suppress the increase in the number of antennas, thus achieving cost reduction and miniaturization of the device. Therefore, a low-cost, small-sized detection device 1 capable of detecting biological organisms H inside a train compartment with high precision was developed.

[0137] Furthermore, as described above, a first received signal Sg1 obtained by receiving the reflected wave of the radio wave transmitted from the first transmitting antenna 31 through the first receiving antenna 41, a second received signal Sg2 obtained by receiving the reflected wave of the radio wave transmitted from the first transmitting antenna 31 through the second receiving antenna 42, a third received signal Sg3 obtained by receiving the reflected wave of the radio wave transmitted from the second transmitting antenna 32 through the first receiving antenna 41, and a fourth received signal Sg4 obtained by receiving the reflected wave of the radio wave transmitted from the second transmitting antenna 32 through the second receiving antenna 42, are used to detect the organism H inside the carriage. In the detection device 1, due to the configuration of the four antennas 31, 32, 41, and 42, waveform differences are easily generated between the first received signal Sg1, the second received signal Sg2, the third received signal Sg3, and the fourth received signal Sg4. Therefore, with this structure, the angular resolution relative to the first direction X is improved, and the organism H inside the carriage can be detected with high precision.

[0138] Furthermore, as described above, the vehicle 10 has rear door windows GL5 and GL6, located on at least one side in the first direction X, and on both sides in this embodiment, serving as windows. In such a configuration, the detection device 1 may detect not only the living organism H inside the vehicle compartment, but also moving objects A outside the vehicle compartment via the rear door windows GL5 and GL6. However, even in such cases, due to the high angular resolution in the first direction X, it is possible to accurately identify both the living organism H inside the vehicle compartment and the moving object A outside the vehicle compartment. Therefore, it is possible to detect the living organism H inside the vehicle compartment with high accuracy.

[0139] Furthermore, as described above, the first direction X is the lateral direction of the vehicle 10. Since the rear door windows GL5 and GL6 are arranged along the lateral direction of the vehicle 10, by setting their direction as the first direction X, it is possible to accurately identify the living organism H inside the vehicle compartment and the moving object A outside the vehicle compartment detected by the rear door windows GL5 and GL6. Therefore, it is possible to detect the living organism H inside the vehicle compartment with high accuracy.

[0140] Furthermore, as described above, the detection device 1 is configured such that, when viewed from above the vehicle 10, the first virtual straight line L1 and the second virtual straight line L2 are tilted at angles of less than 90 degrees relative to the first direction X and the second direction Y intersecting the first direction X, respectively. With this configuration, in addition to improving the angular resolution relative to the first direction X, the angular resolution relative to the second direction Y can also be improved.

[0141] Furthermore, as described above, the vehicle 10 has a front glass GL1 and a rear glass GL2, which are windows located on at least one side in the second direction Y and on both sides in this embodiment. In such a structure, the detection device 1 sometimes detects not only the living organism H inside the vehicle compartment, but also moving objects A outside the vehicle compartment 100 via the front glass GL1 and the rear glass GL2. However, even in such a case, due to the high angular resolution in the second direction Y, it is possible to identify the living organism H inside the vehicle compartment and the moving object A outside the vehicle compartment with high accuracy. Therefore, it is possible to detect the living organism H inside the vehicle compartment with high accuracy.

[0142] Furthermore, as described above, the second direction Y is the longitudinal direction of the vehicle 10. Since the front glass GL1 and the rear glass GL2 are arranged along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle 10, by setting their direction to the second direction Y, it is possible to accurately identify the living organism H inside the vehicle compartment and the moving object A outside the vehicle compartment detected by the front glass GL1 or the rear glass GL2. Therefore, it is possible to detect the living organism H inside the vehicle compartment with high accuracy.

[0143] Furthermore, as described above, the distance r of a moving object located inside or outside the carriage 100 and the angle (longitude φ and latitude θ) of the moving object's direction of existence are detected based on the first received signal Sg1, the second received signal Sg2, the third received signal Sg3, and the fourth received signal Sg4. Based on the distance r, the angle, and the shape of the carriage 100, it is determined whether the moving object is a living organism H inside the carriage. According to this method, a simple method can be used to identify a living organism H inside the carriage and a moving object A outside the carriage.

[0144] Furthermore, as described above, the detection device 1 uses at least one of the first transmitting antenna 31 and the second transmitting antenna 32, and at least one of the first receiving antenna 41 and the second receiving antenna 42, to communicate with the terminal 9 and the vehicle 10, which are external devices. With this structure, the first transmitting antenna 31, the second transmitting antenna 32, the first receiving antenna 41, and the second receiving antenna 42 can be used together for the detection of the organism H inside the vehicle compartment and for communication with the terminal 9 and the vehicle 10. Therefore, the structure of the detection device 1 is simplified, and miniaturization of the detection device 1 is possible.

[0145] Furthermore, as described above, the detection method is a method for detecting an organism H inside the passenger compartment 100 of the vehicle 10, which is the object of detection. A detection device 1, equipped with a first transmitting antenna 31 and a second transmitting antenna 32 for transmitting radio waves, and a first receiving antenna 41 and a second receiving antenna 42 for receiving reflected waves generated by the reflection of radio waves by an object, is configured in the passenger compartment 100 as follows: when viewed from above, a first virtual straight line L1 connecting the first transmitting antenna 31 and the second transmitting antenna 32 and a second virtual straight line L2 connecting the first receiving antenna 41 and the second receiving antenna 42 intersect, and at least one of the first virtual straight lines L1 and L2 is tilted at an angle of less than 90 degrees relative to the first direction X of the passenger compartment 100. The detection device 1 uses the reflected waves to detect the organism H inside the passenger compartment. According to this method, the angular resolution relative to the first direction X can be improved, thereby improving the detection accuracy of the organism H inside the passenger compartment. In addition, a small and low-cost detection device 1 with a reduced number of antennas can be used, making it an easily implemented detection method.

[0146] Furthermore, as described above, the vehicle 10 is equipped with a detection device 1 for detecting a living organism H inside the passenger compartment, which is the object of detection existing within the passenger compartment 100. The detection device 1 has a first transmitting antenna 31 and a second transmitting antenna 32 for transmitting radio waves, and a first receiving antenna 41 and a second receiving antenna 42 for receiving reflected waves generated by the reflection of radio waves by an object. It is configured in the passenger compartment 100 such that, when viewed from above, a first virtual straight line L1 connecting the first transmitting antenna 31 and the second transmitting antenna 32 and a second virtual straight line L2 connecting the first receiving antenna 41 and the second receiving antenna 42 intersect, and at least one of the first virtual straight line L1 and the second virtual straight line L2 is tilted at an angle of less than 90 degrees relative to a first direction X of the passenger compartment 100. Then, the reflected waves are used to detect the living organism H inside the passenger compartment. With this structure, the angular resolution of the detection device 1 relative to the first direction X can be improved, thereby increasing the detection accuracy of the living organism H inside the passenger compartment. Furthermore, since a small and low-cost detection device 1 with a reduced number of antennas can be used, the cost increase of vehicle 10 can be suppressed. In addition, the detection device 1 can be easily installed in vehicle 10.

[0147] <Second Implementation Method>

[0148] Figure 22 This is a top view showing the detection device according to the second embodiment. Figure 23 This is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a vehicle. Figure 24 It means Figure 22 A top view of a modified example of the detection device shown.

[0149] The detection device 1 of this embodiment is the same as the detection device 1 of the first embodiment described above, except for the structure of the receiving antenna group 4 and, specifically, the orientation of the second virtual straight line L2. Therefore, in the following description, this embodiment will be described with a focus on the differences from the first embodiment described above, and the same items will be omitted from the description. In addition, in the figures of this embodiment, the same reference numerals are used to mark the same structures as in the above embodiments.

[0150] like Figure 22 As shown, in the detection device 1 of this embodiment, the first virtual straight line L1 connecting the first transmitting antenna 31 and the second transmitting antenna 32 is tilted at an angle θx1 of less than 90 degrees relative to the first direction X and at an angle θy1 of less than 90 degrees relative to the second direction Y, similar to the first embodiment described above. In contrast, the second virtual straight line L2 connecting the first receiving antenna 41 and the second receiving antenna 42 is along the first direction X. That is, the second virtual straight line L2 is parallel to the first direction X. By configuring the four antennas 31, 32, 41, and 42 in this way, although the angular resolution relative to the second direction Y is reduced compared to the first embodiment described above, the angular resolution relative to the first direction X can be further improved.

[0151] For example, in such Figure 23 In the case of a typical sedan-type vehicle with an engine compartment and a trunk arranged at the front and rear of the passenger compartment 100, the area where a moving object A outside the passenger compartment might exist is sufficiently separated from the area where a living organism H inside the passenger compartment, i.e., the passenger compartment 100 itself. In other words, the shortest distance from the detection device 1 to the moving object A outside the passenger compartment in the second direction Y is sufficiently long compared to the longest distance from the detection device 1 to the living organism H inside the passenger compartment in the second direction Y. In this case, with respect to the second direction Y, by using only the distance r, the living organism H inside the passenger compartment can be detected without being affected by the moving object A outside the passenger compartment. Therefore, a high angular resolution relative to the second direction Y is not required. Therefore, as in this embodiment, by further improving the angular resolution relative to the first direction X, the living organism H inside the passenger compartment can be detected with higher precision.

[0152] Furthermore, as described above, in this embodiment, the first virtual line L1 is inclined relative to the first direction X, and the second virtual line L2 is along the first direction X, but is not limited thereto; for example, as... Figure 24 As shown, the first virtual line L1 can also be along the first direction X, and the second virtual line L2 can be inclined relative to the first direction X. With such a structure, the same effect as in this embodiment can be achieved.

[0153] As described above, in the detection device 1 of this embodiment, one of the first virtual line L1 and the second virtual line L2 is inclined at an angle of less than 90 degrees relative to the first direction X, and the other is arranged along the first direction X. This further improves the angular resolution relative to the first direction X.

[0154] According to this second embodiment, the same effect as the first embodiment described above can also be achieved.

[0155] The detection device, detection method, and vehicle of the present invention have been described above based on the illustrated embodiments. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the structure of each part can be replaced with any structure or any step that has the same function. In addition, other arbitrary structures or arbitrary steps can be added to the present invention.

[0156] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the transmitting antenna group 3 has two transmitting antennas 31 and 32, but the number of transmitting antennas can also be three or more. Similarly, the receiving antenna group 4 has two receiving antennas 41 and 42, but the number of receiving antennas can also be three or more. That is, for example, as... Figure 25 As shown, the transmitting antenna group 3 may also include a first transmitting antenna 31, a second transmitting antenna 32, and a third transmitting antenna 33, and the receiving antenna group 4 may include a first receiving antenna 41, a second receiving antenna 42, and a third receiving antenna 43. Furthermore, in Figure 25 In this configuration, the third transmitting antenna 33 is located on the first virtual straight line L1, and the third receiving antenna 43 is located on the second virtual straight line L2, but this is not the only possibility. For example, it could also be as follows: Figure 26 As shown, the third transmitting antenna 33 is located at a position offset from the first virtual straight line L1, and the third receiving antenna 43 is located at a position offset from the second virtual straight line L2. Furthermore, Figure 25 as well as Figure 26 As Figure 3 The illustration shows a modified example of the detection device, but Figure 8 , Figure 9 , Figure 15 , Figure 22 as well as Figure 24 The detection device shown is the same.

[0157] Industrial availability

[0158] The detection device of the present invention is configured in a vehicle compartment such that, when viewed from above, a first virtual straight line connecting the first transmitting antenna and the second transmitting antenna intersects with a second virtual straight line connecting the first receiving antenna and the second receiving antenna, and at least one of the first and second virtual straight lines is tilted at an angle of less than 90 degrees relative to a first direction of the vehicle compartment. By configuring the four antennas in this way, the number of antennas can be reduced, and the angular resolution relative to the first direction can be improved. Therefore, it becomes a low-cost, compact detection device capable of detecting the object with high precision. Furthermore, the detection method of the present invention uses reflected waves obtained by the detection device to detect the object, which is configured in the vehicle compartment such that, when viewed from above, the first virtual straight line connecting the first transmitting antenna and the second transmitting antenna intersects with a second virtual straight line connecting the first receiving antenna and the second receiving antenna, and at least one of the first and second virtual straight lines is tilted at an angle of less than 90 degrees relative to the first direction of the vehicle compartment. Therefore, the angular resolution relative to the first direction is improved, and the object can be detected with high precision. Therefore, the present invention has industrial applicability.

Claims

1. A detection device for detecting objects present inside the passenger compartment of a vehicle, characterized in that, The detection device has: A first transmitting antenna and a second transmitting antenna for transmitting radio waves; and A first receiving antenna and a second receiving antenna that receive the reflected waves generated by the reflection of the radio waves by the object. The detection device is configured in the vehicle compartment in such a manner that, when viewed from above, a first virtual straight line connecting the first transmitting antenna and the second transmitting antenna intersects with a second virtual straight line connecting the first receiving antenna and the second receiving antenna, and at least one of the first virtual straight line and the second virtual straight line is inclined at an angle of less than 90 degrees relative to a first direction of the vehicle compartment. The detection device uses the reflected wave to detect the object being detected.

2. The detection device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The detection object is detected using a first received signal, a second received signal, a third received signal, and a fourth received signal. The first received signal is obtained by receiving the reflected wave of the radio wave transmitted from the first transmitting antenna through the first receiving antenna. The second received signal is obtained by receiving the reflected wave of the radio wave transmitted from the first transmitting antenna through the second receiving antenna. The third received signal is obtained by receiving the reflected wave of the radio wave transmitted from the second transmitting antenna through the first receiving antenna. The fourth received signal is obtained by receiving the reflected wave of the radio wave transmitted from the second transmitting antenna through the second receiving antenna.

3. The detection device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The vehicle has a window located on at least one side in the first direction.

4. The detection device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The first direction is the lateral direction of the vehicle.

5. The detection device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The configuration is such that, when viewed from above, the first virtual straight line and the second virtual straight line are tilted at an angle of less than 90 degrees relative to the first direction and the second direction intersecting the first direction, respectively.

6. The detection device according to claim 5, characterized in that, The vehicle has a window located on at least one side in the second direction.

7. The detection device according to claim 6, characterized in that, The second direction is the forward and backward direction of the vehicle.

8. The detection device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The configuration is such that one of the first virtual line and the second virtual line is inclined at an angle of less than 90 degrees relative to the first direction, and the other is along the first direction.

9. The detection device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The distance to and direction of a moving object located inside or outside the carriage are detected based on the first received signal, the second received signal, the third received signal, and the fourth received signal. The moving object is determined to be the detection object based on the distance, the direction of existence, and the shape of the carriage.

10. The detection device according to claim 1, characterized in that, Communication with external devices is performed using at least one of the first transmitting antenna and the second transmitting antenna, and at least one of the first receiving antenna and the second receiving antenna.

11. A detection method for detecting an object present inside the passenger compartment of a vehicle, characterized in that, A detection device comprising a first transmitting antenna and a second transmitting antenna for transmitting radio waves, and a first receiving antenna and a second receiving antenna for receiving reflected waves generated by the radio waves being reflected by an object, is configured in the vehicle compartment in such a manner that, when viewed from above, a first virtual straight line connecting the first transmitting antenna and the second transmitting antenna intersects with a second virtual straight line connecting the first receiving antenna and the second receiving antenna, and at least one of the first virtual straight line and the second virtual straight line is inclined at an angle of less than 90 degrees relative to a first direction of the vehicle compartment. The reflected wave is used to detect the target object.

12. A vehicle comprising a detection device for detecting an object present within the vehicle compartment, characterized in that, The detection device includes: a first transmitting antenna and a second transmitting antenna for transmitting radio waves, and a first receiving antenna and a second receiving antenna for receiving reflected waves generated by the radio waves being reflected by an object. The detection device is configured in the carriage such that, when viewed from above, a first virtual straight line connecting the first transmitting antenna and the second transmitting antenna intersects a second virtual straight line connecting the first receiving antenna and the second receiving antenna, and at least one of the first virtual straight line and the second virtual straight line is inclined at an angle of less than 90 degrees relative to a first direction of the carriage. The detection device uses the reflected wave to detect the object being detected.

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