Vehicle-mounted computer control system

Abstract

To provide an on-vehicle computer control system capable of transmitting information from a detection part for detecting a speed state of a vehicle to a computer mounted on the vehicle by a stable and simple constitution.SOLUTION: A server connected to the computer 20 via a wireless network, the detection unit 14 configured to detect a speed state of the vehicle 10, the signal transmission unit 16 configured to transmit information on the speed state detected by the detection unit 14 by a wireless signal in a frequency band different from a frequency band used in the wireless network, and a signal reception unit configured to receive the wireless signal from the signal transmission unit 16 and transmit the information from the detection unit 14 to the server. When it is detected that the vehicle 10 is not in a deceleration state or a stop state by the detection part 14, command information for turning the computer 20 to an inoperable state is transmitted through the radio network.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle-mounted computer control system that enables a computer mounted on a vehicle such as a forklift and operated by a driver to operate only under certain conditions. [Background technology]

[0002] Vehicles such as forklifts are often equipped with a computer operated by the driver. The computer has input devices such as a screen and a keyboard, and is connected to a server via a wireless network. The driver can obtain information from the computer, such as the vehicle's destination and the next load to be transported.

[0003] However, if a driver looks at or operates a computer screen while driving a vehicle, this is considered "distracted driving" and can be dangerous. To prevent "distracted driving," some automobile navigation devices are known to not accept input operations from the driver while the vehicle is moving. An example of such a device is shown in Patent Document 1. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-69662 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] A general-purpose notebook PC or similar computer is used as the computer installed in a forklift. While a car's navigation system is designed to work with various devices, such as the car's speed sensor, a general-purpose notebook PC cannot detect the speed of a forklift. Therefore, it is conceivable to equip the forklift with a sensor or other detection unit that detects the speed, and then transmit the speed detected by the detection unit to the computer in some way.

[0006] If, for example, a short-range wireless communication standard for digital devices is used as a means of transmitting information from the detector to the computer, the communication is unstable and the connection may not be maintained at all times. Using a wireless LAN as this method is also an option, but the computer is already connected to a wireless network to connect to the server, and creating a separate wireless LAN network is not practical. A simpler method would be to have the detector send a radio frequency (RF) signal different from the wireless LAN to the computer, but in this case, a dedicated receiver would be required for each computer.

[0007] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a vehicle-mounted computer control system that can transmit information from a detection unit that detects the vehicle's speed state to a computer mounted on the vehicle in a stable and simple configuration. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above problem, the vehicle-mounted computer control system of the present invention is a vehicle-mounted computer control system that switches between an operable state and an inoperable state of a computer mounted on a vehicle, and comprises: a server connected to the computer via a wireless network; a detection unit that detects the speed state of the vehicle; a signal transmission unit that transmits information on the speed state detected by the detection unit using a wireless signal in a frequency band different from the frequency band used in the wireless network; and a signal receiving unit that receives the wireless signal from the signal transmission unit and transmits information from the detection unit to the server; when the signal receiving unit transmits information that the detection unit has detected that the vehicle is in a decelerating or stopped state, the server transmits command information via the wireless network to put the computer into the operable state, and when the signal receiving unit transmits information that the detection unit has detected that the vehicle is not in the decelerating or stopped state, the server transmits command information via the wireless network to put the computer into the inoperable state.

[0009] The detection unit may detect the speed state from the movement of a brake pedal of the vehicle.

[0010] The detection unit may be a speed sensor that measures the speed of the vehicle.

[0011] In addition, the wireless signal transmitted from the signal transmitting unit may include identification information of the vehicle, and upon receiving the wireless signal, the server may transmit the command information that identifies the vehicle corresponding to the identification information contained in the wireless signal.

[0012] In addition, when the computer mounted on the vehicle receives command information from the server to put the computer in the inoperable state, it may reduce the brightness of the screen to put the computer in the inoperable state, and when it receives command information from the server to put the computer in the operable state, it may increase the brightness of the screen to put the computer in the operable state.

[0013] In addition, the computer mounted on the vehicle may be configured to enter the operable state if, after receiving command information from the server to place the computer in the operable state, it does not receive command information from the server to place the computer in the inoperable state within a certain period of time.

[0014] In addition, the server may be configured to transmit a command signal to put the computer into the operable state when information is transmitted from the signal receiving unit that the detection unit has detected that the vehicle is in the decelerating state or the stopped state, and if information is not transmitted from the signal receiving unit within a certain period of time that the detection unit has detected that the vehicle is not in the decelerating state or the stopped state. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] According to the vehicle-mounted computer control system of the present invention, by providing a signal transmitting unit in the vehicle, the vehicle's speed status can be transmitted to the server via a route separate from the wireless network to which the computer is connected, and the server can switch the computer between an operable state and an inoperable state via the wireless network depending on the speed status. Therefore, information from the detecting unit can be transmitted to the vehicle-mounted computer in a stable and simple configuration, switching the state of the vehicle-mounted computer and preventing the driver from "distracted driving" by looking at the screen of the computer 20 while driving. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a side view of a vehicle driven by a driver. [Figure 2] 1 is a diagram illustrating the overall configuration of a vehicle-mounted computer control system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the overall configuration of a vehicle-mounted computer control system when communicating with multiple vehicles. [Figure 4]This is a time chart of the signals corresponding to the on / off of the brakes and the computer screen illumination in the vehicle-mounted computer control system. [Figure 5] 10 is a time chart of signals corresponding to on / off of the brake and the illuminance of the computer screen in the vehicle-mounted computer control system according to the first modified example. [Figure 6] 10 is a time chart of signals corresponding to on / off of the brake and the illuminance of the computer screen in the vehicle-mounted computer control system according to the second modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The vehicle-mounted computer control system of this embodiment switches the computer 20 mounted on the vehicle 10 between an operable state and an inoperable state depending on the speed state of the vehicle 10, thereby preventing the driver from operating the computer 20 while driving and causing danger.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 1, in this embodiment, vehicle 1 is a forklift that transports loads. However, vehicle 1 is not limited to a forklift, and may be any other type of vehicle that can accommodate computer 20. Vehicle 1 is driven by driver 100. Vehicle 1 is equipped with computer 20 in a position where driver 100 can operate it. Computer 20 is a general-purpose notebook PC with communication capabilities. However, computer 20 is not limited to a notebook PC, and may be of other types, such as a tablet PC or a smartphone. Computer 20 is connected to other computers via a wireless network such as Wi-Fi.

[0019] The vehicle 10 is equipped with a brake pedal 12 for decelerating or stopping the vehicle while traveling. The driver 100 can operate the brake pedal 12 by stepping on it. The vehicle 10 has a detection unit 14 that detects the movement of the brake pedal 12. The detection unit 14 may be configured, for example, as a switch that is pressed by the movement of the brake pedal 12. The detection unit 14 may also detect the movement of the brake pedal 12 in a non-contact manner, such as by infrared light, or may be another sensor. By detecting the movement of the brake pedal 12, the detection unit 14 detects whether the brake pedal 12 is pressed and the vehicle 10 is decelerating or stopping, or whether the brake pedal 12 is not pressed and the vehicle 10 is accelerating or traveling at a constant speed. In other words, by detecting the movement of the brake pedal 12, the detection unit 14 can detect the speed state of the vehicle 10, i.e., whether the vehicle 10 is decelerating or stopping. Note that the detection unit 14 may be any device that can detect the speed state of the vehicle 10, and may be, for example, a speed sensor that can detect the speed of the vehicle 10. When the detection unit 14 is a speed sensor, the detection unit 14 can detect whether the vehicle 10 is decelerating or stopped from information about the detected speed.

[0020] The vehicle 10 has a signal transmitting unit 16 that transmits information about the speed state of the vehicle 10 detected by the detecting unit 14 as a wireless signal in a frequency band different from the frequency band used by the wireless network to which the computer 20 is connected. The wireless signal transmitted by the signal transmitting unit 16 is an RF signal that includes information indicating the movement of the brake pedal 12 and identification information unique to the vehicle 10. In the case of Wi-Fi, the wireless network to which the computer 20 is connected uses frequency bands of 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. In contrast, the wireless signal transmitted by the signal transmitting unit 16 can use a frequency band other than 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz, for example, a frequency band of 920 MHz. However, the frequency band of the wireless signal is not limited to these.

[0021] As shown in Fig. 2, the vehicle-mounted computer control system includes a computer 20 mounted on a vehicle 10 and a server 30 connected via the aforementioned wireless network. The computer 20 includes a screen 22 and an input unit 24 such as a keyboard. The computer 20 and the server 30 are connected via a wireless router 40. The computer 20 can obtain necessary information, such as the vehicle's destination and the next cargo to be transported, from the server 30 via the wireless network.

[0022] A signal receiving unit 50 is connected to the server 30, which receives wireless signals from the signal transmitting unit 16 of the vehicle 10 and transmits information from the detecting unit 14 to the server 30. The signal receiving unit 50 may be built into the server 30. The computer 20 is pre-installed with software that receives command information transmitted from the server 30 via a wireless network and switches the computer 20 between an operable state and an inoperable state based on the information contained in the command information. The computer 20 can set the illuminance of the screen 22 to a range from 0 to 100, and the software installed on the computer 20 sets the computer 20 to an inoperable state by setting the illuminance of the screen 22 to 0, and sets the computer 20 to an operable state by setting the illuminance of the screen 22 to 100.

[0023] 3, the vehicle-mounted computer control system can include multiple vehicles 10 and computers 20. In this case, the computers 20 mounted on each vehicle 10 can communicate with the server 30 over the same wireless network. Each vehicle 10 also includes a detection unit 14 and a signal transmission unit 16, and can transmit wireless signals to the signal reception unit 50 in a frequency band different from that of the wireless network. As described above, the wireless signal from the signal transmission unit 16 contains identification information unique to each vehicle 10, and the server 30 can transmit, over the wireless network, command information that identifies the vehicle 10 corresponding to the identification information contained in the wireless signal.

[0024] Next, the operation of the vehicle-mounted computer control system when the brakes are applied to the vehicle 10 will be described. As shown in FIG. 4, assume that the detection unit 14 detects that the brake pedal 12 is turned on at time T1 and then off at time T2. When the detection unit 14 detects that the brake pedal 12 has changed from off to on, the signal transmission unit 16 of the vehicle 10 transmits a wireless signal. When the signal reception unit 50 receives the wireless signal, the server 30 can obtain the information contained in the wireless signal, i.e., the identification information of the vehicle 10 and information that the brake pedal 12 has been turned on. Having obtained this information, the server 30 transmits command information via the wireless network, specifying the vehicle 10 corresponding to the identification information contained in the received wireless signal. The computer 20 of the vehicle 10 that received the command information from the server 30 changes the illuminance of the screen 22 from 0 to 100. This switches the computer 20 from an inoperable state to an operable state.

[0025] Note that there is a slight time lag between when the detector 14 detects that the brake pedal 12 is pressed in the vehicle 10 and when the wireless signal is transmitted. Similarly, there is a slight time lag between when the server 30 transmits the wireless signal and when the command information is transmitted, and between when the computer 20 receives the command information and when the illuminance of the screen 22 is changed. Figure 4 exaggerates the time required to transmit the signal and these time lags, and this also applies to the subsequent figures.

[0026] When the detection unit 14 detects that the brake pedal 12 has changed from on to off, the signal transmission unit 16 of the vehicle 10 transmits a wireless signal. When the signal reception unit 50 receives the wireless signal, the server 30 transmits command information via the wireless network, specifying the vehicle 10 corresponding to the identification information contained in the wireless signal. The computer 20 of the vehicle 10 that received the command information from the server 30 changes the illumination intensity of the screen 22 from 100 to 0. This switches the computer 20 from an operable state to an inoperable state. Therefore, when the brake pedal 12 is on and the vehicle 10 is decelerating or stopped, the computer 20 is in an operable state, and when the brake pedal 12 is off and the vehicle 10 is moving, the computer 20 is in an inoperable state. This prevents the driver from "distracted driving," which is when the driver is driving while looking at the screen of the computer 20.

[0027] 4, at time T3, which is after time T2, the brake pedal 12 changes from off to on, and at time T4, the brake pedal 12 changes from on to off. The period from time T3 to time T4 is shorter than the period from time T1 to time T2. In this case, too, after times T3 and T4, wireless signals are transmitted from the signal transmitting unit 16 of the vehicle 10, and the signal receiving unit 50 receives the wireless signals. The server 30, to which the information is transmitted, transmits command information via the wireless network, and the computer 20 of the vehicle 10, which receives the command information, changes the illumination of the screen 22.

[0028] The illuminance of the screen 22 of the computer 20 may be changed a certain time after the detection unit 14 detects the movement of the brake pedal 12. As shown in FIG. 5, when the detection unit 14 detects that the brake pedal 12 has changed from off to on at time T1, the signal transmission unit 16 transmits a wireless signal. The server 30, which receives the wireless signal from the signal reception unit 50 at time T1', transmits information to the server 30. If the signal reception unit 50 does not transmit information indicating that the detection unit 14 has detected that the brake pedal 12 has changed from on to off within a certain time Δt, the server 30 transmits command information to place the computer 20 in an operable state. In the example of FIG. 5, the brake pedal 12 has not changed from on to off between time T1' and time T1'', which is after the lapse of Δt, so the server 30 transmits a command signal to place the computer 20 in an operable state. The computer 20, which has received the command signal, changes the illuminance of the screen 22 from 0 to 100, thereby placing the computer 20 in an operable state.

[0029] In FIG. 5, when the brake pedal 12 changes from off to on at time T3, information is transmitted to the server 30 at time T3' indicating that the brake pedal 12 has been detected as having changed from off to on. Then, at time T4, between time T3'' and time T3'', which is after Δt has elapsed, the brake pedal 12 changes from on to off. In this case, since no command signal is transmitted from the server 30, the computer 20 does not change the illumination of the screen 22 and maintains the inoperable state. In this way, by switching to an operable state after a certain time has elapsed since the brake pedal 12 was operated, it is possible to prevent the computer 20 from becoming operable when the vehicle 10 decelerates for only a very short time, and to suppress frequent changes in the illumination of the screen 22.

[0030] The computer 20 may wait until the certain time has elapsed. As shown in FIG. 6 , when the detector 14 detects that the brake pedal 12 has been changed from OFF to ON at time T1, the signal transmitter 16 transmits a wireless signal. The signal receiver 50 receives the wireless signal and transmits the information to the server 30 at time T1′, which transmits command information to place the computer 20 in an operable state. If the computer 20 does not receive command information to place the computer 20 in an inoperable state from the server 30 within a certain time Δt, the computer 20 switches from the inoperable state to the operable state. In the example of FIG. 6 , since the computer 20 does not receive command information to place the computer 20 in an inoperable state from the server 30 between time T1′ and time T1″, which is after the lapse of Δt, the computer 20 changes the illuminance of the screen 22 from 0 to 100, placing the computer 20 in an operable state.

[0031] In Figure 6, when the brake pedal 12 changes from off to on at time T3, information is transmitted to the server 30 at time T3' indicating that the brake pedal 12 has been detected as having changed from off to on, and then, at time T4, between time T3'' and time T3'', which is after Δt has elapsed, the brake pedal 12 changes from on to off. In this case, the computer 20 does not change the illumination of the screen 22 and maintains the inoperable state.

[0032] The vehicle-mounted computer control system may also be provided with an illuminance sensor. The illuminance sensor is installed in the vehicle 10 as part of the detection unit 14, and the signal transmission unit 16 transmits a wireless signal including information about the illuminance in the vehicle 10 detected by the illuminance sensor. The server 30, to which the illuminance information is transmitted via the signal reception unit 50, transmits, via the wireless network, command information specifying the illuminance of the screen 22 according to the detected illuminance information. For example, if the illuminance in the vehicle 10 corresponds to daytime brightness, the server 30 sets the illuminance of the screen 22 to 100, and if the illuminance in the vehicle 10 corresponds to nighttime brightness, the server 30 sets the illuminance of the screen 22 to 70. In this way, by having the server 30 specify the illuminance of the screen 22 according to the illuminance detected in the vehicle 10, it is possible to prevent the screen from being difficult to see or being too dazzling.

[0033] Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the application of the present invention is not limited to this embodiment and can be applied in various ways within the scope of its technical concept. In the above embodiment, the inoperable state of computer 20 is realized by setting the illuminance of screen 22 to 0, but computer 20 may be made inoperable by other means, for example, by not accepting input from input unit 24 of computer 20. [Explanation of symbols]

[0034] 10 vehicles 12 Brake pedal 14 Detector 16 Signal transmitter 20 Computer 30 servers 40 Wireless Router 50 Signal receiving unit 100 Driver

Claims

1. A vehicle-mounted computer control system for switching between an operable state and an inoperable state of a computer mounted on a vehicle, comprising: a server connected to the computer via a wireless network; a detection unit that detects a speed state of the vehicle; a signal transmitting unit that transmits the speed state information detected by the detecting unit by a wireless signal in a frequency band different from a frequency band used in the wireless network; a signal receiving unit that receives the wireless signal from the signal transmitting unit and transmits information from the detecting unit to the server, A vehicle-mounted computer control system in which, when information is transmitted from the signal receiving unit that the detection unit has detected that the vehicle is in a decelerating or stopped state, the server transmits command information via the wireless network to put the computer into the operable state, and when information is transmitted from the signal receiving unit that the detection unit has detected that the vehicle is not in the decelerating or stopped state, the server transmits command information via the wireless network to put the computer into the inoperable state.

2. 2. The vehicle-mounted computer control system according to claim 1, wherein the detection unit detects the speed state from the movement of a brake pedal of the vehicle.

3. 2. The vehicle-mounted computer control system according to claim 1, wherein the detection unit is a speed sensor that measures the speed of the vehicle.

4. the wireless signal transmitted from the signal transmitting unit includes identification information of the vehicle; 2. The vehicle-mounted computer control system according to claim 1, wherein, upon receiving the wireless signal, the server transmits the command information specifying the vehicle corresponding to the identification information contained in the wireless signal.

5. A vehicle-mounted computer control system as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein when the computer mounted on the vehicle receives command information from the server to put the computer in the inoperable state, it reduces the brightness of the screen to put the computer in the inoperable state, and when the computer receives command information from the server to put the computer in the operable state, it increases the brightness of the screen to put the computer in the operable state.

6. A vehicle-mounted computer control system as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the computer mounted on the vehicle receives command information from the server to put the computer into the operable state, and if it does not receive command information from the server to put the computer into the inoperable state within a certain period of time, it puts the computer into the operable state.

7. The vehicle-mounted computer control system described in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein when the server receives information from the signal receiving unit that the detection unit has detected that the vehicle is in the decelerating state or the stopped state, if the server does not receive information from the signal receiving unit that the detection unit has detected that the vehicle is not in the decelerating state or the stopped state within a certain period of time, it sends a command signal to put the computer into the operable state.

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