Driver monitoring system

Abstract

To provide a driver monitoring system which inhibits an imaging device from receiving light from a light emitting part which hits an occupant sitting behind a driver seat to image a face of a driver clearly.SOLUTION: A driver monitoring system 50 includes: a transmission part 31 which transmits detection waves toward a driver seat side of a vehicle; an imaging part 33 including a reception part 32 which receives reflection waves reflected at the driver seat side and configured to capture images of a driver based on the reflection waves received by the reception part 32; and a driver monitoring device 30 which monitors a state of the driver based on information from the imaging part 33. An on-vehicle device 20 is provided at an upper part of an instrument panel 2 of the vehicle and the on-vehicle device 20 has: a display part 21 which displays information; and an outer frame 22 which holds an outer periphery of the display part 21. The reception part 32 is disposed at the driver seat side in the outer frame 22. The transmission part 31 is disposed below the on-vehicle device 20 and closer to the side opposite to the driver seat side relative to a center in a vehicle width direction of the on-vehicle device 20 in the instrument panel 2.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a driver monitoring system for monitoring the state of a driver. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art It is known to provide a driver photographing device in a vehicle cabin for photographing the face of the driver in order to monitor the state of the driver of the vehicle.

[0003] For example, the driver photographing device disclosed in FIG. 1 of Patent Document 1 is a driver photographing device for photographing a driver in a vehicle in which an on-board device is erected from the upper surface of the center of the instrument panel in the vehicle width direction, and is equipped with a camera lens built into the on-board device with an incident surface facing the driver side, and a light-emitting unit built into the on-board device with an exit surface facing the driver side, with the camera lens provided at an end of the on-board device on the driver's side in the vehicle width direction, and the light-emitting unit provided at an end of the on-board device on the passenger's side in the vehicle width direction. Furthermore, the driver photographing device disclosed in FIG. 5 of Patent Document 1 is a driver photographing device for photographing a driver in a vehicle in which an on-board device is erected from the upper surface of the center of the instrument panel in the vehicle width direction, and a hazard lamp switch is provided below the on-board device, in the center of the instrument panel in the vehicle width direction and halfway between the upper and lower ends of the steering wheel in the vertical direction of the vehicle, and the driver photographing device is provided with a camera lens built into the driver's seat side in the vehicle width direction and upper vertical direction ends of the outer frame of both ends of the hazard lamp switch in the vehicle width direction, and a light-emitting unit built into the passenger seat side in the vehicle width direction and lower vertical direction ends of the outer frame of both ends of the hazard lamp switch in the vehicle width direction. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6481970 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The driver photographing device disclosed in Fig. 1 of Patent Document 1 has a light emitting unit in an in-vehicle device that stands on the upper surface of the center of the instrument panel in the vehicle width direction, so the light from the light emitting unit also illuminates the seat behind the driver, and the light that hits the face of the passenger sitting in the seat behind the driver is also received by the photographing device as noise. For this reason, there is a risk that the driver's face will be mistaken for the face of the passenger sitting in the back seat.

[0006] On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 5 of Patent Document 1, if a camera lens is placed on a hazard lamp switch provided below an on-board device that is erected on the upper surface of the central part of the instrument panel in the vehicle width direction, the distance between the camera lens and the occupant's face will be too great, and there is a risk that the driver's face cannot be clearly recognized.

[0007] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a driver monitoring system having an imaging unit that can clearly capture the driver's face while preventing the receiving unit from receiving light from the light-emitting unit that hits an occupant behind the driver's seat. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] One aspect of the present invention is a driver monitoring system comprising a transmitter that transmits detection waves toward the driver's side of the vehicle, a receiver that receives reflected waves reflected at the driver's side, an imaging unit that captures an image of the driver based on the reflected waves received by the receiver, and a driver monitoring device that monitors the driver's condition based on information from the imaging unit, wherein an on-board device is provided on the upper part of the vehicle's instrument panel, the on-board device has a display unit that displays information and an outer frame that holds the outer periphery of the display unit, the receiver unit is located on the driver's side of the outer frame, and the transmitter unit is located on the instrument panel below the on-board device and on the anti-driver's side of the center of the on-board device in the vehicle width direction. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention, a driver monitoring system can be provided that has an imaging unit that can clearly capture the driver's face while preventing the receiving unit from receiving light from the light-emitting unit that hits an occupant behind the driver's seat. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a front view of an instrument panel of a vehicle equipped with a driver monitoring system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a control block diagram of the driver monitoring system according to the present embodiment. [Diagram 3] 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view of an instrument panel of a vehicle equipped with a driver monitoring device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] 1 is a plan view of an instrument panel of a vehicle equipped with a driver monitoring system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] 1 is a partial enlarged view of an instrument panel including a driver monitoring system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] 2 is a partial enlarged view of an instrument panel including a transmitter of the driver monitoring system according to the embodiment. FIG. [Figure 7] 1 is a front view of an instrument panel for explaining the arrangement of a driver monitoring system according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] Hereinafter, an embodiment of a driver monitoring system 50 including a driver monitoring device 30 according to the present invention and an imaging unit 33 including a transmitter 31 and a receiver 32 will be described with reference to the attached drawings. In the drawings, the arrow Fr indicates the front in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. The arrow R indicates the right side when an occupant looks ahead of the vehicle. The arrow U indicates the upper side of the vehicle. In addition, when the vehicle travels straight, the center line connecting the centers of the left and right wheels on the front or rear sides will be referred to as the vehicle width reference line S hereinafter.

[0012] FIG. 1 is a front view of an instrument panel 2 of a vehicle equipped with a driver monitoring system 50 according to the present embodiment, excluding a passenger seat side (left side in FIG. 1). This embodiment shows a so-called right-hand steering wheel in which the driver's seat is arranged on the right side of the vehicle interior 100 when facing the vehicle front, but in the case of a so-called left-hand steering wheel in which the driver's seat is arranged on the left side of the vehicle interior 100 when facing the vehicle front, the configuration is symmetrical to the configuration shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is an example of a control block diagram of the driver monitoring system 50 according to the present invention. FIG. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the instrument panel 2 of a vehicle equipped with a driver monitoring device 30 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 4 is a plan view of the instrument panel 2 of a vehicle equipped with a driver monitoring device 30 according to the present embodiment. Note that some vehicles do not have a passenger seat, so in the following, the "passenger seat side" refers to the opposite side to the driver's seat in a vehicle without a passenger seat.

[0013] The driver monitoring system 50 according to the present invention includes an imaging unit 33 including a receiving unit 32 mounted on an upper portion of an instrument panel 2 of a vehicle, a driver monitoring device 30 arranged on the instrument panel 2 for monitoring the state of the driver, and a transmitting unit 31 arranged on the instrument panel 2. The instrument panel 2 of the vehicle equipped with the driver monitoring system 50 will be described with reference to Figs. 1, 3 and 4. As shown in Fig. 1, an instrument panel 2 extending in the vehicle width direction below a front windshield 1 is provided in the front part of a vehicle interior 100. A steering wheel 3 for controlling the traveling direction of the vehicle is attached to a part of the instrument panel 2 on the driver's seat side (the part on the right side in Fig. 1). An in-vehicle device 20 described later is attached to the center part of the instrument panel 2.

[0014] The instrument panel 2 is composed of an upper member 4 and a lower member 5 arranged above and below. The upper member 4 is composed of a top surface portion 6 and a rear surface portion 7. The top surface portion 6 faces upward and extends in the vehicle width direction so as to connect both sides of the vehicle interior 100. A front windshield 1 is arranged in front of the top surface portion 6. The rear surface portion 7 is arranged between the top surface portion 6 and the lower member 5 and extends in the vehicle width direction so as to connect both sides of the vehicle interior 100.

[0015] The rear surface portion 7 is composed of a vertical surface portion 7a, the upper end of which is connected to the rear end of the top surface portion 6 and faces rearward, a flat surface portion 7b, the front end of which is connected to the lower end of the vertical surface portion 7a and faces upward, and an upward inclined portion 7c, the upper end of which is connected to the rear end of the flat surface portion 7b and the lower end of which is connected to the upper end of the lower member 5. As shown in FIG. 3, the upward inclined portion 7c is formed so as to incline rearward, i.e., upward, as it goes downward from the upper end of the upward inclined portion 7c. The upward inclined portion 7c is disposed from the passenger seat side end of the instrument panel 2 in the vehicle width direction to the column cover. The vertical position of the upward inclined portion 7c is disposed approximately the same as the center position of the steering wheel 3 or slightly lower than the center position of the steering wheel 3.

[0016] 4, the upward inclined portion 7c in the rear surface portion 7 has a driver's side inclined portion 7d having a design surface (surface on the inside of the vehicle compartment) inclined so that the passenger side is located rearward from the driver's side, i.e., inclined forward from the passenger side toward the driver's side and directed toward the driver's side, and a passenger's side inclined portion 7e adjacent to the passenger side of the driver's side inclined portion 7d and inclined so that the driver's side is located rearward from the passenger side and directed toward the passenger side. That is, the upward inclined portion 7c has the driver's side inclined portion 7d having a design surface inclined toward the driver's side with respect to the vehicle width reference line S, and the passenger's side inclined portion 7e having a design surface inclined toward the passenger side with respect to the vehicle width reference line S. The inclination angle of the driver's side inclined portion 7d with respect to the vehicle width reference line S is α degrees. The connection portion between the driver's seat side inclined portion 7d and the passenger seat side inclined portion 7e is a bulging portion 7f that bulges rearward from both sides in the vehicle width direction of the rear surface portion 7. That is, as shown in Fig. 4, when the instrument panel 2 is viewed from above (plan view), the upwardly inclined portion 7c of the rear surface portion 7 is formed in a mountain shape with the bulging portion 7f bulging rearward.

[0017] The rear end of the flat portion 7b connected to the upper end of the upward inclined portion 7c is formed in a mountain shape to match the shapes of the driver's seat side inclined portion 7d and the passenger's seat side inclined portion 7e of the upward inclined portion 7c. A bulging portion 7f formed by connecting the driver's seat side inclined portion 7d and the passenger's seat side inclined portion 7e is located on the passenger's seat side of the center of the instrument panel 2 in the vehicle width direction. Both the driver's seat side inclined portion 7d and the passenger's seat side inclined portion 7e are formed to incline downward, i.e., upward, from the front to the rear.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 1, the in-vehicle device 20 is provided in the center in the vehicle width direction of the upper member 4 constituting the upper side of the instrument panel 2. Specifically, the in-vehicle device 20 is arranged in the center in the vehicle width direction of the instrument panel 2 so as not to overlap with the steering wheel 3 in the vehicle width direction. The in-vehicle device 20 is incorporated in the instrument panel 2 so as to stand upright from the flat surface portion 7b of the rear surface portion 7, straddling the top surface portion 6 and the rear surface portion 7. The in-vehicle device 20 is also arranged at a position corresponding to the driver's seat side inclined portion 7d on the flat surface portion 7b whose rear end is connected to the upper end of the upward inclined portion 7c. Therefore, the in-vehicle device 20 is arranged on the driver's seat side of the bulging portion 7f in the vehicle width direction.

[0019] Moreover, the in-vehicle device 20 is arranged so as to follow the inclination of the driver's seat side inclined portion 7d in a plan view. Therefore, the in-vehicle device 20 is inclined toward the driver's side. In addition, the upward inclined portion 7c is arranged on the lower side of the in-vehicle device 20. The in-vehicle device 20 in this embodiment is an in-vehicle device incorporated in the instrument panel 2, and is not a so-called retrofit type in-vehicle device.

[0020] The in-vehicle device 20 is a display device having a display unit 21 which is a display for displaying information, and an outer frame 22 which holds the outer periphery of the display unit 21. The display unit 21 is substantially rectangular, and the outer frame 22 which holds the display unit 21 is horizontally elongated with the dimension in the vehicle width direction being longer than the dimension in the up-down direction. In this embodiment, the in-vehicle device 20 is a navigation device which assists the driver in driving. In this embodiment, the in-vehicle device 20 is a navigation device, but is not limited thereto, and the in-vehicle device 20 may be an audio device or a display device which displays the speed, the number of revolutions, etc. The passenger seat side end of the outer frame 22 of the in-vehicle device 20 substantially coincides with the bulging portion 7f arranged on the lower side of the in-vehicle device 20 in the vehicle width direction.

[0021] Next, referring to Figs. 1, 5, and 6, a specific shape of the upward inclined portion 7c at the center of the instrument panel 2 in the vehicle width direction will be described. Fig. 5 is a partial enlarged view of the vicinity of the center of the instrument panel 2 in the vehicle width direction. Fig. 6 is a partial enlarged view of the upward inclined portion 7c at the center of the instrument panel 2 in the vehicle width direction. As shown in Figs. 1, 5, and 6, the driver's seat side inclined portion 7d of the upward inclined portion 7c is provided with a concave portion 10 formed in a concave shape with respect to the design surface of the driver's seat side inclined portion 7d so as to be located at the center of the instrument panel 2 in the vehicle width direction. The concave portion 10 is located at the center of the instrument panel 2 in the vehicle width direction, and the passenger seat side end of the concave portion 10 in the vehicle width direction approximately coincides with the bulge portion 7f in the vehicle width direction. In addition, the concave portion 10 is disposed slightly below the center position of the steering wheel 3 in the vertical direction. The concave portion 10 is formed in an isosceles trapezoid shape with the lower side longer than the upper side. The driver's seat side of the concave portion 10 in the vehicle width direction overlaps with the passenger seat side of the steering wheel 3 in the vehicle width direction. The cabin side surface of the bottom wall 11 of the concave portion 10 is formed to be approximately parallel to the design surface of the driver's seat side inclined portion 7d, and like the driver's seat side inclined portion 7d, the bottom wall 11 also inclines rearward from the upper edge of the bottom wall 11 downward, i.e., inclined upward, toward the driver's seat side.

[0022] The bottom wall 11 is formed with an air outlet 12 through which air conditioned by an air conditioning system installed in a vehicle (not shown) is blown out, and a louver 13 for adjusting the direction of the conditioned air is arranged in the air outlet 12. The air outlet 12 is formed in an isosceles trapezoid shape with an upper side longer than a lower side. On the passenger side of the bottom wall 11, a triangular corner bottom wall 14 is formed between the passenger side vertical side of the concave portion 10 and the passenger side vertical side of the air outlet 12. The corner bottom wall 14 is arranged below the in-vehicle device 20 in the vertical direction, and is arranged on the passenger side of the vehicle width center of the in-vehicle device 20 in the vehicle width direction, and is arranged at approximately the same position as the passenger side end of the in-vehicle device 20. Therefore, the corner bottom wall 14 is adjacent to the bulge portion 7f on the driver's side in the vehicle width direction.

[0023] Next, a driver monitoring system 50 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 2. FIG. 2 is an example of a control block diagram of the driver monitoring system 50 according to this embodiment. The driver monitoring system 50 is a system for monitoring the driver's drowsiness at the wheel of a vehicle, and includes a driver monitoring device 30, a transmission unit 31 for transmitting a detection wave toward the driver, and an imaging unit 33 including a reception unit 32 and an imaging element 37. The reception unit 32 receives a reflected wave reflected by the driver. The imaging element 37 converts the reflected wave received by the reception unit 32 into an electric signal. The imaging unit 33 is provided in the in-vehicle device 20. The driver monitoring device 30 is connected to the transmission unit 31 and the imaging unit 33. The driver monitoring device 30 transmits a control signal for transmitting a detection wave to the transmission unit 31. The driver monitoring device 30 also transmits a control signal for capturing an image of the driver to the imaging unit 33, and receives imaging information from the imaging unit 33. The transmitter 31 transmits a detection wave toward the driver, but since the driver is not necessarily in the driver's seat, the detection wave is transmitted toward the driver when the driver is in the driver's seat, and is transmitted toward the driver's seat side when the driver is not in the driver's seat. The reflected wave received by the receiver 32 includes a detection wave transmitted from the transmitter 31 toward the driver (driver's seat side) and reflected by the driver (driver's seat side). In addition to the detection wave reflected by the driver (driver's seat side), the reflected wave received by the receiver 32 may include external light reflected by the driver (driver's seat side) when external light such as sunlight hits the driver (driver's seat side). In addition, the receiver 32 may directly receive external light in addition to the reflected wave reflected by the driver (driver's seat side). At night, the reflected wave received by the receiver 32 is a detection wave transmitted from the transmitter 31 toward the driver (driver's seat side) and reflected by the driver (driver's seat side). Therefore, the reflected wave received by the receiving unit 32 includes a detection wave transmitted from the transmitting unit 31 toward the driver (driver's seat side) and reflected by the driver (driver's seat side).

[0024] The detection wave transmitted by the transmitting unit 31 is, for example, an electromagnetic wave including light such as infrared light. The transmitting unit 31 is, for example, a light emitting unit that projects light such as infrared light as a detection wave toward the face of the driver (driver's seat side). The receiving unit 32 is, for example, a camera lens that receives light such as infrared light as a detection wave transmitted from the transmitting unit 31 toward the driver (driver's seat side) and reflected by the driver (driver's seat side) and returned. The imaging unit 33 is, for example, a camera that captures an image of the driver (driver's seat side) based on light such as infrared light as a detection wave received by the receiving unit 32. The imaging unit 33 has an imaging element 37 (for example, a CMOS image sensor) that converts incident light imaged by the camera lens of the receiving unit 32 into an electric signal. The emission surface of the detection wave transmitted from the transmitting unit 31 is directed toward the driver (driver's seat side), and the incident surface of the receiving unit 32 that receives the detection wave is directed toward the driver (driver's seat side). In this embodiment, the imaging unit 33 includes the receiving unit 32 and the imaging element 37, and the imaging unit 33 is provided in a vertically placed state so as to be sandwiched between the outer frame 22 of the in-vehicle device 20 and the instrument panel 2. More specifically, the imaging unit 33 is provided in a vertically placed state so as to be sandwiched between the vertical frame of the outer frame 22 on the driver's seat side and the instrument panel 2, and the receiving unit 32 is exposed to the design surface through a hole formed in the outer frame 22. Therefore, the imaging unit 33 (imaging element 37) including the receiving unit 32 is provided in the outer frame. However, the imaging element 37 of the imaging unit 33 may be provided in the driver monitoring device 30 through an optical fiber or the like, instead of the outer frame 22. The driver monitoring device 30 is provided in the instrument panel 2.

[0025] The driver monitoring device 30 has a detection wave control unit 35, an imaging control unit 36, and a state determination unit 38. The detection wave control unit 35 transmits a control signal related to the transmission of the detection wave to the transmission unit 31. The imaging control unit 36 ​​transmits a control signal related to the imaging of the driver to the imaging unit 33. The imaging control unit 36 ​​also receives an image of the driver's state transmitted from the imaging unit 33, and processes the received image. The state determination unit 38 determines the state of the driver based on the image-processed information transmitted from the imaging control unit 36. The state determination unit 38 also transmits the determination result of the driver's state to an output device 39 arranged on the instrument panel 2. The output device 39 transmits the determination result of the driver's state transmitted from the state determination unit 38 to a center meter or the like to notify the driver. In addition to transmitting the determination result of the driver's state to a center meter or the like, the driver may be notified by sounding a sound or by shaking the seat. The driver monitoring device 30 is connected to a vehicle control device, and transmits the state of the driver determined by the state determination unit 38 to the vehicle control device.

[0026] The imaging unit 33 including the receiving unit 32 is provided on the outer frame 22 of the in-vehicle device 20, and the receiving unit 32 is disposed in the upper right portion of the outer frame 22 so as to be disposed on the driver's seat side with respect to the center in the vehicle width direction of the in-vehicle device 20. Therefore, the receiving unit 32 is disposed in a position that does not overlap with the steering wheel 3 on the passenger seat side rather than the driver's seat side in the vehicle width direction of the instrument panel 2.

[0027] As described above, on the passenger side of the bottom wall 11 of the concave portion 10, a triangular corner bottom wall 14 is formed between the passenger side vertical side of the concave portion 10 and the passenger side vertical side of the air outlet 12, and the transmitter 31 is disposed so as to be embedded in the corner bottom wall 14. The transmitter 31 is formed in a triangular shape smaller than the triangular corner bottom wall 14, and is disposed so that the passenger compartment side surface of the corner bottom wall 14 and the passenger compartment side surface of the transmitter 31 are at the same height and flat. The corner bottom wall 14 is disposed lower than the in-vehicle device 20 in the vertical direction and is disposed at approximately the same position as the passenger side end of the in-vehicle device 20 in the vehicle width direction, so that the transmitter 31 is disposed lower than the in-vehicle device 20 in the vertical direction and is disposed at approximately the same position as the passenger side end of the in-vehicle device 20 in the vehicle width direction. Therefore, the transmitting unit 31 is disposed farther away from the receiving unit 32 than the distance between the upper right corner and the lower left corner of the horizontally elongated in-vehicle device 20. Therefore, the transmitting unit 31 and the receiving unit 32 of the driver monitoring device 30 of this embodiment can reduce the so-called red-eye phenomenon during shooting.

[0028] Furthermore, since the transmitter 31 is disposed on the corner bottom wall 14 of the bottom wall 11 of the concave portion 10, the transmitter 31 is disposed next to the louver 13 which is operated less frequently than other switch members (not shown) disposed on the instrument panel 2, and therefore it is possible to prevent the light projected from the transmitter 31 from being blocked by the arm of the occupant. Furthermore, since the transmitter 31 is disposed on the corner bottom wall 14 of the bottom wall 11 which is formed in a concave shape on the driver's seat side inclined portion 7d, it is possible to prevent the transmitter 31 from being hit by an object even if the object hits the driver's seat side inclined portion 7d.

[0029] In addition, the position of the upward inclined portion 7c in the vertical direction is approximately the same as the center position of the steering wheel 3 or slightly lower than the center position of the steering wheel 3, so that the transmitter 31 is arranged in the vertical direction approximately the same as the center position of the steering wheel 3 or slightly lower than the center position of the steering wheel 3. In addition, the transmitter 31 is arranged in the corner bottom wall 14 of the bottom wall 11 that is inclined upward. Therefore, the transmitter 31 projects light toward the driver's face from below the driver's face. As a result, according to the transmitter 31 of the driver monitoring device 30 of this embodiment, it is possible to reliably illuminate the driver's face even if the driver is wearing a cap or the like. In addition, it is possible to suppress illumination of the face of the passenger sitting in the seat behind the driver.

[0030] In addition, since the corner bottom wall 14 is adjacent to the bulging portion 7f on the driver's seat side in the vehicle width direction, the transmitter 31 arranged on the corner bottom wall 14 is arranged near the passenger seat side end of the driver's seat side inclined portion 7d. Therefore, the transmitter 31 of the driver monitoring device 30 of this embodiment can reliably illuminate the driver's face even if the driver is wearing a cap or the like.

[0031] The concave portion 10 is provided in the driver's seat side inclined portion 7d, the corner bottom wall 14 is disposed on the bottom wall 11 of the concave portion 10, and the bottom wall 11 is formed so as to be substantially parallel to the design surface of the driver's seat side inclined portion 7d, so that the transmitter 31 disposed on the corner bottom wall 14 is inclined toward the driver's side, similar to the in-vehicle device 20. Therefore, since the in-vehicle device 20 and the transmitter 31 are inclined toward the driver's side, the driver monitoring device 30 can easily recognize the driver.

[0032] Next, variations in the arrangement of the transmitter 31 and the receiver 32 will be described with reference to Fig. 7. In Fig. 7, the positional relationship between the steering wheel 3, the air outlet 12 in which the louver 13 is arranged, and the in-vehicle device 20 is the same as in the above-mentioned embodiment. In the above-mentioned embodiment, the receiver 32 is arranged in the upper right part of the outer frame 22 of the in-vehicle device 20, but the receiver 32 may be arranged on the outer frame 22 and positioned in the vehicle width direction between the passenger end of the display unit 21 in the vehicle width direction and the passenger end of the steering wheel 3 in the vehicle width direction (in the range of arrow A in Fig. 7).

[0033] As a result, even if the driver's seat side end of the in-vehicle device 20 in the vehicle width direction is positioned so as to overlap with the steering wheel 3, the receiver 32 can receive the detection wave reflected back by the driver without being interfered with by the steering wheel 3.

[0034] The transmitter 31 may be disposed on the passenger seat side of the passenger seat side vertical side of the air outlet 12 on which the louver 13 is disposed in the vehicle width direction, between the passenger seat end of the in-vehicle device 20 in the vehicle width direction (the end opposite the passenger seat in the vehicle width direction) and the passenger seat end of the display unit 21 in the vehicle width direction (the end opposite the passenger seat in the vehicle width direction) (the range of arrow B in FIG. 7). The air outlet 12 is disposed below the in-vehicle device 20. The transmitter 31 is located between the upper and lower ends of the air outlet 12 in the vertical direction (the range of arrow C in FIG. 7).

[0035] This allows the transmitter 31 and the receiver 32 to be located apart from each other, thereby reducing the so-called red-eye phenomenon that occurs when taking a photograph. The transmitter 31 is located on the passenger seat side of the passenger seat side vertical side of the air outlet 12 located on the underside of the in-vehicle device 20. That is, the transmitter 31 is located slightly lower than the center position of the steering wheel 3 in the vertical direction, so that the driver's face can be reliably illuminated even if the driver is wearing a cap or the like. Also, it is possible to prevent the face of the passenger sitting in the seat behind the driver from being illuminated.

[0036] In this embodiment, a driver monitoring system 50 is provided which includes a transmitting unit 31 which transmits detection waves toward the driver's seat side of the vehicle, a receiving unit 32 which receives reflected waves reflected at the driver's seat side, an imaging unit 33 which images the driver based on the reflected waves received by the receiving unit 32, and a driver monitoring device 30 which monitors the driver's condition based on information from the imaging unit 33. An in-vehicle device 20 is provided on the upper part of an instrument panel 2 of the vehicle, and the in-vehicle device 20 has a display unit 21 which displays information and an outer frame 22 which holds the outer periphery of the display unit 21. The receiving unit 32 is disposed on the driver's seat side of the outer frame 22, and the transmitting unit 31 is disposed below the in-vehicle device 20 on the instrument panel 2 and on the opposite side to the driver's seat from the center of the in-vehicle device 20 in the vehicle width direction.

[0037] This configuration makes it possible to clearly capture an image of the driver's face while preventing the imaging unit 33 from receiving a detection wave from the transmitting unit 31 that hits an occupant behind the driver's seat.

[0038] In this embodiment, the instrument panel 2 has an upwardly inclined portion 7c having a design surface that is inclined rearward as it goes from above to below the in-vehicle device 20, and the transmitter 31 is disposed in the upwardly inclined portion 7c.

[0039] With this configuration, the transmitter 31 emits light from below toward above, so that even if the driver is wearing a cap, the face can be surely illuminated, and illumination of the face of the passenger sitting in the seat behind the driver can be prevented.

[0040] In this embodiment, the instrument panel 2 has a driver's side inclined portion 7d having a design surface that inclines forward from the passenger side toward the driver's side, and the in-vehicle equipment 20 and the transmitter 31 are arranged along the driver's side inclined portion 7d.

[0041] With this configuration, the in-vehicle device 20 and the transmitter 31 are inclined toward the driver, making them easier for the driver to recognize.

[0042] In this embodiment, the transmitter 31 is disposed near the passenger side end of the driver's side inclined portion 7d. By disposing the transmitter 31 near the passenger side end of the driver's side inclined portion 7d, the transmitter 31 is closer to the driver, so that the driver monitoring device 30 can be more easily recognized by the driver.

[0043] In the above embodiment, the imaging unit 33 includes the receiving unit 32 and the imaging element 37, and the imaging unit 33 is provided in a vertically placed state so as to be sandwiched between the vertical frame on the driver's seat side of the outer frame 22 of the in-vehicle device 20 and the instrument panel 2, so that the imaging element 37 of the imaging unit 33 is provided in the in-vehicle device 20. However, the imaging element 37 does not necessarily have to be provided in the in-vehicle device 20. For example, the imaging element 37 of the imaging unit 33 may be provided in the driver monitoring device 30 through an optical fiber or the like. Also, the imaging unit 33 is provided in a vertically placed state so as to be sandwiched between the vertical frame on the driver's seat side of the outer frame 22 and the instrument panel 2, but as shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 5, the imaging unit 33 may be provided in a horizontally placed state on the upper side of the in-vehicle device 20. However, even in that case, it is preferable that the receiving unit 32 is disposed in the upper right part of the outer frame 22.

[0044] Although the embodiment and its modified examples of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment and modified examples, and further modifications and changes are possible based on the technical concept of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0045] 1…Front windshield, 2…Instrument panel, 3…Steering wheel, 4...Upper member, 5...Lower member, 6...Top section, 7... Rear part, 7a...Vertical surface part, 7b...Plane part, 7c...Upward slope, 7d…Driver's side inclined section, 7e…Passenger side sloped part, 7f...bulge, 10...Concave shape part, 11…Bottom wall, 12...Air outlet, 13…Luva, 14…Corner bottom wall, 20...In-vehicle equipment, 21...Display section, 22…Outer frame, 30...Driver monitoring device, 31...Transmitter unit, 32...receiving unit, 33...imaging unit, 35...detection wave control unit, 36...imaging control unit, 37...imaging element, 38...Status determination unit, 39...output device, 50...Driver monitoring system, 100...vehicle compartment, S: Vehicle width reference line,

Claims

1. A transmitter that transmits a detection wave toward the driver's seat of the vehicle; an imaging unit including a receiving unit that receives a reflected wave reflected at the driver's seat side and that captures an image of the driver based on the reflected wave received by the receiving unit; a driver monitoring device that monitors a driver's condition based on information from the imaging unit; A driver monitoring system comprising: an in-vehicle device is provided on an upper portion of an instrument panel of the vehicle, the in-vehicle device having a display unit that displays information and an outer frame that holds an outer periphery of the display unit; the receiving unit is disposed on a driver's seat side of the outer frame, A driver monitoring system, characterized in that the transmitter is disposed on the instrument panel below the vehicle-mounted device and on the opposite side to the driver's seat from the center of the vehicle width direction of the vehicle-mounted device.

2. 2. The driver monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the in-vehicle device is disposed in a center portion of the instrument panel in a vehicle width direction.

3. the instrument panel has an upwardly inclined portion having a design surface that is inclined rearward from above toward below the vehicle-mounted device, The driver monitoring system according to claim 1 , wherein the transmitting unit is disposed on the upwardly inclined portion.

4. The driver monitoring system according to claim 3, characterized in that the instrument panel has a driver's side inclined portion having a design surface that inclines forward as it moves from the anti-driver's side toward the driver's side, and the in-vehicle equipment and the transmitter are arranged along the driver's side inclined portion.

5. 5. The driver monitoring system according to claim 4, wherein the transmitter is disposed in the vicinity of an end portion of the driver's seat side inclined portion opposite the driver's seat side.

6. The driver's seat side inclined portion is provided with a concave portion that is formed in a concave shape with respect to a design surface of the driver's seat side inclined portion below the in-vehicle device, An air outlet through which the conditioned air flows is formed in a bottom wall of the recessed portion, and a louver for adjusting the direction of the conditioned air flow is disposed in the air outlet, The driver monitoring system according to claim 5, wherein the transmitting unit is disposed on the bottom wall of the recessed portion.

7. The imaging unit further includes an imaging element that converts the reflected wave received by the receiving unit into an electrical signal, 7. The driver monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the imaging element is provided in the in-vehicle device.

8. A transmitter that transmits a detection wave toward the driver's seat of the vehicle; an imaging unit including a receiving unit that receives a reflected wave reflected at the driver's seat side and that captures an image of the driver based on the reflected wave received by the receiving unit; a driver monitoring device that monitors a driver's condition based on information from the imaging unit; A driver monitoring system comprising: an in-vehicle device is provided on an upper portion of an instrument panel of the vehicle, the in-vehicle device having a display unit that displays information and an outer frame that holds an outer periphery of the display unit; an air outlet through which conditioned air flows is formed below the in-vehicle device in the instrument panel; The receiving unit is disposed on the outer frame, the receiving unit is located between an end of the display unit opposite the driver's seat in the vehicle width direction and an end of the steering wheel opposite the driver's seat in the vehicle width direction, The transmitter is disposed in the instrument panel, The transmitter is located on the opposite driver's side from the opposite driver's side vertical side in the vehicle width direction of the air outlet, and between the opposite driver's seat end in the vehicle width direction of the in-vehicle device and the opposite driver's seat end in the vehicle width direction of the display unit, A driver monitoring system, characterized in that the transmitter is arranged lower than the in-vehicle device in the vertical direction and is located between the upper and lower ends of the air outlet.

9. 9. The driver monitoring system according to claim 8, wherein the in-vehicle device is disposed at a center portion of the instrument panel in a vehicle width direction.

10. The imaging unit further includes an imaging element that converts the reflected wave received by the receiving unit into an electrical signal, 10. The driver monitoring system according to claim 8, wherein the imaging element is provided in the in-vehicle device.

Images