Passenger vehicle verification device

Abstract

Device (90) for a passenger transport vehicle, to assist in verifying that no person remains in the vehicle at the end of the journey, the device comprising a housing, a microcontroller (1) mounted on an electronic board (20) housed in the housing, an audible indicator (3) and / or a visual indicator (2), a local energy storage unit (4), for example a battery, a validation button (5) intended to be activated by the vehicle driver at the end of the transport mission, a single positive power supply input (6) corresponding to the vehicle's +APC signal, a battery isolation switch (7), the microcontroller being configured to, in response to a falling edge of the +APC signal, activate an audible and / or visual alarm, and then configured to, in response to pressing the validation button, end the alarm and produce a positive verification output. Abstract Figure: Figure 3

Description

Description Title of the invention: Vehicle verification device passengers Context and earlier art

[0001] — The present invention relates generally to safety equipment in the Passenger transport vehicles. More specifically, we are interested here in dis- positives providing assistance in verifying that no person, for example that no child remained in the vehicle at the end of the transport service. An app- The application concerns coaches or school transport buses.

[0002] This type of device has already been proposed for equipping coaches or buses school transport. But among the proposed options, the option in question is electrically powered by the bus's electrical network, in particular by an ali- mentation available at all times and not just when the ignition is on the bus. The device therefore draws power from the bus's own electrical network. when the alternator is not turning, which is unfavorable for the electrical balance and the bus's battery range. In addition, the interface wiring with the vehicle requires 3 conductive wires.

[0003] — The inventors sought to propose a more ingenious solution from the point of view of the overall electrical architecture with the bus or coach network, and the The proposed solution is outlined below. Description of the invention

[0004] To this end, a device is therefore proposed for a transport vehicle passengers, the device providing assistance in verifying that no person is remaining in the vehicle at the end of the transport mission, the device comprising:

[0005] —-a box,

[0006] - a microcontroller (1) mounted on an electronic board housed in the casing,

[0007] — - an audible indicator (3) and / or a visual indicator (2),

[0008] — - a local energy storage device, for example but not exclusively a rechargeable battery

[0009] - a confirmation button (5), intended to be activated by the driver of the vehicle in End of transport mission.

[0010] — - a single positive power supply input (6) corresponding to the after-contact signal {+APC) of the vehicle,

[0011] - a grounding terminal (GND),

[0012] - an isolation switch (7) of the local energy storage unit,

[0013] — the microcontroller being configured to, in response to a falling edge of the input unique power supply, activate an audible and / or visual alarm, and configured to then, in response to a press of the validation button, end the alarm and produce a positive verification output, In the device presented here, the term "local energy storage device" should be understood in a broad sense; it can refer to electrical energy, mechanical energy, or any other form of storable energy. As one example, the local energy storage device could be a rechargeable battery, which could be an electrochemical battery or a supercapacitor ('ultracap'). The use of other local energy storage elements is also possible, for example, kinetic energy storage, gas compression storage, etc. Thanks to the features described above, the device provides a strong incentive in the form of an alarm, prompting the vehicle driver to check the passenger compartment and ensure that no passengers remain on board the bus or coach. The alarm stops as soon as the driver presses the confirmation button. The alarm, in the form of an audible and / or visual signal, is triggered by the device even when it is no longer powered by the vehicle, as the driver has switched off the engine and ignition before making the check. The rechargeable battery (or storage unit) provides enough power to operate the alarm, in the form of an audible and / or visual signal, for up to a few minutes. Advantageously, the interface wiring with the vehicle is very simple; it is reduced to the +APC connection and a ground point. Note that the audible indicator can typically be a buzzer and the visual indicator can typically be an LED. For the purposes of this document, the term "transport mission" should be understood as a specific transport service, a school bus route, or a transport cycle with a predetermined itinerary. After this mission, the vehicle is intended to remain unused for a considerable period, i.e., from one to several hours. In various embodiments of the invention, one may also use one and / or the other of the following provisions, taken individually or in combination. In one aspect, the microcontroller is configured to open the isolation switch after a delay following an alarm cycle, and to close the isolation switch as soon as the single power input receives a positive supply. Furthermore, the local energy storage device is recharged when the isolation switch is closed and the single power input receives a positive supply; the local energy storage device is thus protected from all energy flow when the isolation switch is open. In this way, the local energy storage unit is used as a temporary energy reserve, and the presence of the device and its battery does not at all call into question the sizing of the bus's electrical network, including its battery; the autonomy is not reduced by the presence of the additional device and its battery. In one respect, the local energy storage device is a rechargeable battery. It is an inexpensive and compact component. The behavior of rechargeable batteries is now well understood and controlled. In one configuration, the microcontroller is set to open the battery isolation switch after a delay following an alarm cycle, and to close the battery isolation switch as soon as the single power input receives a positive supply. Furthermore, the battery is recharged when the isolation switch is closed and the single power input receives a positive supply; the battery is protected from any current flow when the isolation switch is open. Therefore, the rechargeable battery is used as a temporary power reserve, and the presence of the device and its battery does not affect the sizing of the bus's electrical network, including its battery, as the operating time is not reduced by the presence of the additional device and its battery. In one aspect, a display is provided to show at least a successful verification result, or conversely, the absence of a verification. The display can indicate that the verification was performed, even long after the mission has ended. A third party other than the driver can verify that the verification routine was indeed carried out by the driver. In one respect, the display can be a passive bistable type, requiring no constant power supply. This allows for a display without energy consumption. Examples include a colored disc or any element with two positions (e.g., a flag). It can also be an electronic paper / electronic ink display or any other bistable display technology. Depending on the aspect, the housing and / or display is equipped with suction cups (9) for fixing to a vehicle window in order to provide visibility of the display from outside the vehicle. This allows verification of the routine's application without entering the vehicle. In one aspect, the microcontroller is configured to interrupt an ongoing alarm cycle if the single power input receives a positive supply. If the driver restarts the engine or continues the mission, the verification process is deferred and will be performed after the next ignition interruption (future falling edge +APC). In one design, all device components can be contained within the housing, and the display, if present, is either adjacent to or integrated into the housing. This makes the device compact and easy to install. The housing naturally provides mechanical and physicochemical protection for the components it contains. Depending on one aspect, the device can be equipped with both a visual indicator (2) and an audible indicator (3). Advantageously, this reinforces the driver's motivation and prevents them from inadvertently forgetting to carry out the required check. Depending on one aspect, the device may also include a direct and / or indirect coupler (15) for transmitting information to a remote device. This information transmission includes at least the vehicle's status: started, stopped (not verified), and stopped (verified). The information transmission can be performed in real time or as soon as communication with the remote device is possible, by temporarily storing the information in a memory location within the microcontroller. Depending on the model, the coupler can be a radio frequency coupler, for example, such as SigFox, LoRaWAN, Bluetooth, or Wi-Fi, integrated into the electronic board, enabling wireless data transmission to the remote equipment. Information transmission and the retrieval of verification data can be implemented without additional installation or cabling. Depending on the configuration, an auxiliary output such as a dry contact can be provided. A micro relay or any other type of contactor, preferably one with galvanic isolation from the rest of the vehicle's circuit, can be used for this purpose. This output can be connected to the vehicle's fleet management and / or geolocation system, which is part of the transport vehicle's equipment. This provides a simple and reliable means of communication between the verification device and the vehicle's dashboard, or more generally, its equipment, which may already contain remote transmission capabilities. In one aspect, the microcontroller may include a memory (12) and a timestamp clock, and alarm sequences with timestamps are stored in memory. Post-processing analyses can be performed on the data stored in memory. According to one aspect, the isolation switch (7) of the local energy storage unit includes at least one MOSFET transistor. This transistor can be easily controlled by the electronic board and is very reliable. According to one aspect, the isolation switch (7) of the local energy storage unit includes a pair of MOSFETs to manage the different states of the battery: charging, discharging and complete circuit interruption in standby mode. In one aspect, a MOSFET pair consists of two MOSFETs arranged in series. A MOSFET pair can consist of a P-channel MOSFET and an N-channel MOSFET. In one aspect, the device also includes a battery charging circuit. This allows the battery to be recharged during school transport service periods to ensure a sufficient energy level for proper battery operation. The battery charging circuit also protects the battery in case of excessive temperature. The present invention also relates to a passenger transport vehicle equipped with a device as described above, the device being arranged at the rear of the passenger compartment, i.e., opposite the driver's seat. This position requires the vehicle's driver to walk down the central aisle of the bus to activate the acknowledgement (i.e., validation) button. Depending on one aspect, the device can be fixed to the rear window, inside, preferably using suction cups, or it can be fixed to the rear panel of the vehicle. Other aspects, objects, and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of one embodiment of the invention, given by way of non-limiting example. The invention will also be better understood with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: -Fig.1 schematically illustrates a bus or coach with a verification aid device arranged at the back of the passenger compartment, - Figure [Fig. 2] illustrates a block diagram of the verification aid device, - the |[Fig.3] illustrates a functional diagram in a standby / standby position, - Figure 4 shows a time diagram illustrating a complete sequence of operation, - Figure 5 illustrates a functional diagram during vehicle operation. - Figure 6 illustrates a functional diagram in an ongoing alarm state. - Figure 7 illustrates the mounting on glass using suction cups. - Figure 8 shows a perspective view of the device in an all-in-one version. - Fig. 9 illustrates an example of implementation of the rechargeable battery isolation switch. In the various figures, the same references designate identical or similar elements. For clarity, some elements may not be shown to scale. Figure 1 shows a passenger transport vehicle 91, which in the illustrated example is a bus or school coach. However, the passenger transport vehicle can be a bus or coach of any type, including a minibus. The driver, sometimes also called a "chauffeur," is responsible for implementing a routine for the end of a transport mission. In practice, after switching off the engine, the driver is supposed to walk along the aisle of the bus or coach and go to the end of it, checking along the way that no person, for example a child or other, has remained inside the bus. The driver's cab is located at the front of the bus, and in the example shown, the engine is at the rear of the bus. However, in another example, the engine could be at the front of the bus. According to [Fig. 1], a device 90 is to be installed on the rear window or rear bulkhead of the vehicle. This device assists in the aforementioned verification. It consists of a box that can be attached to the rear window or rear bulkhead of the bus. As we will see later, in Figures 7 and 8, a suction cup system can be used to attach the box to the window on the inside of the bus. In another embodiment, the box could be fixed elsewhere than on the window, but still in a rear portion of the vehicle's aisle, because this will indeed require the driver to come and press a validation button located on the box at that location. With reference to Figures 2 and 3, the device comprises a housing 9, with a validation button 5, intended to be activated by the vehicle driver at the end of the transport service. In this document, the term acknowledgment button is also used to refer to the validation button. In addition, the device includes an audible indicator 3, intended to attract the driver's attention and to materialize the need to press the validation button 5 to validate the verification procedure of the fact that no one has remained in the vehicle. Audible indicator 3 can typically be a buzzer. Such a buzzer provides a high-pitched and powerful signal. Note that the volume of the sound emitted by the buzzer may increase with the duration of the alarm activation. Also, the audible indication may consist of intermittent beeps or a continuous sound. In addition, the device may include a light indicator 2. The light indicator 2 may typically be a light-emitting diode (LED). The LED's operation may be intermittent, at a fixed or variable frequency, as may the light intensity it produces. The patterns emitted by the audible indicator and / or the visual indicator can also be changed randomly between each use in order to combat the phenomenon of driver habituation to the stimulus. Regarding the device's wired power supply, the device first includes a grounding terminal (GND). This potential is readily accessible in the vehicle; any metal chassis part can be grounded. Furthermore, the device is designed to be connected to a single positive power supply 6. This single positive power supply corresponds to the vehicle's "ignition-switched" (+APC) signal. The "ignition-switched" signal is called "IGN" in English, from the term 'Ignition'. This ignition-switched signal is activated and necessary for the engine to run. On a conventional bus or coach, the voltage is typically 24V. In practice, this term encompasses a range of 18 to 32 volts. If the bus is based on a van platform, the positive voltage applied to the ignition-switched network is 12V. Again, this term typically covers a range of 9 to 16 volts. If the vehicle is a hybrid or electric vehicle, the voltage applied to the ignition-switched network may differ from the values ​​mentioned above. When the driver turns off the ignition key, the positive after-ignition signal goes from a positive voltage to a voltage close to zero. Put another way, when the + APC is cut, the line which brings the positive power supply to the device, through a single positive input, carries a substantially zero voltage, therefore no longer provides electrical power (zero current drawn). To prevent electrical current from flowing back from the device to the vehicle, a reverse current blocking diode marked 26 is provided (see [Fig.2]). Furthermore, the device includes a rechargeable battery 4. This battery forms a local energy reserve which allows the device to operate, particularly in the phase of particular interest which is the phase which follows the interruption of the + APC. More generally, any local energy storage device can be used in place of the rechargeable battery shown. The rechargeable battery can be, for example, a lithium-ion battery or a nickel-metal hydride battery, or any other type of electrochemical battery or energy storage device. Alternatively, the rechargeable battery can be formed as a supercapacitor, in other words, an "ultracapacitor" type component. The device also includes a battery charging circuit 16, and a battery isolation switch 7, the function and utility of which will be seen below. The isolation switch 7 can be an electronic switch or a micro relay. Battery capacity 4 is between 500 mAh and 5000 mAh. The device also includes a microcontroller 1 mounted on an electronic board 20. The microcontroller includes a memory 12 and a timestamp clock. Alarm sequences are thus timestamped, and the verification sequence report with timestamp is recorded in memory. The device may also include a wireless transmission circuit, such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Sigfox, LoRa, etc. This transmission circuit, also called a coupler, can be connected to a remote device such as a smartphone, tablet, or other device. Communication can be unidirectional, from the device to the remote device. Bidirectional communication is also possible. The device may also include a dry contact type output. This output is connected to a relay 18 installed on the electronic board 20. The 2 output terminals of the relay can be connected by wires, illustrated in dotted lines in [Fig.2], to the electrical system of the transport vehicle, and in particular to its fleet and route management system. Instead of a relay, an optocoupling transistor, or any other contactor-type element, preferably including a galvanic isolation function with the rest of the vehicle's circuit, can be used. When the transport vehicle is equipped with a system for managing transport missions and routes completed, the information provided by the verification device 90 can be integrated into the transport mission management system. The information transmitted can be of the all-or-nothing type, or pulse-width modulation, or any other coding. In addition, a USB port can be provided, either in place of or alongside the dry contact output. This USB port allows for programming and updating the microcontroller's program. It also allows for retrieving data stored in memory 12, only a portion of which was transmitted by the wireless coupler 15. Optionally, a display is provided. In the illustrated example, this display is a passive bistable type. It does not require a permanent power supply. This allows for a display without energy consumption. It could be, for example, an electronic paper display or electronic ink. Any other bistable display technology could also be suitable, for example, a movable colored disc or any element with two positions (e.g., a flag). Functioning Referring to [Fig. 4], the operating phase labeled / a / corresponds to a transport service performed by the driver's vehicle. During this power phase, the vehicle's ignition-switched power is established. This phase / a / can be quite short or long, for example, from a few minutes to several hours. When the +APC power supply is cut off, at time t4, microcontroller 1 detects a front falling on a corresponding input. At this moment the / c / phase begins, consisting of operations to verify non-presence on board the bus. At time t5, which follows time t4 by a short delay (e.g. 2 to 5 seconds), the alarm phase begins, namely the emission of a sound signal on buzzer 3. In the general case, the next event is the driver pressing the validation button 5 at time t6 in the illustrated example. The button press is detected by the microcontroller, which causes the audible and / or visual alarm to stop. Immediately afterwards, if the verification result is transmitted remotely, at time t7, the time-stamped data is transmitted remotely, for example, to a server, tablet, or smartphone (such as the driver's). For example, the report is encoded and / or encrypted. After this, it is no longer necessary to keep the device active, and the microcontroller 1 can then trigger the opening of the battery switch 7. On the timing diagram in [Fig. 4], this event occurs at time t8. Since there is no longer any incident power supply from the +APC during this phase, opening the battery isolation switch corresponds to a "suicide" of the device. Only a rising edge on the +APC input will be able to reactivate microcontroller 1. Regarding the switch control logic, the microcontroller is configured to cause the battery isolation switch to open after a delay following an alarm cycle, and to cause the battery isolation switch to close shortly after the single power input receives a positive supply. The battery is recharged from the vehicle's on-board network when the isolation switch is closed and the single power input receives a positive supply. In addition, the battery is protected from any discharge when the isolation switch 7 is open. Figure 4 also illustrates, using dashed lines, the case where the driver does not perform the routine check. In this case, the alarm continues to sound until a timeout occurs at time t9. Just after the timeout expires and before the switch 7 is opened, the time-stamped data indicating the non-check is transmitted remotely, for example, to a server. Regarding the transmission of data, instead of being done continuously as mentioned above, the data can be downloaded at the end of the day and / or upon the return of the vehicle to the depot. The BMS 16 charger's function is to manage the charging and maintenance of the battery charge according to the specifications of the battery technology used, in order to guarantee the safety of battery operation and to optimize its lifespan. For this purpose, particularly during the rising edge phase of the APC power supply, as shown in [Fig. 4] (beginning of phase / a / ), the isolation switch 7 is only closed after verification that the rechargeable battery can be recharged. This occurs at time t2, which closely follows time t1 of the rising edge of the +APC. After a short delay, at time t3, the transport mission is considered to be in progress, and the alarm enters an 'armed' state. The alarm will then be triggered at the next interruption of the +APC. Other points According to one embodiment, all the components described above are housed in the casing. The casing 9 can be made of polyamide, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polylactic acid (PLA), or other material related to or with behavior similar to thermoplastics. As illustrated in figures 7 and 8, the case 9 has a length denoted L9, a width denoted W9 and a height denoted H9 which form the overall dimensions of the case. In one example, the enclosure has modest dimensions, making it very easy to install. For example, L9 < 130mm, H9 < 60mm, and W9 < 50mm. However, this enclosure houses the buzzer and the rechargeable battery, which are relatively large components compared to the others. Regarding the display's dimensions, it has modest dimensions, very favorable for easy installation, with a length denoted LB, a width denoted W8, and a height denoted H8, which together form the overall dimensions of the enclosure. For example, L8 < 180mm, H8 < 100mm, and W8 < 40mm. The housing 9 and the display 8 can be joined together as shown in figures 7 and 8. However, in other configurations, they can be separated. In one particular example, the display is equipped with 93 suction cups which can be applied to the rear window 39 of the bus. In other configurations, the housing could be fixed using a Velcro system, or by screwing, or by clipping. As a particular embodiment of the isolation switch, as illustrated in [Fig.9], the isolation switch here comprises two MOSFETs arranged in series. The first MOSFET 71 is an N-channel type MOSFET, with a freewheeling diode marked 710. The second MOSFET 72 is a P-channel type MOSFET, with a freewheeling diode marked 720. In addition, the device is equipped with a battery temperature sensor marked 14. The logic of the battery charging circuit is marked 16 and is an integral part of the microcontroller 1 in the illustrated example. In an operating mode where the rechargeable battery 4 is completely isolated, the two transistors 71 and 72 are blocked and no current flows from the battery. Note that the diodes are back-to-back, and therefore no current flows through them. In an operating mode where the rechargeable battery 4 is being recharged, both transistors 71 and 72 are conducting and the rechargeable battery accepts incident current from the power input 6. Similarly, when the power input is at 0, i.e. after the +APC is switched off, to locally power the device elements, both transistors 71 and 72 are conducting and the rechargeable battery provides the energy needed to produce the audible and / or visual alarm. Battery 4 can only be recharged if its temperature does not exceed a predetermined threshold. This predetermined threshold could be, for example, 70°C. Furthermore, charging is only initiated if the attention per cell is <1.34 V. Therefore, another operating mode is provided in which the first transistor 71 is blocked while the second transistor 72 is conducting. This is the case where battery charging is not permitted, but the rechargeable battery can deliver current via a freewheeling diode 710 and the conducting transistor 72.

Claims

Demands

1. 1. Device (90) for a passenger transport vehicle, lc device providing assistance in verifying that no person is remained in the vehicle at the end of the transport mission, the system comprising: - a case (9), - a microcontroller (1) mounted on an electronic board (20) housed inside the case, - an audible indicator (3) and / or a visual indicator (2) - a local energy storage device (4), - a confirmation button (5), intended to be activated by the driver of the vehicle at the end of its transport mission, - a single positive power supply input (6) corresponding to the signal after ignition (+APC) of the vehicle, - a grounding (GND) pole, - an isolation switch (7) for the local energy storage unit, the microcontroller being configured to, in response to an edge descending from the single power input, activate an audible alarm and / or visual, and configured to then, in response to a press on the confirm button, end the alarm and produce a positive output of verification.

2. 2. Device according to claim 1, wherein the storage element The local power source is a rechargeable battery.

3. 3. Device according to claim 2, wherein the microcontroller is configured to trigger an opening of the isolation switch of the battery after a delay following an alarm cycle, and for trigger the battery isolation switch to close as soon as the single power input receives a positive supply, the battery being recharged when the isolation switch is closed and that the single power input receives a positive supply, the The battery is protected from any current draw when the isolation switch is open.

4. 4. Device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein it is provided a display (8) to display at least one positive output of veri- fication.

5. 5. Device according to claim 4, wherein the display is of type passive bistable and does not require a permanent power supply.

6. 6. A device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein all the The components of the device are contained within the housing (9), and the display when present, is adjacent to or integrated into the casing.

7. '7, Device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, equipped with both the light indicator (2) and the audible indicator (3).

8. 8. Device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising a direct and / or indirect feedback coupler (15) to a remote equipment.

9. 9. Device according to claim 8, wherein the coupler is a radio frequency coupler of the SigFox, LoRaWAN, Bluetooth or Wifi type arranged on the electronic board and wireless transmission is planned data to remote equipment.

10. 10. Device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein it is an auxiliary output of the dry contact type is planned.

11. 11. A device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the isolation switch (7) of the local energy storage unit includes at least one MosFet transistor.

12. 2 Passenger transport vehicle (91) equipped with a device according to one of claims 1 to 11, the device being arranged at the bottom of the passenger compartment, i.e., opposite the driver's seat.

13. 13. Vehicle according to claim 12, wherein the device is fixed on the inside of the rear window, preferably using suction cups (93), or fixed to the rear panel of the vehicle.

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