VEHICLE

Abstract

The vehicle of the present application includes a left-behind detection area which determines whether a person has been left behind in a vehicle or not, and a life extension control area which, if the left-behind detection area determines that the person has been left behind, causes a multitude of areas of the vehicle related to life extension to be activated progressively according to the time elapsed since the person was left behind.

Description

Technical area

[0001] The present application relates to a vehicle that can ensure the safety of an infant, a child and / or the like left in a vehicle. State of the art

[0002] Accidents occur where a driver exits a car or bus and unintentionally leaves an infant or child who was traveling with them in the vehicle (hereinafter referred to simply as "abandonment"). The child is left unattended, resulting in the child being in a dangerous physical condition and, in the worst case, losing their life.

[0003] To prevent such accidents, a technique has been proposed which notifies the driver or emergency services when the abandonment is detected, as described, for example, in the patent literature (hereinafter referred to as “PTL”) 1.

[0004] As described in PTL 2, for example, a technique was proposed whereby, upon detection of a child left behind, not only is a notification sent to the driver or similar, but an air conditioning system or similar device is also activated to improve the climate inside the vehicle and thus ensure the safety of a child left behind. References Patent literature PTL 1 Japanese patent application Publication No. 2020-004242 PTL 2 Japanese patent application Publication No. 2015-147105 Summary of the invention: Technical problem

[0005] With a method where the driver is notified, there is a possibility that the driver will not notice the notification. Furthermore, with a method where emergency services are notified, there is a concern that these services will be frequently called out to rescue operations. Emergency services are usually public institutions, and frequent rescue operations can represent a significant social burden.

[0006] With a method for activating an air conditioner or similar, the operating time of the air conditioner depends on the remaining battery capacity and the gasoline, and it is not always possible to keep the vehicle interior comfortable for a long period of time.

[0007] As described above, conventional measures against abandonment were not developed with sufficient consideration for the capabilities of the vehicle or its surroundings and are therefore considered to be in need of improvement.

[0008] The present application provides a vehicle capable of rescuing an infant, child and / or similar person left behind in a vehicle more accurately and safely than a conventional vehicle. Solution to the problem

[0009] One aspect of a vehicle in the present application includes: a desertedness detection area that recognizes whether a person has been left behind in a vehicle or not; and a life extension control area which, when the abandonment detection area determines that the person has been abandoned, causes a variety of life extension areas of the vehicle to be activated progressively according to an elapsed time after the person was abandoned. Advantageous effects of the invention

[0010] According to the current application, an infant, child and / or similar person left behind in a vehicle can be rescued more accurately and safely compared to conventional techniques. Brief description of the drawings Fig. is a block diagram showing a configuration of a vehicle according to an embodiment; and Fig. is a flowchart that shows the process of the life extension control in a vehicle according to this embodiment. Description of the embodiments

[0011] The embodiments of the present application are described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0012] Fig. Figure 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of vehicle 100 according to an embodiment of the present application. Vehicle 100 is a passenger car, a bus, or the like.

[0013] The vehicle 100 includes a vehicle condition detection area (101), a vehicle interior detection area (102), a driver detection area (103), a vehicle interior comfort detection area (104), a life extension control area (110), a notification area (105), an air conditioning activation area (106), a window opening activation area (107), a door locking / opening activation area (108), and an emergency service notification area (109).

[0014] The vehicle state detection area 101 receives information about the vehicle speed, timer, doors, and parking brake (page P) and uses this information to determine whether the vehicle 100 is in a parked state or not. The vehicle state detection area 101 determines that the vehicle 100 is in a parked state if, for example, 10 minutes or more have elapsed since the vehicle speed was 0 km / h, the door is fully closed, and the parking brake is engaged.

[0015] The vehicle interior detection area 102 receives information about all seats from the camera 102a and the sensor 102b and uses this information to determine whether a person is in the vehicle or not.

[0016] The driver detection area 103 uses information from camera 103a to determine whether a person is in the driver's seat or not.

[0017] The vehicle interior comfort detection area 104 receives information about the temperature in the vehicle, the humidity in the vehicle, the solar radiation in the vehicle and the noise in the vehicle and determines the vehicle interior comfort based on this information.

[0018] The vehicle interior comfort detection area 104 determines the vehicle interior comfort, for example, based on the following information: <1> the temperature is 22°C or lower and the humidity is 55% or lower (determination of cold); <2> The temperature is 28°C or higher and the humidity is 60% or higher (determination of heat); <3> The illuminance exceeds 10,000 lx (direct sunlight); and <4> the presence of 4000Hz tones (crying of an infant).

[0019] If, for example, one of the points <1> until <4> The vehicle interior comfort detection area 104 determines that the vehicle interior is not comfortable.

[0020] The Life Extension Control Area 110 controls the Notification Area 105, the Air Conditioning Activation Area 106, the Window Opening Activation Area 107, the Door Locking / Opening Activation Area 108, and the Emergency Service Notification Area 109 as areas related to life extension, based on the outputs of the Vehicle Condition Detection Area 101, the Vehicle Interior Detection Area 102, the Driver Detection Area 103, and the Vehicle Interior Comfort Detection Area 104.

[0021] The life extension control area 110 contains as its main components a central processing unit (CPU), read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), and the like. The CPU reads a program corresponding to the process content from the ROM, develops the program in RAM, and, in conjunction with the developed program, controls the operations of the notification area 105, the air conditioning activation area 106, the window opening activation area 107, the door locking / opening activation area 108, and the emergency service notification area 109. All or part of the life extension control area 110 can consist of a hard-wired circuit such as an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or a field-programmable gate array (FPGA). The control by the life extension control area 110 is described in detail later.

[0022] Notification area 105 informs the surroundings of vehicle 100 and / or the driver of vehicle 100 about the occurrence of being left behind, based on a control signal from the life extension control area 110. For example, if a notification request is received from the life extension control area 110, notification area 105 will sound the buzzer 105a (which can also be referred to as a safety alarm) for 30 seconds. In addition, notification area 105 will notify the driver's smartphone 105b a total of three times, for example, at 10-minute intervals. In this way, it is possible to notify a person and a driver near vehicle 100 that being left behind has occurred.

[0023] The air conditioning activation area 106 switches on the air conditioning system based on a control signal from the life extension control area 110. At this point, the air conditioning activation area 106 performs the following operations. <1> until <4> through.

[0024] <1> An input of the battery capacity (SOC) is received and it is determined whether the SOC is 90% or more.

[0025] <2> If the SOC is less than 90%, in the case of a vehicle with a combustion engine, the engine will be started, and in the case of an electric vehicle (which includes a battery electric vehicle (BEV), a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV), a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle / plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHEV / PHV), a fuel cell electric vehicle / fuel cell vehicle (FCEV / FCV)), the charging process will be started.

[0026] <3> When a cooling activation request is received from the Life Extension Control Area 111, the opening of the vent is checked first (since the cooling effect is reduced if the vent is artificially closed). Afterward, the cooling system and fan are activated to reach the target temperature.

[0027] <4> When a heating activation request is received from the life extension control area 110, the opening of the vent is checked first (since the heating effect is reduced if the vent is artificially closed). Afterward, the heater and fan are activated to reach the target temperature.

[0028] Window opening activation area 107 opens a window of the vehicle 100 based on a control signal from the life extension control area 110. For example, window opening activation area 107 opens the window at all seats by 5 cm when it receives a window opening activation request from the life extension control area 110. As described above, it is possible to suppress the temperature increase in the vehicle interior without fully opening the window by opening it just enough to limit the temperature increase without compromising security, e.g., in the event of a break-in.

[0029] The door locking / opening activation area 108 releases the vehicle door locking mechanism 100 or releases the door opening mechanism based on a control signal from the life extension control area 110. Specifically, the door locking / opening activation area 108 releases the locking mechanism of all doors when a request to release the locking mechanism is received from the life extension control area 110. In the case of a bus, the door locking / opening activation area 108 also opens the front door and / or the middle door when a door opening request is received from the life extension control area 110. This facilitates the escape of a person left behind from the vehicle and makes it easier for a person nearby to rescue the person left behind.

[0030] Emergency Service Notification Area 109 notifies emergency services, such as the fire department, of the occurrence of a person being left behind and information about the location of the person being left behind, for example, by sending an emergency service notification via telephone call or internet connection, based on a control signal from Life Extension Control Area 110. The location information communicated to emergency services by Emergency Service Notification Area 109 includes, for example, map information about the vehicle 100 in which the person being left behind occurred, GPS information about the latitude and longitude of the vehicle 100, and similar data.

[0031] Next, the functionality of the present embodiment will be described. Fig.is a flowchart showing the process of the life extension control of vehicle 100 according to the present embodiment.

[0032] When the life extension control process is initiated, the life extension control area 110 first determines in step S11 whether or not the vehicle has been vacated. Specifically, the life extension control area 110 determines that the vehicle has been vacated if the vehicle state detection area 101 determines that the vehicle is parked, the vehicle interior detection area 102 receives a detection result indicating that a person is in the vehicle, and the driver detection area 103 receives a detection result indicating that no person is in the driver's seat, and the process proceeds to step S12 (step S11; YES).

[0033] In step S12, the Level 1 life extension control is performed. In step S12, the life extension control area 110 controls the notification area 105 to either sound the vehicle's buzzer 105a or notify the driver's smartphone 105b via email that the vehicle has been left unattended. It should be noted that the buzzer 105a may sound first, and if the vehicle abandonment issue persists, a notification may then be sent to the driver's smartphone.

[0034] In step S13, the life extension control area 110 determines whether or not leaving the child in the vehicle will continue for a predetermined period. If it is determined that leaving the child in the vehicle will continue, the process proceeds to step S14 (step S13; YES). If it is determined that leaving the child in the vehicle will not continue, the process returns to step S11 (step S13; NO). The predetermined time can be, for example, a time preset by the user or modified depending on a detection result from the vehicle interior detection area 104. For instance, it is desirable for the predetermined time to be shorter if the vehicle interior temperature is higher, the amount of light entering the vehicle is greater, and the child is crying louder.

[0035] In step S14, stage 2 of the life extension control is performed. In step S14, the life extension control area 110 controls the air conditioning activation area 106 to regulate the cooling or heating so that the vehicle interior temperature becomes comfortable. At this point, the air conditioning activation area 106 starts the engine or charges the battery according to the remaining battery capacity (SOC) to ensure satisfactory cooling or heating.

[0036] In step S15, the battery life extension control area 110 determines whether the battery life extension process will continue for a predetermined period. If it is determined that the battery life extension process will continue, the process proceeds to step S16 (step S15; YES). If it is determined that the battery life extension process will not continue, the process returns to step S11 (step S15; NO). The predetermined time can be, for example, a time set in advance by the user or can be changed depending on the remaining battery capacity for operating the air conditioner. For example, the smaller the remaining battery capacity for operating the air conditioner, the shorter the predetermined time.

[0037] In step S16, stage 3 of the life extension control is performed. In step S16, the life extension control area 110 controls the window opening activation area 107 and the door locking / opening activation area 108 to open the window, unlock the door, and / or open the door. This allows outside air to enter the vehicle even if the air conditioning is off. This can prevent a rise in the vehicle's interior temperature. Furthermore, it allows the person left behind to easily escape to the outside, or a person near the vehicle 100 can easily rescue the person left behind.

[0038] In step S17, stage 4 of the life extension control is implemented. In step S17, the life extension control unit 110 notifies emergency services (ambulance, fire department, or police) of a rescue request from the emergency service notification unit 109 or similar. This ensures that emergency services are notified after the driver has been alerted and the vehicle's interior comfort has been improved by the air conditioning system, thus reducing the frequency of emergency service call-outs.

[0039] It should be noted that the process of step S17 can be carried out at the same time as step S16, or before step S16 and after step S15. This will speed up the time it takes for emergency services to arrive at vehicle 100 and reduce the time that safety is compromised by carrying out step S16.

[0040] The vehicle 100 of the present embodiment has the following configuration.

[0041] (1) One aspect of the vehicle 100 of the present application comprises a abandonment detection area (vehicle condition detection area 101, vehicle interior detection area 102 and driver detection area 103) that detects whether or not a person has been left in the vehicle 100, and a life extension control area 110 which, when abandonment is detected by the abandonment detection area (vehicle condition detection area 101, vehicle interior detection area 102 and driver detection area 103), causes several life extension areas (notification area 105, air conditioning activation area 106, window opening activation area 107, door locking / door opening activation area 108 and / or emergency service notification area 109) of the vehicle 100 to be activated progressively depending on the time elapsed since the abandonment.

[0042] Accordingly, it is possible to create a vehicle 100 that is capable of rescuing an infant, a child and / or similar person left behind in the vehicle more accurately and safely than with conventional techniques.

[0043] (2) In one aspect of the vehicle 100 of the present application, the life-extending areas (notification area 105, air conditioning activation area 106, window opening activation area 107, door locking / door opening activation area 108 and / or emergency service notification area 109) comprise the air conditioning activation area 106 and an opening activation area (window opening activation area 107 and / or door locking / door opening activation area 108) for the window and / or the door, and the life-extending control area 110 performs an activation operation of an air conditioning system via the air conditioning activation area 106 and subsequently, after a predetermined time, performs an opening operation of the window and / or the door via the opening activation area (window opening activation area 107 and / or door locking / door opening activation area 108).

[0044] In this way, the air conditioning system ensures a comfortable climate in the vehicle interior, and windows and doors are also opened even when the air conditioning system can no longer be activated, so that the life-extending operation can be maintained.

[0045] (3) In one aspect of the vehicle 100 of the present application, the life extension control area (notification area 105, air conditioning activation area 106, window opening activation area 107, door locking / door opening activation area 108 and / or emergency service notification area 109) comprises a first notification area 105 for providing a notification of the vehicle 100 being left in the vicinity of the vehicle 100 and / or for a driver of the vehicle 100, and a second notification area (emergency service notification area) for providing a notification of the vehicle being left to the emergency service, and the notification by the second notification area (emergency service notification area) is provided after the notification by the first notification area 105.

[0046] This can prevent frequent call-outs of the emergency service.

[0047] (4) In one aspect of the vehicle 100 of the present application, the life extension control areas (notification area 105, air conditioning activation area 106, window opening activation area 107, door locking / opening activation area 108 and / or emergency service notification area 109) comprise the air conditioning activation area 106, an opening activation area (window opening activation area 107 and / or door locking / opening activation area 108) for the window and / or door, a first notification area 105 for providing a notification of the vehicle leaving the vehicle in the vicinity of the vehicle 100 and / or to a driver of the vehicle 100, and a second notification area (emergency service notification area) for providing a notification of the vehicle leaving the vehicle to the emergency service.and the life extension control area 110 executes the notification by the first notification area 105, the activation process of the air conditioning system by the air conditioning activation area 106, the opening process of the opening activation area (window opening activation area 107 and / or door locking / door opening activation area 108) and the notification by the second notification area (emergency service notification area) sequentially in the order shown.

[0048] This makes it possible to carry out life-prolongation management in an appropriate sequence, suppressing assistance from an unaffected person as much as possible and suppressing the decrease in safety as much as possible.

[0049] (5) One aspect of the vehicle 100 of the present application further comprises a vehicle interior comfort detection area 104, which determines the comfort in the vehicle 100, wherein, if the vehicle interior comfort detection area 104 concludes that a life-prolonging measure is required, the life-prolonging control area 110 causes the life-prolonging areas (notification area 105, air conditioning activation area 106, window opening activation area 107, door locking / opening activation area 108 for door locking / opening and / or the emergency service notification area 109) to carry out the life-prolonging measure.

[0050] This means that the service life extension can only be carried out if the vehicle interior comfort deteriorates, so that no unnecessary service life extension is carried out.

[0051] The embodiment described above merely provides an example of how the present application can be implemented and should not be construed as limiting the technical scope of the present application. That is to say, the present application can be embodied in various forms without departing from the spirit, scope, or main features of the present application.

[0052] In the embodiment described above, the parking status is determined by the vehicle state detection area 101, but the determination processing of the vehicle state detection area 101 can be omitted. That is, leaving the vehicle can be determined from the absence of a driver and the presence of a person in the vehicle. Industrial applicability

[0053] The present application relates to a vehicle that can ensure the safety of an infant, a child and / or the like left in a vehicle. List of reference symbols 100 vehicles 101 Vehicle condition detection area 102 Vehicle interior detection range 103 Driver recognition area 104 Vehicle interior comfort detection area 105 Notification area 106 Air conditioning activation area 107 Window opening activation area 108 Door locking / door opening activation area 109 Emergency Service Notification Area QUOTES INCLUDED IN THE DESCRIPTION

[0000] This list of documents cited by the applicant was automatically generated and is included solely for the reader's convenience. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA accepts no liability for any errors or omissions. Cited patent literature

[0000] JP 2015-147105

[0004]

Claims

[1] A vehicle comprising: a left-behind detection area that detects whether or not a person has been left behind in a vehicle; and a life extension control area that, when the left-behind detection area determines that the person has been left behind, causes a variety of life extension areas of the vehicle to be activated progressively according to a time elapsed since the person was left behind. [2] The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein: the multitude of life-extending areas include an air conditioning activation area and an opening activation area of ​​a window and / or door, and The life extension control area performs an activation process of an air conditioner via the air conditioner activation area and then, after a predetermined time has elapsed, performs an opening process of the window and / or door via the opening activation area. [3] The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein: the multiple life-prolonging areas include a first notification area to provide a notification in the vicinity of the vehicle and / or for a driver of the vehicle and a second notification area to provide a notification to emergency services, the notifications stating that the person has been left behind, and The notification from the second notification area is provided after the notification from the first notification area. [4] The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein: the multiple life-prolonging areas include an air conditioning activation area, an opening activation area of ​​a window and / or door, a first notification area to provide a notification in the vicinity of the vehicle and / or to a driver of the vehicle, and a second notification area to provide a notification to emergency services, the notifications indicating that the person has been left behind, and The life extension control area executes the notification by the first notification area, an activation process of an air conditioner by the air conditioner activation area, an opening process by the opening activation area, and the notification by the second notification area sequentially in a predefined order. [5] The vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising: a vehicle interior comfort detection area that determines the comfort in the vehicle, whereby If the vehicle interior comfort detection area determines that a life-extending measure is required, the life-extending control area causes the several areas associated with the life-extending measure to carry out the life-extending measure.

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