Vehicle Occupant Detection Device and Execution Timing Control Method

Abstract

To provide a vehicle crew member detection device capable of suppressing unnecessary detection of occurrence of desertion in a vehicle, and an execution timing control method.SOLUTION: A vehicle crew member detection device 100 comprises: a distance detection unit 101 which detects a relative distance between a vehicle 200 and a first crew member; a crew member detection unit 102 which detects whether or not a second crew member is present in the vehicle 200; and an execution timing control unit 103 which controls execution timing of the detection operation in the crew member detection unit 102 in accordance with the detected relative distance.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle occupant detection device and an execution timing control method.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there has been a situation where a caregiver leaves a child in the vehicle interior and goes outside, forgetting that the child is still in the vehicle interior, resulting in the child being left unattended (neglected for a long time) in the vehicle interior. As a result, serious health problems such as heatstroke have occurred.

[0003] Therefore, a neglect prevention system that detects that a child is left unattended in a vehicle and issues an alarm has begun to be installed in vehicles. In such a system, when a caregiver tries to leave the vehicle, the presence or absence of a living body such as a child in the vehicle is detected. When it is determined that a living body is present in the vehicle, an alarm is issued outside the vehicle, such as a horn or hazard, or a notification is sent to the caregiver's smartphone or the like.

[0004] For example, Patent Document 1 describes an occupant state detection system that notifies an alarm when a person is left in a vehicle. Specifically, the occupant state detection system detects whether a state of a person leaving the front seat (driver's seat or passenger seat) has occurred. When the occurrence of the leaving state is detected, if an object in the detection area inside the vehicle is determined to be a person, an alarm is output.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] However, in the technology described in Patent Document 1 above, after the driver (protector) leaves the front seat, for example, when loading and unloading luggage or frequently entering and leaving the vehicle for cleaning, that is, even when the driver is in the vicinity of the vehicle, the occurrence of abandonment inside the vehicle is unnecessarily detected triggered by the occurrence of the leaving state, and as a result, an alarm is output.

[0007] An object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle occupant detection device and an execution timing control method capable of suppressing unnecessary detection of the occurrence of abandonment inside the vehicle.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0008] The vehicle occupant detection device according to the present invention includes a distance detection unit that detects the relative distance between the vehicle and the first occupant, an occupant detection unit that detects the presence or absence of a second occupant inside the vehicle, an execution timing control unit that controls the execution timing of the detection operation in the occupant detection unit according to the detected relative distance, and is provided with 、 When the relative distance is longer than the first distance, the execution timing control unit causes the occupant detection unit to execute the detection operation at a first execution timing. On the other hand, when the relative distance is shorter than the first distance, the execution timing control unit causes the occupant detection unit to stop the detection operation at a second execution timing. .

[0009] The execution timing control method according to the present invention detects the relative distance between the vehicle and the first occupant, and controls the execution timing of the detection operation in the occupant detection unit that detects the presence or absence of a second occupant inside the vehicle according to the detected relative distance 、 In the execution timing control method, When the relative distance is longer than the first distance, the occupant detection unit is caused to execute the detection operation at a first execution timing. On the other hand, when the relative distance is shorter than the first distance, the occupant detection unit is caused to stop the detection operation at a second execution timing. .

Effects of the Invention

[0010] According to the present invention, it is possible to suppress unnecessary detection of the occurrence of abandonment inside the vehicle.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0011]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0012] Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a vehicle occupant detection device 100 in a first embodiment. The vehicle occupant detection device 100 is provided in a vehicle 200 and detects the presence or absence of a child (corresponding to the "second occupant" of the present invention) in the vehicle 200 (specifically, in the passenger compartment). The vehicle 200 is, for example, a passenger car in which a plurality of occupants can ride.

[0013] Typically, the vehicle occupant detection device 100 is used to prevent the occurrence of leaving a child unattended in the passenger compartment when a protector (corresponding to the "first occupant" of the present invention) and a child are in the vehicle 200 and the protector goes out of the vehicle leaving the child in the passenger compartment and forgets that the child is still in the passenger compartment. The protector is the driver of the vehicle 200 or a family member of the driver.

[0014] In this embodiment, the vehicle occupant detection device 100 operates by receiving power supply from the in-vehicle battery 201 mounted on the vehicle 200. When the vehicle 200 is running, the power generated by the internal combustion engine (engine) is input to the motor generator, and the motor generator is operated as a generator to charge the in-vehicle battery 201.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle occupant detection device 100 includes a distance detection unit 101, an occupant detection unit 102, an execution timing control unit 103, and a notification unit 104.

[0016] Although not shown, the vehicle occupant detection device 100 has, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) as a processor, a storage medium such as a ROM (Read Only Memory) storing a control program, a working memory such as a RAM (Random Access Memory), and a communication circuit. In this case, the functions of the above-described respective units are realized by the CPU executing the control program.

[0017] The distance detection unit 101 detects the relative distance between the vehicle 200 and the guardian. Then, the distance detection unit 101 outputs relative distance information indicating the detected relative distance to the execution timing control unit 103 and the notification unit 104.

[0018] In this embodiment, the distance detection unit 101 has a wireless device that performs wireless communication with a portable terminal 300 (for example, a smartphone, a smart key of the vehicle 200, etc.) held by the guardian. The wireless device is not particularly limited as long as it can perform wireless communication with the portable terminal 300.

[0019] The distance detection unit 101 detects the relative distance between the vehicle 200 and the mobile terminal 300, that is, the relative distance between the vehicle 200 and the guardian, based on the reception intensity of the radio wave signal transmitted from the mobile terminal 300 and received by the radio. As the reception intensity of the radio wave signal received by the radio increases, the distance detection unit 101 detects that the relative distance between the vehicle 200 and the guardian is short, while as the reception intensity of the radio wave received by the radio decreases, the distance detection unit 101 detects that the relative distance between the vehicle 200 and the guardian is long.

[0020] Note that the distance detection unit 101 may also detect the relative distance between the vehicle 200 and the mobile terminal 300, that is, the relative distance between the vehicle 200 and the guardian, based on the time detected by transmitting and receiving a radio wave signal between the mobile terminal 300 and the radio (for example, the round-trip time of the radio wave signal between the mobile terminal 300 and the radio). In this case, as the time detected by transmitting and receiving a radio wave signal between the mobile terminal 300 and the radio decreases, the distance detection unit 101 detects that the relative distance between the vehicle 200 and the guardian is short, while as the time detected by transmitting and receiving a radio wave signal between the mobile terminal 300 and the radio increases, the distance detection unit 101 detects that the relative distance between the vehicle 200 and the guardian is long.

[0021] In addition, when the reception intensity of the radio wave signal becomes equal to or higher than a predetermined level, or when the time detected by transmitting and receiving a radio wave signal between the mobile terminal 300 and the radio becomes equal to or less than a predetermined value, the distance detection unit 101 may detect that the mobile terminal 300 (or the guardian) is inside the vehicle 200. In this case, for example, the relative distance between the vehicle 200 and the mobile terminal 300 (or the guardian) becomes zero. And when it is detected that the mobile terminal 300 (or the guardian) is outside the vehicle 200, the relative distance becomes a positive value.

[0022] The passenger detection unit 102 detects the presence or absence of a child inside the vehicle 200. Then, the passenger detection unit 102 outputs detection presence / absence information indicating the detected presence or absence of the child to the notification unit 104.

[0023] In this embodiment, the occupant detection unit 102 detects the presence or absence of a child in the vehicle 200 by a method of photographing the state inside the vehicle cabin with an in-vehicle camera, performing image recognition on the photographed video, and detecting; a method of transmitting ultrasonic waves with an ultrasonic sensor and detecting; a method of transmitting radio waves with a radio wave sensor and detecting; a method of acquiring and detecting the detection value of a load sensor, a sound sensor, or a vibration sensor installed inside the seat; a method of acquiring and detecting the detection value of a pressure-sensitive sensor that detects the pressure on the seat surface of the seat, etc. The occupant detection unit 102 is not particularly limited as long as it can detect the presence or absence of an occupant such as a child in the vehicle 200.

[0024] For example, regarding the method of transmitting radio waves with a radio wave sensor and detecting, the occupant detection unit 102 includes a radio wave sensor and a signal processing device. The radio wave sensor is a radio wave type sensor attached to the vehicle cabin, and is installed, for example, so that the rear seat enters the detection area. The radio wave sensor transmits radio waves (transmission waves) to the detection area inside the vehicle cabin (for example, around the rear seat), receives the radio waves (reflected waves) reflected by an object in the detection area, and outputs a sensor signal corresponding to the object. The signal processing device is housed, for example, in the dashboard of the vehicle 200, and receives the sensor signal output from the radio wave sensor. Then, the signal processing device determines whether the object in the detection area is a person (child) by signal-processing the sensor signal received from the radio wave sensor. The occupant detection unit 102 detects the presence or absence of a child in the vehicle 200 based on the determination result of the signal processing device.

[0025] The execution timing control unit 103 controls the execution timing of the detection operation in the occupant detection unit 102 according to the relative distance indicated by the relative distance information output from the distance detection unit 101. In the present embodiment, when the vehicle 200 is stopped, that is, when there is a possibility that a child may be left in the vehicle interior, the execution timing control unit 103 controls the execution timing of the detection operation in the occupant detection unit 102. Note that the case where the vehicle 200 is stopped includes the case where the vehicle 200 has completely stopped the internal combustion engine (engine) during parking or the like, the case where the vehicle 200 temporarily stops the internal combustion engine (engine) under signal waiting or other conditions to suppress fuel consumption, that is, the case where so-called idling stop is performed, and the case where the vehicle 200 has not stopped the internal combustion engine (engine).

[0026] The execution timing control unit 103 causes the occupant detection unit 102 to execute a detection operation at a first execution timing (for example, referred to as an active mode) or a second execution timing (for example, referred to as a sleep mode) with a lower execution frequency than the first execution timing according to the relative distance indicated by the relative distance information output from the distance detection unit 101. The execution frequency refers to, for example, the number of times the detection operation is executed per unit time.

[0027] When the relative distance is longer than a first distance (for example, 5 m), the execution timing control unit 103 causes the occupant detection unit 102 to execute a detection operation at the first execution timing. On the other hand, when the relative distance is less than or equal to the first distance, the execution timing control unit 103 causes the occupant detection unit 102 to execute a detection operation at the second execution timing. In the present embodiment, causing the occupant detection unit 102 to execute a detection operation at the second execution timing means that the number of times the detection operation is executed per unit time is 0, and the detection operation is completely stopped.

[0028] When the relative distance is equal to or less than the first distance, examples include cases where the caregiver who possesses the mobile terminal 300 is in the vehicle 200, or cases where the caregiver is near the vehicle 200, such as when the caregiver opens the trunk to load or unload luggage or frequently enters and exits the vehicle 200 to clean it. In these cases, since the child is within sight of the caregiver, it is assumed that the child has not been left unattended inside the vehicle cabin. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the execution timing control unit 103 suppresses the unnecessary detection of the occurrence of abandonment inside the vehicle 200 by completely stopping the detection operation of the passenger detection unit 102. Furthermore, in the vehicle passenger detection device 100 that operates by receiving power supply from the in-vehicle battery 201, the power consumption can be suppressed by the amount corresponding to the stop of the execution of the unnecessary detection operation.

[0029] When the relative distance indicated by the relative distance information output from the distance detection unit 101 is longer than the second distance and the presence of a child is indicated in the detection presence / absence information output from the passenger detection unit 102, the notification unit 104 notifies that the presence of the child has been detected. The second distance is longer than the first distance and is, for example, 20 to 30 m. When the relative distance between the vehicle 200 and the caregiver is longer than the second distance, examples include cases where the caregiver who possesses the mobile terminal 300 leaves the vehicle cabin with the child unattended inside and forgets that the child is actually present inside the vehicle cabin, assuming that the child has been actually left unattended inside the vehicle cabin.

[0030] In the present embodiment, the notification unit 104 notifies the caregiver that the child has been left unattended inside the vehicle cabin by notifying the caregiver through the mobile terminal 300 that the presence of the child has been detected. Note that the notification unit 104 may notify that the presence of the child inside the vehicle 200 has been detected by flashing the headlamp or taillamp of the vehicle 200, sounding the horn of the vehicle 200, or making an emergency notification to a public institution (for example, a police station or a child guidance center) according to the relative distance between the vehicle 200 and the caregiver.

[0031] When the relative distance is longer than the first distance and shorter than the second distance, the occupant detection unit 102 performs an operation of detecting the presence or absence of a child in the vehicle 200. On the other hand, even when the presence of a child is indicated in the detection presence / absence information output from the occupant detection unit 102, the notification unit 104 stops the notification operation indicating that the presence of a child has been detected. Thereby, when the presence of a child in the vehicle 200 is detected when the relative distance is longer than the first distance and shorter than the second distance, the notification unit 104 can quickly notify that the presence of a child has been detected, triggered by the relative distance between the vehicle 200 and the guardian becoming longer than the second distance.

[0032] Note that when the radio wave signal transmitted from the mobile terminal 300 is no longer received by the wireless device (that is, when the communication between the mobile terminal 300 and the wireless device is interrupted), the distance detection unit 101 may detect that the relative distance between the vehicle 200 and the guardian is longer than the second distance. Also, the first distance and the second distance may be the same distance. In this case, when the relative distance indicated in the relative distance information output from the distance detection unit 101 is longer than the first distance and the presence of a child is indicated in the detection presence / absence information output from the occupant detection unit 102, the notification unit 104 notifies that the presence of a child has been detected. Thereby, the presence of a child can be notified to the guardian at an earlier stage, and it is possible to prevent the child from being left unattended in the vehicle interior from actually occurring.

[0033] Next, with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 2, an example of the execution timing control operation of the vehicle occupant detection device 100 (corresponding to the "execution timing control method" of the present invention) will be described. Note that the process shown in FIG. 2 is executed when the vehicle 200 is stopped.

[0034] First, the execution timing control unit 103 acquires the relative distance information output from the distance detection unit 101 (step S100). Next, the execution timing control unit 103 determines whether the relative distance indicated by the relative distance information output from the distance detection unit 101 is less than or equal to the first distance (step S110). As a result of the determination, if the relative distance is less than or equal to the first distance (step S110, YES), the execution timing control unit 103 causes the occupant detection unit 102 to perform a detection operation at the second execution timing, that is, completely stops the detection operation of the occupant detection unit 102 (step S120).

[0035] Next, the vehicle occupant detection device 100 determines whether to continue the detection of the relative distance by the distance detection unit 101 (step S130). As a result of the determination, if the detection of the relative distance by the distance detection unit 101 is not continued (step S130, NO), the vehicle occupant detection device 100 ends the process in FIG. 2.

[0036] On the other hand, if the detection of the relative distance by the distance detection unit 101 is continued (step S130, YES), the vehicle occupant detection device 100 waits for a predetermined time until the next detection timing by the distance detection unit 101 (step S140). After that, the process returns to before step S100.

[0037] Returning to the determination process of step S110, if the relative distance is not less than or equal to the first distance, that is, if it is longer than the first distance (step S110, NO), the execution timing control unit 103 determines whether the relative distance is less than or equal to the second distance (step S150).

[0038] If, as a result of the determination, the relative distance is equal to or less than the second distance (step S150, YES), the execution timing control unit 103 determines whether or not the detection operation has been executed by the occupant detection unit 102 at the first execution timing (step S160). If, as a result of the determination, the detection operation has been executed by the occupant detection unit 102 at the first execution timing (step S160, YES), the process proceeds to step S180. The detection of the presence or absence of a child by the occupant detection unit 102 only needs to be performed once. In the vehicle occupant detection device 100 that operates by receiving power supply from the in-vehicle battery 201, this is to stop the execution of unnecessary detection operations and suppress power consumption.

[0039] On the other hand, if the detection operation has not been executed by the occupant detection unit 102 at the first execution timing (step S160, NO), the execution timing control unit 103 causes the occupant detection unit 102 to execute the detection operation at the first execution timing (step S170). Next, the notification unit 104 refers to the detection presence / absence information output from the occupant detection unit 102 and determines whether or not the presence of a child has been detected (step S180).

[0040] If, as a result of the determination, the presence of a child has not been detected (step S180, NO), the process proceeds to step S130. On the other hand, if the presence of a child has been detected (step S180, YES), the vehicle occupant detection device 100 determines whether or not the condition that the relative distance detected by the distance detection unit 101 is continuously longer than the first distance and equal to or less than the second distance for a predetermined time (for example, 10 minutes) is satisfied (step S190).

[0041] As a result of the determination, if the relative distance detected by the distance detection unit 101 does not satisfy the condition of being longer than the first distance and equal to or less than the second distance continuously for a predetermined time (step S190, NO), the process transitions to step S130. On the other hand, if the relative distance detected by the distance detection unit 101 satisfies the condition of being longer than the first distance and equal to or less than the second distance continuously for a predetermined time (step S190, YES), the notification unit 104 notifies that the presence of a child has been detected (step S200). This can prevent the situation where, even if the time the caregiver leaves the vehicle with the child left in the vehicle interior becomes long and there is a possibility of forgetting that the child is actually in the vehicle interior, the presence of the child is notified to the caregiver, thereby preventing the child from being actually left unattended in the vehicle interior. When the process of step S200 is completed, the process transitions to step S130.

[0042] Returning to the determination process of step S150, if the relative distance is not less than the second distance, that is, if it is longer than the second distance (step S150, NO), the execution timing control unit 103 determines whether to execute the detection operation by the occupant detection unit 102 at the first execution timing (step S210). As a result of the determination, if the detection operation is being executed by the occupant detection unit 102 at the first execution timing (step S210, YES), the process transitions to step S240. The detection of the presence or absence of a child by the occupant detection unit 102 only needs to be performed once. This is to stop the execution of unnecessary detection operations and suppress power consumption in the vehicle occupant detection device 100 that operates by receiving power supply from the vehicle battery 201.

[0043] On the other hand, if the detection operation is not being executed by the occupant detection unit 102 at the first execution timing (step S210, NO), the execution timing control unit 103 causes the occupant detection unit 102 to execute the detection operation at the first execution timing (step S220).

[0044] Next, the notification unit 104 refers to the detection presence / absence information output from the passenger detection unit 102 and determines whether or not the presence of a child has been detected (step S240). As a result of the determination, if the presence of a child has been detected (step S240, YES), the notification unit 104 notifies that the presence of a child has been detected (step S250). When the process of step S250 is completed, the process transitions to step S130. On the other hand, if the presence of a child has not been detected (step S240, NO), the process transitions to step S130.

[0045] As described in detail above, the vehicle passenger detection device 100 according to the first embodiment includes a distance detection unit 101 that detects the relative distance between the vehicle 200 and a guardian (first passenger), a passenger detection unit 102 that detects the presence or absence of a child (second passenger) in the vehicle 200, and an execution timing control unit 103 that controls the execution timing of the detection operation in the passenger detection unit 102 according to the relative distance detected by the distance detection unit 101.

[0046] According to the present embodiment configured in this way, the execution timing of the detection operation in the passenger detection unit 102 is controlled according to the relative distance between the vehicle 200 and the guardian. Therefore, for example, when the relative distance between the vehicle 200 and the guardian is short, that is, when it is assumed that a child exists within the range visible to the guardian and the child has not been left unattended in the vehicle interior, it is possible to suppress the unnecessary execution of the detection operation in the passenger detection unit 102. As a result, it is possible to suppress unnecessary power consumption related to the detection operation of the passenger detection unit 102 in the in-vehicle battery 201 that supplies power to the vehicle passenger detection device 100.

[0047] Also, in the present embodiment, when the vehicle 200 is stopped, the execution timing control unit 103 controls the execution timing of the detection operation in the passenger detection unit 102 according to the detected relative distance. With this configuration, when the vehicle 200 is not stopped, that is, when it is assumed that the vehicle 200 is traveling and the child is not left unattended in the vehicle interior, it is possible to suppress the unnecessary execution of the detection operation in the passenger detection unit 102.

[0048] Also, in the present embodiment, when the relative distance is longer than the first distance, the execution timing control unit 103 causes the occupant detection unit 102 to execute the detection operation at the first execution timing. On the other hand, when the relative distance is shorter than the first distance, the occupant detection unit 102 is caused to execute the detection operation at a second execution timing with a lower execution frequency than the first execution timing. With this configuration, when the relative distance is shorter than the first distance, that is, when it is assumed that a child exists within the reach of the guardian's sight and the child has not been left unattended in the vehicle interior, the detection operation of the occupant detection unit 102 is executed at the second execution timing with a lower execution frequency than the first execution timing. Therefore, compared with the case where the detection operation of the occupant detection unit 102 is executed at the first execution timing regardless of the relative distance between the vehicle 200 and the guardian, it is possible to suppress the unnecessary execution of the detection operation in the occupant detection unit 102.

[0049] Also, in the present embodiment, when the relative distance between the vehicle 200 and the guardian is longer than the second distance and the presence of a child is detected by the occupant detection unit 102, the notification unit 104 notifies that the presence of the child has been detected. With this configuration, when the relative distance is equal to or less than the second distance, that is, when it is not possible to assume that the child has been left unattended in the vehicle interior although the guardian has moved away from the vehicle 200 to some extent, it is possible to suppress the unnecessary execution of the notification operation in the notification unit 104. As a result, it is possible to suppress unnecessary power consumption related to the notification operation of the notification unit 104 in the in-vehicle battery 201 that supplies power to the vehicle occupant detection device 100.

[0050] Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of the vehicle occupant detection device 100 in the second embodiment. Note that the description of the configuration common to the first embodiment will be omitted.

[0051] The vehicle occupant detection device 100 is used to prevent the occurrence of leaving a child unattended in the vehicle interior. When there is a caregiver and a child outside the vehicle 200, the child may board the vehicle 200 with the door unlocked without the caregiver's knowledge, and the caregiver may not notice the presence of the child in the vehicle interior as a result.

[0052] As shown in FIG. 3, the vehicle 200 further includes an opening / closing detection unit 202 compared to the vehicle 200 shown in FIG. 1.

[0053] The opening / closing detection unit 200 detects whether the door of the vehicle 200 is open or closed. Then, the opening / closing detection unit 202 outputs the state information indicating whether the door of the vehicle 200 is open or closed to the execution timing control unit 103 of the vehicle occupant detection device 100. The execution timing control unit 103 determines the opening and closing of the door of the vehicle 200 based on the state information indicating whether the door is open or closed output from the opening / closing detection unit 202. Here, the "opening and closing" means the behavior of the door being opened once and then closed, or the behavior of the opened door being closed.

[0054] The execution timing control unit 103 refers to the door state information output from the opening / closing detection unit 202 and the relative distance information output from the distance detection unit 101. When the opening and closing of the door of the vehicle 200 is detected and the relative distance between the vehicle 200 and the caregiver is longer than the first distance, it is assumed that a child has boarded the vehicle 200 without the caregiver's knowledge. Therefore, the execution timing control unit 103 causes the occupant detection unit 102 to execute a detection operation at the first execution timing. On the other hand, when the opening and closing of the door of the vehicle 200 is not detected, it is assumed that no child has boarded the vehicle 200. Therefore, regardless of the relative distance between the vehicle 200 and the caregiver, the execution timing control unit 103 completely stops the detection operation of the occupant detection unit 102.

[0055] Next, with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 4, an example of the execution timing control operation of the vehicle occupant detection device 100 will be described. The process shown in FIG. 4 is executed when the vehicle 200 is stopped.

[0056] First, the execution timing control unit 103 determines whether the opening and closing of the door of the vehicle 200 is detected based on the door state information output from the opening and closing detection unit 202 (step S300). As a result of the determination, if the opening and closing of the door of the vehicle 200 is not detected (step S300, NO), it is assumed that no child has entered the vehicle 200, and thus the process proceeds to step S340.

[0057] On the other hand, if the opening and closing of the door of the vehicle 200 is detected (step S300, YES), it is assumed that a child has entered the vehicle 200. Therefore, the execution timing control unit 103 acquires the relative distance information output from the distance detection unit 101 (step S310). Next, the execution timing control unit 103 determines whether the relative distance indicated by the relative distance information output from the distance detection unit 101 is less than or equal to the first distance (step S320).

[0058] As a result of the determination, if the relative distance is less than or equal to the first distance (step S320, YES), the execution timing control unit 103 causes the occupant detection unit 102 to execute a detection operation at the second execution timing, that is, completely stops the detection operation of the occupant detection unit 102 (step S330).

[0059] Next, the vehicle occupant detection device 100 determines whether to continue detecting the opening and closing of the door based on the door state information output from the opening and closing detection unit 202 (step S340). As a result of the determination, if the detection of the opening and closing of the door based on the door state information output from the opening and closing detection unit 202 is not continued (step S340, NO), the vehicle occupant detection device 100 ends the process in FIG. 4.

[0060] On the other hand, if the detection of the opening and closing of the door based on the door state information output from the opening and closing detection unit 202 is continued (step S340, YES), the vehicle occupant detection device 100 waits for a predetermined time until the next detection timing by the opening and closing detection unit 202 (step S350). Thereafter, the process returns to before step S300.

[0061] Return to the determination process in step S320. When the relative distance is not less than the first distance, that is, when it is longer than the first distance (step S320, NO), the execution timing control unit 103 determines whether the relative distance is less than or equal to the second distance (step S360).

[0062] As a result of the determination, when the relative distance is less than or equal to the second distance (step S360, YES), the execution timing control unit 103 determines whether the detection operation has been executed on the occupant detection unit 102 at the first execution timing (step S370). As a result of the determination, when the detection operation has been executed on the occupant detection unit 102 at the first execution timing (step S370, YES), the process transitions to step S390. The detection of the presence or absence of a child by the occupant detection unit 102 only needs to be performed once. In the vehicle occupant detection device 100 that operates by receiving power supply from the in-vehicle battery 201, this is to stop the execution of unnecessary detection operations and suppress power consumption.

[0063] On the other hand, when the detection operation has not been executed on the occupant detection unit 102 at the first execution timing (step S370, NO), the execution timing control unit 103 causes the occupant detection unit 102 to perform the detection operation at the first execution timing (step S380). Next, the notification unit 104 refers to the detection presence / absence information output from the occupant detection unit 102 and determines whether the presence of a child has been detected (step S390).

[0064] As a result of the determination, when the presence of a child has not been detected (step S390, NO), the process transitions to step S340. On the other hand, when the presence of a child has been detected (step S390, YES), the vehicle occupant detection device 100 determines whether the relative distance detected by the distance detection unit 101 satisfies the condition that it is continuously longer than the first distance and less than or equal to the second distance for a predetermined time (for example, 10 minutes) (step S400).

[0065] As a result of the determination, if the relative distance detected by the distance detection unit 101 does not satisfy the condition of being longer than the first distance and equal to or less than the second distance continuously for a predetermined time (step S400, NO), the process proceeds to step S340. On the other hand, if the relative distance detected by the distance detection unit 101 satisfies the condition of being longer than the first distance and equal to or less than the second distance continuously for a predetermined time (step S400, YES), the notification unit 104 notifies that the presence of a child has been detected (step S410). Thereby, even if a child gets into the vehicle 200 without the guardian's knowledge and there is a possibility that the guardian may not notice the presence of the child in the passenger compartment for a long time, the presence of the child is notified to the guardian, and it is possible to prevent the child from being left unattended in the passenger compartment from actually occurring. When the process of step S410 is completed, the process proceeds to step S340.

[0066] Returning to the determination process of step S360, when the relative distance is not equal to or less than the second distance, that is, when it is longer than the second distance (step S360, NO), the execution timing control unit 103 determines whether the detection operation has been executed on the passenger detection unit 102 at the first execution timing (step S420). As a result of the determination, if the detection operation has been executed on the passenger detection unit 102 at the first execution timing (step S420, YES), the process proceeds to step S440. Detection of the presence or absence of a child by the passenger detection unit 102 only needs to be performed once. In the vehicle passenger detection device 100 that operates by receiving power from the in-vehicle battery 201, this is to stop the execution of unnecessary detection operations and suppress power consumption.

[0067] On the other hand, if the detection operation has not been executed on the passenger detection unit 102 at the first execution timing (step S420, NO), the execution timing control unit 103 causes the passenger detection unit 102 to execute the detection operation at the first execution timing (step S430).

[0068] Next, the notification unit 104 refers to the detection presence / absence information output from the passenger detection unit 102, and determines whether or not the presence of a child has been detected (step S440). As a result of the determination, if the presence of a child has been detected (step S440, YES), the notification unit 104 notifies that the presence of a child has been detected (step S450). When the process of step S450 is completed, the process transitions to step S340. On the other hand, if the presence of a child has not been detected (step S440, NO), the process transitions to step S340.

[0069] According to the second embodiment configured as described above, when the opening / closing of the door of the vehicle 200 is detected based on the door state information output from the opening / closing detection unit 202, the execution timing of the detection operation in the passenger detection unit 102 is controlled according to the relative distance between the vehicle 200 and the guardian. Therefore, for example, when the relative distance between the vehicle 200 and the guardian is short, that is, when it is assumed that a child exists within the range visible to the guardian and the child has not been left alone in the vehicle interior, it is possible to suppress the unnecessary execution of the detection operation in the passenger detection unit 102. As a result, in the in-vehicle battery 201 that supplies power to the vehicle passenger detection device 100, it is possible to suppress unnecessary power consumption related to the detection operation of the passenger detection unit 102.

[0070] Next, a third embodiment according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of the vehicle passenger detection device 100 in the third embodiment. Note that the description of the configuration common to the first embodiment is omitted.

[0071] Similar to the second embodiment, the vehicle passenger detection device 100 is used to prevent the occurrence of a child being left alone in the vehicle interior, in a situation where there is a guardian and a child outside the vehicle 200, and while the guardian is unaware, a child gets into the vehicle 200 with the door key open and the guardian remains unaware that there is a child in the vehicle interior.

[0072] As shown in FIG. 5, the vehicle 200 further includes an automatic lock detection unit 203 as compared with the vehicle 200 shown in FIG. 1.

[0073] The automatic lock detection unit 203 detects whether or not an automatic lock is generated in the door of the vehicle 200. Then, the automatic lock detection unit 203 outputs automatic lock presence / absence information indicating whether or not an automatic lock is generated to the execution timing control unit 103. Here, the automatic lock in the door of the vehicle 200 means that control for automatically locking the door is executed at the timing when a predetermined time has elapsed after the door is closed.

[0074] The execution timing control unit 103 refers to the automatic lock presence / absence information output from the automatic lock detection unit 203 and the relative distance information output from the distance detection unit 101. When the occurrence of an automatic lock is detected and the relative distance between the vehicle 200 and the guardian is longer than the first distance, it is assumed that a child has boarded the vehicle 200 without the guardian's knowledge. Therefore, the execution timing control unit 103 causes the occupant detection unit 102 to execute a detection operation at the first execution timing. On the other hand, when the occurrence of an automatic lock is not detected, since it is assumed that no child has boarded the vehicle 200, the execution timing control unit 103 completely stops the detection operation of the occupant detection unit 102 regardless of the relative distance between the vehicle 200 and the guardian.

[0075] Next, with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 6, an example of the execution timing control operation of the vehicle occupant detection device 100 will be described. Note that the process shown in FIG. 6 is executed when the vehicle 200 is stopped.

[0076] First, the execution timing control unit 103 determines whether or not the occurrence of an automatic lock has been detected by the automatic lock detection unit 203 (step S500). As a result of the determination, if the occurrence of an automatic lock has not been detected (step S500, NO), since it is assumed that no child has boarded the vehicle 200, the process proceeds to step S540.

[0077] On the one hand, when the occurrence of automatic locking is detected (step S500, YES), since it is assumed that a child has boarded the vehicle 200, the execution timing control unit 103 acquires the relative distance information output from the distance detection unit 101 (step S510). Next, the execution timing control unit 103 determines whether the relative distance indicated by the relative distance information output from the distance detection unit 101 is less than or equal to the first distance (step S520).

[0078] As a result of the determination, when the relative distance is less than or equal to the first distance (step S520, YES), the execution timing control unit 103 causes the occupant detection unit 102 to perform a detection operation at the second execution timing, that is, completely stops the detection operation of the occupant detection unit 102 (step S530).

[0079] Next, the vehicle occupant detection device 100 determines whether to continue detecting the occurrence of automatic locking by the automatic lock detection unit 203 (step S540). As a result of the determination, when the detection of the occurrence of automatic locking by the automatic lock detection unit 203 is not continued (step S540, NO), the vehicle occupant detection device 100 ends the process in FIG. 6.

[0080] On the other hand, when continuing to detect the occurrence of automatic locking by the automatic lock detection unit 203 (step S540, YES), the vehicle occupant detection device 100 waits for a predetermined time until the next detection timing by the automatic lock detection unit 203 (step S550). After that, the process returns to before step S500.

[0081] Returning to the determination process of step S520, when the relative distance is not less than or equal to the first distance, that is, when it is longer than the first distance (step S520, NO), the execution timing control unit 103 determines whether the relative distance is less than or equal to the second distance (step S560).

[0082] If, as a result of the determination, the relative distance is less than or equal to the second distance (step S560, YES), the execution timing control unit 103 determines whether the detection operation has been executed by the occupant detection unit 102 at the first execution timing (step S570). If, as a result of the determination, the detection operation has been executed by the occupant detection unit 102 at the first execution timing (step S570, YES), the process proceeds to step S590. The detection of the presence or absence of a child by the occupant detection unit 102 only needs to be performed once. In the vehicle occupant detection device 100 that operates by receiving power supply from the in-vehicle battery 201, this is to stop the execution of unnecessary detection operations and suppress power consumption.

[0083] On the other hand, if the detection operation has not been executed by the occupant detection unit 102 at the first execution timing (step S570, NO), the execution timing control unit 103 causes the occupant detection unit 102 to execute the detection operation at the first execution timing (step S580). Next, the notification unit 104 refers to the detection presence / absence information output from the occupant detection unit 102 and determines whether the presence of a child has been detected (step S590).

[0084] If, as a result of the determination, the presence of a child has not been detected (step S590, NO), the process proceeds to step S540. On the other hand, if the presence of a child has been detected (step S590, YES), the vehicle occupant detection device 100 determines whether the condition that the relative distance detected by the distance detection unit 101 is continuously longer than the first distance and less than or equal to the second distance for a predetermined time (for example, 10 minutes) is satisfied (step S600).

[0085] As a result of the determination, if the relative distance detected by the distance detection unit 101 does not satisfy the condition that it continues to be longer than the first distance and equal to or less than the second distance for a predetermined time (step S600, NO), the process transitions to step S540. On the other hand, if the relative distance detected by the distance detection unit 101 satisfies the condition that it continues to be longer than the first distance and equal to or less than the second distance for a predetermined time (step S600, YES), the notification unit 104 notifies that the presence of a child has been detected (step S610). This enables the notification of the presence of a child to the caregiver even when there is a possibility that a child has boarded the vehicle 200 without the caregiver's knowledge and the caregiver may not notice the presence of the child in the passenger compartment for a long time, preventing the actual occurrence of leaving the child unattended in the passenger compartment. When the process of step S610 is completed, the process transitions to step S540.

[0086] Returning to the determination process of step S560, when the relative distance is not equal to or less than the second distance, that is, when it is longer than the second distance (step S560, NO), the execution timing control unit 103 determines whether the detection operation has been executed on the passenger detection unit 102 at the first execution timing (step S620). As a result of the determination, if the detection operation has been executed on the passenger detection unit 102 at the first execution timing (step S620, YES), the process transitions to step S640. The detection of the presence or absence of a child by the passenger detection unit 102 only needs to be performed once. In the vehicle passenger detection device 100 that operates by receiving power supply from the vehicle battery 201, this is to stop the execution of unnecessary detection operations and suppress power consumption.

[0087] On the other hand, if the detection operation has not been executed on the passenger detection unit 102 at the first execution timing (step S620, NO), the execution timing control unit 103 causes the passenger detection unit 102 to execute the detection operation at the first execution timing (step S630).

[0088] Next, the notification unit 104 refers to the detection presence / absence information output from the occupant detection unit 102, and determines whether or not the presence of a child has been detected (step S640). As a result of the determination, if the presence of a child has been detected (step S640, YES), the notification unit 104 notifies that the presence of a child has been detected (step S650). When the process of step S650 is completed, the process transitions to step S540. On the other hand, if the presence of a child has not been detected (step S640, NO), the process transitions to step S540.

[0089] According to the third embodiment configured as described above, when the automatic lock detection unit 203 detects the occurrence of an automatic lock, the execution timing of the detection operation in the occupant detection unit 102 is controlled according to the relative distance between the vehicle 200 and the guardian. Therefore, for example, when the relative distance between the vehicle 200 and the guardian is short, that is, when it is assumed that a child exists within the range visible to the guardian and the child has not been left unattended in the vehicle interior, it is possible to suppress the unnecessary execution of the detection operation in the occupant detection unit 102. As a result, it is possible to suppress unnecessary power consumption related to the detection operation of the occupant detection unit 102 in the in-vehicle battery 201 that supplies power to the vehicle occupant detection device 100.

[0090] In the above first to third embodiments, the distance detection unit 101 has been described as an example of detecting the relative distance between the vehicle 200 and the guardian based on the wireless communication state (for example, reception intensity) between the mobile terminal 300 held by the guardian and the wireless device. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the distance detection unit 101 may photograph the state outside the vehicle with an outside vehicle camera and detect the relative distance between the guardian included in the photographed video and the vehicle 200 by performing image recognition on the photographed video.

[0091] In the above-described first to third embodiments, the execution timing control unit 103 controls the execution timing of the detection operation in the occupant detection unit 102 according to the relative distance detected by the distance detection unit 101 when the vehicle 200 is stopped. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the execution timing control unit 103 may control the execution timing of the detection operation in the occupant detection unit 102 according to the detected relative distance regardless of whether the vehicle 200 is stopped or not.

[0092] In the above-described first to third embodiments, the execution timing control unit 103 causes the occupant detection unit 102 to perform the detection operation at two types of execution timings (first execution timing, second execution timing) with different execution frequencies according to the relative distance between the vehicle 200 and the guardian. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the execution timing control unit 103 may cause the occupant detection unit 102 to perform the detection operation at three or more types of execution timings with different execution frequencies according to the relative distance between the vehicle 200 and the guardian. In this case, the execution timing control unit 103 may cause the occupant detection unit 102 to perform the detection operation at an execution timing at which the execution frequency gradually increases as the relative distance between the vehicle 200 and the guardian increases.

[0093] In the above-described first to third embodiments, causing the occupant detection unit 102 to perform the detection operation at the second execution timing means that the number of times the detection operation is performed per unit time is 0, which means that the detection operation is completely stopped. However, the present invention is not limited to this. In short, the second execution timing only needs to have a lower execution frequency than the first execution timing, and the number of times the detection operation is performed per unit time may be set to one or more, and the detection operation does not have to be completely stopped.

[0094] In addition, in the above-described first to third embodiments, an example in which there is one mobile terminal 300, that is, one guardian, has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The number of guardians may be plural, for example, two persons such as a driver and his / her family member. In this case, the distance detection unit 101 has a wireless device that performs wireless communication with a plurality of mobile terminals 300 held by a plurality of guardians, and detects a relative distance between the vehicle 200 and the plurality of mobile terminals 300, that is, a relative distance between the vehicle 200 and the plurality of guardians, respectively.

[0095] Then, when all of the plurality of relative distances detected by the distance detection unit 101 are longer than the first distance, the execution timing control unit 103 causes the passenger detection unit 102 to execute a detection operation at the first execution timing. On the other hand, when at least one of the plurality of relative distances is equal to or shorter than the first distance, the passenger detection unit 102 is caused to execute a detection operation at a second execution timing with a lower execution frequency than the first execution timing. Thereby, when at least one of the plurality of relative distances is equal to or shorter than the first distance, that is, when it is assumed that a child exists within the reach of at least one guardian and the child has not been left unattended in the vehicle interior, the detection operation of the passenger detection unit 102 is executed at the second execution timing. Therefore, even when at least one of the plurality of relative distances is equal to or shorter than the first distance, it is possible to suppress unnecessary execution of the detection operation in the passenger detection unit 102 as compared with the case where the detection operation of the passenger detection unit 102 is executed at the first execution timing.

[0096] Further, when all of the plurality of relative distances detected by the distance detection unit 101 are longer than the second distance and the presence of a child is detected by the passenger detection unit 102, the notification unit 104 notifies that the presence of a child has been detected. As a result, if even one of the plurality of relative distances is equal to or less than the second distance, that is, although the caregiver has moved away from the vehicle 200 to a certain extent, but it is not possible to assume that the child has been left unattended in the vehicle interior, even if the presence of a child is detected, the notification operation to that effect is not executed. Therefore, compared with the case where the notification operation of the notification unit 104 is executed even when one of the plurality of relative distances is equal to or less than the second distance, it is possible to suppress the unnecessary execution of the notification operation of the notification unit 104.

[0097] In addition, each of the above embodiments merely shows an example of implementation when carrying out the present invention, and the technical scope of the present invention should not be construed in a limited manner by these. That is, the present invention can be implemented in various forms without departing from the gist or its main features.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0098] 100 Vehicle Occupant Detection Device 101 Distance Detection Unit 102 Passenger Detection Unit 103 Execution Timing Control Unit 104 Notification Unit 200 Vehicle 201 Vehicle-mounted Battery 202 Opening / Closing Detection Unit 203 Automatic Lock Detection Unit 300 Portable Terminal

Claims

1. A distance detection unit that detects the relative distance between the vehicle and the first occupant; An occupant detection unit that detects the presence or absence of a second occupant in the vehicle; An execution timing control unit that controls the execution timing of the detection operation in the occupant detection unit according to the detected relative distance; Comprising: When the relative distance is longer than a first distance, the execution timing control unit causes the occupant detection unit to execute the detection operation at a first execution timing. On the other hand, when the relative distance is shorter than the first distance, the execution timing control unit stops the detection operation of the occupant detection unit at a second execution timing. A vehicle occupant detection device.

2. When the vehicle is stopped, the execution timing control unit controls the execution timing of the detection operation in the occupant detection unit. The vehicle occupant detection device according to Claim 1.

3. When the opening / closing state of the vehicle door is detected by an opening / closing detection unit and the relative distance is longer than the first distance, the execution timing control unit causes the occupant detection unit to execute the detection operation at the first execution timing. The vehicle occupant detection device according to Claim 1 or 2.

4. When the automatic locking of the vehicle door is detected by an automatic locking detection unit and the relative distance is longer than the first distance, the execution timing control unit causes the occupant detection unit to execute the detection operation at the first execution timing. The vehicle occupant detection device according to Claim 1 or 2.

5. When the relative distance is longer than a second distance that is equal to or greater than the first distance and the presence of the second occupant is detected, it includes a notification unit that notifies that the presence of the second occupant has been detected. The vehicle occupant detection device according to any one of Claims 1 to 4.

6. When the presence of the second occupant is detected, when the relative distance continues to be longer than the first distance and shorter than the second distance for a predetermined time, it includes a notification unit that notifies that the presence of the second occupant has been detected. The vehicle occupant detection device according to any one of Claims 1 to 4.

7. Detecting the relative distance between the vehicle and the first occupant; Controlling the execution timing of the detection operation in an occupant detection unit that detects the presence or absence of a second occupant in the vehicle according to the detected relative distance; In an execution timing control method, When the relative distance is longer than the first distance, the detection operation is executed on the occupant detection unit at the first execution timing, while when the relative distance is shorter than the first distance, the detection operation is stopped on the occupant detection unit at the second execution timing. Execution timing control method.

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