Vehicle alarm system

Abstract

To provide a vehicular alarm device which can suppress the occurrence of desertion of an occupant.SOLUTION: A vehicular alarm device 1 is used for a vehicle 5 having a cabin 3 which has a passage 2 formed so that an occupant can walk. The vehicular alarm device includes: a detection sensor 7 which detects the movement of an occupant within the cabin 3; and an external alarm issuing section 8 which issues an alarm to the outside of the cabin 3 on the basis of a signal of the detection sensor 7. The vehicular alarm device further includes: an internal alarm issuing section 9 which issues an alarm to the inside of the cabin 3 when stopping driving means of the vehicle 5; and a stop section 10 which stops issuance of an alarm by the internal alarm issuing section 9 existing at a position through the passage 2. Issuance of an alarm by the internal alarm issuing section 9 is stopped on the basis of a signal of the detection sensor 7 corresponding to a stop operation by an operation occupant D for operating the stop section 10 and a walking operation by the operation occupant D up to the stop section 10 through the passage 2. Therefore, the walking operation by the operation occupant D when passing through the passage can be guided so that a seat arranged around the passage 2 can be forcibly and sufficiently confirmed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to alarm devices, and more particularly to alarm devices for vehicles. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, there have been many accidents in which young children have been left behind and become trapped inside shuttle buses and other vehicles. This is because shuttle buses and other vehicles are large and infants are small, making blind spots more likely to occur, and unless a careful final check is made on each seat, the presence of infants may be overlooked.

[0003] Therefore, a vehicle alarm system has been proposed that applies a conventional vehicle anti-theft device (see, for example, Patent Document 1) to prevent passengers such as small children from being left behind in the vehicle. Such a vehicle alarm device includes a detection sensor that detects the movement of an occupant within the vehicle cabin, and an external alarm unit that issues an alarm outside the vehicle cabin based on a signal from the detection sensor.

[0004] When the left-behind occupant moves within the vehicle cabin, the movement is detected by a detection sensor, and based on the signal from this detection sensor, an external alarm unit issues an alarm outside the vehicle cabin, thereby informing those around that an occupant has been left behind within the vehicle cabin. As the detection sensor, not only a motion detection sensor such as a Doppler sensor that directly detects the movement of the occupant, but also a vibration detection sensor such as a three-axis acceleration sensor that indirectly detects the movement can be used.

[0005] However, the above-mentioned vehicle alarm devices are measures taken after an occupant has already been left behind, and do not prevent occupants from being left behind in the first place, so a more drastic measure is required. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-177170 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] The present disclosure has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present disclosure is to provide a vehicle alarm device that can reduce the occurrence of occupants being left behind. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The vehicle alarm device disclosed herein is used in a vehicle having a passenger compartment with a passageway formed for occupants to walk through, and is equipped with a detection sensor that detects the movement of occupants within the passenger compartment, and an external alarm unit that issues an alarm outside the passenger compartment based on a signal from the detection sensor.

[0009] The vehicle is provided with an internal alarm unit that issues an alarm inside the vehicle compartment when the drive means of the vehicle is stopped, and a stop unit that stops the internal alarm unit located at a position across the passage from issuing an alarm. In addition, the internal alarm unit stops issuing an alarm based on the signal from the detection sensor corresponding to the stopping operation of the operating occupant who operates the stopping unit and the walking movement of the operating occupant through the passage to the stopping unit.

[0010] This makes it possible to require the operating crew to walk in the aisle in order to stop the internal alarm unit from issuing an alarm. That is, in order to stop the internal alarm unit from sounding, the operating crew must necessarily move to the stopping section via the passageway, but the walking movement of the operating crew at that time can be restricted. Therefore, it is possible to guide the walking movement of the operating occupant when passing through the aisle so that the seats arranged around the aisle can be fully confirmed. As a result, it is possible to prevent occupants from being left behind. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1]1A is an explanatory diagram of a vehicle alarm device when a drive means of a vehicle is operating, and FIG. 1B is an explanatory diagram of a vehicle alarm device when the drive means is stopped (Embodiment 1). [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a vehicle alarm device (first embodiment). [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a control flow diagram of the vehicle alarm device (first embodiment). [Figure 4] 1 is an explanatory diagram of a vehicle alarm device in a case where alarm generation by an internal alarm generating unit is not stopped (first embodiment); [Figure 5] 4 is an explanatory diagram of the vehicle alarm device in the case where the internal alarm unit stops issuing an alarm (first embodiment); FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a control flow diagram of a vehicle alarm device (embodiment 2). [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a control flow diagram of a vehicle alarm device (third embodiment). DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Hereinafter, modes for carrying out the present disclosure will be described based on examples. It should be noted that the following examples disclose specific examples, and it goes without saying that the present disclosure is not limited to the following examples. [Example]

[0013] [Configuration of Example 1] The configuration of a vehicle alarm device 1 according to a first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. The vehicle alarm device 1 is used in a vehicle 5 having a vehicle compartment 3 in which a passageway 2 through which occupants can walk is formed. More specifically, the vehicle 5 is a shuttle bus or the like.

[0014] The vehicle alarm device 1 also includes a detection sensor 7 that detects the movement of an occupant in the vehicle compartment 3, and an external alarm issuing unit 8 that issues an alarm outside the vehicle compartment 3 based on a signal from the detection sensor 7. Furthermore, the vehicle alarm device 1 is equipped with an internal alarm unit 9 that issues an alarm inside the vehicle compartment 3 when the drive means of the vehicle 5 stops, and a stop unit 10 that stops the internal alarm unit 9 from issuing an alarm, which is located at a position via the passage 2.

[0015] Here, the detection sensor 7 is a well-known motion detection sensor such as a Doppler sensor that directly detects the motion of the occupant, and the external alarm generating unit 8 is a well-known alarm sound generator. The internal alarm unit 9 is a well-known alarm sound generator, and the stop unit 10 is a push button type, and an alarm stop signal is sent to the internal alarm unit 9 by pressing the button. Here, the internal alarm unit 9 is provided at the front of the vehicle 5, and the stopping unit 10 is provided at the rear of the vehicle 5 across the passage 2.

[0016] The vehicle alarm device 1 is activated in conjunction with a drive means stop signal of the vehicle 5. Specifically, it is activated in response to a drive means stop signal generated by pressing the start key of the vehicle 5 or the like. 1(a), the vehicle alarm device 1 is not in operation when the drive means of the vehicle 5 is in operation. In other words, when a passenger gets into the vehicle 5, the operation of the vehicle alarm device 1 needs to be stopped.

[0017] The vehicle alarm device 1 then stops the internal alarm unit 9 from issuing an alarm based on the signal from the detection sensor 7 corresponding to the stop operation of the operating occupant D who operates the stop unit 10 and the walking movement of the operating occupant D through the passage to the stop unit 10.

[0018] Here, the process leading to the internal alarm unit 9 stopping alarm generation will be described in detail with reference to the block diagram of FIG. 2 and the flow chart of FIG. When the vehicle alarm device 1 is activated, that is, when the drive means of the vehicle 5 is stopped, the internal alarm unit 9 issues an alarm based on an activation signal from the control unit 11. The control unit 11 is configured to include a determination unit 12 including a CPU having control and calculation functions, various storage units 13 such as ROM and RAM, and a well-known microcomputer having input and output units.

[0019] The determination unit 12 determines whether or not to send an alarm stop signal from the stopping unit 10 to the internal alarm unit 9 in response to a signal from the detection sensor 7 corresponding to the walking movement of the operating crew member D operating the stopping unit 10 through the aisle 2 to the stopping unit 10. In other words, the determination unit 12 determines whether or not to stop the internal alarm unit 9 in response to the stopping operation of the stopping unit 10 by the operating crew member D based on the signal from the detection sensor 7. Furthermore, the determination unit 12 can also refer to the storage unit 13 when making a determination.

[0020] Here, in the vehicle alarm device 1, the walking motion that is the subject of determination by the determination unit 12 is a motion that alternates between moving and stopping. The determination by the determination unit 12 may directly use the signal from the detection sensor 7 or may be made by comparing it with a model case stored in the storage unit 13 or the like.

[0021] More specifically, the control is performed in accordance with the flow chart shown in FIG. First, in step S1, the internal alarm unit 9 issues an alarm in response to a drive means stop signal of the vehicle 5. Next, in step S2, it is determined whether or not the operating occupant D has performed a stop operation on the stop unit 10. If the stopping operation for the stopping unit 10 has been performed by the operating occupant D (Y), the process proceeds to step S3. If the stopping operation for the stopping unit 10 has not been performed by the operating occupant D (N), the process proceeds to step S5.

[0022] Next, in step S3, it is determined whether or not the signal from the detection sensor 7 corresponding to the walking movement of the operating occupant D through the passage to the stopping section 10 alternates between moving and stopping.

[0023] If the signal from the detection sensor 7 corresponding to the walking motion of the operating occupant D does not alternate between moving and stopping (N), the process proceeds to step S1. If the signal from the detection sensor 7 corresponding to the walking motion of the operating occupant D alternates between movement and stopping (Y), the process proceeds to step S4. Then, in step S4, the control unit 11 outputs an alarm stop signal to the internal alarm unit 9, causing the internal alarm unit 9 to stop issuing an alarm, and the flow ends.

[0024] In step S5, it is determined whether a predetermined time has elapsed since the internal alarm unit 9 started to issue an alarm. If the predetermined time has not elapsed (N), the process proceeds to step S1. If the predetermined time has elapsed (Y), the process proceeds to step S6, where the external alarm unit 8 issues an alarm and the flow ends.

[0025] In other words, even if the operating occupant D gets off the vehicle without stopping the internal alarm unit 9 or neglecting to perform a final check, the external alarm unit 8 will issue an alarm after a predetermined time has passed since the internal alarm unit 9 issued an alarm, as shown in Figure 4, thereby notifying those around that an abnormal situation has occurred in the vehicle 5.

[0026] In addition, as shown in Figure 5, in the vehicle alarm device 1, when the detection sensor 7 detects the movement of an occupant inside the vehicle compartment 3 after a predetermined time has elapsed since the internal alarm unit 9 stopped issuing an alarm, the external alarm unit 8 issues an alarm to the outside. The vehicle alarm device 1 is activated in response to a drive means stop signal of the vehicle 5, and remains activated until the next time a passenger gets in the vehicle and stops the activation of the vehicle alarm device 1.

[0027] [Effects of Example 1] The vehicle alarm device 1 of Example 1 comprises an internal alarm unit 9 that issues an alarm inside the vehicle compartment 3 when the drive means of the vehicle 5 stops, and a stop unit 10 that stops the internal alarm unit 9 from issuing an alarm, located at a position via the passage 2. In addition, the internal alarm unit 10 stops issuing an alarm based on the signal from the detection sensor 7 corresponding to the stopping operation of the operating occupant D who operates the stopping unit 10 and the walking movement of the operating occupant D through the aisle 2 to the stopping unit 10.

[0028] As a result, the walking action of the operating crew member D in the passage 2 can be made a requirement for the internal alarm unit 9 to stop issuing an alarm. In other words, in order to stop the internal alarm unit 9 from issuing an alarm, the operating crew member D must necessarily move to the stop unit 10 via the aisle 2, but the walking movement of the operating crew member D at that time can be restricted. Therefore, it is possible to guide the walking movement of the operating occupant D when passing through the aisle 2 so that the seats arranged around the aisle 2 can be fully confirmed. As a result, it is possible to prevent occupants from being left behind.

[0029] In the vehicle alarm device 1 of the first embodiment, in order to stop the internal alarm unit 9 from issuing an alarm, the walking action of the operating occupant D alternates between moving and stopping. This allows the passenger to check the surroundings when they stop walking, so that when moving to the stopping point 10, they can thoroughly check the seats arranged around the aisle 2, further reducing the occurrence of passengers being left behind in the passenger compartment 3.

[0030] Furthermore, since the control unit 11 can easily distinguish between movement and stoppage in walking by detecting a signal from the detection sensor 7, the load on the control unit 11 in the determination process can be significantly reduced.

[0031] In addition, in the vehicle alarm device 1 of Example 1, when the detection sensor 7 detects the movement of an occupant inside the vehicle compartment 3 after a predetermined time has elapsed since the internal alarm unit 9 stopped issuing an alarm, the external alarm unit 8 issues an alarm to the outside.

[0032] As a result, even if an occupant is left behind in the passenger compartment 3, the control unit 11 can send an activation signal to the external alarm unit 8, causing the external alarm unit 8 to issue an alarm, thereby instantly informing those around that an abnormal situation has occurred.

[0033] [Configuration of Example 2] The vehicle alarm device 1 of the second embodiment will be described with reference to the flow chart of FIG. 6, focusing on the differences from the vehicle alarm device 1 of the first embodiment.

[0034] In the vehicle alarm device 1 of the second embodiment, first, in step S11, the internal alarm issuing unit 9 issues an alarm in response to a drive means stop signal of the vehicle 5. Next, in step S12, it is determined whether or not the operating occupant D has performed a stop operation on the stop unit 10. If the stopping operation for the stopping unit 10 has been performed by the operating occupant D (Y), the process proceeds to step S13. If the stopping operation for the stopping unit 10 has not been performed by the operating occupant D (N), the process proceeds to step S15.

[0035] Next, in step S13, it is determined whether or not the signal from the detection sensor 7 corresponding to the walking movement of the operating occupant D through the passage 2 to the stop 10 is below a predetermined speed. If the signal from the detection sensor 7 corresponding to the walking movement of the operating occupant D is not below the predetermined speed (N), the process proceeds to step S11. If the signal from the detection sensor 7 corresponding to the walking movement of the operating occupant D is below the predetermined speed (Y), the process proceeds to step S14. Then, in step S14, the control unit 11 outputs an alarm stop signal to the internal alarm unit 9, causing the internal alarm unit 9 to stop issuing an alarm, and the flow ends.

[0036] In step S15, it is determined whether a predetermined time has elapsed since the internal alarm unit 9 started to issue an alarm. If the predetermined time has not elapsed (N), the process proceeds to step S11. If the predetermined time has elapsed (Y), the process proceeds to step S16, where the external alarm unit 8 issues an alarm and the flow ends.

[0037] [Effects of Example 2] In the vehicle alarm device 1 of the second embodiment, the walking speed of the operating occupant D is below a predetermined speed because the internal alarm unit 9 has stopped issuing an alarm. This allows the area around the aisle 2 to be fully checked, and when moving to the stop 10, the seats arranged around the aisle 2 can be fully checked, further reducing the occurrence of occupants being left behind in the passenger compartment 3.

[0038] The predetermined speed is about half the normal walking speed, and is set to 0.5 m / s or less, which allows the user to have a clear view of the surroundings of the passage 2. Furthermore, the predetermined speed can be easily set by the control unit 11.

[0039] [Configuration of Example 3] The vehicle alarm device 1 of the third embodiment will be described with reference to the flow chart of FIG. 7, focusing on the differences from the vehicle alarm devices 1 of the first and second embodiments.

[0040] In the vehicle alarm device 1 of the third embodiment, first, in step S21, the internal alarm issuing unit 9 issues an alarm in response to a drive means stop signal of the vehicle 5. Next, in step S22, it is determined whether or not the operating occupant D has performed a stop operation on the stop unit 10. If the stopping operation for the stopping unit 10 has been performed by the operating occupant D (Y), the process proceeds to step S23. If the stopping operation for the stopping unit 10 has not been performed by the operating occupant D (N), the process proceeds to step S25.

[0041] Next, in step S23, it is determined whether or not the signal from the detection sensor 7 corresponding to the walking movement of the operating occupant D through the passage to the stop 10 exceeds a predetermined time. If the signal from the detection sensor 7 corresponding to the walking movement of the operating occupant D does not exceed the predetermined time (N), the process proceeds to step S21. If the signal from the detection sensor 7 corresponding to the walking movement of the operating occupant D exceeds the predetermined time (Y), the process proceeds to step S24. Then, in step S24, the control unit 11 outputs an alarm stop signal to the internal alarm unit 9, causing the internal alarm unit 9 to stop issuing an alarm, and the flow ends.

[0042] In step S25, it is determined whether a predetermined time has elapsed since the internal alarm unit 9 started to issue an alarm. If the predetermined time has not elapsed (N), the process proceeds to step S21. If the predetermined time has elapsed (Y), the process proceeds to step S26, where the external alarm unit 8 issues an alarm and the flow ends.

[0043] [Effects of Example 3] In the vehicle alarm device 1 of the third embodiment, the walking movement of the operating occupant D exceeds the predetermined time period in order to stop the internal alarm unit 9 from issuing an alarm. This allows the area around the aisle 2 to be fully checked, and when moving to the stop 10, the seats arranged around the aisle 2 can be fully checked, further reducing the occurrence of occupants being left behind in the passenger compartment 3.

[0044] The predetermined time is set to at least 2 seconds per meter of the length of the passage 2 so that the surroundings of the passage 2 can be checked sufficiently. Furthermore, the predetermined time can be set by the control unit 11 and can be easily changed according to the size of the vehicle 5. Furthermore, unlike the second embodiment, there is no need to directly detect the speed, and therefore various sensors can be used as the detection sensor 7.

[0045] [Variations] The present invention can be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, in the first and third embodiments, the detection sensor 7 is a motion detection sensor, but the detection sensor 7 can also be a vibration detection sensor.

[0046] Furthermore, in the embodiment, the detection sensor 7 is only one motion detection sensor, but a configuration in which a plurality of detection sensors 7 are provided may also be used. This makes it possible to widen the detection range of the detection sensor 7 and ensure redundancy in the event of a failure of the detection sensor 7.

[0047] Furthermore, different types of detection sensors may be provided when providing a plurality of detection sensors 7. For example, a configuration may be adopted in which a motion detection sensor and a vibration detection sensor are provided as the detection sensors 7. This allows the detection sensor 7 to make a determination based on a plurality of types of detection signals, thereby preventing the detection sensor 7 from making erroneous detections.

[0048] Furthermore, in the third embodiment, the detection sensor 7 is only one motion detection sensor, but a configuration in which a plurality of detection sensors 7 are provided may also be adopted. For example, the detection sensors 7 may be provided at the front and rear of the vehicle 5, and the difference in detection time between the front and rear detection sensors 7 may be used as the walking movement time of the operating occupant D. This makes it possible to easily measure the walking movement time of the operating occupant D even in a large vehicle with a passage 2 length that exceeds the detection range of the detection sensor 7.

[0049] In addition, in the embodiment, the external alarm unit 8 and the internal alarm unit 9 are each an alarm sound generator, but they may each be a rotating warning light type alarm unit. This reduces the noise generated when an alarm is sounded, making it possible to use the device in residential areas, etc. Furthermore, in the embodiment, the vehicle 5 is a shuttle bus or the like, but this configuration is not limiting and the vehicle 5 may be a railroad vehicle or the like. [Explanation of symbols]

[0050] 1 Vehicle alarm device 2 Passage 3 Vehicle compartment 5 Vehicle 7 Detection sensor 8 External alarm unit 9 Internal alarm unit 10 Stop unit D Operation crew

Claims

1. A vehicle alarm device is used in a vehicle having a passenger compartment with a passageway formed for passengers to walk through, and includes a detection sensor that detects the movement of passengers in the passenger compartment, and an external alarm unit that issues an alarm outside the passenger compartment based on a signal from the detection sensor, an internal alarm unit that issues an alarm inside the vehicle cabin when the drive means of the vehicle stops; a stopper that stops the internal alarm unit located at a position via the passage, A vehicle alarm device characterized in that the internal alarm unit stops issuing an alarm based on a signal from the detection sensor corresponding to the stop operation of an operating occupant operating the stop unit and the operating occupant's walking movement through the passage to the stop unit.

2. 2. The vehicle alarm device according to claim 1, A vehicle alarm device characterized in that the external alarm unit issues an alarm to the outside when the detection sensor detects movement of an occupant within the vehicle cabin after a predetermined time has elapsed since the internal alarm unit stopped issuing an alarm.

3. 3. The vehicle alarm device according to claim 1, The vehicle alarm device is characterized in that the walking motion is a repetition of alternating movement and stopping.

4. 3. The vehicle alarm device according to claim 1, The vehicle warning device is characterized in that the walking movement is below a predetermined speed.

5. 3. The vehicle alarm device according to claim 1, The vehicle alarm device is characterized in that the walking movement exceeds a predetermined time.

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