Method and computing unit for monitoring a vehicle cabin

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for monitoring a cabin (2) of a vehicle (1), in particular a motor vehicle having a plurality of seats (31, 32, 33, 34, 35), the method comprising determining (100) whether the vehicle (1) is in a dangerous condition, determining (110) whether a living being, in particular a child and / or an animal, is in the cabin (2), and carrying out (120) a measure when it has been determined that the vehicle (1) is in a dangerous condition and that a living being is in the cabin (2), wherein carrying out (120) the measure comprises at least one of issuing (121) a first warning message and carrying out (125) a rescue measure.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for monitoring a vehicle cabin, as well as a computing unit and a computer program for carrying it out. Background of the invention

[0002] Every year, numerous people, especially children, die from overheating in vehicles. Most are forgotten by their parents or enter the vehicle unsupervised and are subsequently unable to get out. Monitoring solutions can be purchased and installed as an additional device in the car. Manufacturer-provided solutions are usually only available for high-priced vehicles or offer only visual or audible reminders for the driver. Disclosure of the invention

[0003] According to the invention, a method for monitoring a vehicle cabin, a computing unit, and a computer program for carrying out this method, comprising the features of the independent claims, are proposed. Advantageous embodiments are the subject of the dependent claims and the following description.

[0004] The invention relates to a vehicle with multiple seats in the cabin. The vehicles may already be equipped with detection systems that can determine whether a vehicle is occupied while driving or parked, for example, pressure sensors, cameras, etc.

[0005] The invention makes use of the presence of such systems in order to detect, when the vehicle is parked, whether there are still living beings, i.e. persons, in particular children, or animals in the vehicle and to issue a warning, in particular to the driver, and, if necessary, to initiate measures to protect the living being if its presence is detected.

[0006] The invention proposes a method for monitoring the cabin of a vehicle, particularly a motor vehicle with multiple seats. The invention first determines whether the vehicle is in a dangerous condition. A dangerous condition may exist, for example, if the vehicle is parked in a location exposed to strong sunlight, causing the cabin to heat up considerably, or if it is parked in a cold environment, causing the cabin to cool down significantly. A dangerous condition may also exist, in particular, if the driver has left the vehicle.To determine whether a hazardous condition exists, one or more criteria may be defined, selected from the group that includes whether the vehicle is stationary, whether the vehicle's engine is switched off, whether a parking brake is engaged, whether a driver has left the cab, whether the driver's door has been opened, whether the vehicle's windows are closed, whether the vehicle's doors are locked, whether the ambient temperature is outside a safe range, and whether the temperature inside the cab is outside a safe range. It is also determined whether a living being, i.e., a person, especially a child, and / or an animal, is inside the cab.If it is determined that a living being is in the cabin and that the vehicle is in a dangerous condition, an action will be taken, the execution of which will include at least issuing an initial warning message and carrying out a rescue measure.

[0007] As described above, this allows the life of a living being in a dangerous condition inside the vehicle's cabin to be protected or saved, even if the driver has already left the vehicle.

[0008] In one embodiment, carrying out the measure includes determining whether the cabin was checked within a certain period after the first warning message was issued. To check whether the cabin was checked after the first warning message, it can be determined, for example, whether at least one door of the vehicle was unlocked and / or opened again after the first warning message.

[0009] This allows the system to determine whether the warning message was received and whether it was determined that there is no situation dangerous to living beings. Furthermore, the monitoring process can be terminated once it is determined that a cabin inspection has taken place, thus saving computing resources.

[0010] In one embodiment, if it is determined that the cabin has not been checked within the first period after the first warning message has been issued, a second warning message is issued.

[0011] By issuing the second warning message, the likelihood can be increased that a person, for example the driver, will be made aware of the living being still in the cabin, and the aforementioned advantages can therefore be achieved in an improved way.

[0012] In one embodiment, it can again be determined whether the cabin was checked within a second period after the second warning message was issued.

[0013] This in turn makes it possible to determine whether the cabin has been checked after the second warning message was issued, and to achieve the same benefits as described in connection with the first warning message.

[0014] In one embodiment, carrying out the measure includes issuing at least the first warning message and carrying out the rescue measure, wherein the rescue measure is carried out if it is determined that the cabin has not been checked within the first period after the first warning message has been issued or within the second period after the second warning message has been issued.

[0015] This allows the procedure to be flexibly adapted to the legal situation and the wishes of the vehicle owner. For example, it can be determined in advance whether one or two warning messages are issued before a rescue measure is carried out.

[0016] In one embodiment, the first and / or second warning message is sent to a smartphone, e.g., belonging to the vehicle's driver, particularly via a specially programmed app. The app can generate a notification on the smartphone or emit an acoustic or vibration signal. This allows a warning message to reach people who are not within earshot or sight of the vehicle. Furthermore, the app can enable the user to confirm that they have checked the cabin. For example, the app can also show the user an image of the cabin.

[0017] In one embodiment, the first and / or second warning message is issued via an acoustic warning signal, in particular a horn, or an optical warning signal, in particular an activation of a hazard warning system, the front or rear headlights of the vehicle.

[0018] The aforementioned warning messages can make people in the vicinity particularly aware of the living being inside the vehicle, thereby improving the aforementioned benefits.

[0019] The first period is shorter than the second because, in particular, the driver is closer to the vehicle when the first warning message is issued, while the driver may be further away when the second warning message is issued. For example, the first period may be a maximum of one minute and / or the second period a maximum of five minutes.

[0020] This ensures that the driver has enough time to react to the warning messages.

[0021] In one embodiment, the rescue measure comprises one or more automated calls to an emergency call center, for example to the police, fire brigade and / or paramedics, unlocking the vehicle lock, opening at least one vehicle window and / or sunroof and switching on an air conditioning system or cabin air conditioning.

[0022] These rescue measures make it possible, on the one hand, to call for help in a potentially dangerous situation, but also to allow the living being to free itself from the dangerous situation or to prevent an excessive temperature increase.

[0023] In one embodiment, determining whether a living being is in the cabin involves direct and / or indirect detection. In particular, direct detection of whether a living being is in the cabin can utilize a detection system installed in the vehicle, comprising at least one camera and / or at least one radar sensor for monitoring the cabin. Such systems are installed in many vehicles, for example, to monitor the driver while driving and prevent them from falling asleep or taking their hands off the steering wheel for too long. This is referred to as direct detection because the image directly reveals whether a living being is in the cabin or not. Indirect detection can utilize, for example, pressure sensors installed in the vehicle, such as those located under each of at least one seat, and / or a door logic system that detects which doors are opened and closed.For example, the door logic can send data to a vehicle control unit indicating which doors were opened before the engine was started and which were opened after the engine was switched off. If it is determined that more or different doors were opened before the engine was started than after it was switched off, it can be inferred that a living being is still in the cabin. This is called indirect determination because it is based only on indirect characteristics that do not allow for a definitive conclusion as to whether a living being is actually in the cabin or not.

[0024] To determine whether a living being is present in the cabin, systems already installed in the vehicle can be used, thus eliminating the need for retrofitting. However, it is also conceivable to install a separate system in the vehicle that detects cabin occupancy directly and / or indirectly.

[0025] By directly and / or indirectly determining whether a living being is in the cabin, it can be ensured that injuries due to excessively high or low temperatures, which can sometimes be fatal, do not occur.

[0026] A computing unit according to the invention, e.g. a control unit of a motor vehicle, is, in particular in terms of programming, equipped to carry out a method according to the invention.

[0027] Implementing a method according to the invention in the form of a computer program or computer program product with program code for carrying out all method steps is also advantageous, as this incurs particularly low costs, especially if an executing control unit is already available for other tasks. Finally, a machine-readable storage medium is provided with a computer program stored on it as described above. Suitable storage media or data carriers for providing the computer program are, in particular, magnetic, optical, and electrical storage media, such as hard drives, flash memory, EEPROMs, DVDs, etc. Downloading a program via computer networks (Internet, intranet, etc.) is also possible. Such a download can be wired or wireless (e.g., via a WLAN network, a 3G, 4G, 5G, or 6G connection, etc.).

[0028] The invention further relates to a vehicle comprising a computing unit according to the invention, which includes a computer program that, when executed by the computing unit, performs the steps of the method for monitoring the cabin according to one of the previously described embodiments. The computer program includes activatable and deactivatable program modules that correspond to the individual steps as described above in the embodiments and in the claims. The program modules therefore correspond to different implementations of detecting whether a living being is in the cabin, issuing a first and / or second warning message, and carrying out the rescue measure.

[0029] In one embodiment, only those program modules in the computer program are activated for which the vehicle also has the necessary hardware. For example, if the vehicle does not have a detection system, i.e., no cameras or radar sensors monitoring the cabin, this program module can be deactivated. Furthermore, if the vehicle, for example, lacks means of contacting an emergency call center, the corresponding program module can be deactivated.

[0030] In one implementation, only those program modules for which a license exists can be activated. Licenses can be granted for a specific period or varied based on the vehicle's price class.

[0031] In one embodiment, the program modules that are legally required are activated in the computer program. Additional program modules can be activated, for example, by acquiring licenses.

[0032] Further advantages and embodiments of the invention will become apparent from the description and the accompanying drawing.

[0033] The invention is schematically illustrated in the drawing using an exemplary embodiment and is described below with reference to the drawing. Brief description of the drawings Fig. Figure 1 shows a block diagram of a vehicle equipped to carry out an embodiment of the method according to the invention, and Fig. Figure 2 shows a flowchart of an embodiment of the method according to the invention. embodiment of the invention

[0034] Fig. Figure 1 shows a block diagram of a vehicle 1 which is set up to carry out an embodiment of the method according to the invention, and Fig. Figure 2 shows a flowchart of an embodiment of the method according to the invention. Both figures will be described together in the following.

[0035] Vehicle 1 has five seats 31, 32, 33, 34, 35 in a cabin 2. Two front seats 31, 32 are accessible via front doors 5a, 5b, and a rear bench seat with rear seats 33, 34, 35 is accessible via rear doors 5c, 5d. A weight sensor 45, 46, 47, 48, 49 is, for example, mounted under each of the seats 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, which is configured to determine whether a weight is resting on the corresponding seat 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, i.e., whether the seat 31, 32, 33, 34, 35 is occupied. Vehicle 1 may also, for example, have a tailgate (not shown) that can be opened and closed.

[0036] Furthermore, cabin 2 contains, for example, four optical sensors 41, 42, 43, 44, which could be, for example, a camera or a radar sensor. Additionally, cabin 2 contains, for example, a temperature sensor 50, which is configured to measure the temperature inside the cabin.

[0037] The sensors 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50 are connected to a computing unit 10 of the vehicle 1, for example a vehicle control unit, and transmit the recorded data to the computing unit 10.

[0038] The computing unit 10 is further equipped to carry out an embodiment of the method according to the invention.

[0039] In the Fig.In the embodiment of the method according to the invention shown in Figure 2, it is first determined in step 100 whether the vehicle is in a dangerous condition. For this purpose, it can first be checked whether the vehicle 1 is stationary or moving. Alternatively or additionally, it can be checked whether the engine of the vehicle 1 is switched on or off and / or whether a driver has left the cabin 2 and / or whether the driver's door 5a has been opened and / or whether the doors 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d of the vehicle 1 are locked and / or whether the windows and / or a sunroof of the vehicle 1 are closed.

[0040] If it is detected that vehicle 1 is in a dangerous condition, step 110 determines whether a living being, in particular a child and / or an animal, is in cabin 2. For this purpose, as described above, the data from optical sensors 41, 42, 43, 44 (direct detection) and / or weight sensors 45, 46, 47, 48, 49 (indirect detection) can be used. Furthermore, the number of doors opened before the engine is started and after the engine is switched off can be compared.

[0041] For example, it can be determined that if one of the two rear doors 5c, 5d was opened before the engine was started, and neither rear door 5c, 5d was opened after the engine was switched off, then a living being is present on the rear seat, i.e., in one of the seats 47, 48, 49. The data is received by the processing unit 10, which uses the received data to determine whether there are occupants or living beings in cabin 2. For this purpose, the images from the optical sensors 41, 42, 43, 44 can be subjected to pattern recognition, or the weights detected by the weight sensors 45, 46, 47, 48, 49 on seats 31, 32, 33, 34, 35 can be used to determine whether a living being is present. Furthermore, thermal imaging cameras or infrared cameras can also be used to detect whether a living being is in cabin 2.

[0042] If it is detected that a living being is in cabin 2, a measure is initiated in step 120.

[0043] Initiating the measure initially involves, in step 121, issuing a first warning message to the driver of vehicle 1. For example, vehicle 1 can issue an audible warning (horn) and / or a visual warning (flashing lights, activation of the front and / or rear lights). These warnings are best issued immediately after vehicle 1 is locked, while the driver is still within sight and / or earshot of the vehicle. Alternatively or additionally, the driver can also receive a warning message on a smartphone or mobile device, for example, a notification from a dedicated app.

[0044] Step 122 then determines whether cabin 2 was checked within a certain period after the initial warning message was issued. This can be done, for example, by checking whether any of the doors 5a, 5b, 5c, or 5d of vehicle 1 were unlocked and at least one of the doors 5a, 5b, 5c, or 5d of vehicle 1 was opened. Alternatively, a video of cabin 2 may be displayed on a smartphone, such as that of the driver and / or owner, and the user may confirm in the app that cabin 2 has been checked.

[0045] If, in step 122, it is determined that cabin 2 was not checked within the initial period after the first warning message was issued (step 121), a second warning message is issued in step 123. This second warning message is specifically designed to be received over a long distance, such as a notification on the driver's smartphone.

[0046] Subsequently, in step 124, it is determined whether cabin 2 was checked within a second period after the initial warning message was issued. This second period is longer than the first, in particular because a driver who has moved away from vehicle 1 may have moved further away in the meantime.

[0047] If it is determined that cabin 2 has not been checked, a rescue measure will be carried out in step 125.

[0048] The rescue operation may include one or more of the steps listed below. These steps do not necessarily have to be carried out in the order described and can, in particular, be performed all or some of them simultaneously.

[0049] In step 125a, an automated call is made to an emergency call center. The emergency call center can then notify, for example, the fire department, the police, and / or an ambulance service.

[0050] In step 125b, a vehicle lock is unlocked. This allows children, in particular those in cabin 2, to leave cabin 2.

[0051] In step 125c, one or more windows and / or a sunroof of vehicle 1 are opened. It is also conceivable to open a tailgate of vehicle 1 so that the person inside cabin 2 can easily leave and / or warm air can escape. The windows and / or the sunroof can remain closed, for example, if the outside temperature is low, such as below 10°C, to prevent cabin 2 from cooling down too much.

[0052] In step 125d, the air conditioning system of cabin 2 is switched on. This allows cabin 2 to be cooled or heated so that the temperature in cabin 2 does not reach life-threatening levels.

Claims

[1] Method for monitoring a cabin (2) of a vehicle (1), in particular a motor vehicle having a plurality of seats (31, 32, 33, 34, 35), the method comprising: Determine (100) whether the vehicle (1) is in a dangerous condition, Determine (110) whether a living being, in particular a child and / or an animal, is in cabin (2), and Carrying out (120) a measure when it has been determined that the vehicle (1) is in a dangerous condition and that there is a living being in the cabin (2), the carrying out (120) of the measure comprising at least one of: Issuing (121) an initial warning message, and Performing (125) a rescue operation. [2] The method of claim 1, wherein carrying out (120) the measure comprises: Determine (122) whether the cabin (2) was checked within an initial period after the first warning message was issued (121). [3] The method of claim 2, wherein carrying out (120) the measure further comprises: Issuing (123) a second warning message if it is determined that the cabin (2) has not been checked within the first period after issuing (121) the first warning message. [4] The method of claim 3, wherein carrying out (120) the measure further comprises: Determine (S124) whether the cabin (2) was checked within a second period after the second warning message was issued (123), [5] Method according to claim 2 or 4, wherein performing a measure (120) comprises issuing (121) the first warning message and performing (125) a rescue measure, wherein if it is determined that the cabin (2) has not been checked within the first period after issuing (121) the first warning message and / or within the second period after issuing (123) the second warning message, the rescue measure is carried out. [6] Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the first and / or second warning message may be one or more of a notification on a smartphone and / or an acoustic warning signal emitted by the vehicle (1), in particular a horn, and / or an optical warning signal emitted by the vehicle (1), in particular an activation of a hazard warning system and / or the front and / or rear headlights of the vehicle (1). [7] Method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein carrying out (125) the rescue measure comprises one or more of: Making (125a) an automated call to an emergency call center, unlocking (125b) a vehicle lock, opening (125c) one or more windows and / or a sunroof of the vehicle (1) and switching on (125d) a cabin air conditioning system (2). [8] Method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein determining (110) whether a living being is in the cabin (2) comprises at least one of: Using a vehicle-integrated detection system comprising at least one camera and / or at least one radar sensor for monitoring the interior, using one or more pressure sensors installed under at least one, in particular each, of the plurality of seats (31, 32, 33, 34, 35), and using a door logic that detects which doors (5a, 5b, 5c, 5d) are opened and closed. [9] Computing unit (10) configured to perform all process steps of a process according to any of the preceding claims. [10] Vehicle (1) comprising a cabin (2) with a plurality of seats (31, 32, 33, 34, 35) and a computing unit (10) according to claim 9. [11] Vehicle (1) according to claim 10, wherein the computing unit (10) has activatable and deactivatable program modules that implement method steps of a method according to any one of claims 1 to 8. [12] Vehicle (1) according to claim 10, wherein at least one program module is deactivated for which the vehicle (1) does not have the necessary hardware. [13] Computer program that causes a computing unit to perform all the process steps of a method according to any one of claims 1 to 8 when it is executed on the computing unit. [14] Machine-readable storage medium with a computer program stored thereon according to claim 13.

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