Biometric detection system and biometric detection method

Abstract

To provide a highly convenient biometric detection system and method that suppresses false alarms. [Solution] A biodetection system 2 for detecting a living organism H inside the passenger compartment 10 of a vehicle 1, comprising: a biodetection unit 321 that operates when the door D of the vehicle 1 is closed and detects a living organism H inside the passenger compartment 10; an alarm unit 322 that emits an alarm when the biodetection unit 321 detects a living organism H; a door operation detection unit 323 that detects the door closing operation when the door D is closed; a position measurement unit 324 that measures the position P of the communication device 9 after the door closing operation by communicating with the communication device 9 which moves with the user U; and a response request unit 325 that requests a response from the user U via the vehicle 1 or the communication device 9 when the position P is inside the passenger compartment 10. When a response is received, the alarm emission by the alarm unit 322 is restricted.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a biological detection system and a biological detection method.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, whether intentionally or negligently, incidents where infants are left unattended in the passenger compartments of private cars, shuttle buses, etc. have become a major problem. Therefore, a system for monitoring the abandonment of infants has begun to spread widely, and in particular, the obligation to install such a system has been initiated in shuttle buses.

[0003] Most existing systems for monitoring the abandonment of infants operate in conjunction with actions that occur when the user (driver) leaves the vehicle, such as the engine of the vehicle stopping, the opening and closing of the doors, and the locking of the doors. When an infant is detected inside the vehicle, an alarm, a sound using the vehicle's horn, etc., or a light emission using the vehicle's lights (headlights, taillights, direction indicator lights, dome lights, etc.) is used to inform the user and people around that the infant has been left unattended in the passenger compartment.

[0004] However, in a configuration that operates in conjunction with the engine of the vehicle stopping, the opening and closing of the doors, and the locking of the doors, it is not possible to accurately detect whether the user has left the vehicle. Therefore, in a situation where the user is inside the vehicle, or when the user stays immediately around the vehicle, such as when refueling at a gas station or loading and unloading luggage, an alarm will sound even when the infant has not been left unattended, causing annoyance to the user or false alarms to people around. Therefore, there is a problem of poor convenience.

[0005] To address these problems, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a vehicle control device that can accurately determine whether an alarm is necessary and suppress false alarms when they are not needed (situations in which infants or young children have not been left unattended), by controlling the operation of the system based not only on the opening and closing of Class 1 opening and closing parts (vehicle doors) but also on the opening and closing of Class 2 opening and closing parts (opening and closing parts other than doors, such as the windows of each door, the trunk door, and the fuel filler cap).

[0006] However, even methods that determine whether or not an alarm needs to be issued based on the opening and closing operations of Class 1 and Class 2 opening and closing parts cannot be said to sufficiently suppress false alarms. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-149562 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0008] The present invention has been made in view of the above, and aims to provide a biodetection system and biodetection method that can effectively suppress false alarms and is highly convenient. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] These objectives are achieved by the present invention as described in (1) and (2) below.

[0010] (1) A biometric detection system for detecting living organisms inside a vehicle, A biometric detection unit operates when the vehicle doors are closed and detects the living body inside the vehicle cabin, An alarm unit that emits an alarm when the biological detection unit detects the biological body, A door operation detection unit that detects the door closing operation when the aforementioned door is closed, A position measuring unit measures the position of a communication device after the door closing operation by communicating with the communication device that moves with the user, When the aforementioned location is inside the vehicle, the system includes a response request unit that requests a response from the user via the vehicle or the communication device, A biological detection system characterized by restricting the alarm activation by the alarm activation unit when the aforementioned response is received.

[0011] (2) A method for detecting living organisms inside a vehicle, The system detects the door closing operation of the aforementioned vehicle, By communicating with a communication device that moves with the user, the position of the communication device after the door closing operation is measured. If the aforementioned location is inside the vehicle, the user is requested to respond via the vehicle or the communication device. A biodetection method characterized in that, if the aforementioned response occurs, the alarm that would be triggered when the bio-body is detected inside the vehicle is restricted. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] In the biodetection system of the present invention, if the communication device is located inside the vehicle after the door is closed, the system requests a response from the user, and if a response is received, the alarm is deterred from being issued by the alarm unit. In other words, if a user is inside the vehicle and biodetection is unnecessary (for example, if no infants or young children have been left unattended), the alarm will not be issued. With this configuration, false alarms can be effectively suppressed, resulting in a highly convenient biodetection system.

[0013] In the bio-detection method of the present invention, if the communication device is located inside the vehicle after the door closing operation, a response is requested from the user, and if a response is received, the alarm is not triggered by the alarm trigger unit. In other words, if a user is inside the vehicle and bio-detection is unnecessary (for example, if no infants or young children have been left unattended), no alarm is triggered. With this configuration, false alarms can be effectively suppressed, resulting in a highly convenient bio-detection method. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0014] [Figure 1] It is a diagram showing a vehicle to which a biometric detection system according to a preferred embodiment is applied. [Figure 2] It is a block diagram showing the configuration of the biometric detection system. [Figure 3] It is a diagram showing an example of a method for determining whether a living body or a communication device is located inside the vehicle cabin. [Figure 4] It is a diagram showing an example of a method for determining the position of the communication device. [Figure 5] It is a diagram showing an example of a response method. [Figure 6] It is a diagram showing an example of a response method. [Figure 7] It is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the biometric detection system.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0015] Hereinafter, the biometric detection system and the biometric detection method of the present invention will be described in detail based on preferred embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings.

[0016] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a vehicle to which a biometric detection system according to a preferred embodiment is applied. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the biometric detection system. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a method for determining whether a living body or a communication device is located inside the vehicle cabin. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a method for determining the position of the communication device. FIGS. 5 and 6 are diagrams showing examples of response methods, respectively. FIG. 7 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the biometric detection system.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle 1 includes a living body detection system 2 that detects a living body H existing in the vehicle compartment 10, and a vehicle control unit 11 that controls each part of the vehicle 1. The living body detection system 2 is preferably used as a system for preventing abandonment that detects a living body H (infant) left unattended in the vehicle compartment 10. Thereby, the risk that the living body H is exposed to danger due to the harsh environment in the vehicle compartment 10 can be effectively reduced. However, the living body H to be detected is not limited to an infant, and may be, for example, a person other than an infant, or a pet animal such as a dog or a cat. Further, the use of the living body detection system 2 is not limited to the abandonment prevention system.

[0018] The vehicle 1 is not particularly limited, but typically, it is a passenger car such as a light automobile, a small automobile, a regular automobile, or a large automobile of medium size or larger. However, the vehicle 1 is not limited to a passenger car, and may be, for example, a train, an airplane, a ship, or the like.

[0019] First, the vehicle 1 shown in FIG. 1 will be briefly described. The vehicle 1 is a so-called "two-row seat" regular passenger car, and has a front row seat 101 in which the driver's seat and the front passenger seat are arranged side by side horizontally, and a rear row seat 102 located behind the front row seat 101 in which three seats are arranged side by side horizontally. In addition, a door D for boarding and alighting is arranged on the vehicle ⑴ The door D includes front doors FD1 and FD2 arranged on both the left and right sides of the front row seat 101, and rear doors RD1 and RD2 arranged on both the left and right sides of the rear row seat 102.

[0020] However, the configuration of the vehicle 1 is not particularly limited. For example, the rear row seat 102 may be omitted, or seats in the third row, fourth row, etc. may be further arranged behind the rear row seat 102.

[0021] Next, the living body detection system 2 mounted on the vehicle 1 will be described. The living body detection system 2 is constructed by a living body detection device 3 mounted on the vehicle 1 and a communication device 9 carried by the user U.

[0022] ≪Communication device 9≫ The communication device 9 is carried by user U and moves with user U. The communication device 9 can also communicate with the biometric detection device 3. In this embodiment, the communication device 9 is a smartphone. Because a smartphone has a screen, it can notify user U of necessary information by displaying it on the screen. Also, it has a high penetration rate and is easy to construct the biometric detection system 2 with. However, the communication device 9 is not limited to a smartphone, and may be a wearable device such as a smartwatch or smart glasses, or a tablet device, for example. Furthermore, the communication device 9 may be a device without a screen, such as a smart key for a vehicle 1 or an electronic tag.

[0023] As shown in Figure 2, the communication device 9 includes an antenna 91 for transmitting and receiving signals, a transmitter 93 and a receiver 94 that transmit and receive signals via the antenna 91, and a control unit 92.

[0024] The transmitter 93 includes, for example, an input unit that receives information to be transmitted via radio waves from the antenna 91, an oscillator that generates a high-frequency signal which forms the basis of the radio waves, a modulation control unit that modulates the high-frequency signal generated by the oscillator and carries the signal from the input unit, and an amplification unit that amplifies the high-frequency signal modulated by the modulation control unit to a predetermined power. The high-frequency signal amplified by the amplification unit is then input to the antenna 91, and radio waves based on the input high-frequency signal are radiated from the antenna 91.

[0025] In contrast, the receiver 94 includes, for example, a tuning unit that selects and outputs only the necessary frequency components from the received signal received by the antenna 91, an amplification unit that amplifies the received signal output from the tuning unit to the required magnitude, a demodulation unit that demodulates the received signal amplified by the amplification unit and extracts the information carried on the received signal, and an output unit that outputs the information extracted by the demodulation unit in a predetermined format.

[0026] The control unit 92 controls the operation of the transmitter 93 and receiver 94 and communicates with the biological detection device 3. The control unit 92 also notifies the user U of necessary information (for example, that a biological organism H that has been left behind has been detected).

[0027] Furthermore, the control unit 92 includes, for example, one or more processors 92a, which are composed of a computer and process information, and a memory 92b that is communicatively connected to the processors 92a. The memory 92b stores programs and data that can be executed by the processors 92a, and the processors 92a read and execute the abandoned programs and data stored in the memory 92b. This realizes the functions of the control unit 92 described above.

[0028] Furthermore, the processor 92a is an arithmetic unit that performs arithmetic processing such as signal manipulation based on computer-readable instructions such as one or more microprocessors, microcomputers, microcontrollers, digital signal processors (DSPs), central processing units (CPUs), memory control units (MCUs), graphics processing units (GPUs), state machines, logic circuits, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), or combinations thereof. In particular, the processor 92a is configured to fetch computer-readable instructions (e.g., data, programs, etc.) stored in memory 92b and to perform arithmetic, signal manipulation, and control.

[0029] Furthermore, memory 92b is a computer-readable medium including, for example, volatile storage media (e.g., RAM, SRAM, DRAM), non-volatile storage media (e.g., ROM, EPROM, EEPROM, flash memory, hard disk, solid state drive, optical disc, CD-ROM, digital multipurpose disc (DVD), Blu-ray disc, magnetic cassette, magnetic tape, magnetic disk), or a combination thereof.

[0030] <<Biometric Detection Device 3>> The biodetection device 3 detects the living organism H inside the vehicle compartment 10. When the biodetection device 3 detects the living organism H, it notifies the user. For example, it may notify people in the vicinity that "a living organism H has been left behind inside the vehicle compartment 10" by sounding the vehicle's horn or by emitting light using the vehicle's lights (headlights, taillights, turn signals, interior lights, etc.), or it may notify the user U via the communication device 9. This effectively prevents the living organism H from being left behind inside the vehicle compartment 10 for an extended period of time.

[0031] For example, the biodetector 3 is located on the ceiling of the passenger compartment 10. However, the location of the biodetector 3 is not particularly limited as long as it can detect a living person H within the passenger compartment 10. Also, in this embodiment, one biodetector 3 is located in the passenger compartment 10, but the number of biodetector 3 is not particularly limited and may be two or more. Furthermore, for example, the biodetector 3 may be divided into multiple parts, each with a function such as a part that detects passengers and a part that detects living persons H, and arranged separately. In other words, the biodetector 3 does not have to be configured as a single unit. The number of biodetector 3 can be appropriately set according to the size of the passenger compartment 10, the number of seating rows, etc. The biodetector 3 is powered by the ACC (accessory power) of the vehicle 1. Therefore, the biodetector 3 can be driven even when the engine of the vehicle 1 is stopped.

[0032] The biodetection device 3 is a UWB (Ultra-Wide Band) communication device that performs UWB communication with the communication device 9 and the vehicle 1, and is used as a UWB radar for detecting biological H. However, the communication method of the biodetection device 3 is not limited to UWB communication, and may also be BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy), BLE CS (Channel Sounding), or shared LF / UHF band (sometimes called LF / RF) as used in car keyless entry systems, etc. Furthermore, the radar used in the biodetection device 3 is not particularly limited, and may also be FMCW (Continuous Frequency Modulation) radar, CW (Continuous Wave) radar, etc. Also, the radio waves used for communication with the communication device 9 and the vehicle 1 and the radio waves used for detecting biological H may be different from each other. For example, communication may be performed using UWB communication, and biological H may be detected using FMCW radar or CW radar.

[0033] As shown in Figure 2, such a biodetection device 3 includes an antenna group 31, a transmitter 33 and a receiver 34 that transmit and receive signals via the antenna group 31, and a control unit 32 that controls the operation of the biodetection device 3. Of these, the transmitter 33 and the receiver 34 have the same configuration as the transmitter 93 and receiver 94 described above. Therefore, a description of the transmitter 33 and the receiver 34 will be omitted.

[0034] The antenna group 31 has a total of four antennas: one antenna for transmitting and three antennas for receiving. Specifically, the antenna group 31 has a transmitting antenna 311, which is the transmitting antenna, and a first receiving antenna 312, a second receiving antenna 313, and a third receiving antenna 314, which are the receiving antennas.

[0035] When detecting a living organism H, the transmitting antenna 311 transmits radio waves into the vehicle compartment 10, and the first, second, and third receiving antennas 312, 313, and 314 respectively receive the reflected waves generated when the transmitted radio waves are reflected by objects. On the other hand, when communicating with the communication device 9, the transmitting antenna 311 transmits a signal to the communication device 9, and at least one of the first, second, and third receiving antennas 312, 313, and 314 receives the signal from the communication device 9. In this way, by sharing the antenna group 31 for both biological detection and communication, the configuration of the biological detection device 3 can be simplified.

[0036] However, the number of antennas in the antenna group 31 is not particularly limited; for example, it may be two or fewer, or four or more. While a larger number of antennas can improve the detection accuracy of the biological body H and the position measurement accuracy of the communication device 9, an increase in the number of antennas leads to a larger and more expensive device. Therefore, the number of antennas should be set appropriately according to the required detection accuracy, position measurement accuracy, price, etc. In addition, in this embodiment, receiving antennas and transmitting antennas are provided separately, but this is not limited to this, and an antenna that serves both transmitting and receiving may be used. Also, in this embodiment, the antenna group 31 serves both biological detection and communication, but this is not limited to this, and antennas for biological detection and antennas for communication may be provided separately.

[0037] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 2, the control unit 32 includes a communication device registration unit 320 for registering the communication device 9, a biometric detection unit 321 for detecting a living organism H inside the vehicle compartment 10, an alarm unit 322 for issuing an alarm when the biometric detection unit 321 detects a living organism H, a door operation detection unit 323 for detecting the door closing operation when the door D is closed, a position measurement unit 324 for measuring the position P of the communication device 9 after the door closing operation, and a response request unit 325 for requesting a response from the user U via the vehicle 1 or the communication device 9 when the position P is inside the vehicle compartment 10.

[0038] Such a control unit 32 is, for example, composed of a computer and includes one or more processors 32a that process information, and a memory 32b that is communicatively connected to the processors 32a. The memory 32b is communicatively connected to the processors 32a and stores programs and data that can be executed by the processors 32a. The processors 32a read and execute the programs and data stored in the memory 32b. As a result, signals are transmitted and received via the antenna group 31, and the control unit 32 functions as a communication device registration unit 320, a biometric detection unit 321, an alarm generation unit 322, a door operation detection unit 323, a position measurement unit 324, and a response request unit 325. The processors 32a can have the same configuration as the processor 92a described above, and the memory 32b can have the same configuration as the memory 92b described above.

[0039] The communication device registration unit 320 registers the communication devices 9 carried by user U. The number of communication devices 9 registered in the communication device registration unit 320 is not particularly limited; it may be one or two or more. For example, if user U possesses two communication devices 9, such as a smartphone and a smart key, both of these communication devices 9 may be registered. Also, for example, if there are two users U, such as the father and mother of a biological organism H (infant), the communication devices 9 carried by both of these users U may be registered. In this way, the ability to register multiple communication devices 9 allows the biodetection device 3 to offer high convenience.

[0040] The biodetection unit 321 detects living organisms H inside the vehicle compartment 10 using a UWB radar. The method of detecting living organisms using a UWB radar is well known, so a detailed explanation will be omitted, but the biodetection unit 321 periodically switches between receiving radio waves with the first receiving antenna 312, receiving radio waves with the second receiving antenna 313, and receiving radio waves with the third receiving antenna 314 using an RF switch (not shown).

[0041] The biodetection unit 321 then acquires a first received signal obtained when the first receiving antenna 312 receives reflected waves generated when radio waves transmitted from the transmitting antenna 311 are reflected by surrounding objects, a second received signal obtained when the second receiving antenna 313 receives reflected waves generated when radio waves transmitted from the transmitting antenna 311 are reflected by surrounding objects, and a third received signal obtained when the third receiving antenna 314 receives reflected waves generated when radio waves transmitted from the transmitting antenna 311 are reflected by surrounding objects. Furthermore, the biodetection unit 321 uses these three received signals to detect a living organism H in the vehicle compartment 10 and identifies the position of the detected living organism H. The position of the living organism H may be in three-dimensional coordinates or in two-dimensional coordinates with a constant vertical position.

[0042] As in this embodiment, by using the first, second, and third received signals, the distance and angle between the biodetector 3 and the biodetector H can be detected using AoA (Angle of Arrival). Therefore, not only the presence or absence of the biodetector H, but also its location can be determined. As a result, it is possible to determine with higher accuracy whether the detected biodetector H is inside or outside the vehicle compartment 10. Consequently, false detections of biodetectors H outside the vehicle compartment 10 can be effectively suppressed.

[0043] The method for determining whether the detected living organism H is inside or outside the vehicle compartment 10 is not particularly limited. For example, as shown in Figure 3, a coordinate system based on vehicle 1 is set in advance, and the vehicle compartment region Q corresponding to vehicle compartment 10 is identified in that coordinate system. Then, the position of the detected living organism H is applied to the coordinate system, and if it is inside the vehicle compartment region Q, it is determined that the detected living organism H is inside the vehicle compartment 10, and if it is outside the vehicle compartment region Q, it is determined that the detected living organism H is outside the vehicle compartment 10.

[0044] Such a biodetection unit 321 is activated when all the doors D of the vehicle 1 are closed. Specifically, the biodetection unit 321 is activated, for example, when the vehicle 1 is stopped, at least one door D is opened, and then that door D is closed again, resulting in all doors D being closed (detection of the biometric body H begins). Since opening and closing the doors D is likely to involve the user U getting in and out of the vehicle, using the above conditions as a trigger allows the biodetection unit 321 to appropriately detect the biometric body H at a time when the biometric body H may be left behind. However, it is not limited to this, and for example, the biodetection unit 321 may be activated as a trigger when the vehicle 1 is locked.

[0045] The biodetection unit 321 has been described above, but its configuration is not particularly limited as long as it can detect living organisms H within the vehicle compartment 10. For example, the biodetection unit 321 may be configured to detect living organisms H but not to be able to pinpoint their location. Such a configuration would require only one receiving antenna and simplify the computational processing. Therefore, the device can be made smaller and less expensive.

[0046] When the biometric detection unit 321 detects a biological being H, the alarm unit 322 uses some means to alert people around the vehicle 1 and the user U. Means of alerting people around the vehicle 1 include, for example, sounding the vehicle 1's horn or emitting light using the vehicle 1's various lights (headlights, taillights, turn signals, interior lights, etc.). Such control of the vehicle 1 is performed via the vehicle control unit 11. On the other hand, means of alerting the user U include, for example, notifying the communication device 9 registered in the communication device registration unit 320.

[0047] The alarm unit 322 has been described above, but its configuration is not particularly limited. For example, it may only emit an alarm to people in the vicinity and only emit an alarm to user U. It may also emit an alarm to another target (for example, a service sensor connected to vehicle 1 via the internet).

[0048] The door operation detection unit 323 detects a door closing operation, in which a door D is closed, via the vehicle control unit 11. More specifically, the door closing operation refers to the operation in which at least one door D is open and all doors D are closed.

[0049] The door operation detection unit 323 has been described above, but its configuration is not particularly limited. For example, the door closing operation may be detected directly without going through the vehicle control unit 11.

[0050] The position measurement unit 324 measures the position P of the communication device 9 based on the communication result with the communication device 9 registered in the communication device registration unit 320. As mentioned above, since the communication device 9 is carried by user U, the position P of the communication device 9 can be considered as the position of user U.

[0051] The position measurement unit 323 detects the distance between the biometric detection device 3 and the communication device 9, for example, by DS-TWR (Double-Sided Two-Way Ranging), and further detects the angle of the communication device 9 relative to the biometric detection device 3 by AoA (Angle of Arrival) using the aforementioned first received signal (signal received by the first receiving antenna 312), second received signal (signal received by the second receiving antenna 313), and third received signal (signal received by the third receiving antenna 314). Then, the position measurement unit 323 measures the position P of the communication device 9 using the detected distance and angle.

[0052] Furthermore, if multiple communication devices 9 are registered in the communication device registration unit 320, the position measurement unit 324 measures the position P for each of the communication devices 9 that can communicate.

[0053] The position measurement unit 324 has been described above, but the configuration of the position measurement unit 324 is not particularly limited as long as it can measure the position P of the communication device 9. For example, SS-TWR (Single-Sided Two-Way Ranging) may be used instead of DS-TWR (Double-Sided Two-Way Ranging) as a method for measuring the position P. Also, for example, a method using BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy), a method using the signal strength of the LF band in the LF band UHF band, or a method using Bluetooth channel sounding technology can be used. Furthermore, the position P may be a three-dimensional coordinate system or a two-dimensional coordinate system with a constant vertical position.

[0054] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the position P is determined by the distance and angle from the vehicle 1, but it is not limited to this, and the position P may also be determined by the distance from the vehicle 1. In other words, the distance from the vehicle 1 may be used as the position P. With such a configuration, the control and calculation processing for measuring the position P becomes simpler.

[0055] The response request unit 325 requests a response from the user U to the vehicle 1 or the communication device 9 if the position P after the door closing operation is inside the vehicle compartment 10. In particular, in this embodiment, the user U is requested to respond to the communication device 9. By adopting this configuration, the system configuration of the biometric detection system 2 becomes simpler compared to the case where a response to the vehicle 1 is requested.

[0056] Specifically, the response request unit 325 first determines whether the position P of the communication device 9 after the door closing operation, as measured by the position measurement unit 324, is inside the passenger compartment 10. The determination method is not particularly limited. For example, as shown in Figure 3, a coordinate system based on the vehicle 1 is set in advance, and the passenger compartment region Q corresponding to the passenger compartment 10 is identified in that coordinate system. Then, the measured position P is fitted into the coordinate system, and if it is inside the passenger compartment region Q, it is determined that the position P is inside the passenger compartment 10, and if it is outside the passenger compartment region Q, it is determined that the position P is outside the passenger compartment 10.

[0057] The "position P after door closing operation" refers to the position of the communication device 9 immediately after or shortly after all doors D have been closed. For example, as shown in Figure 4, it can be the position of the communication device 9 a predetermined time ΔT1 after the time Tdc in which all doors D have been closed. The predetermined time ΔT1 is not particularly limited, but for example, it can be 1 to 5 seconds.

[0058] If location P is inside the vehicle compartment 10, the response request unit 325 requests a response from user U to the communication device 9. Specifically, the response request unit 325 transmits a signal to the communication device 9 indicating that location P was inside the vehicle compartment 10. Upon receiving this signal, the communication device 9 notifies user U of the notification from the biometric detection device 3, for example, by sound or vibration, and displays a response request image G, as shown in Figure 5, on the screen of the smartphone, which is the communication device 9. In the example shown in Figure 5, the response request unit 325 requests user U to input a 6-digit PIN code that has been previously registered in the biometric detection system 2. The communication device 9 then determines whether the correct PIN code has been entered within a predetermined time and transmits the result to the biometric detection device 3.

[0059] Here, if the communication device 9 is inside the vehicle compartment 10 and a correct response is received from user U to the communication device 9, there is a high probability that user U is inside the vehicle compartment 10, and therefore the possibility of the biological body H being left behind is low (hereinafter referred to as "Pattern A"). On the other hand, if the communication device 9 is inside the vehicle compartment 10, but a correct response is not received from user U to the communication device 9, that is, if there is no response or an incorrect response is given, there is a high probability that user U has left the vehicle with the communication device 9 inside the vehicle compartment 10, and therefore the possibility of the biological body H being left behind is high (hereinafter referred to as "Pattern B").

[0060] Furthermore, the response method requested from user U should preferably be moderately difficult, similar to the PIN code mentioned above, and should be unknowable to anyone other than user U unless user U shares it with someone else. This allows for accurate determination of patterns A and B as described above.

[0061] Specifically, by making the response method moderately difficult, situations such as the following can be effectively suppressed. For example, to keep infants quiet in the vehicle compartment 10, it is common to give them a smartphone, which is the communication device 9, and let them listen to music or look at pictures. In such cases, if the response request unit 325 requests a response, and the response method is too simple, for example, by simply tapping a response button displayed on the screen, there is a risk that a correct response may be given by the infant's careless touch to the communication device 9. As a result, the possibility of a misjudgment that user U is in the vehicle compartment 10 when they are not increases. In this regard, by making the response method moderately difficult, it is possible to effectively suppress a correct response due to a careless touch by an infant, and thus effectively suppress the aforementioned misjudgment. On the other hand, by making the response method incomprehensible to anyone other than user U, proxy responses by anyone other than user U can be effectively suppressed. As a result, irresponsible responses by passengers, for example, can be effectively suppressed. Consequently, the reliability and safety of the biometric detection system 2 are further improved.

[0062] The method of response requested from user U is not particularly limited. For example, in addition to the method of having the user enter the PIN code described above, as shown in Figure 6, a tap button B1 may be displayed on the screen of the smartphone, which is the communication device 9, and the user may be asked to tap the tap button B1 multiple times at a predetermined rhythm that has been registered in advance. Alternatively, for example, vibrations detected by an accelerometer built into the communication device 9 may be detected as a tap even without pressing the tap button. Specifically, for example, while the communication device 9 is in the user U's pants pocket or jacket pocket, the user U may cause vibrations to the communication device 9 by walking, jumping, or hitting the communication device 9, and the communication device 9 may detect these vibrations as a tap. With such a configuration, it becomes possible to respond without holding the communication device 9, increasing convenience. Alternatively, the user may be asked to answer a question for which a pre-registered phrase is the answer. Furthermore, the response method is not limited to tapping the screen of the smartphone, which is the communication device 9, but may also be, for example, facial recognition of user U using the camera built into the smartphone, or voice recognition using the microphone.

[0063] Furthermore, the method is not limited to responding to the communication device 9, but may also involve requesting a response from the user U to the vehicle 1. When responding to the vehicle 1, the same pattern A and B determination described above can be performed as with the response to the communication device 9. In this case, it is preferable that the response method can only be performed when the user is inside the vehicle compartment 10. For example, response methods such as touch input of a PIN code on a screen of a car navigation system or the like installed in the vehicle 1, facial recognition using a camera installed in the vehicle 1, or voice recognition using a microphone installed in the vehicle 1 can be used. Alternatively, the response may be given using various buttons, a shift knob, etc., installed in the vehicle 1.

[0064] The configuration of each part of the control unit 32 has been described above. In this control unit 32, as mentioned above, the biodetection unit 321 is activated when all doors D are closed. Therefore, the action of closing the doors at time Tdc in Figure 4 is the trigger for the biodetection unit 321 to activate.

[0065] However, if the communication device 9 receives a correct response to the request from the response request unit 325, user U is inside the vehicle compartment 10, and the possibility of a biological being H being left behind is low. Nevertheless, if the biological detection unit 321 is activated, for example, user U or an infant may be detected as biological being H, and furthermore, the alarm unit 322 may issue an incorrect alarm (hereinafter also referred to as a "false alarm") stating that "a biological being H has been left behind." Such false alarms cause inconvenience to user U and those around them, and significantly worsen the usability of the biological detection system 2.

[0066] Therefore, the control unit 32 restricts the alarm activation by the alarm activation unit 322 when it receives a correct response from the communication device 9. In other words, it prevents the alarm activation unit 322 from activating. With this configuration, false alarms can be effectively suppressed, and the user U and those around them will not be bothered, thus increasing the convenience of the biometric detection system 2.

[0067] There are no particular limitations on the method for restricting the alarm activation by the alarm activation unit 322. For example, a first method is to not perform biological detection by the biological detection unit 321 if a correct response is received from the communication device 9. Furthermore, a second method is to not perform an alarm activation by the alarm activation unit 322 even if the biological detection unit 321 detects biological H if a correct response is received from the communication device 9. These methods allow for the restriction of alarm activation by the alarm activation unit 322 in a simple manner. In particular, the second method allows the biological detection unit 321 to start detecting biological H without waiting for a response from the communication device 9. Therefore, if there is no correct response from the communication device 9, it is possible to detect biological H earlier and activate an alarm to that effect.

[0068] Furthermore, if multiple communication devices 9 are registered in the communication device registration unit 320, and the locations P of the multiple communication devices 9 are located inside the vehicle compartment 10, a response is requested from the user U via each communication device 9 in the vehicle compartment 10. However, if a correct response is received from one of the communication devices 9, the alarm activation unit 322 is restricted from activating an alarm. In other words, if it is confirmed that at least one user U is inside the vehicle compartment 10, the alarm activation unit 322 is restricted from activating an alarm. With this configuration, false alarms can be suppressed more effectively, and the convenience of the biometric detection system 2 is further enhanced.

[0069] The above describes the processing when a correct response is received by the communication device 9. Conversely, if a correct response is not received by the communication device 9, the biological detection unit 321 will detect the biological body H, and if the biological body H is detected, the alarm generation unit 322 will issue an alarm.

[0070] The configuration of the biodetection system 2 has been described above. Next, the operation of the biodetection system 2 will be explained based on the flowchart shown in Figure 7.

[0071] First, in step S1, the door operation detection unit 323 detects the door closing operation based on information from the vehicle control unit 11. Then, when the door operation detection unit 323 detects the door closing operation, in step S2, the position measurement unit 324 measures the position P of the communication device 9 after the door closing operation by communicating with the communication device 9.

[0072] Next, in step S3, the response request unit 325 determines whether the position P measured in step S2 is inside the vehicle compartment 10. If position P is inside the vehicle compartment 10, in step S4, the response request unit 325 requests a response from user U to the communication device 9. If a correct response is received from the communication device 9 in response to the request in step S4, in step S5, the biometric detection system 2 restricts the alarm activation by the alarm activation unit 322. If multiple communication devices 9 are registered in the communication device registration unit 320, the system may request responses from all communication devices 9 located inside the vehicle compartment 10, and proceed to step S5 when a correct response is received from one of the communication devices 9.

[0073] Conversely, if in step S3 it is determined that position P is outside the vehicle compartment 10, or if there is no correct response to the communication device 9 in step S4, then in step S6 the biometric detection system 2 detects a biological being H using the biometric detection unit 321. If a biological being H is detected, then in step S7 the alarm unit 322 issues an alarm to that effect.

[0074] This configuration effectively suppresses false alarms in situations where user U is presumed to be inside the vehicle compartment 10. As a result, it does not cause inconvenience to user U or those around them, and the convenience of the biometric detection system 2 is enhanced.

[0075] The operation of the biometric detection system 2 has been described above, but it is not particularly limited as long as the alarm can be restricted when a correct response is received from the communication device 9 or the vehicle 1.

[0076] The biodetection system 2 and biodetection method have been described above. As mentioned above, the biodetection system 2 is a biodetection system that detects a living being H inside the passenger compartment 10 of a vehicle 1, and includes a biodetection unit 321 that operates when the door D of the vehicle 1 is closed and detects a living being H inside the passenger compartment 10, an alarm unit 322 that emits an alarm when the biodetection unit 321 detects a living being H, a door operation detection unit 323 that detects the door closing operation when the door D is closed, a position measurement unit 324 that measures the position P of the communication device 9 after the door closing operation by communicating with the communication device 9 which moves with the user U, and a response request unit 325 that requests a response from the user U via the vehicle 1 or the communication device 9 when the position P is inside the passenger compartment 10. When a response is received, the alarm emission by the alarm unit 322 is restricted. With this configuration, it is possible to effectively suppress alarm emission (false alarm emission) when the user U is inside the passenger compartment 10. Therefore, the biometric detection system 2 is more convenient as it does not cause any inconvenience to user U or those around them.

[0077] Furthermore, as mentioned above, the response request unit 325 requests a response from the communication device 9. With this configuration, the system configuration is simpler compared to the case where a response is requested from the vehicle 1.

[0078] Furthermore, as mentioned above, if the locations P of the multiple communication devices 9 are inside the vehicle compartment 10, the alarm activation by the alarm activation unit 322 is restricted when a response is received by at least one of the communication devices 9 inside the vehicle compartment 10. This configuration further enhances the convenience of the biometric detection system 2.

[0079] Furthermore, as mentioned above, in the biodetection system 2, if a response is received, the biodetection unit 321 does not detect the biological body H. With this configuration, the alarm activation by the alarm activation unit 322 can be restricted in a simple manner.

[0080] Furthermore, as mentioned above, in the biodetection system 2, if a response is received, the alarm unit 322 will not issue an alarm even if the biodetection unit 321 detects a biological organism H. With this configuration, alarms issued by the alarm unit 322 can be restricted in a simple manner.

[0081] Furthermore, as mentioned above, the biometric detection method is a biometric detection method for detecting a living person H inside the passenger compartment 10 of vehicle 1. It detects the door closing operation when the door D of vehicle 1 is closed, measures the position P of the communication device 9 by communicating with the communication device 9 which moves with user U, and if position P is inside the passenger compartment 10, it requests a response from user U via vehicle 1 or the communication device 9. If a response is received, the alarm that would be triggered when a living person H is detected inside the passenger compartment 10 is restricted. With this configuration, it is possible to effectively suppress alarms (false alarms) when user U is inside the passenger compartment 10. As a result, the convenience of the biometric detection system 2 is enhanced without causing inconvenience to user U or those around them.

[0082] Although the biodetection system and biodetection method of the present invention have been described above based on the illustrated embodiments, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the configuration and steps of each part can be replaced with any configuration or step having a similar function. Furthermore, any other configuration or step may be added to the present invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0083] 1...Vehicle, 10...Passenger compartment, 101...Front seats, 102...Rear seats, 11...Vehicle control unit, 2...Biometric detection system, 3...Biometric detection device, 31...Antenna group, 311...Transmitting antenna, 312...First receiving antenna, 313...Second receiving antenna, 314...Third receiving antenna, 32...Control unit, 32a...Processor, 32b...Memory, 320...Communication device registration unit, 321...Biometric detection unit, 322...Alert unit, 323...Door operation detection unit, 324...Position measurement unit, 325...Response request unit, 33...Transmitter, 34... Receiver, 9...Communication device, 91...Antenna, 92...Control unit, 92a...Processor, 92b...Memory, 93...Transmitter, 94...Receiver, B1...Tap button, D...Door, FD1...Front door, FD2...Front door, G...Response request image, H...Biological, P...Position, Q...Vehicle interior area, RD1...Rear door, RD2...Rear door, S1...Step, S2...Step, S3...Step, S4...Step, S5...Step, S6...Step, S7...Step, Tdc...Time, U...User, ΔT1...Determined time

Claims

1. A biometric detection system for detecting living organisms inside a vehicle's interior, A biodetection unit operates when the vehicle doors are closed and detects the living body inside the vehicle cabin, An alarm unit that emits an alarm when the biological detection unit detects the biological body, A door operation detection unit that detects the door closing operation when the aforementioned door is closed, A position measuring unit measures the position of a communication device after the door closing operation by communicating with the communication device that moves with the user, When the aforementioned location is inside the vehicle, the system includes a response request unit that requests a response from the user via the vehicle or the communication device, A biological detection system characterized by restricting the alarm activation by the alarm activation unit when the aforementioned response is received.

2. The biological detection system according to claim 1, wherein the response request unit requests a response to the communication device.

3. If the location of the multiple communication devices is inside the vehicle, The biodetection system according to claim 2, wherein the alarm is regulated by the alarm issuing unit when the response is made to at least one of the communication devices.

4. The biological detection system according to claim 1, wherein if the above response is received, the biological detection unit does not perform detection of the biological body.

5. The biological detection system according to claim 1, wherein if the biological detection unit detects the biological body, the alarm unit does not issue the alarm.

6. A biodetection method for detecting living organisms inside a vehicle's interior, The system detects the door closing operation of the aforementioned vehicle, By communicating with a communication device that moves with the user, the position of the communication device after the door closing operation is measured. If the aforementioned location is inside the vehicle, the user is requested to respond via the vehicle or the communication device. A biodetection method characterized in that, if the aforementioned response occurs, the alarm that would be triggered when the bio-body is detected inside the vehicle is restricted.

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