Vehicle occupant protection system

Abstract

To call attention regarding place movement of an occupant while concentrating consciousness of a driver on a driving operation under a situation that the consciousness of the driver should be concentrated on the driving operation.SOLUTION: An occupant protection system 10 for a vehicle is loaded on a vehicle 12 which transports an occupant. The occupant protection system 10 for the vehicle comprises a control unit 20 which acquires image information including an image of the occupant and driving information of the vehicle 12. The control unit 20 detects an occupant operation relevant to place movement of the occupant on the basis of the image information, detects driving priority as a degree of prioritizing driving of the vehicle 12 by a driver on the basis of the driving information, performs first notification processing of performing notification by using a display unit 31 which performs the notification to the driver and a voice notification unit 32 which performs the notification to a person except the driver under an execution condition that the occupant operation is detected, and performs second notification processing of performing the notification by using the voice notification unit 32 without using the display unit 31 in place of the first notification processing when the execution condition is established and the driving priority is higher than predetermined priority.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle occupant protection system. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a vehicle occupant protection system that is installed in a vehicle that transports occupants. This vehicle occupant protection system determines the risk of an occupant falling based on image information, etc., and issues a notification according to the determination result. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-62414 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] While the vehicle occupant protection system described in Patent Document 1 can prevent occupants from falling by providing a notification, the following problem may occur. For example, depending on the driving state of the vehicle, there may be situations in which the driver's attention should be focused on driving operations. If the above notification is provided to the driver in such a situation in which the driver's attention should be focused on driving operations, the driver's attention may be drawn to the notification, which may prevent the driver from being able to fully focus on driving operations. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] Various aspects of a vehicle occupant protection system for solving the above problems will be described below. [Aspect 1] A vehicle occupant protection system mounted on a vehicle that transports occupants, the system comprising a control unit that acquires image information including an image of the occupant and driving information of the vehicle, wherein the control unit detects occupant movements, which are movements related to the occupant's location change, based on the image information, detects a driving priority, which is the degree to which the driver prioritizes driving the vehicle, based on the driving information, and performs a first notification process, with the detection of the occupant movement as an execution condition, to notify the driver using a first notification means that notifies the driver to alert them about the occupant's location change and a second notification means that notifies someone other than the driver, and when the execution condition is met and the driving priority is higher than a predetermined priority, performs a second notification process, instead of the first notification process, to notify using the second notification means without using the first notification means.

[0006] According to the above configuration, when the driving priority, which is the degree to which the driver prioritizes driving the vehicle, is relatively high, the second notification process is performed, and the driver is less likely to pay attention to the notification compared to when the driving priority is relatively low, because the notification by the first notification means is omitted. In the second notification process, the second notification means is used to notify the occupant about changes in location. Therefore, in a situation where the driver should focus his or her attention on driving operations, the occupant's attention about changes in location can be notified while the driver is focused on driving operations.

[0007] [Aspect 2] The occupant action includes a first occupant action having a notification priority, which is the degree to which the notification to the driver is prioritized, higher than the other occupant actions, and the control unit performs the first notification processing regardless of the driving priority when the detected occupant action is the first occupant action.This is an occupant protection system for a vehicle described in [Aspect 1].

[0008] According to the above configuration, when an occupant action that warrants a stronger warning regarding the occupant's location change than other occupant actions is detected, it is preferable to prioritize notification to the driver over other occupant actions. Such an occupant action is considered to be a first occupant action, which has a notification priority, which indicates the degree to which notification to the driver is prioritized, higher than other occupant actions. If the detected occupant action is the first occupant action, a first notification process is performed regardless of the driving priority. As a result, when the detected occupant action is the first occupant action, notification can be performed using the first notification means and the second notification means. Therefore, in a situation where a stronger warning regarding the occupant's location change is required, such a warning can be given more strongly.

[0009] [Aspect 3] A vehicle occupant protection system as described in [Aspect 1] or [Aspect 2], wherein the first notification means notifies the driver by screen display, and the second notification means notifies a person other than the driver by voice.

[0010] According to the above configuration, when the first notification means is used to notify the driver, the driver needs to move his / her eyes to check the screen display, which makes it easier for the driver to pay attention to the notification compared to when the second notification means is used. Therefore, by performing the second notification process in a situation where the driver's attention should be focused on driving operations, it is possible to preferably achieve the effect of alerting the occupants regarding location changes while keeping the driver's attention focused on driving operations.

[0011] [Aspect 4] The occupant actions include a first occupant action and a second occupant action, the notification priority of which, indicating the degree to which the notification to the driver is prioritized, being higher than the other occupant actions, and the second occupant action has a notification priority lower than the first occupant action and higher than occupant actions other than the first occupant action and the second occupant action, and the control unit performs the first notification processing regardless of the driving priority when the detected occupant action is the first occupant action, and when the execution condition is met and the driving priority is higher than the predetermined priority, when the detected occupant action is the second occupant action, performs a third notification processing that notifies the driver by vibration and notifies using the second notification means instead of the second notification processing.

[0012] According to the above configuration, the third notification process involves more notifications from the third notification means than the second notification process. When the driver is notified using the third notification means, the driver does not need to move his or her eyes to check the notification as in the case of the first notification means, and therefore the driver is less likely to be aware of the notification than when the driver is notified using the first notification means. When the second notification process is performed, notification using the third notification means is omitted from the third notification process, and therefore the driver is less likely to be aware of the notification than when the third notification process is performed. Therefore, as the notification priority decreases from the first notification process to the third notification process, and then to the second notification process, the notification means used for notification is switched so that the driver is less likely to be aware of the notification. Therefore, the occupant's attention regarding changes in location can be gradually strengthened depending on the notification priority. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to this invention, in a situation where the driver's attention should be focused on driving operations, the driver's attention can be drawn to the location change of the occupants while the driver is focused on driving operations. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a vehicle occupant protection system; [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing an initial action by an occupant. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing a preparation operation by an occupant. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing a last-minute action by an occupant. [Figure 5] 10A and 10B are schematic diagrams showing movement actions by an occupant; [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a control table used in notification processing. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart showing a control procedure performed by a control unit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A vehicle occupant protection system according to an embodiment will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. <Overview of Vehicle Occupant Protection System> As shown in Figures 1 and 2, a vehicle occupant protection system 10 is mounted on a vehicle 12 that transports an occupant 11. The vehicle 12 may be a public transport vehicle or a private passenger car. In other words, various types of vehicles such as buses, trains, and private cars can be used as the vehicle 12 on which the vehicle occupant protection system 10 is mounted. The vehicle occupant protection system 10 is intended to ensure the safety of the occupant 11 riding in the vehicle 12.

[0016] The vehicle occupant protection system 10 includes an occupant information acquisition unit 13 and a notification device 30. The occupant information acquisition unit 13 is, for example, a camera. The occupant information acquisition unit 13 acquires image information including an image of the occupant 11. For example, the occupant information acquisition unit 13 acquires the image information by capturing an image of the occupant 11 riding in the vehicle 12 and the interior of the vehicle 12. The occupant information acquisition unit 13 repeatedly acquires the image information. For example, the occupant information acquisition unit 13 may repeatedly acquire the image information at a predetermined cycle.

[0017] The occupant information acquisition unit 13 is disposed, for example, near the door inside the vehicle 12, near the seat 16 directly behind the driver's seat, and near the rear seat, which is the seat 16 located at the rear of the vehicle 12. At these positions, the occupant information acquisition unit 13 captures images of the occupant 11, the baggage of the occupant 11, and the interior fittings of the vehicle 12. The occupant information acquisition unit 13 captures images of the face 11a and limbs 11b of the occupant 11. The baggage of the occupant 11 refers to baggage brought into the vehicle 12 by the occupant 11, such as a bag, jacket, and mobile terminal. The interior fittings refer to the seats 16, handrails, and the like disposed inside the vehicle 12.

[0018] The image information captured by the occupant information acquisition unit 13 may be a still image or a video. The occupant information acquisition unit 13 may capture images of all occupants 11 in the vehicle 12, or may capture images of some of all occupants 11. The occupant information acquisition unit 13 may capture images of baggage of all occupants 11 in the vehicle 12, or may capture images of baggage of some of all occupants 11.

[0019] When the occupant information acquisition unit 13 captures an image of the legs 11d of the occupant 11, the occupant information acquisition unit 13 can acquire image information including a change in the center of gravity of the occupant 11. When the occupant information acquisition unit 13 captures an image of the hands 11c of the occupant 11, the occupant information acquisition unit 13 can acquire image information including a change in the movement of the occupant 11 other than movement. A change in the movement of the occupant 11 other than movement is, for example, the occupant 11 starting or stopping operation of a mobile terminal, or organizing baggage. When the occupant information acquisition unit 13 captures an image of the face 11a of the occupant 11, the occupant information acquisition unit 13 can acquire image information including a change in the mouth or eyes of the occupant 11. A change in the mouth of the occupant 11 is, for example, the start or stop of the occupant 11 talking. A change in the eyes of the occupant 11 is, for example, movement of the occupant 11's line of sight.

[0020] In particular, when the vehicle 12 is a bus, there is often a step near the door inside the vehicle 12, making the area near the door a place where the occupant 11 is likely to fall. When the seat 16 is located directly behind the driver's seat, the seat 16 is often located directly above the front wheels of the vehicle 12. When the seat 16 is located directly above the front wheels, the seat 16 is often located higher than the other seats 16, making it a place where the occupant 11 is likely to fall. When the vehicle 12 is a bus, the door near the driver's seat may serve as an exit. In this case, even while the vehicle 12 is moving, the occupant 11 may move to the area near the seat 16 directly behind the driver's seat, which is near the exit, making the area near the seat 16 directly behind the driver's seat a place where the occupant 11 is likely to fall. When the vehicle 12 is a bus, and the door near the driver's seat serves as the exit, the rear seats are located far from the exit. In this case, it is expected that the occupant 11 seated in the back seat will stand up from the back seat in order to move to the exit before the vehicle 12 stops. As a result, the area around the back seat is also a place where the occupant 11 is likely to fall. By capturing images using the occupant information acquisition unit 13 located near the door inside the vehicle 12, near the seat 16 directly behind the driver's seat, and near the back seat, it is possible to capture images of the above-mentioned places where the occupant 11 is likely to fall.

[0021] The notification device 30 includes a display unit 31, a voice notification unit 32, and a vibration unit 33. The display unit 31 notifies the driver by displaying on a screen. The notification made by the display unit 31 is a notification to alert the occupant 11 regarding changes in location. For example, the display unit 31 notifies by displaying on a display provided near the driver's seat. The notification by the display unit 31 can be recognized by visually checking the screen display. The display unit 31 corresponds to a first notification means for notifying the driver by displaying on a screen.

[0022] The first notification means for notifying the driver is a means for notifying the driver in a manner that can be recognized by the driver. For example, when the display unit 31 corresponds to the first notification means as in this embodiment, the display unit 31 notifies the driver in a manner that can be recognized by the driver, such as by setting the brightness of the display to a level that can be seen by the driver or by turning on the backlight of the display. Therefore, if the brightness is set to a level that cannot be seen by the driver or the backlight is turned off, and the driver has difficulty recognizing the notification, the display does not correspond to the first notification means for notifying the driver.

[0023] The audio notification unit 32 notifies people other than the driver by audio. The notification made by the audio notification unit 32 is a notification to alert the occupant 11 regarding location changes. The audio notification unit 32 notifies the occupant 11, for example, by making an audio notification inside the vehicle 12. The audio notification unit 32 may be provided, for example, behind the driver's seat inside the vehicle 12. The audio notification unit 32 corresponds to a second notification means that notifies people other than the driver by audio.

[0024] The vibration unit 33 notifies the driver by vibration. The vibration unit 33 may transmit vibration to the driver by, for example, vibrating the driver's seat or the steering wheel. The vibration unit 33 corresponds to a third notification means for notifying the driver by vibration.

[0025] The vehicle 12 is equipped with various sensors that detect driving information of the vehicle 12. Signals corresponding to the detection results of these sensors are input to the control unit 20. Examples of the various sensors include a shift position sensor 41, a vehicle speed sensor 42, an exterior illuminance sensor 43, a direction indicator sensor 44, a steering sensor 45, an acceleration sensor 46, and an infrared sensor 47.

[0026] The shift position sensor 41 detects the operating position of the shift lever operated by the driver. The vehicle speed sensor 42 detects the speed of the vehicle 12. The exterior illuminance sensor 43 detects the brightness outside the vehicle 12 as exterior illuminance. The turn signal sensor 44 detects the operating direction of a turn signal operated by the driver. The turn signal is operated by the driver when turning the vehicle 12 right or left, for example. The steering sensor 45 detects the amount of steering wheel rotation by the driver based on the steering angle of the steering wheel of the vehicle 12. The acceleration sensor 46 detects the acceleration of the vehicle 12. The infrared sensor 47 measures the inter-vehicle distance and relative speed between the host vehicle and surrounding vehicles based on the transmitted and received infrared rays. As a result, the infrared sensor 47 detects vehicle warnings to warn the driver of the vehicle 12 when surrounding vehicles are overtaking the host vehicle or when the inter-vehicle distance between the host vehicle and a vehicle ahead is too short.

[0027] <Control unit> As shown in FIG. 1 , the vehicle occupant protection system 10 includes a control unit 20. The control unit 20 includes, for example, a processor 23 and a storage unit 24. The storage unit 24 includes a random access memory (RAM) and a read-only memory (ROM). The storage unit 24 stores program code or instructions configured to cause the processor 23 to execute processes. The storage unit 24, i.e., a computer-readable medium, includes any available medium accessible by a general-purpose or special-purpose computer. The control unit 20 may be configured with a hardware circuit such as an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or a field-programmable gate array (FPGA). The control unit 20, which is a processing circuit, may include one or more processors 23 operating according to a computer program, one or more hardware circuits such as ASICs or FPGAs, or a combination thereof. The control unit 20 may be dedicated to the vehicle occupant protection system 10, or may be shared with an electronic control unit (ECU) of the vehicle 12.

[0028] The control unit 20 is electrically connected to the occupant information acquisition unit 13 and the notification device 30. The control unit 20 is capable of controlling the notification device 30. The control unit 20 receives image information from the occupant information acquisition unit 13 and also receives driving information of the vehicle 12 from the various sensors described above. As a result, the control unit 20 acquires image information including an image of the occupant 11 and driving information of the vehicle 12.

[0029] <Occupant movement analysis processing> The control unit 20 performs an occupant movement analysis process based on the image information acquired from the occupant information acquisition unit 13. In the occupant movement analysis process, the control unit 20 analyzes from the image information whether the occupant 11 is performing a movement related to location change. Through this occupant movement analysis process, the control unit 20 detects an occupant movement that is a movement related to location change of the occupant 11 based on the image information.

[0030] <Occupant actions and notification priority> Occupant actions include, for example, an initial action, a preparatory action, a preceding action, and a moving action. A moving action is an action performed by the occupant 11 when the occupant 11 is moving from one location to another. The initial action, the preparatory action, and the preceding action are actions performed by the occupant 11 before the occupant 11 starts to move from one location to another. The likelihood of the occupant 11 moving from one location to another increases in the order of the initial action, the preparatory action, and the preceding action. Therefore, the risk of the occupant 11 falling increases in the order of the occupant actions: initial action, preparatory action, preceding action, and moving action.

[0031] The notification priority of each action is set to correspond to the level of risk of the occupant 11 falling over. That is, the notification priority is set in the order of increasing: initial action, preparatory action, immediately preceding action, and moving action. The notification priority is the degree to which notification to the driver is prioritized. The moving action in this embodiment corresponds to the first occupant action. The immediately preceding action in this embodiment corresponds to the second occupant action. The occupant action in this embodiment includes the first occupant action, which has a higher notification priority than other occupant actions. The occupant action in this embodiment includes the second occupant action. The second occupant action in this embodiment has a lower notification priority than the first occupant action and a higher notification priority than occupant actions other than the first and second occupant actions.

[0032] Each of the passenger actions will be described in more detail below. <Initial operation> 2, the initial movement is a movement of the occupant 11 that indicates an intention to move to another location. Examples of the initial movement when the occupant 11 is seated include the following (1-a) to (1-h).

[0033] (1-a) Move your gaze in the direction of travel of the vehicle 12. (1-b) Look out the window. (1-c) Look at the display device on vehicle 12.

[0034] (1-d) Move your gaze in the direction you are going. (1-e) Look down at your feet. (1-f) Stop the conversation.

[0035] (1-g) Stop using mobile devices. (1-h) Pack your luggage. When the vehicle 12 is a shared transportation facility, the seated occupant 11 often moves to a different location when the occupant 11 gets off the vehicle 12. Therefore, the actions listed in (1-a) to (1-h) above are also actions of the occupant 11 that indicate the occupant 11's intention to get off the vehicle 12.

[0036] Specifically, for example, before the occupant 11 gets off the vehicle 12, the occupant 11 often performs at least one of the actions (1-a), (1-b), and (1-c) above to check whether the destination is near. Note that the "display device of the vehicle 12" in (1-c) above is, for example, an electronic bulletin board or display that displays the destination, fare, next stop, etc. of the vehicle 12.

[0037] For example, before the occupant 11 gets off the vehicle 12, the occupant 11 often performs at least one of the actions (1-d) and (1-e) above to check whether a path to the door of the vehicle 12 is clear. Furthermore, the occupant 11 who has been talking with a fellow passenger often performs the action (1-f) above before getting off the vehicle 12. The occupant 11 who has been using a mobile device often performs the action (1-g) above before getting off the vehicle 12. Note that "stop using the mobile device" in the above (1-g) includes actions such as locking the screen of the mobile device or putting it into sleep mode, leaving the mobile device on for a predetermined period after looking away from the screen, and putting the mobile device away in a bag, jacket pocket, etc. The "putting away baggage" in the above (1-h) includes actions such as putting away baggage such as a mobile device, book, or drink in a bag, or moving baggage that was previously placed on a luggage rack or at one's feet to one's hand.

[0038] In addition to the above-mentioned actions (1-a) to (1-h), the initial actions when the occupant 11 is standing include the following actions (Aa) and (Ab). (Aa) I shift my gaze to the empty seat.

[0039] (Ab) Look around the aisle. For example, when the occupant 11 moves from a standing position to a sitting position, he or she often performs at least one of the actions (Aa) and (Ab) above. The actions (Aa) and (Ab) above are also actions by which the occupant 11 confirms his or her destination.

[0040] <Preparatory actions> 3, the preparatory actions are actions of the occupant 11 to prepare for a change of location. Examples of preparatory actions when the occupant 11 is seated include the following (2-a) to (2-c).

[0041] (2-a) Place your hand 11c on your knee. (2-b) Place hand 11c on seat 16. (2-c) Place your hands 11c on the handrail or strap.

[0042] When a seated occupant 11 stands up, the occupant 11 often moves his / her hands 11c as shown in (2-a) to (2-c) above. Therefore, the preparatory movements listed in (2-a) to (2-c) above are also movements of the occupant 11 to prepare to stand up from a seated position.

[0043] Preparatory actions when the occupant 11 is standing include the following (Ba) to (Bd). (Ba) Release your hands 11c from the handrail or strap.

[0044] (Bb) Place your hands 11c on the handrail or strap. (Bc) Place your hand 11c on the backrest 16a of the seat 16. (Bd) Place hand 11c on the armrest of seat 16.

[0045] For example, when the occupant 11 tries to move from a standing position, he or she will often perform at least one of the following actions (Ba) to (Bd). Therefore, the preparatory actions listed above (Ba) to (Bd) are also actions of the occupant 11 preparing to move from a standing position.

[0046] <Last Action> As shown in Fig. 4, the last-minute action is an action that the occupant 11 performs immediately before moving to another location. Examples of the last-minute action when the occupant 11 is seated include the following (3-a) to (3-c).

[0047] (3-a) Lift your waist 11e off the seat 16. (3-b) Move your back 11f away from the backrest 16a of the seat 16. (3-c) Shift the leg 11d back and forth.

[0048] When an occupant 11 tries to stand up from a seated position to get off the vehicle 12, he or she often tries to shift his or her center of gravity by performing at least one of the actions (3-a) to (3-c) above. Therefore, the actions just before standing up listed in (3-a) to (3-c) above are also the actions of the occupant 11 just before standing up from a seated position.

[0049] The immediately preceding action when the occupant 11 is standing includes the following (Ca). (Ca) Change the direction of the body 11g. The above (Ca) is also an action performed by the occupant 11 to shift his / her center of gravity, similar to the above (3-a) to (3-c). The above (Ca) is also an action performed by the occupant 11 immediately before moving from a standing position to another position. The above (Ca) is also an action performed by the occupant 11 immediately before moving from a standing position to a sitting position.

[0050] <Movement> As shown in Fig. 5, the moving action is the action of the occupant 11 when the occupant 11 moves from one location to another after standing up from the seat 16. The moving action is the action of the occupant 11 when the occupant 11 moves from one location to another while remaining standing. Therefore, the moving action is an action that is more likely to cause the occupant 11 to fall than other occupant actions.

[0051] <Operation priority analysis processing> The control unit 20 performs a driving priority analysis process based on the driving information of the vehicle 12 acquired from various sensors. In the driving priority analysis process, the control unit 20 detects a driving priority, which is the degree to which the driver prioritizes driving of the vehicle 12, based on the driving information of the vehicle 12.

[0052] <Vehicle driving information> As shown in FIG. 6, the driving information of the vehicle 12 includes the following items (4-a) to (4-j).

[0053] (4-a) The vehicle 12 is stopped, and the shift lever is in the park position. (4-b) The speed of vehicle 12 is 0 (zero) km. (4-c) Vehicle 12 is traveling at a constant speed.

[0054] (4-d) The illuminance outside the vehicle is lower than the specified illuminance. (4-e) The turn signal is operated. (4-f) The amount of rotation of the handle is "medium."

[0055] (4-g) The vehicle 12 is accelerating or decelerating. (4-h) The amount of rotation of the steering wheel is "large." (4-i) The vehicle 12 is suddenly accelerating or decelerating.

[0056] (4-j) There is a detection related to a vehicle warning. The predetermined illuminance in (4-d) above is a preset value that determines that the driver has difficulty seeing outside the vehicle when the illuminance outside the vehicle is lower than the predetermined illuminance. When the steering wheel rotation amount is "medium" in (4-f) above, this means that the steering wheel is being operated by a smaller rotation amount than when the steering wheel rotation amount is "large" in (4-h) above. When the vehicle 12 is suddenly accelerating or decelerating in (4-i) above, this means that the vehicle 12 is accelerating or decelerating in a shorter time than when the vehicle 12 is accelerating or decelerating in (4-g) above.

[0057] When the control unit 20 acquires the above (4-a) as the driving information of the vehicle 12, the control unit 20 detects the driving priority as "none." When the control unit 20 acquires either the above (4-b) or (4-c) as the driving information of the vehicle 12, the control unit 20 detects the driving priority as "low." When the control unit 20 acquires at least one of the above (4-d) to (4-g) as the driving information of the vehicle 12, the control unit 20 detects the driving priority as "medium." When the control unit 20 acquires at least one of the above (4-h) to (4-j) as the driving information of the vehicle 12, the control unit 20 detects the driving priority as "high." These driving priorities are in descending order of "none," "low," "medium," and "high." In this way, the control unit 20 detects whether the driving priority is "none," "low," "medium," or "high" in the driving priority analysis process.

[0058] There are cases where the control unit 20 acquires two or more pieces of driving information with different driving priorities. For example, when the driver makes a large turn of the steering wheel to turn right or left, the control unit 20 acquires both the above (4-e) and (4-h) as the driving information of the vehicle 12. When the control unit 20 acquires two or more pieces of driving information with different driving priorities in this way, the control unit 20 detects the one with the highest driving priority. When the control unit 20 acquires both the above (4-e) and (4-h) as the driving information of the vehicle 12, the control unit 20 detects the driving priority as "high."

[0059] <Notification processing> As shown in FIGS. 1 and 6, the control unit 20 performs notification processing when an occupant's behavior is detected as an execution condition. In the notification processing, the control unit 20 performs notification in accordance with the control table shown in FIG. 6. Specifically, in the notification processing, the control unit 20 selects a notification means to be used for notification from the notification device 30 based on the occupant's behavior and the driving priority. In the notification processing, the control unit 20 performs notification using the selected notification means. The control table shown in FIG. 6 is pre-stored in the storage unit 24.

[0060] In the control table shown in Fig. 6, "display + voice" means that notification is made using the display unit 31 and the voice notification unit 32. This process will be referred to as the first notification process below. That is, in the first notification process, the control unit 20 makes a notification using the display unit 31 as a first notification means for notifying the driver to alert him / her about the change in location of the occupant 11, and the voice notification unit 32 as a second notification means for notifying a party other than the driver.

[0061] 6, "audio" means notification using the audio notification unit 32. This process will be referred to as the second notification process below. That is, in the second notification process, the control unit 20 does not use the display unit 31 as the first notification means, but rather uses the audio notification unit 32 as the second notification means.

[0062] 6, "vibration + voice" means that notification is made using the vibration unit 33 and the voice notification unit 32. This process will be referred to as the third notification process below. That is, in the third notification process, the control unit 20 makes notification using the vibration unit 33 as the third notification means and the voice notification unit 32 as the second notification means.

[0063] When notification is made using the display unit 31, the control unit 20 causes the display unit 31 to notify the driver by screen display. When notification is made using the audio notification unit 32, the control unit 20 causes the audio notification unit 32 to notify by audio. When notification is made using the vibration unit 33, the control unit 20 causes the vibration unit 33 to notify the driver by vibration. In the notification process, the content notified to the occupant 11 is, for example, content urging the occupant 11 to be careful not to fall. In the notification process, the content notified to the driver is, for example, content that the occupant 11 is at risk of falling.

[0064] In this embodiment, the control unit 20 performs the notification process by executing one of the first notification process, the second notification process, and the third notification process. Note that if two different occupant actions are detected consecutively, one of the first notification process, the second notification process, and the third notification process may be started while another notification process is being executed. In this case, the control unit 20 may compare the occupant action detected during the currently executing notification process with the occupant action detected during the notification process that is about to be started, and prioritize the notification process with the higher occupant action notification priority. In this case, the postponed notification process may be executed after the prioritized notification process is completed. If the postponed notification process has been partially executed, the notification process may be started from the middle, or the notification process may be resumed from the beginning.

[0065] When the detected occupant action is one of an initial action, a preparatory action, and a immediately preceding action, and the detected driving priority is "none," the control unit 20 performs the first notification process. When the detected occupant action is one of a preparatory action and a immediately preceding action, and the detected driving priority is "low," the control unit 20 performs the first notification process. In this way, the control unit 20 performs the first notification process with the detection of an occupant action as an execution condition. Note that, as an exception, when the occupant action is an initial action and the detected driving priority is "low," the control unit 20 performs the first notification process when the driving information of the vehicle 12 is (4-b) above, and performs the second notification process when the driving information of the vehicle 12 is (4-c) above.

[0066] When the detected occupant action is either an initial action or a preparatory action, and the detected driving priority is either "medium" or "high," the control unit 20 performs the second notification process. In this way, when the execution condition is met and the driving priority is higher than the predetermined priority, the control unit 20 performs the second notification process instead of the first notification process. Note that the predetermined priority in this embodiment is a "low" driving priority.

[0067] The control unit 20 performs the first notification process when the detected occupant action is a movement action as a first occupant action, regardless of the driving priority. Furthermore, when the detected occupant action is a previous action and the detected driving priority is either "medium" or "high," the control unit 20 performs the third notification process. Thus, when the execution condition is met and the driving priority is higher than a predetermined priority, the control unit 20 performs the third notification process instead of the second notification process when the detected occupant action is a previous action as a second occupant action.

[0068] <Example of control performed by the control unit> The following describes an example of control performed by the control unit 20. The control unit 20 repeatedly executes the following control at a predetermined control period.

[0069] As shown in FIG. 7, first, the control unit 20 acquires image information and driving information of the vehicle 12 (step S110). Next, the control unit 20 performs an occupant movement analysis process (step S120). The control unit 20 determines whether an occupant movement has been detected by the occupant movement analysis process (step S130). If the control unit 20 determines that an occupant movement has not been detected (step S130: NO), the control unit 20 performs the processes of steps S110 to S130 again. If the control unit 20 determines that an occupant movement has been detected (step S130: YES), the control unit 20 performs a driving priority analysis process (step S140). Thereafter, the control unit 20 performs a notification process (step S150) and then ends this process.

[0070] [Operation of the embodiment] Next, the operation of the embodiment will be described. When performing the notification process, the control unit 20 uses different notification means depending on the driving priority. For example, when the detected occupant movement is a preparatory movement and the driving priority is "none" or "low," the control unit 20 performs a first notification process. In the first notification process, the control unit 20 provides notification using the display unit 31 and the audio notification unit 32. When the detected occupant movement is a preparatory movement and the driving priority is "medium" or "high," the control unit 20 performs a second notification process. In the second notification process, the control unit 20 provides notification using the audio notification unit 32. Therefore, when the driving priority is relatively low, notification is provided using more notification means than when the driving priority is relatively high. By providing notification using more notification means, the occupant 11's attention can be more strongly drawn to the possibility of falling. Furthermore, when the driving priority is relatively high, notification to the driver by the display unit 31 is omitted, as is the case when the driving priority is relatively low. Therefore, the driver is less likely to pay attention to the notification to the extent that notification by the display unit 31 is not provided. The driver can be made to concentrate on driving operations while being alerted by the audio notification unit 32 to the risk of the occupant 11 falling.

[0071] [Effects of the embodiment] According to the embodiment, the following effects can be obtained. (1) The control unit 20 performs a first notification process, with the detection of an occupant movement as an execution condition, to notify the occupant 11 using the display unit 31 as a first notification means for notifying the driver and the audio notification unit 32 as a second notification means for notifying persons other than the driver. When the execution condition is met and the driving priority is higher than a predetermined priority, the control unit 20 performs a second notification process, instead of the first notification process, to notify the occupant 11 using the audio notification unit 32 without using the display unit 31. Therefore, when the driving priority, which is the degree to which the driver prioritizes driving the vehicle 12, is relatively high, the second notification process is performed, and the driver's attention is less likely to be focused on the notification compared to when the driving priority is relatively low, because notification by the display unit 31 is omitted. In the second notification process, notification is performed using the audio notification unit 32, so the occupant 11's attention can be drawn to the change of location. Therefore, in a situation where the driver's attention should be focused on driving operations, the occupant 11's attention can be drawn to the change of location while the driver's attention is focused on driving operations.

[0072] (2) The occupant action includes a movement action as a first occupant action having a higher notification priority than other occupant actions. When the detected occupant action is a movement action, the control unit 20 performs the first notification process regardless of the driving priority. When an occupant action is detected that requires a stronger warning regarding the occupant 11's location change than other occupant actions, it is preferable to prioritize notification to the driver over other occupant actions. Such an occupant action is considered to be a first occupant action having a higher notification priority, which indicates the degree to which notification to the driver is prioritized, than other occupant actions, and when the detected occupant action is the first occupant action, the first notification process is performed regardless of the driving priority. As a result, when the detected occupant action is the first occupant action, notification can be performed using the display unit 31 as the first notification means and the audio notification unit 32 as the second notification means. Therefore, in a situation where a stronger warning regarding the occupant 11's location change should be given, such a warning can be made more strongly.

[0073] (3) The display unit 31, which serves as the first notification means, notifies the driver by displaying a screen. The audio notification unit 32, which serves as the second notification means, notifies a person other than the driver by audio. When the display unit 31 is used to notify the driver, the driver needs to move his or her eyes to check the screen display, and therefore the driver is more likely to pay attention to the notification than when the audio notification unit 32 is used. Therefore, by performing the second notification process in a situation where the driver's attention should be focused on driving operations, the effect of alerting the occupant 11 about changes in location while keeping the driver's attention focused on driving operations is preferably achieved.

[0074] (4) The notification priority of the immediately preceding action as the second occupant action is lower than the movement action as the first occupant action, and higher than the occupant action other than the movement action and the immediately preceding action. When the execution condition is met and the driving priority is higher than the predetermined priority, if the detected occupant action is the immediately preceding action, the control unit 20 performs the third notification process instead of the second notification process. In the third notification process, the control unit 20 notifies the driver using the vibration unit 33 as a third notification means that notifies the driver by vibration, and the audio notification unit 32 as a second notification means. In the third notification process, the number of notifications by the vibration unit 33 is increased compared to the second notification process. When the driver is notified using the vibration unit 33, the driver does not need to move his or her eyes to check the notification as in the case of the display unit 31. When the second notification process is performed, the notification using the vibration unit 33 is omitted from the third notification process, so the driver is less likely to be aware of the notification than when the third notification process is performed. Therefore, as the notification priority decreases from the first notification process to the third notification process and the second notification process, the notification means used for notification is switched so that the driver is less likely to pay attention to the notification. Therefore, the attention of the occupant 11 regarding the location change can be strengthened in stages according to the notification priority.

[0075] [Example of change] The embodiment can be modified as follows: The embodiment and the following modifications can be combined with each other within the scope of technical compatibility.

[0076] The control process procedure by the control unit 20 shown in Fig. 7 can be changed. For example, the process of step S140 may be moved between the process of step S110 and the process of step S120.

[0077] The notification by the audio notification unit 32 may be performed in different notification modes in at least two of the first notification process, the second notification process, and the third notification process. Examples of different notification modes include different audio volumes or different notification contents.

[0078] In the first notification process, the control unit 20 may notify using one or more notification means other than the display unit 31 and the audio notification unit 32. In the second notification process, the control unit 20 may notify using the audio notification unit 32 and one or more of the above notification means. In the third notification process, the control unit 20 may notify using one or more of the above notification means in addition to the audio notification unit 32 and the vibration unit 33. The one or more notification means may include, for example, an audio notification means that notifies the driver by audio, a lamp that notifies the driver by lighting or flashing, or a communication means that notifies an outside party, such as a management center, via communication. When a communication means is used, upon notification using the communication means, image information may be sent from the vehicle 12 to the management center, allowing the interior of the vehicle 12 to be monitored outside the vehicle. For example, when notification is performed using the display unit 31 and the audio notification unit 32 in the first notification process, in the second notification process, in addition to notifying the occupant 11 using the audio notification unit 32, the driver may be notified using any of the above audio notification means, lamp, and communication means.

[0079] The third notification means used in the third notification process is not limited to the vibration unit 33 that notifies the driver by vibration. For example, a lamp that notifies the driver by lighting up or flashing may be used as the third notification means.

[0080] The control unit 20 may perform the third notification process when the execution condition is met and the driving priority is higher than a predetermined priority, and the detected occupant action is either a preparatory action or a preceding action. In this case, the preparatory action and the preceding action correspond to the second occupant action.

[0081] The control unit 20 may omit the execution of the third notification process. In this case, for example, when the execution condition is met and the driving priority is higher than a predetermined priority, the control unit 20 executes the first notification process when the occupant action is the first occupant action, and executes the second notification process when the occupant action is other than the first occupant action.

[0082] The first notification means is not limited to the display unit 31 that notifies the driver by screen display. The second notification means is not limited to the audio notification unit 32 that notifies by audio. In this case, for example, the first notification means may notify the driver by audio. In short, the first notification means may be any means that notifies the driver. For example, the second notification means may be any means that notifies the occupant 11 by screen display. In short, the second notification means may be any means that notifies someone other than the driver.

[0083] When the execution condition is met and the driving priority is higher than a predetermined priority, the control unit 20 may perform the second notification process regardless of the detected occupant behavior. [Explanation of symbols]

[0084] 10...Vehicle occupant protection system 11...Crew 12...Vehicle 20...Control unit 31... Display unit as first notification means 32...Audio notification unit as second notification means 33... Vibration unit as third notification means

Claims

1. A vehicle occupant protection system mounted on a vehicle that transports occupants, a control unit that acquires image information including an image of the occupant and driving information of the vehicle; The control unit Detecting an occupant movement, which is a movement related to a location change of the occupant, based on the image information; Detecting a driving priority, which is a degree of priority given to driving the vehicle by the driver, based on the driving information; a first notification process that uses the detection of the occupant's movement as an execution condition to notify the driver by using a first notification means that notifies the driver to call attention to the change in location of the occupant and a second notification means that notifies a person other than the driver; When the execution condition is met and the driving priority is higher than a predetermined priority, a second notification process is performed instead of the first notification process, in which notification is made using the second notification means without using the first notification means; the occupant actions include a first occupant action having a notification priority, which is a degree to which the notification to the driver is prioritized, higher than other occupant actions, The control unit performs the first notification process regardless of the driving priority when the detected occupant action is the first occupant action.

2. the first notification means notifies the driver by displaying on a screen, The vehicle occupant protection system according to claim 1 , wherein the second notification means notifies a person other than the driver by voice.

3. The occupant actions include a first occupant action and a second occupant action, each of which has a notification priority, which is a degree to which the notification to the driver is prioritized, higher than other occupant actions, and the second occupant action has a notification priority lower than that of the first occupant action and higher than that of any occupant action other than the first occupant action and the second occupant action; The control unit When the detected occupant action is the first occupant action, the first notification process is performed regardless of the driving priority; 3. The vehicle occupant protection system according to claim 2, wherein when the execution condition is met and the driving priority is higher than the predetermined priority, if the detected occupant action is the second occupant action, instead of the second notification process, a third notification process is performed in which a third notification means notifies the driver by vibration and the second notification means is used to notify the driver.

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