Systems etc.

Abstract

To prevent a person or an object from being left in a vehicle.SOLUTION: A vehicle includes a getting-off confirmation switch 14 and an emergency report switch 15. When an ACC is stopped, the vehicle starts music so as to allow a checker to confirm that nothing is left, and stops the music when the getting-off confirmation switch 14 arranged at the rearmost end in the vehicle is operated. When the emergency report switch 15 is operated in a monitoring mode, warning or alarm is output. The warning or alarm may be a horn output of the vehicle and may be transmitted to a transceiver / receiver 20 with the use of wireless communication.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a system and the like.

Background Art

[0002] There has been a case where a person or an object is left in the vehicle. As a technology related to measures such as forgetting a child in a vehicle or preventing heatstroke in a child in the vehicle, for example, there is a technology described in Patent Document 1.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] There were various problems in the prior art. One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a technology different from the prior art, for example, to suppress forgetting a person or an object in a vehicle.

[0005] The object of the invention of the present application is not limited to this, and the applicant also has the intention of obtaining rights by means of divisional application, amendment, etc. for a configuration that aims to obtain an effect resulting from a part of the configuration disclosed in this specification, drawings, etc. For example, the problems obtained by reading the parts described as "can" in this specification as "is a problem" are disclosed in this specification. The problems are described as independent ones, and the applicant also has the intention of obtaining rights by means of divisional application, amendment, etc. alone for the configuration for solving each problem. Even if the problems are implicitly grasped from the description of the specification, the applicant has the intention of making a part of the configuration described in this specification the scope of claims by amendment or divisional application. In addition, a configuration for solving a problem combining these independent problems is also disclosed, and the applicant has the intention of obtaining rights.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To solve the above problems, for example, the following configuration is adopted. This application includes multiple means for solving the above problems, but one example is as follows. A system for monitoring people or objects inside a vehicle is preferable, which has the function of monitoring the person or object and outputting information according to the results of the monitoring. This would help to prevent people or objects from being left behind inside the vehicle. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an abandoned property monitoring system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2A] Figure 2A is a side view of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2B] Figure 2B is a plan view of the interior of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3A] Figure 3A is a table showing examples of operations in various situations (going) according to embodiments of the present invention. [Figure 3B] Figure 3B is a table showing examples of operations in various situations (return trip) according to embodiments of the present invention. [Figure 4A] Figure 4A is a state transition diagram of an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4B] Figure 4B is a state transition diagram of an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4C] Figure 4C is a state transition diagram of an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an abandoned vehicle monitoring system according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6A] Figure 6A is a side view of a vehicle according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6B] Figure 6B is a plan view of the interior of a vehicle according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] Figure 7 shows a method for mounting a sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] Figure 8 shows a method for mounting a sensor according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] Figure 9 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an abandoned monitoring system according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The embodiments described below are merely examples of how the present invention can be implemented, and the present invention is not limited to the specific configurations described below. In implementing the present invention, specific configurations may be adopted as appropriate depending on the embodiment.

[0009] Furthermore, regarding the terminology used in the following explanation, for example, "horizontal direction" does not need to be strictly horizontal; it is sufficient if it is substantially horizontal. The same applies to "vertical downward direction," "perpendicular," "parallel," "normal," etc.

[0010] [1. How the idea came about] First, I will explain the circumstances that led to the conception of the present invention. People, including infants and preschoolers, can sometimes be left behind in vehicles. Furthermore, in our aging society, there is an increasing need to transport the elderly to daycare services and rehabilitation facilities, raising concerns about similar situations occurring with elderly people with physical disabilities. Additionally, luggage can be left behind on buses and trains, requiring considerable effort to retrieve. Therefore, there is a need for systems that prevent people and objects from being unintentionally left behind in vehicles.

[0011] In this regard, in a vehicle such as a minibus, a driver may get off the vehicle without noticing that a passenger is still inside, lock the door, and leave the vehicle. For example, when the vehicle is a school bus for picking up and dropping off children at a kindergarten or nursery school, and the passengers are young children, it may be difficult for the young children left inside the vehicle to unlock the door by themselves and get out of the vehicle. Passengers who are confined to a harsh environment such as high temperature or low temperature inside the vehicle due to such abandonment inside the vehicle may be exposed to physical danger.

[0012] As a system for preventing such abandonment inside the vehicle, an alarm system has been proposed that starts an alarm inside the vehicle when the engine is turned off and continues the alarm until a confirmation button attached to the rear end inside the vehicle is pressed. According to this alarm system, a person who needs to confirm that there is no abandonment inside the vehicle (typically, a driver, a nursery teacher traveling together, etc., hereinafter referred to as the "confirmer") has to move to the rear end inside the vehicle in order to stop the alarm after the engine is turned off, and at that time, can confirm whether there are any passengers (kindergarten children) left inside the vehicle. The confirmation button is installed at the rear end inside the vehicle at a position where kindergarten children cannot easily press it.

[0013] Also, as a system for preventing abandonment inside the vehicle, there is a known system that emits an alarm (horn, lamp lighting) outside the vehicle when a passenger (kindergarten child) who has been abandoned presses an alarm button inside the vehicle.

[0014] In the following description, an example in which the abandonment monitoring system of the present invention is applied to a bus for picking up and dropping off kindergarten children at a kindergarten (hereinafter, may be simply referred to as "kindergarten") will be described. In the following description, "inside the vehicle" may be referred to as "inside the car", but in both cases, it is used in the sense of the interior of a vehicle where people may be present (that is, the passenger compartment). <M

[0015] In the following description, a case where the vehicle is an internal combustion engine vehicle having an engine as a drive source will be described, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and a hybrid vehicle having an engine and a traveling motor as drive sources, an electric vehicle having a traveling motor as a drive source, etc. may also be applicable. Further, the vehicle will be described as a small bus such as a minibus, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and a large bus may also be applicable.

[0016] [2. Configuration of the Abandonment Monitoring System] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the abandonment monitoring system according to an embodiment of the present invention. An abandonment monitoring system 100 for monitoring abandonment of a vehicle is a system for monitoring a person inside the vehicle, and has a function of monitoring a person and outputting information according to the monitoring result. The abandonment monitoring system 100 includes a main unit 11, a plurality of sensors 12a to 12d, a buzzer 13, a disembarkation confirmation switch 14, an emergency notification switch 15, an answerback unit 16, a first drive recorder 17, a second drive recorder 18, a personal computer 第十九, a transceiver 20, a monitoring terminal 21, and a personal computer 22. The plurality of sensors 12a to 12b, the buzzer 13, the disembarkation confirmation switch 14, the emergency notification switch 15, the answerback unit 16, the first drive recorder 17, and the second drive recorder 18 are connected to the main unit 11 to constitute an in-vehicle system. Further, the main unit 11 is configured to be able to connect a personal computer 19 as needed. Instead of the personal computer 19, a portable terminal such as a smartphone or a tablet computer, or other terminal devices may be used. At least the main unit 11, the plurality of sensors 12a to 12d, the buzzer 13, the disembarkation confirmation switch 14, the emergency notification switch 15, the answerback unit 16, the first drive recorder 17, and the second drive recorder 18 are mounted on the vehicle side.

[0017] Furthermore, the main unit 11 is connected to the vehicle's ACC (accessory power) input and horn output. The ACC input is a power line to which power from the ACC is input. ACC is an example of a vehicle-side power source. The horn output is a signal line to which instructions are output to make the horn sound. The horn is an example of an alarm unit that emits an alarm. In addition, the main unit 11 is connected to a constant power supply (+B) to supply power to the main unit 11 even after the engine is turned off or the ACC is turned off. The main unit 11 is also connected to a power line (GND) that supplies ground potential. Note that the abandoned vehicle monitoring system 100 may also have a built-in battery or be connected to an external battery and receive power from the battery so that the abandoned vehicle monitoring system 100 can operate even when the ACC is off.

[0018] The main unit 11 may further have terminals for connecting an OBDII adapter that can be connected to the OBDII connector (where "II" is the Roman numeral for "2") of the vehicle V. The OBDII connector is also called a fault diagnosis connector and is connected to the vehicle's ECU (Engine Control Unit). This terminal is connected to the Control Unit and outputs various vehicle information at predetermined intervals (for example, every 0.5 seconds). When this terminal is connected to the OBDII connector using an OBDII adapter, the main unit 11 receives power for the operation of the abandoned vehicle monitoring system and can acquire vehicle information.

[0019] Vehicle information refers to information about the vehicle's condition. Examples of vehicle information include vehicle speed, engine RPM, engine load percentage, throttle position, ignition timing, percentage of remaining fuel, intake manifold pressure, intake air volume (MAF), injection opening time, engine coolant temperature, intake air temperature, ambient temperature, fuel tank fuel level, fuel flow rate, instantaneous fuel consumption, accelerator pedal position, turn signal information (left and right turn signal operation (ON / OFF)), brake position, steering wheel rotation angle, gear position, and door open / closed status.

[0020] The main unit 11 controls the entire system mounted on the vehicle side of the abandoned vehicle monitoring system 100. The main unit 11 is an example of a control unit that controls each part mounted on the vehicle side of the abandoned vehicle monitoring system 100. The main unit 11 is a computer including, for example, a processor and memory. The processor is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and an MPU (Micro Processing Unit). The main unit 11 may also have a main memory with components such as a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU), Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), and Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA). The memory may include, for example, a main memory with RAM (Random Access Memory) and ROM (Read Only Memory). The processor temporarily stores the program read from the ROM in the memory into the RAM. The RAM in the memory provides the processor with a workspace. The processor performs various controls by performing arithmetic processing while temporarily storing data generated during program execution into the RAM. The memory may also have a hardware disk, SSD, or other auxiliary storage device for permanently storing data. In addition to the above, the main unit 11 may also have a timekeeping unit (e.g., a real-time clock) and other elements necessary to realize the various functions described later.

[0021] Sensors 12a to 12d are composed of a combination of a Doppler sensor (also called a microwave sensor) and an IR (infrared) sensor. In this embodiment, by attaching four sensors (sensors 12a to 12d) to the vehicle, the sensors detect an appropriate spatial area within the vehicle or an area suitable for the functioning of the abandoned vehicle monitoring system 100. However, the number of sensors attached to the vehicle may be three or fewer, or five or more. Sensors 12a to 12d are examples of sensors that detect the conditions inside a vehicle.

[0022] The buzzer 13 outputs a buzzer sound in response to instructions from the main unit 11. The passenger exit confirmation switch 14 is a push-button switch that detects when pressed. The passenger exit confirmation switch 14 is a switch used to confirm that passengers have exited the vehicle after the ACC is turned off. Therefore, the passenger exit confirmation switch 14 is preferably installed in a location that the person will definitely pass through after confirming that passengers have exited. For example, assuming that the person confirming the exit is the driver, it is preferable to install it in the rear of the vehicle, further back than the passenger area where the seats are located, as viewed from the driver's seat. Such a "passenger exit confirmation switch" may be referred to as a "rear switch" below. By operating the passenger exit confirmation switch 14, an operation signal indicating that the operation has been performed is supplied to the main unit 11. Furthermore, the main unit 11 is notified of the operation to the transceiver 20 via the answer-back unit 16. The passenger disembarkation confirmation switch 14 is provided as a physical switch in this example, but it may also be implemented by an operation unit (first operation unit) that detects contact operation using a touch panel or contactless operation using a proximity sensor.

[0023] The transceiver 20 is a computer device equipped with a display unit consisting of an LCD panel or the like. The transceiver 20 may be a remote control used by the vehicle driver, but it is preferable to use it as a device used by someone other than the driver, such as a nursery or kindergarten staff member on the premises, as this allows a third-party check function for disembarking to function. In the following, unless otherwise specified, the transceiver 20 will be assumed to be a desktop transceiver placed on the premises (within the kindergarten facilities) of the kindergarten that operates and manages the vehicle.

[0024] Furthermore, if there is no operation on the exit confirmation switch within a certain period of time after the ACC is turned off, the main unit 11 notifies the transceiver 20 of this fact via the answer back unit 16 and sounds the vehicle's horn. The transceiver 20 receives the notification or alert from the vehicle and broadcasts information based on that notification or alert.

[0025] The emergency call switch 15 is a push-button switch that detects a press operation when the abandoned vehicle monitoring system 100 is in monitoring mode. The emergency call switch 15 is an emergency call switch operated by the occupant when the occupant is left behind. By operating the emergency call switch 15, the main unit 11 notifies the transceiver 20 of the emergency via the answer-back unit 16 and sounds the vehicle's horn. The emergency call switch 15 is provided as a physical switch in this case, but it may also be implemented by an operation unit (second operation unit) that detects contact operation using a touch panel or non-contact operation using a proximity sensor.

[0026] In this way, when a button installed in the vehicle is pressed, a siren is activated, and a loud sound is emitted from a speaker, similar to that of a security product, to alert those outside that someone has been left unattended in the vehicle. The emergency call switch 15 should be designed with enough resistance so that even a child, such as an infant, can press it. In addition, to prevent children from tampering with the vehicle while it is in motion, it is desirable that the operation of the emergency call switch 15 be linked to the ACC input, for example, the emergency call switch 15 may only operate when the accessory power is off. For example, the main unit 11 may activate the siren in response to the operation of the emergency call switch 15 when the accessory power is off, but not when the accessory power is on. Such an emergency call switch 15 may be called an unattended vehicle prevention button or the like.

[0027] The monitoring mode is a predetermined operating mode for monitoring the interior of the vehicle. The main unit 11 starts the monitoring mode, for example, when the ACC power is turned off or when the vehicle engine is turned off. The main unit 11 ends the monitoring mode, for example, when the ACC power is turned on or when the vehicle engine starts running. However, the main unit 11 may also end the monitoring mode when it is determined that there is no one inside the vehicle. The answer-back unit 16 is a device that has an answer-back function. The answer-back unit is a hardware element that can also be applied to security systems (car security systems) to prevent vehicle theft or vandalism. By repurposing a car security system for other uses such as an abandoned vehicle monitoring system, it is possible to simplify the manufacturing process and reduce manufacturing costs, as well as reduce the production of new parts and devices by repurposing existing parts and devices, which leads to the provision of environmentally friendly technology and contributes to the SDGs.

[0028] The answer-back unit 16 communicates wirelessly with the transceiver 20, for example, using a 429MHz band radio. The 429MHz band radio is, for example, a low-power radio. Low-power radio is a type of wireless communication sometimes used in car security systems. The wireless communication that the main unit 11 performs with the transceiver 20 is not limited to the method performed via the answer-back unit 16, but may also be performed using other wireless communication units (for example, a wireless communication module having a communication line and an antenna). Furthermore, the communication method is not limited to low-power radio, but may also be other communication methods such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark) or Bluetooth (registered trademark). For example, it is desirable that a communication environment be established that enables communication between the answer-back unit 16 and the transceiver 20, taking into account the location of use, distance, and environment between the system installed on the vehicle and the transceiver 20.

[0029] The first drive recorder 17 records video by filming the interior of the vehicle according to the control of the main unit 11. The first drive recorder 17 is an example of a first recording device that is mounted on a vehicle and records video. The first drive recorder 17 has the function of wirelessly communicating with the monitoring terminal 21 using, for example, WiFi (registered trademark) or Bluetooth (registered trademark). The second drive recorder 18 records video by filming the interior of the vehicle according to the input from sensors 12a to 12d. The second drive recorder 18 is an example of a second recording device that is mounted on a vehicle and records video. That is, the second drive recorder 18 starts recording when an event occurs in which sensors 12a to 12d detect an occupant. This recording operation may be understood as a so-called event recording. The second drive recorder 18 further transmits the recorded video to the monitoring terminal 21 using wireless communication. The second drive recorder 18 is preferably able to transmit the recorded video in parallel with the recording operation, and is particularly preferably able to transmit the recorded video so that it can be viewed in real time on an external device. When the first drive recorder 17 and the second drive recorder 18 transmit video, they may transmit it without going through the main unit 11, or the main unit 11 may receive the video from the first drive recorder 17 and the second drive recorder 18 and transmit that video. In this embodiment, we refer to them as the first drive recorder 17 and the second drive recorder 18, but any shooting device (first shooting device, second shooting device) that is not recognized as a drive recorder may be used as long as it has the function of shooting and outputting the captured video. The shooting device may, for example, be equipped with a CCD or CMOS as an image sensor. The shooting device may also output the captured video to the main unit 11 by wired or wireless communication.

[0030] The personal computer 19 is a computer device that connects to the main unit 11 to perform various settings and to acquire history information (for example, about 20 entries) from the main unit 11.

[0031] The monitoring terminal 21 is a computer device for monitoring the status of a vehicle from a distance. It is preferable that the monitoring terminal 21 be used by someone other than the vehicle driver, as this allows for monitoring by a third party. While a mobile device such as a smartphone or tablet computer is convenient for the monitoring terminal 21, a stationary terminal or other information processing device may also be used. Like the transceiver 20, the monitoring terminal 21 is used within the kindergarten premises (for example, within the kindergarten facilities) where the vehicle is operated and managed. The personal computer 22 is a computer device that connects to the transceiver 20 as needed to send alarm emails and manage reports.

[0032] Although not shown in the diagram, each computer device, such as the personal computer 19, transceiver 20, monitoring terminal 21, and personal computer 22, has a processor (e.g., CPU) and memory (e.g., RAM), and performs various functions by reading and executing programs into memory. Furthermore, each device, such as the personal computer 19, transceiver 20, monitoring terminal 21, and personal computer 22, may have necessary components such as an operation unit, display unit, and communication unit to perform the functions described later.

[0033] [3. Example of vehicle configuration] Figure 2A is a side view of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 2B is a plan view of the interior of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the examples of Figures 2A and 2B, the vehicle 50 is a small bus called a microbus with a capacity of 10 to several dozen passengers. A driver's seat 51 is provided at the front of the vehicle 50, and an entrance / exit door 52 is provided on the side opposite the driver's seat 51, slightly towards the front of the center, and multiple seats 54 for passengers are provided on both sides of a central aisle 53.

[0034] As shown in Figures 2A and 2B, the main unit 11 and answer-back unit 16 are located at the front of the vehicle 50, an emergency call switch 15 is provided at the entrance / exit 52, and an exit confirmation switch 14 is provided at the rear of the vehicle 50. In addition, four sensors 12a to 12d are installed on the ceiling of the vehicle 50 at intervals to detect occupants in multiple seats 54. The number of sensors 12a to 12d may be more or fewer than four depending on the size of the vehicle (number of seats).

[0035] [4. Example of operation of the abandoned monitoring system 100] The abandoned vehicle monitoring system 100 operates as follows. First, the operation from the start to the end of monitoring (in other words, while in monitoring mode) is as follows. When the ACC is turned off, the main unit 11 notifies the transceiver 20 of this fact via the answer-back unit 16. At this time, the main unit 11 may also sound the buzzer 13, but it is preferable for the occupants if the buzzer is not sounded as there is a high possibility that occupants are still in the vehicle. Then, if the disembarkation confirmation switch 14 is not pressed within a specified time after the ACC is turned off, the main unit 11 notifies the transceiver 20 of this fact via the answer-back unit 16, sounds the buzzer 13, and sounds the horn. It is preferable that the specified time at this time be changeable by setting. Sounding the buzzer 13 and sounding the horn are examples of notification or alarm.

[0036] Furthermore, the main unit 11 also notifies the transceiver 20 and sounds the buzzer 13 if the passenger exit confirmation switch 14 is operated within the specified time. The passenger exit confirmation switch 14 is set to have a delay time after the ACC is turned off so that it does not accept operation immediately (and any accepted operation is invalidated). In other words, the passenger exit confirmation switch 14 must be operated after the first specified time has elapsed and before the second specified time has elapsed after the ACC is turned off. This is desirable because it makes it easier to treat as a valid operation if the passenger exit confirmation switch 14 is pressed by an infant or other passenger, or if the driver presses the switch 14 without adequately checking the interior of the vehicle, rather than validating the operation. It is also desirable that these first and second specified times be changeable by settings. For example, the desired times for the first and second specified times may differ depending on the number of people in the vehicle or the number of seats.

[0037] During the period between the end of the first specified time and the end of the second specified time, while waiting for the passenger disembarkation confirmation switch 14 to be operated, the main unit 11 sounds a buzzer 13 to inform the person confirming that the passenger disembarkation confirmation switch 14 should be operated. The transceiver 20 may also have a fail-safe function that counts a specified time after receiving notification that the ACC has been turned off, and if it does not receive notification that the passenger disembarkation confirmation switch 14 has been operated, the transceiver 20 will sound an alarm (buzzer sound, display, etc.).

[0038] After the ACC is turned off, the main unit 11 activates sensors 12a to 12d and starts monitoring after a predetermined time has elapsed, regardless of operation of the vehicle exit confirmation switch 14. The predetermined time until monitoring starts and the predetermined time until monitoring ends should be configured to be changeable. Next, when the ACC is turned on, the main unit 11 cancels monitoring, notifies the transceiver 20 of this fact via the answerback unit 16, and sounds the buzzer 13.

[0039] The alarm or warning operation is as follows: When any of the sensors 12a to 12d detect an occupant, the main unit 11 notifies the transceiver 20 of an alarm via the answerback unit 16, sounds the buzzer 13, and sounds the horn. In this case, the main unit 11 continues to sound the buzzer 13 and the horn until a prescribed operation is performed. The prescribed operation is particularly likely to be a predetermined operation performed after checking the interior of the vehicle 50, for example, pressing the exit confirmation switch 14. Also, when the emergency call switch 15 is operated, the main unit 11 notifies the transceiver 20 of an alarm via the answerback unit 16, sounds the buzzer 13, and sounds the horn.

[0040] When the button for stopping the alarm is pressed, the transceiver 20 notifies the main unit 11 that the button has been pressed. The main unit 11 receives notification of this button press via the answerback unit 16 and temporarily stops the buzzer 13 from sounding. If the alarm is not cleared by the transceiver 20 within a specified time (for example, 5 minutes), the main unit 11 will sound the buzzer 13 again.

[0041] If the horn of vehicle 50 is sounding, the sounding of the horn can be stopped by turning on the ACC of vehicle 50 or by operating the exit confirmation switch 14. When the sounding of the horn is stopped, the main unit 11 notifies the transceiver 20 of this fact via the answer back unit 16.

[0042] As described above, the transceiver 20 has the following functions: to receive and display notifications of ACC on and off; to receive and display notifications of operation of the vehicle exit confirmation switch 14 and to display an alarm if the vehicle exit confirmation switch 14 is not operated within a predetermined period; to display alarms or warnings based on detections by sensors 12a to 12d; to receive and display notifications of operation of the emergency call switch 15; to check the history (for example, 20 entries) by pressing a button; and to make various settings (for example, settings can be changed by entering a PIN).

[0043] Furthermore, a personal computer 22 is connected to the transceiver 20. The personal computer 22 implements the function of managing and recording reports. The reports record the date and time when the ACC was turned on, the date and time when the ACC was turned off, the date and time when the disembarkation confirmation switch 14 was operated, the date and time when sensors 12a to 12d detected an occupant and issued an alarm or warning, the date and time when the emergency call switch 15 was operated, etc. In addition, by connecting the personal computer 22 to the transceiver 20, the personal computer 22 is enabled to send, for example, text data to a registered email address when an alarm occurs.

[0044] As described above, in the abandoned vehicle monitoring system 100 of this embodiment, an emergency call switch 15 is provided inside the vehicle, and if the emergency call switch 15 is operated during monitoring, the main unit 11 sounds the horn to notify the outside. At this time, the main unit 11 may also turn on the hazard lights or the headlights. Furthermore, in the event of an emergency, the main unit 11 may transmit (transmit) the video recorded by the first drive recorder 17 and the second drive recorder 18 to the outside, or wirelessly notify the external transceiver 20 and monitoring terminal 21 that an emergency has occurred (an abandoned vehicle has occurred). In this case, the transceiver 20 and monitoring terminal 21 may display the video captured by the first drive recorder 17 and the second drive recorder 18.

[0045] [5. Other Configuration or Operation Examples of the Abandoned Monitoring System 100 - Part 1] The following describes other configuration or operation examples of the abandoned monitoring system 100. Two or more of the following configuration or operation examples can be combined as appropriate. Furthermore, they can be combined with other configuration or operation examples specified herein as appropriate.

[0046] Sensors 12a to 12d should be mounted on the ceiling of the vehicle 50 using brackets that prevent children from removing them. Assuming that children cannot reach the ceiling of the vehicle 50, sensors 12a to 12d can be mounted on the ceiling in any way. Sensors 12a to 12d may also be mounted in a location other than the ceiling that is out of reach of children.

[0047] The exit confirmation switch 14 is a switch that is operated when the person confirming that no child has been left behind, and is not a switch that children should operate. Therefore, it may be a valet switch that is invalid if a child presses it. In this case, the valet switch may be operated by entering a two-digit number using two buttons (to stop the buzzer 13 from sounding). For example, the valet switch may require an operation that does not cause stress to the person confirming, such as pressing the left button twice and the right button three times. The valet switch is an operating part that is sometimes used in car security systems for authentication to confirm that the user is the legitimate user of the vehicle. If this authentication is successful, the security monitoring state is deactivated. The valet switch is preferably located in a place that is not easily found by the legitimate user of the vehicle. For example, it is preferable to place it in a location that is not visible or is difficult to see from outside the vehicle. Therefore, the exit confirmation switch 14, which is a valet switch, should preferably be located in a location that is not visible or is difficult to see from outside the vehicle, such as under the rear.

[0048] By the way, if a loud sound were to be emitted within 10 seconds after the engine is turned off, it is unlikely that all the children would disembark within 10 seconds after the engine is turned off. The sound would start to blare at a level of 85 dB or higher while the children are still inside the vehicle, forcing the driver, as the person confirming the children's disembarkation, to rush to the disembarkation confirmation switch 14. In this case, the loud sound would be detrimental to the children's mental state, and the children would be heading towards the exit while the driver is heading in the opposite direction, creating a risk of collision between the driver and the child inside the vehicle. A less rushed method would be to have the children disembark while the engine is still running, but this is also not always desirable. Therefore, the main unit 11 may immediately play a soft sound, melody, or voice (hereinafter sometimes collectively referred to as "soft sound, etc.") after the vehicle's engine is turned off to remind the driver not to forget to press the disembarkation confirmation switch 14 (for example, the rear valet switch). In this case, it is best not to set a time limit before the sound is emitted. The reason is that the sounds are soft and pleasant, not unpleasant for the driver or the children to hear. When the driver thinks all the children have disembarked, they can slowly go and operate the disembarkation confirmation switch 14. This is because the purpose is to check inside the vehicle. Also, the main unit 11 does not enter monitoring mode while waiting for the disembarkation confirmation switch 14 to be operated. When the driver presses the disembarkation confirmation switch 14, the main unit 11 stops the soft sounds. The driver looks around inside the vehicle, disembarks, and closes the door. The main unit 11 may enter monitoring mode only after detecting that the door has been closed. If the door has been detected closed without the disembarkation confirmation switch 14 being operated, the main unit 11 may sound a siren (for example, a buzzer 13 or a horn) once. For door closure detection, a sensor for detecting door closure, as described later, may be used.

[0049] Alternatively, in the above embodiment, the main unit 11 sounds the buzzer 13 when the ACC is turned off, but instead, the buzzer 13 may sound when the engine is turned off to prompt the verifier to confirm that no children have been left behind and to operate the disembarkation confirmation switch 14. In this case, there is no need to set a time limit for operating the disembarkation confirmation switch 14. With this specification, the verifier can take sufficient time to confirm that all children have disembarked. In addition, the main unit 11 does not enter monitoring mode while waiting for the disembarkation confirmation switch 14 to be operated. That is, the main unit 11 disables the operation of the emergency call switch 15. This prevents alarms or warnings from being triggered even if a child operates the emergency call switch 15 when disembarking.

[0050] A sensor for detecting door closure may be installed at the entrance / exit 52. In this case, the person confirming that no one is left behind in the vehicle and operating the exit confirmation switch 14 may cause the main unit 11 to stop the buzzer 13 from sounding and, upon closing the door, detect the door closure and start monitoring mode. If the main unit 11 detects door closure without the exit confirmation switch 14 being operated, it may sound a single warning siren.

[0051] Furthermore, the main unit 11 may also notify the transceiver 20 of in-vehicle events such as engine off, operation of the passenger exit confirmation switch 14, and detection of door closing, and record a history of these events, or generate a report of the history.

[0052] Thus, the monitoring mode can be activated when both the child and the observer get out of the vehicle and close the door. However, in this case, for example, they might later realize they have left something inside the vehicle and open the door again. In this case as well, the sensor will detect that the door is open. Subsequently, even if sensors 12a to 12d detect an occupant, no alarm or warning will be issued because the door is open. Therefore, instead of the main unit 11 issuing an alarm or warning immediately when sensors 12a to 12d detect an occupant, it may wait (for example, with a delay of about 1 second) to confirm that the engine is off and the door is closed before issuing an alarm or warning.

[0053] Furthermore, when vehicle 50 departs from its starting point, it is conceivable that the engine is off and the doors are closed while the children are inside the vehicle. That is, the engine is started only after all the children have boarded and the doors have been closed. For example, when vehicle 50 is about to depart. In this state, the alarm must not be triggered. In this case, the monitoring mode is deactivated when the door is opened, and then when the driver boards and closes the door, the engine is still off at this point, so the conditions of engine off and door closed are met. However, the sequence of operations is not the reset button on the driver's seat 51, the exit confirmation switch 14 is operated, and the door is closed, so the main unit 11 does not deactivate the monitoring mode. In other words, the sequence of operations of the exit confirmation switch 14 is added to the conditions of engine off and door closed in order to enter monitoring mode. In this way, the monitoring mode may be prevented from being activated in the above-mentioned situation.

[0054] It is possible that a child might operate the disembarkation confirmation switch 14 while all the children are disembarking. To prevent this, a reset button may be installed in the driver's seat 51, so that the driver, who is the certifier, can operate this reset button in the driver's seat 51 after confirming that all the children have disembarked, and then move inside the vehicle 50 to operate the disembarkation confirmation switch 14. The main unit 11 should, when the reset button is pressed, disable the operation of the disembarkation confirmation switch 14, even if it has been operated. This would reduce the occurrence of problems caused by children operating the disembarkation confirmation switch 14.

[0055] Furthermore, the volume of the buzzer 13, which prompts the person checking the rear seats, may be adjustable through a setting. The main unit 11 should emit a sound via the buzzer 13 at a volume corresponding to that setting.

[0056] Alternatively, the main unit 11 should have a speaker with adjustable volume for the volume used to prompt rear-seat passengers to visually check the vehicle after the engine is turned off. If the volume exceeds a specified level according to the standards, a sound source that generates a sound above that level, such as a siren, should be used to emit a sound. The specified volume is, for example, 85 dB, but is not limited to this.

[0057] [6. Other Configuration or Operation Examples of the Abandoned Monitoring System 100 - Part 2] The following configuration or operation examples can be combined with other configuration or operation examples specified herein as appropriate. In a monitoring system designed to prevent children from being left unattended in vehicles, the most important feature is the ability to detect when a child has been left behind on the bus. However, in reality, the bus departs empty from the parking lot, passes through the pick-up / drop-off point, drops off children and teachers at the nursery or kindergarten, and returns to the parking lot. It is also conceivable that the engine may be turned off during the pick-up / drop-off process, and that teachers or drivers may get off the bus leaving children behind. Furthermore, after dropping off the children, the bus may be returned to the parking lot, taken to a dealer for inspection, used for field trips, or children may touch buttons on the back of the bus. Various situations can be considered. The question then becomes what operations and actions should be performed in each of these situations.

[0058] Figures 3A and 3B are tables illustrating examples of actions in various situations. Figure 3A shows the actions involved in going to the nursery school, i.e., dropping off the child, and Figure 3B shows the actions involved in returning to the nursery school, i.e., dropping off the child at the designated drop-off location.

[0059] In Figure 3A, S11 to S18 are as follows: S11: When the teacher, children, and parents are dropped off at the school before the bus is moved and parked in the parking lot / When the teacher gets off at the pick-up / drop-off station and the children get on. S12: When dropping off children at the nursery, if the teacher gets out first / If the engine is turned off at the drop-off station and the teacher goes to call the children (the engine may be turned off because the engine noise may disturb the neighbors) S13: When arriving at the nursery and the children disembark first. S14: When arriving at the nursery and both teachers and children are still inside the bus / When children are boarding the bus at the drop-off station S15: When everyone gets off at the nursery or parking lot / When everyone gets off at the drop-off / pick-up station (when the children have not yet boarded, the teacher goes to pick up the children, and the driver gets off for personal reasons) S16: When the driver and teacher get off the bus first at the nursery school, and the children remain inside the bus / When the driver and teacher get off at the drop-off station (for example, the teacher goes to get the children, and the driver gets off for personal reasons) S17: When only the teacher is on the bus at the nursery school / When only the teacher is on the bus at the pick-up / drop-off station (when the driver has to get off for personal reasons) S18: If the driver gets out first at the daycare center / If the driver gets out for personal reasons at the pick-up / drop-off station

[0060] In Figure 3A, A11 to A18 are as follows: A11: Melody A12: Driver's seat 51 (for example, a switch on the driver's seat 51 side (for example, a valet switch)) A13: Rear button (Passage exit confirmation switch 14) A14: Melody A15: Door close (door closed) A16: Siren A17: Re-procedure A18: Monitoring mode

[0061] Furthermore, in Figure 3A, A51 to A55 are as follows: A51: Encourage patrols A52: Reset by a child using the rear button. A53: Stop the melody. A54: Encourage patrols A55: Report failure to perform the procedure for entering monitoring mode.

[0062] In Figure 3B, S21 to S25 are as follows: S21: When the bus is moved from the parking lot to the kindergarten and parked at the kindergarten (before teachers and children board) / When all teachers and children disembark at the drop-off station S22: When the bus is moved from the parking lot to the nursery school, parked at the nursery school, and the children board first / When the teacher disembarks first at the drop-off station / When the teacher disembarks first at the drop-off station and the children are disembarking S23: When the teacher boards the bus first at the nursery school and the children have not yet boarded / When all the children disembark at the drop-off station and the teacher boards / When all the children disembark at the drop-off station without the teacher disembarking S24: When all teachers and children are on board at the nursery (just before departure) / When the teacher is on board and the children are on board at the nursery / When the engine has just been turned off at the drop-off station / When the teacher is inside the bus and the children are getting off at the drop-off station S25: When the vehicle arrives at the nursery and everyone has disembarked / When the teacher disembarks at the drop-off station, the children disembark, and the driver disembarks for personal reasons.

[0063] In Figure 3B, A21 to A28 are as follows: A21: Melody A22: Driver's seat 51 (for example, a switch on the driver's seat 51 side (for example, a valet switch)) A23: Rear button (Passage exit confirmation switch 14) A24: Melody A25: Door close (door closed) A26: Siren A27: Re-procedure A28: Monitoring mode

[0064] Furthermore, in Figure 3B, A61 to A65 are as follows: A61: Encourage patrols A62: Reset by a child operating the rear button. A63: Stop the melody. A64: Encourage patrols A65: Report (notify, inform) failure to follow the procedure for entering monitoring mode.

[0065] In the above embodiment, the vehicle 50 is equipped with two drive recorders, a first drive recorder 17 and a second drive recorder 18, but it may be equipped with only one. Recording by these drive recorders may be performed only when sensors 12a to 12d are activated, and only when it is assumed that no one is in the vehicle (i.e., when it is in monitoring mode). This avoids unnecessary recording. Thus, the main unit 11 is configured to be connectable to both the first drive recorder 17 and the second drive recorder 18, and to record inside the bus. However, considering that there may be cases where it is not appropriate to record kindergarten children, it is best to perform recording only when it is assumed that no one is in the vehicle. When it is assumed that no one is in the vehicle, the sensors 12a to 12d (in this case, the microwave sensor + IR sensor) will not react (i.e., the presence of a person will not be detected). Therefore, the main unit 11 should start recording with the first drive recorder 17 and the second drive recorder 18 when the sensors 12a to 12d react (i.e., the presence of a person is detected). Furthermore, the main unit 11 may also stop recording with the first drive recorder 17 and the second drive recorder 18 when the sensors 12a to 12d do not react (i.e., the presence of a person is not detected). Other conditions may be used to indicate that it is assumed that no one is in the vehicle.

[0066] Furthermore, the creation of reports is achieved when the main unit 11 sends operation events such as engine on / off, button operation, door opening / closing, and operation errors, as well as action events such as door opening / closing, sensor detection, and alarm activation, to the transceiver 20, and the transceiver 20 sends the history to the personal computer 22. The reports (history) created in this way can be used for training drivers and instructors.

[0067] [7. Other Configuration or Operation Examples of the Abandoned Monitoring System 100 - Part 3] The following configuration or operation examples can be combined with other configuration or operation examples specified herein as appropriate. Furthermore, as mentioned above, the abandoned child monitoring system 100 may be configured to activate monitoring mode when the door is closed, if it detects a reset operation, a rear button operation, and a door closing in that order. However, if this is done, the alarm mode will also be activated if the driver closes the door inside the bus. To address this, GPS may be used to distinguish between places where an alarm should never be triggered, such as kindergartens and parking lots, and places where an alarm should not be triggered, such as pick-up / drop-off stations. Therefore, the abandoned child monitoring system 100 should have a location information acquisition unit as a function to acquire location information using GPS. It is preferable that the vehicle 50 is equipped with a GPS receiver. Places such as kindergartens, parking lots, and pick-up / drop-off stations are registered in the abandoned child monitoring system 100 as areas (so-called "my areas") where alarms are permitted to be issued based on location information. The abandoned child monitoring system 100 may then issue an alarm (an example of an alarm) only in registered locations such as kindergartens, and may not issue an alarm in unregistered locations or locations where GPS signals cannot be received, but only notify the transceiver 20.

[0068] In this way, locations where an alarm should be triggered in an emergency can be registered, and the alarm will only be triggered when the vehicle is in one of those locations. Alternatively, locations where an alarm should not be triggered can be registered, and the alarm will not be triggered when the vehicle 50 is in one of those locations. This allows for both ensuring safety by preventing vehicles from being abandoned and providing convenience for cancellations at specific locations (gas stations, vehicle inspection locations, etc.).

[0069] In this specification, where GPS is mentioned, it may be read as GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System). Furthermore, a function that uses GPS or GNSS to determine position and acquire location information indicating the determined position is an example of a location information acquisition unit. The location information acquisition unit acquires location information indicating the vehicle's position (more specifically, its current position). The main unit 11 may acquire location information from this location information acquisition unit. The vehicle's position can be considered equivalent to the positions of the people (occupants) in the vehicle and the positions of the various devices mounted on the vehicle. The location information acquisition unit acquires location information (latitude information and longitude information) based on signals from GPS (Global Positioning System), one of the GNSS systems, but the location information acquisition unit may also use QZSS (Quasi-Zenith Satellite). The Michibiki satellite system may also be used in conjunction with the Quasi-Zenith Satellite System. Furthermore, the location information acquisition unit may acquire location information by methods such as identifying the connected wireless LAN access point or by base station positioning. In this way, location registration can be used to send notifications (e.g., alerts) when appropriate.

[0070] [8. Other Configuration or Operation Examples of the Abandoned Monitoring System 100 - Part 4] The following configuration or operation examples can be combined with other configuration or operation examples specified herein as appropriate. Area detection is a specification of the CAN Invader countermeasure device. The monitoring mode may be controlled using this area detection. In this case, it is assumed that the driver possesses a transceiver (hereinafter also referred to as "remote control") 20. The remote control may be a key (e.g., a smart key) used by the driver to lock or unlock the vehicle 50, but it is preferable to have a separate remote control that is carried together with such a key. Such a remote control may be, for example, a remote control developed for a car security system, and may have the function of receiving the locking or unlocking status of the vehicle, and the status of the vehicle 50, for example, the status detected by sensors 12a to 12d, from the main unit 11 and notifying the driver. Communication between the main unit 11 and the remote control 20 is performed, for example, by low-power radio, but other communication methods such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark) or Bluetooth (registered trademark) may also be used.

[0071] Area detection is a function that detects whether or not the remote control 20 is present within a predetermined area (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the "detection area") based on the location of the main unit 11, or in other words, the vehicle 50 on which the main unit 11 is installed. "Whether or not the remote control 20 is present" can also be read as "Whether or not a person possessing the remote control 20 is present." In this case, the person possessing the remote control 20 is the driver, who is the verifier. Detecting whether or not the remote control 20 is present essentially means detecting whether or not a person possessing that remote control 20, in this example the driver, is present. An example of area detection will be explained. In the first method of area detection, the main unit 11 transmits a first radio signal of a predetermined intensity to the remote control 20. The first radio signal may, for example, include information requesting notification of the received intensity of the first radio signal. When the remote control 20 receives the first radio signal, it calculates the received intensity of this first radio signal. The received intensity may be the Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI), but other values ​​that serve as indicators of received intensity may also be used. The remote control 20 transmits a second radio signal containing information on the calculated received strength of the first radio signal to the in-vehicle system, in this case the main unit 11. The main unit 11 compares the received strength of the first radio signal, which is identified based on the received second received strength, with a predetermined threshold. If the received strength of the first radio signal is greater than or equal to the threshold, it determines that the remote control 20 is within a predetermined detection area; if it is less than the threshold, it determines that the remote control 20 is not within the predetermined detection area. The threshold may be set in advance, for example, during initial setup before the abandonment monitoring system 100 is put into use.

[0072] The method of area detection is not limited to this. To explain the second method of area detection, the remote control 20 transmits a third wireless signal of a predetermined strength, and the main unit 11 compares this third wireless signal with a predetermined threshold. If the received strength of the third wireless signal is equal to or greater than the threshold, the main unit 11 determines that the remote control 20 is within a predetermined detection area; if it is less than the threshold, the main unit 11 determines that the remote control 20 is not within the predetermined detection area. A third method combining the first and second methods is also possible. In this method, the main unit 11 determines that the remote control 20 is within a predetermined detection area if either or both of the received strengths of the first wireless signal and the third wireless signal are equal to or greater than the threshold; otherwise, the main unit 11 determines that the remote control 20 is not within the predetermined detection area. Alternatively, the remote control 20 may compare the received strength with the threshold and transmit (notify) the result of the comparison, for example, whether or not it is within a predetermined detection area, to the main unit 11. It is particularly preferable that the first wireless signal and the third wireless signal be transmitted without explicit instruction from the user, for example, by being transmitted at a predetermined period.

[0073] The detection range (in other words, the detection area range) can be changed by setting a threshold. A smaller threshold limits the detection area to only the vicinity of the vehicle 50, while a larger threshold expands the detection area to include locations further away from the vehicle 50. By setting the threshold, for example, the main unit 11 can be configured to allow setting the detection range in 100 steps and to use the threshold corresponding to the set step. For example, it is assumed that the area range is set to approximately 100m (e.g., a radius of 100m). Based on the area detection, if the main unit 11 determines that the remote control 20 is within the detection area, it does not activate the monitoring mode. However, the main unit 11 operates sensors 12a to 12d, and when sensors 12a to 12d detect an occupant, it notifies the remote control 20. Upon receiving this notification, the remote control 20 should notify the driver by sounding an audible alert or displaying a message on its display unit. If the main unit 11 determines that the remote control 20 is outside the detection area, it activates the monitoring mode.

[0074] The main unit 11 and remote control 20 operate as follows, for example. Let's assume the area detection range is 100m. If the driver is within 100m and goes to retrieve something they forgot, the main unit 11 will not activate monitoring mode no matter what they do. Similarly, when loading children onto the bus, if the driver is within 100m, the main unit 11 will not activate monitoring mode. Even if sensors 12a-12d detect occupants and the main unit 11 enters monitoring mode, it will not sound the siren, but will instead notify the remote control 20. The remote control 20 will receive this notification and alert the driver by sounding an alarm or similar. After dropping off the children and going to the parking lot, parking the vehicle 50, and the remote control 20 is outside the 100m range of the vehicle 50, the main unit 11 will activate monitoring mode. If the parking lot of the vehicle 50 is within 100m of the driver, the main unit 11 will not activate monitoring mode, but will notify the remote control 20 if sensors 12a-12d detect occupants. Upon receiving this notification, the remote control 20 will alert the driver by making a sound or otherwise.

[0075] If the driver forgets the remote control 20, it is undesirable for there to be an easy way to deactivate the system even if the remote control 20 is forgotten. Therefore, it is desirable to impose a penalty if the remote control 20 is forgotten. For example, the main unit 11 may sound the siren at the pick-up station if the remote control 20 is forgotten. To avoid this, the vehicle 50's engine may be prevented from being turned off at the pick-up station. Since area detection is not possible, the main unit 11 may impose a penalty by recording that the remote control 20 has been forgotten in a storage unit such as an SD card. The storage unit may be, for example, a storage medium provided in at least one of the first drive recorder 17 and the second drive recorder 18, or it may be a separate storage unit.

[0076] Furthermore, area detection only needs to be a function that detects whether the remote control 20 or the person holding the remote control 20 is within the detection area; other methods may be used. Also, area detection may be a function that does not require the use of the remote control 20, and other methods may be used to detect whether the person acting as the verifier is within the detection area. In this way, based on area detection, notifications (for example, ignition of a siren or notification to the remote control 20) can be made when appropriate.

[0077] [9. Other Configuration or Operation Examples of the Abandoned Monitoring System 100 - Part 5] The configuration using the location information acquisition unit described in [7. Other Configuration Examples or Operation Examples of the Abandoned Monitoring System 100 - Part 3] and the configuration related to area detection described in [8. Other Configuration Examples or Operation Examples of the Abandoned Monitoring System 100 - Part 4] may be combined as follows. Furthermore, the following configuration examples or operation examples can be appropriately combined with other configuration examples or operation examples specified herein.

[0078] The main unit 11, based on the location information acquired by the location information acquisition unit, first registers locations using GPS and distinguishes between locations where siren sounds are permitted and locations where they are not. Location registration is a function that registers locations where siren sounds (an example of an alarm) are permitted and locations where they are not. The area defined based on the registered locations may hereafter be referred to as the "registered area" or "GPS registered area," etc. The registered area is, for example, an area of ​​a predetermined size (for example, a circular area with a radius of 50m) centered on the registered location. The location information acquired by the location information acquisition unit (for example, the positioning result of a GNSS receiver) may be used not only for this location registration but also for operational management (for example, managing information on when and where the vehicle was driven). It is preferable that the user be able to perform location registration and the registration of locations where siren sounds are permitted and locations where they are not using an external device such as a personal computer 22. The external device transmits this registered information to the main unit 11. The main unit 11 stores (registers) the received information.

[0079] Next, the relationship between location registration, area detection by the remote control 20, and button operation on the remote control 20 is as follows. First, if the vehicle 50 is in a location where siren activation is permitted and the remote control 20 is outside the area detection area, the main unit 11 activates the siren and notifies the remote control 20. If the remote control 20 is within communication range with the main unit 11, it emits an alarm (e.g., an alarm sound). In this case, the remote control 20 accepts a button operation by the driver and stops the alarm (e.g., an alarm sound) of the remote control 20, and also sends a signal to the main unit 11 instructing it to stop siren activation. When the main unit 11 receives this signal, it stops the siren. If the remote control 20 is outside the communication range with the main unit 11, the remote control 20 does not emit an alarm. Therefore, the remote control 20 does not require a button operation to stop the alarm, and even if a button is operated, the siren in the vehicle 50 will not stop.

[0080] If the vehicle 50 is in a location where siren activation is permitted and the remote control 20 is within the area detection area, the main unit 11 will not activate the siren, but will instead notify the remote control 20. The remote control 20 will then activate an alarm (e.g., an alarm sound) in response to this notification. However, if no button is pressed to deactivate the alarm on the remote control 20 for a certain period of time, in other words, if the main unit 11 does not receive a signal from the remote control 20 instructing it to deactivate the siren, the main unit 11 will activate the siren. Also, in response to a button press on the remote control 20, the alarm on the remote control 20 (e.g., an alarm sound) and the siren on the vehicle 50 will stop, as described above.

[0081] If vehicle 50 is in a location where siren activation is prohibited and remote control 20 is outside the area detection area, the main unit 11 will not activate the siren but will notify the remote control 20. Furthermore, if the remote control 20 is within communication range of the main unit 11, it will emit an alarm (e.g., an alarm sound). In this case, the remote control 20 will accept a button press from the driver to stop the alarm (e.g., an alarm sound). The siren will not activate. If the remote control 20 is outside the communication range of the main unit 11, the remote control 20 cannot emit an alarm (e.g., an alarm sound).

[0082] If vehicle 50 is in a location where siren activation is prohibited and remote control 20 is within the area detection area, the main unit 11 will not activate the siren and will not notify remote control 20. In this way, by appropriately combining location registration, area detection, and button operation on the remote control, notification (for example, ignition of a siren or notification to the remote control 20) can be made when appropriate.

[0083] Area detection by the remote control 20 may be performed by setting two types of areas. Figures 4A to 4C are state transition diagrams of an embodiment of the present invention. In this example, the vehicle 50 is monitored based on its position determined by GPS. In the example in Figures 4A to 4C, one remote control 20 is used, and the vehicle 50 does not sound an alarm if it is within the detection area. There are two detection areas: Area 1 and Area 2. Area 2 is a larger area than Area 1. Area 1 is the area around the vehicle, and Area 2 is within a 100m radius of the vehicle. In Area 1, if disembarkation confirmation could not be made, the area is narrowed and set assuming that the driver is around the vehicle 50. In Area 2, if an item is forgotten or a child gets into the vehicle 50 before the driver (the driver arrives later), the area is widened and set assuming that the driver is not around the vehicle 50.

[0084] Furthermore, the remote control 20 is carried and used together with the vehicle 50's key. That is, the remote control 20 is assumed to be together with the key and carried by the driver, or to be located within the park. Monitoring of the vehicle 50's doors is limited to the entrance and exit doors only. A dashed line indicates the door is open, and a regular dashed line indicates the door is closed. In any state, it is reset when the ACC is turned on. When the ACC is on, the vehicle 50's location information (e.g., GPS location information) is recorded as a log, and events such as ACC on / off, door open / closed, monitoring status, SW operation (exit confirmation switch 14, emergency call switch 15), remote control communication (communication between the main unit 11 and the remote control 20), and siren activation are recorded as logs along with their date and time.

[0085] In Figures 4A to 4C, S41 to S75 and A41 to A56 are as follows: S41: Special operation of a switch on the driver's side (e.g., valet switch) S42: ACC ON S43: Door open S44: Door closed S45: ACC off S46: Within GPS registration area S47: Door open S48: Outside GPS registration area S49: Within GPS registration area S50: Switch on the driver's side (51 side) (e.g., valet switch) S51: Door open / operation misfire buzzer S52: Switch on the driver's side (51 side) (e.g., valet switch) S53: Switch on the driver's side (51 side) (e.g., valet switch) S54: Disembarkation confirmation switch (rear switch) 14 / melody stop S55: Timeout 5 minutes S56: Remote control 20: Communication error S57: Remote control 20: Area 1 outside detection S58: Remote control 20: Area 1 detection S59: Disembarkation confirmation switch (rear switch) 14 / melody stop S60: Door open S61: No confirmation operation performed on remote control 20. S62: Confirmation operation performed on remote control 20. S63: Door closed S64: Door open S65: Emergency call switch 15 S66: Surveillance Standby S67: Emergency call switch 15 S68: Monitoring sensor detection operation S69: Door open S70: Remote control 20: Communication error S71: Remote control 20: Area 2 outside detection S72: Remote control 20: Area 2 detection S73: Door closed S74: Confirmation operation performed on remote control 20. S75: No confirmation operation performed on remote control 20.

[0086] A41: Announcement: "Monitoring area registered." / "Monitoring area deactivated." A42: Announcement: "You are in a surveillance area." / Melody 1 begins A43: Announcement: "You are outside the monitoring area. To perform monitoring, please operate the switch." A44: Announcement: "You are in a surveillance area." / Melody 1 begins A45: Announcement: "Please confirm that you have disembarked." A46: Disembarkation not confirmed / Remote control notification A47: Announcement: "Please confirm that you have disembarked." A48: Announcement: "Opening or closing the door will switch to monitoring mode." A49: Announcement: "Closing the door will switch to surveillance mode." A50: Siren sounds / sounds every 30 seconds / repeats until ACC is turned on A51: Announcement: "Turn on ACC to reset." / Repeat until ACC is turned on. A52: Announcement: "Switching to monitoring mode." A53: Unattended object detection / Notification to remote control 20 A54: Announcement: "Monitoring mode will be deactivated." A55: Melody 2 A56: Siren sounds for 30 seconds / If emergency call switch 15 is selected, it sounds every 30 seconds.

[0087] [10. Other Configuration or Operation Examples of the Abandoned Monitoring System 100 - Part 6] The following configuration examples or operational examples can be combined in any way, two or more of them as appropriate. They can also be combined with other configuration examples or operational examples specified herein as appropriate.

[0088] This section describes variations of the rear button (drop-off confirmation switch) (hereinafter simply referred to as "the button") 14. It is desirable that the button 14 be designed in a way that prevents the person being picked up (for example, a kindergarten child, a child at a special needs school, or an elderly person) from accidentally pressing it. Therefore, the following configurations of the first to third examples may be adopted.

[0089] The first example concerns improvements to the button 14 itself. For example, the button 14 may be equipped with a lock so that it cannot be pressed unless the lock is released. Alternatively, a cover may be provided to access the button 14 so that it cannot be easily opened.

[0090] Furthermore, the main unit 11 may deactivate the alarm only when button 14 is pressed in a predetermined manner. In particular, if there is only one button 14, the alarm may be deactivated only when button 14 is pressed in a manner such as Morse code. In this case, the way the button is pressed may differ depending on the person or role (e.g., driver or passenger), and the main unit 11 may have a function to identify and record who pressed the button. Alternatively, there may be multiple buttons 14, and the alarm may be deactivated only when all of these buttons 14 are pressed correctly. Or, button 14 may be a numeric keypad, and the main unit 11 may deactivate the alarm only when the numbers entered on the keypad match a preset number.

[0091] Alternatively, the buttons 14 may be placed in multiple different locations, and the main unit 11 may consider the verification complete when multiple predetermined buttons 14 from among these different locations are pressed. In this case, the main unit 11 may consider the verification complete when the multiple predetermined buttons are pressed in a predetermined order. Furthermore, it is advisable to provide some kind of indicator to distinguish between pressed buttons 14 and unpressed buttons 14, such as by illuminating a lamp attached to the pressed button.

[0092] Furthermore, when using route buses or similar vehicles that already have buttons equipped as passenger disembarkation confirmation switches for pick-up and drop-off, the existing passenger disembarkation confirmation switches may be connected to the abandoned passenger monitoring system 100, and the main unit 11 may be equipped with a function to assign an alarm cancellation function to the existing passenger disembarkation confirmation switches. In this case, passenger disembarkation confirmation switches corresponding to seats may be connected and equipped with a function to be used for roll call (counting the number of passengers).

[0093] The second example concerns the placement of the button 14. For example, the button 14 may be placed on the underside of the seat. In this case, it is possible to perform the confirmed operation while checking that it is possible to crawl under the seat. Alternatively, the button 14 may be placed on the underside of the last seat. Furthermore, the button 14 may be placed on the underside of the seats in each row or every other row.

[0094] Furthermore, the relationship between the installation position of the human detection sensor, the detection range of the human detection sensor, and the installation position of the button 14 may be set so that the installation position of the button 14 is in a position where it is difficult for the human detection sensor (for example, sensors 12a to 12d) to detect it. In this case, the human detection sensor may be a human detection camera, which is a camera for detecting people. Alternatively, the button may be provided in a housing that is integrated with the sensor. In this case, there is the advantage that wiring is simplified. Furthermore, the installation position of the button 14 may be in a position where it is difficult for the human detection sensor to detect it, and the button 14 may be provided in a housing that is integrated with the sensor. That is, the sensor itself may be installed under the seat (with the detection range facing upwards).

[0095] Additionally, a button 14 (which could also be called a stop switch) may be provided near the driver's seat. Alternatively, a button 14 may be provided in the trunk. Furthermore, a button 14 for the attendant to press may be provided under the attendant's seat, near the boarding / alighting door, or on the attendant's portable remote control, and the attendant may press this button 14 after all the children have disembarked. When button 14 is pressed, an alarm sounds, and the alarm may then be stopped when another person, such as the driver, checks the seats again and presses the rear button. Since attendants may forget to press the button, the main unit 11 should start the alarm sound when the boarding / alighting door is closed. The main unit 11 may not sound an alarm if the attendant's button on the remote control is pressed after the alarm sound has been stopped, but may sound an alarm if the door button is pressed.

[0096] The third example concerns a method for indicating confirmation completion other than by pressing a button. For example, the system could be deactivated by holding an object such as an employee ID card or smartphone over it. In this case, the main unit 11 should have a function to identify the person holding the object over it. In this case, technologies such as NFC can be used. The main unit 11 may also be configured to stop the alarm when it recognizes, through gesture detection, that the designated seat has been confirmed. Here, the gesture may be a pointing gesture (towards the seat (downwards)), or the gesture may be a specific gesture indicating confirmation completion (such as making a circle with the hands). The "designated seat" mentioned above may be the last seat, or it may be any seat in any row.

[0097] Furthermore, when a crouching motion is detected by posture detection, processing may be performed in the direction in which the detected motion occurred.

[0098] [11. Other Configuration or Operation Examples of the Abandoned Monitoring System 100 - Part 7] The following configuration examples or operational examples can be combined in any way, two or more of them as appropriate. They can also be combined with other configuration examples or operational examples specified herein as appropriate.

[0099] The relationship between the situation, the viewer, and the device's functions (for example, the functions implemented by the main unit 11) may be as shown in Table 1. Note that the configurations shown in parentheses in the table are desirable to have, and configurations without them are also possible. [Table 1] TIFF0007837078000002.tif171153TIFF0007837078000003.tif215153TIFF0007837078000004.tif245153TIFF0007837078000005.tif189153

[0100] [12. Other Configuration or Operation Examples of the Abandoned Monitoring System 100 - Part 8] The following configuration examples or operational examples can be combined in any way, two or more of them as appropriate. They can also be combined with other configuration examples or operational examples specified herein as appropriate. Examples 1 to 3 describe other embodiments for preventing abandonment.

[0101] In the first example, an application program (hereinafter referred to as "app") for a smartphone (hereinafter referred to as "smartphone"), which is an example of a terminal device, automatically starts recording video when it detects that the vehicle has entered a pre-registered drop-off location or parking location after drop-off, using the smartphone's GPS (the GPS function built into the smartphone), detection of a designated WiFi (registered trademark) ID, or detection of a beacon (BT beacon) in Bluetooth communication. The screen displays the recorded video in real time and is equipped with a still image capture button and a drop-off confirmation switch 14 (hereinafter also referred to as the "abandonment confirmation complete button"). In this example, the driver or attendant uses this smartphone to film each row of vehicles to check for any vehicles left behind. If there is anything that needs to be reported to the business, such as forgotten items or dirt that needs cleaning, pressing the still image capture button transmits the video to the business's terminal or an employee's smartphone, making it viewable from the business's terminal or the employee's smartphone.

[0102] In this example, if the "Abandonment Confirmation Complete" button is pressed too early after recording starts, and the video recording time is short, the press will be invalidated. Alternatively, the "Abandonment Confirmation Complete" button may be disabled for a predetermined period of time after recording starts. In this case, it may be displayed in gray, for example, or with a message such as "Please check your seat."

[0103] In the second example, a marker is placed at a location far from the entrance / exit (for example, at the rear of the vehicle), and the system has a function that automatically completes the verification process without the user having to press a verification completion button when the marker is recognized at a predetermined size or larger (for example, the size when photographed at the location where verification is complete). In this example, verification is not completed if the marker is recognized at a size smaller than the predetermined size. If the marker is detected at this location for a predetermined time or longer, it would be good to provide a notification such as, "Please check to the last seat and point the camera at the marker." The marker may be a QR code (registered trademark), but it may also be an image of a predetermined object inside the vehicle, such as an emergency exit sign.

[0104] Since the relationship between marker size and proximity distance varies depending on the field of view of the smartphone camera, it is recommended to take a picture of the marker from the confirmed location on each smartphone in advance and register it as a comparison image, then determine the location based on the relationship between the size of that image and the image being taken.

[0105] In the third example, the term "smartphone" in the first and second examples above may be replaced with a wearable camera, action camera, or other portable, battery-powered dedicated camera that has smartphone-like functionality. As such a dedicated camera, a camera used in a live streaming system to provide parents with information about their child's activities at daycare could be used.

[0106] [13. Other Embodiments] Further variations are described below. Two or more of the following variations can be combined as appropriate. They can also be combined as appropriate with other configuration or operation examples in this specification.

[0107] The vehicle abandonment prevention system may have a temperature notification function using a temperature sensor. This vehicle abandonment prevention device may have functions such as activating a motion sensor when the temperature reaches or is about to reach a dangerous temperature for people, taking pictures with an in-vehicle camera, and transmitting the in-vehicle video, the person detection status, and the temperature to the office.

[0108] Furthermore, the introduction of child monitoring tags (with GPS functionality) is also being considered. The GPS location information from these tags can be used for picking up children during drop-off and pick-up, and for attendance checks (e.g., counting the number of children). Specifically, the child abandonment prevention system, based on the GPS functionality of the monitoring tag, can notify (e.g., through a display or voice) from the vehicle or the attendant's smartphone if a child has not yet arrived at the pick-up / drop-off location. It can also include a button to postpone the pick-up / drop-off, or automatically send a postponement email to the parent's smartphone. Additionally, the child abandonment prevention system can count children as passengers only if their GPS location matches the GPS location of vehicle 50 "while in transit". When vehicle 50 is stopped, it is considered that passengers are getting on and off, so this information can be excluded from the count.

[0109] The child abandonment prevention system should, after vehicle 50 arrives at the nursery, have a function to compare the number of children who were in the vehicle with the number of children currently inside the nursery, using GPS location information after a predetermined time (boarding / alighting time + α). If there is a difference, it should notify the vehicle, office terminal, or staff member's smartphone. At this time, the system may also identify the child whose number is different and notify them of their name and other details along with a map of their current detected location.

[0110] Furthermore, the system may be integrated with security cameras. Specifically, the child abandonment prevention system is equipped with a connection point that connects to the video signal line of an existing security camera or a wireless communication system such as Wi-Fi at the entrance of the nursery, and counts the number of people entering from the entrance using image recognition. This counting should start a predetermined time after the person dropping off or picking up the child has entered the nursery. Alternatively, a (security) camera installed to film the area including the entrance and exit of the vehicle from the outside, or an in-vehicle camera, may be used to count the number of people getting out. If there is a discrepancy, it would be good to have a function to notify from the vehicle, office terminal, or staff member's smartphone.

[0111] Furthermore, it would be beneficial to use a tilt-type security camera and, upon the arrival of the person dropping off or picking up the child, to have a function that adjusts the camera's direction (and zoom range, if applicable) to face either the facility entrance or the person dropping off or picking up the child. Once the count is complete, it would be beneficial to have a function that returns the camera to its original shooting range.

[0112] Figure 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an abandoned vehicle monitoring system according to another embodiment of the present invention. The same configuration as in the example in Figure 1 will not be described. The monitoring system 101 includes a valet switch 23. The valet switch 23 is located in the driver's seat and connected to the main unit 11. The main unit 11 is also connected to a siren 24, a speaker 25, a GPS receiver 26, and an indicator 27. Furthermore, the main unit 11 is connected to a wireless communication module 28 that can connect to a mobile phone network or WiFi. The wireless communication module 28 can communicate with a mobile terminal 30 via the internet. The main unit 11 is also connected to a memory card reader 29. Note that in Figure 5, the constant power supply (+B) and GND are omitted due to space limitations.

[0113] Figure 6A is a side view of a vehicle according to another embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 6B is a plan view of the interior of a vehicle according to another embodiment of the present invention. For Figures 6A and 6B, the same configurations as those in Figures 2A and 2B will not be described. As shown in Figures 6A and 6B, the valet switch 23 is installed on the dashboard of the driver's seat.

[0114] Figure 7 shows a method for mounting a sensor unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. Mounting holes are made in the ceiling lining 71, and the sensor unit 73 is fixed by sandwiching the ceiling lining 71 between the mounting screws 72 and the sensor unit 73. Washers 74 are placed between the mounting screws 72 and the ceiling lining 71 and tightened. The sensor unit 73 includes a Doppler sensor 75 and an IR sensor lens 76. In this example, the sensor unit 73 is fixed to the ceiling lining 71 in two places (two mounting screws 72) to prevent the sensor unit 73 from rotating.

[0115] Figure 8 shows a method for mounting a sensor unit according to another embodiment of the present invention. Holes for the IR sensor and clips are made in the ceiling lining 71, and the sensor unit 73 is fixed to the ceiling lining 71 with a washer clip 77 and a clip 78 for the IR sensor. The washer clip 77 is used to improve the appearance when the hole for the IR sensor is made and to fix the sensor unit 73 in place.

[0116] Figure 9 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an abandoned child monitoring system according to another embodiment of the present invention. The abandoned child monitoring system 90 includes a boarding camera 91a, an alighting camera 91b, a GPS receiver 92, a matching system 93, a management system 94, an administrator terminal 95, and a guardian terminal 96. The boarding camera 91a, the alighting camera 91b, and the GPS receiver 92 are installed in the vehicle 50. The matching system 93 is also installed in the vehicle 50. The management system 94 is provided on a communication network. The administrator terminal 95 is installed in a facility such as a kindergarten or nursery school, and the guardian terminal 96 is held by the guardian of a child.

[0117] The boarding camera 91a is installed facing outwards at the entrance / exit 52 to photograph the faces of children boarding. The alighting camera 91b is installed facing inwards at the entrance / exit 52 to photograph the faces of children alighting. The boarding camera 92a and the alighting camera 93b transmit the captured images to the matching system 93. The GPS receiver 92 transmits location information based on the received radio waves to the matching system 93. The matching system 93 includes a database 931 as a storage device, a matching device 932, and a communication device 933. The database 931 stores the facial images of registered children along with their detailed information (name, age (class), boarding / alighting location, etc.).

[0118] The matching device 932 acquires images transmitted from the boarding camera 91a and the alighting camera 91b, compares them with images stored in the database 931, and identifies the child whose face was photographed by the boarding camera 91a or the alighting camera 91b. The matching device 932 may have a machine learning model that has learned the facial images of registered children, and may identify a child by inputting the facial images of children photographed by the boarding camera 91a and the alighting camera 91b into the machine learning model. The machine learning model may utilize SVM, principal component analysis, or a neural network.

[0119] Furthermore, the boarding camera 91a and the alighting camera 91b may continuously capture images and transmit them to the matching device 932. In this case, the matching device 932 may continuously perform face detection processing and, upon detecting a face in the face detection processing, activate the face authentication process described above. A machine learning model can also be used for this face detection.

[0120] The communication device 923 is a device that can connect to the internet via a mobile phone network. The communication device 923 transmits information about the child identified by the matching device 922 to the management system 94, along with information on whether the child was boarding or alighting (whether the matching was done from the image of the boarding camera 91a or the image of the alighting camera 91b), location information received from the GPS receiver 92, and the time at that time.

[0121] The management system 94 comprises a communication device 941, a status management device 942, and a database 943. The communication device 941 receives information about the children, boarding and alighting information, location information, and time information transmitted from the verification system 93. The status management device 942 stores this information received by the communication device 941 in the database 943. In the database 942, a record is generated for each pick-up and drop-off operation of the vehicle 50, and each record stores information about each child's boarding and alighting. In this record, for each child, if they boarded, it is recorded as "boarding," if they alighted, it is recorded as "alighting," and if a child boarded but did not alight, it is recorded as "on board." Therefore, by referring to this database 943, it is possible to check whether each child is on board or not.

[0122] The status management device 942 transmits information stored in the database 943 via the communication device 941. The database 943 also stores information about the parent terminal for each child. Whenever the status management device 942 obtains new boarding or alighting information for each child from the communication device 941, it transmits the boarding and alighting information to the administrator terminal 95 and the parent terminal 96 corresponding to that child via the communication device 941. This boarding and alighting information includes information about the child in question, information distinguishing between boarding and alighting, the location of boarding or alighting, and the time of boarding or alighting.

[0123] Furthermore, the status management device 942 periodically refers to the database 943, and if there are any children who have not disembarked after a predetermined time (for example, 1 hour) has elapsed since boarding, it sends alert information via the communication device 941 to the administrator terminal 95 and the parent terminal 96 corresponding to the child.

[0124] According to this child abandonment monitoring system 90, by photographing the faces of children boarding the vehicle and performing facial recognition, children who have boarded are identified, and by photographing the faces of children who have disembarked, children who have disembarked are identified. By centrally managing this boarding and disembarking information, it is possible to know when children are on board. Therefore, it is possible to know the presence of children who are on board at times when they should not be (i.e., children who have been left behind in the vehicle 50).

[0125] In addition, in the abandoned vehicle monitoring system 90 described above, the database 931 and / or the matching device 932 of the matching system 93 may be located on a communication network outside the vehicle 50, and they may be integrated with the management system 94.

[0126] Alternatively, the boarding camera 91a and the alighting camera 91b may be configured as a single camera. In this case, the single camera may be equipped with an instruction function to specify either boarding or alighting. Alternatively, in the pick-up time slot when pick-up service is expected and the drop-off time slot when drop-off service is expected, the system may determine that boarding has occurred when the camera first recognizes the passenger, and that alighting has occurred when the passenger is recognized again.

[0127] Furthermore, the predetermined time for issuing alert information may be set for each child as a time that includes a margin added to the expected ride time (for example, 20 minutes for a child expected to ride for 10 minutes, or 35 minutes for a child expected to ride for 20 minutes, or 35 minutes for a child expected to ride for 20 minutes).

[0128] Furthermore, in the above-mentioned abandoned child monitoring system 90, children were identified using their facial appearance (image) as biometric information. However, other biometric information such as fingerprints, veins, irises, and voiceprints may be used to identify children getting on and off the vehicle. Alternatively, an ID may be stored in a wireless tag carried by the child, and the wireless tag may be read using an antenna and reader when the child gets on or off the vehicle to identify the child getting on and off.

[0129] Alternatively, you may do the following: (1) The abandoned vehicle monitoring system 100 may be an abandoned vehicle monitoring system that is retrofitted to an alarm system that starts an alarm when the vehicle's engine is turned off and stops the alarm when a button is pressed in a position that a child attached to the rear of the vehicle cannot press. The connection part may be configured to receive signals from the alarm system, for example, by having a connector for electrical connection to the alarm system. The abandoned vehicle monitoring system 100 may be an abandoned vehicle monitoring system that controls a function to detect a person (occupant) inside the vehicle or a function to record a person inside the vehicle based on the electrical state acquired via the connection part. In this way, the abandoned vehicle monitoring system 100 itself can perform control according to the detection result of a person inside the vehicle without having to install sensors or the like for detecting a person (occupant) inside the vehicle. The control according to the detection result of a person inside the vehicle can be any of the various controls described herein. The function to record a person inside the vehicle may be, for example, at least one of the first drive recorder 17 and the second drive recorder 18.

[0130] (2) The drive recorder installed in the vehicle may have a power supply function that allows it to operate while the alarm is sounding, which starts when the vehicle's engine is turned off and stops when a button is pressed in a position that cannot be pressed by a child mounted at the rear. In other words, the drive recorder may be equipped with a button that allows for confirmation of disembarking. The power supply function may be implemented by a control unit that controls the supply of power from a power source. The power source may be, for example, the drive recorder's built-in battery or an external battery attached to the drive recorder, or the vehicle's power source. The control unit may continue recording by receiving power from the power source even after the vehicle's engine is turned off and the alarm starts, and when the button mounted at the rear that cannot be pressed by a child is pressed, it may stop recording and turn off the power supply of the device by cutting off the power supply. The drive recorders may be, for example, a first drive recorder 17 and a second drive recorder 18. A button that is in a position where children cannot press it may be (1) "a button that is in a position where children cannot press it," or it may be the disembarkation confirmation switch 14.

[0131] (3) The video recording described in (1) or (2) above may be equipped with a function to continue recording even when the engine is turned off, and may be set to stop when it is detected that a button is pressed in a position that a child attached to the rear cannot press. The stopping of recording triggered by the detection of a button press may be set to stop after a predetermined time has elapsed since the detection. In this case, "stop" may be a complete stop, or it may be set to switch to parking surveillance recording. Parking surveillance recording is a mode that records while the vehicle is parked, and is a different mode from the mode in which the above recording is performed, and may be set to allow recording for a long time while saving memory resources, for example by lowering the frame rate, or it may be a mode that records when an impact or other predetermined event is detected to have occurred in the vehicle while it is parked.

[0132] (3-1) The "function that continues even when the engine is turned off" should be a function that starts recording video when the engine is turned off, but it should also be a function that records for a predetermined time before the engine is turned off. In the configurations of (1) and (2) above, an alarm sounds when the engine is turned off, so there is a possibility that children may get in and out of the vehicle without turning off the engine, but even in such cases, the video can be recorded, including the moment when the children get in and out. The predetermined time before the engine is turned off should be a few minutes, and it should be configured to be configurable.

[0133] (3-2) The recordings described in (1) and (2) above may be recorded as events separate from the parking surveillance event, such as in the "Vehicle Exit Confirmation" folder.

[0134] (3-3) In addition to the "button located at the very back that cannot be pressed by the children" mentioned above, a button for children that can be pressed by the children may be provided, and the recordings of (1) and (2) above may be recorded as two different events.

[0135] The "children's button located where children can press" in (4)(3) may be a large button, and even when the engine is turned off, a motion sensor may illuminate at least the part that should be pressed. Alternatively, this children's button may light up when a motion sensor detects movement, even when not pressed or when the engine is off, and light up brightly when pressed. The motion sensor may be one of the sensors 12a to 12d described above. The control of illuminating the children's button may be performed by the main unit 11 or by a control unit provided on the children's button.

[0136] (5) The above-mentioned "children's button located in a position where children can press it" is located near the entrance / exit 52, and children should be instructed to press it when getting on and when getting off. This will reduce resistance to pressing the button if they are left behind. In this case, the main unit 11 may detect the open / closed state of the entrance / exit 52 and count the number of boarding / alighting when the button is pressed while the entrance / exit is open. For example, the main unit 11 may set a relationship between time and location, such as counting the number of boardings when it is in the morning and the current location is a place other than the kindergarten, and counting the number of alightings when it is in the afternoon and the current location is a place other than the kindergarten, and then compare that setting with the current state to decide which number to count. The main unit 11 should count repeated presses as one count.

[0137] In relation to "a button for children that is within reach of the children," the following (5-1) may also be used. (5-1) The "children's button located within reach of children" functions as a button to count the number of people who board vehicle 50 and the number of people who get off vehicle 50. By having children touch the button once when they board and once when they get off, it will be possible to notice if the number of boarding and alighting does not match, and it is expected that no children will be left behind. The "children's button located within reach of children" should be attached to vehicle 50 or held by staff. In addition, the "children's button located within reach of children" should have a cute design and mechanism that children will want to press, for example, by adding a predetermined pattern such as a floral pattern or a button with a character that is popular with children. In this way, a system for counting people can be introduced at a lower cost compared to sensors or existing entry IC card systems.

[0138] (6) The abandoned vehicle monitoring system 100 may be equipped with a camera for taking pictures of the faces of people who get in the vehicle, and may send images of the faces of people who get in the vehicle to external devices such as a server, smartphone, or personal computer. The process of sending images of the faces of people who get in the vehicle may be performed by the main unit 11, or by a communication function provided in the camera itself. The camera for taking pictures of the faces of people who get in the vehicle may be integrated with the first drive recorder 17 or the second drive recorder 18, or it may be a separate camera.

[0139] (6-1) The "external device such as a server, smartphone, or personal computer" may classify the images (photographs) of the faces of the people who board the vehicle and display them like an album of their growth records.

[0140] (7) The abandoned vehicle monitoring system 100 is equipped with a function to detect whether the vehicle 50 is locked, and the main unit 11 may be equipped with a function to emit a sound loud enough to wake up any person inside the vehicle 50 when it detects that the vehicle is locked, or after a predetermined time (up to a few minutes) shortly thereafter. This allows the person who is left behind to be woken up before they suffer from heatstroke.

[0141] (8) If the abandoned vehicle monitoring system 100 detects that there is a person inside the vehicle with the engine off, the main unit 11 may control the vehicle to perform a predetermined action, in particular to start the engine, open the windows, or operate the air conditioner. The predetermined action should be a vehicle action that is desirable for ensuring the safety of the person inside the vehicle, but it may also be an action that helps inform people outside the vehicle that there is a person inside.

[0142] (9) The abandoned vehicle monitoring system 100 may be equipped with multiple types of sensors for detecting the presence of a person inside the vehicle, and the main unit 11 may have a function to transmit or record information on which type of sensor detected the person. For example, it may record whether the detection was made by a millimeter-wave radar, a microwave sensor, a pyroelectric sensor, a mat, an AI camera, or an ultrasonic sensor, and use this information for (manufacturer) diagnosis to determine whether it is a false detection or a malfunction.

[0143] (10) The abandoned vehicle monitoring system 100 may have multiple sensors installed in different locations inside the vehicle to detect the presence of a person inside the vehicle, and may have a function to overlay a display showing the location and detection range of the detected sensors onto the video feed of a camera that is capturing images inside the vehicle 50. The sensors may be the sensors 12a to 12d described above. The viewer function can be implemented by a device that plays back (displays) the video feed captured by the camera, for example, by the function of the first drive recorder 17 or the second drive recorder 18, or by a device other than a camera, such as a personal computer 22. In addition, a program for implementing such a viewer function may be distributed to the computer via a network.

[0144] (11) The abandoned vehicle monitoring system 100 may further include a device that provides voice notifications of the detected location, and multiple sensors installed in different locations inside the vehicle to detect the presence of a person inside the vehicle. The sensors may be the sensors 12a to 12d described above. The notification device may be the main unit 11 or other devices. The notification may be provided by the main unit 11 emitting a voice message to people around the vehicle 50, or the main unit 11 may send a notification to the transceiver 20, the monitoring terminal 21, or the personal computer 22.

[0145] (12) The problem of abandonment arises when a child is left behind after the vehicle's engine has been turned off, the driver has gotten out of the car, and all the doors have been closed. Therefore, the abandonment monitoring system 100 may have a function in which, under the conditions that the engine is off, the presence of the driver is not detected using a state detection means that detects the driver's state, such as a seating sensor in the driver's seat 51, a DMS (Driver Monitoring System), or simply a pyroelectric sensor, and all the doors of the vehicle 5 are closed, the main unit 11 issues an alarm, such as emitting an alarm sound from the vehicle 50, and the alarm sound can be canceled by a predetermined operation of an alarm sound cancellation unit located at the rear of the vehicle 50. The alarm may be emitted from the remote control 20 instead of or in addition to the vehicle 50. The alarm sound cancellation unit may also be the same as the exit confirmation switch 14. The main unit 11 may not emit an alarm sound or other alarm when the engine is on. When the presence of a driver is detected by a seating sensor in the driver's seat 51, a DMS, or a state detection means such as a simple pyroelectric sensor, the main unit 11 may refrain from issuing an alarm, such as emitting an alarm sound. Furthermore, the main unit 11 may refrain from issuing an alarm, such as emitting an alarm sound, if all doors are not closed. This prevents the driver from panicking due to an alarm and taking inappropriate driving actions, and also prevents the driver from being left behind.

[0146] (13) The problem of leaving a child unattended arises when the doors are locked while the child is left unattended. Therefore, when the main unit 11 detects that the doors of the vehicle 50 are locked, it may cancel the door lock (for example, without locking the doors) and issue an alarm from the vehicle 50, including an audible alarm such as, "The doors are not locked yet. Please check if there is anyone left unattended inside the vehicle and perform the prescribed operation." The main unit 11 may issue an alarm, for example, when it is detected that the doors of the vehicle 50 have been locked. For example, the main unit 11 may issue an alarm when the vehicle 50 is locked by operation of the remote control 20, or when it is detected that the vehicle 50 has been locked from outside. The main unit 11 may receive the lock signal from the remote control 20 or from the vehicle 50. Furthermore, the remote control 20 may also issue a similar alarm.

[0147] Furthermore, the main unit 11 may lock the doors again if, for example, the driver then cancels the alarm sound by performing a predetermined operation on an alarm sound cancellation unit (e.g., exit confirmation switch 14) located at the rear of the vehicle 50, and the doors of the vehicle 50 are locked again using the remote control 20 or from outside the vehicle 50 after the alarm sound has been canceled. In this way, when the driver gets out of the car in a parking lot and tries to lock the doors for the first time, it is possible to prevent the car from being left unattended, and at other times, the possibility of the alarm sounding and causing an accident by the driver taking inappropriate action is reduced, and the possibility of forgetting to lock the doors is also prevented.

[0148] (14) It is inconvenient to turn off the alarm every time, such as when refueling. Therefore, the main unit 11 may determine whether or not it is in a refueling state, and if it is in a refueling state, the main unit 11 may refrain from issuing an alarm even in the states of (12) and (13) above. Refueling at a gas station is completed in a short time, and it is unlikely that a child would be left behind. Moreover, even if a child were in the car, opening the entrance door at a gas station could be dangerous. This prevents the driver from taking inappropriate actions when refueling at a gas station. The refueling state can be defined as, for example, the state of preparing to refuel. The system may detect whether or not it is a gas station or a pre-registered location based on the fuel filler cap video footage taken around the fuel filler cap, a switch, or the location of the vehicle 50 (for example, a location determined by GNSS).

[0149] (14-1) The main unit 11 may be configured to deactivate all alarms when the fuel filler cap is open. In this case, the main unit 11 will return to the state where it activates the alarm when the fuel filler cap is closed. This way, the vehicle inspection company only needs to be informed that the alarm will not activate if the fuel filler cap is open, and the system will return to the state where it activates the alarm simply by closing the fuel filler cap, thus preventing the vehicle from being left unattended with the alarm deactivated.

[0150] (15) The main unit 11 of the abandoned child monitoring system 100 should have a function to issue an alarm based on the detection of the presence of a tag held by a child inside the vehicle. The tag should be a so-called smart tag that has the function of wireless communication. The main unit 11 should detect the presence of the tag by communicating with the tag using a predetermined communication method that allows communication within the vehicle. The communication method should be, for example, Bluetooth®, but other methods are also acceptable. The tag should be attached to an item carried by the child. The item should be something that the child carries on a daily basis, such as clothes worn by the child (e.g., uniform), a name tag attached to the clothes, or a bag carried by the child. In particular, if the item is a name tag equipped with a smart tag, the smart tag and the name tag have high compatibility in terms of size and thickness in terms of design, and are attractive from the standpoint of commercialization. Furthermore, since smart tags have become quite inexpensive in recent years, they can become an attractive product that may be accepted as a slightly more expensive name tag. Furthermore, this approach can reduce the administrative workload for staff (teachers). Given the current situation where long hours of overtime are commonplace due to staff shortages, such as for childcare workers, this could serve as a motivation for implementing such a system.

[0151] The main unit 11 should ideally issue an alarm when it detects the presence of a tag and meets certain conditions indicating that there should not be any children inside the vehicle. For example, if the main unit 11 detects the presence of a tag during a predetermined time period, such as after the kindergarten's opening hours, it should notify an external terminal or alert the user with a buzzer, alarm, or horn output. The predetermined time period should be the hours the kindergarten is open, such as from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. For daycare centers or schools, the predetermined time period should be set according to the schedule of the person being detected, such as from 8:30 a.m. to 16:00 p.m. Staff members should input information about the predetermined time period, such as their schedule, in advance via the personal computer 22, and this information should be notified to the main unit 11. The main unit 11 should then determine whether or not it is within the predetermined time period based on this information.

[0152] The personal devices described in (16) and (15) may further have a light-emitting function. The personal devices may be equipped with, for example, an LED or other light-emitting element, and may have a function to emit light in dark conditions such as at night. This can improve safety when walking in dark conditions such as at night. The personal devices may, for example, comprise a light-emitting unit and a control unit. The control unit may, for example, emit light at a predetermined time when the surroundings become dark, such as at night. The personal devices may further be equipped with a sensor (for example, an illuminance sensor) that detects the brightness of the surroundings, and the control unit may emit light if the brightness detected by this sensor is below a predetermined brightness. Alternatively, the personal devices may be equipped with a switch or other operating unit, and the control unit may be configured to switch whether or not to emit light in response to the operation of this operating unit. Such personal devices may operate using a battery provided inside as a power source.

[0153] The personal belongings in (17), (15), or (16) may also have an IC chip as a memory unit that stores information about the children. The IC chip fits well into a thin casing and can store information such as grade level, name, and blood type. The IC chip may be configured to allow information to be read wirelessly, for example. Furthermore, when boarding or arriving in a vehicle, an external reader such as a smartphone or tablet may read the information from this IC chip and record attendance in the attendance register based on the read information (for example, automatically). This would reduce the administrative work of teachers. Also, even if a child is injured in a bus accident or the like, their blood type and pre-existing conditions such as allergies can be identified based on the information read from the IC chip, allowing for appropriate treatment.

[0154] (18) The functions implemented by the main unit 11 or the abandoned monitoring system 100 are not limited to the main unit 11, and may be implemented by other elements of the abandoned monitoring system 100 as appropriate. Alternatively, they may be implemented as functions of a system other than the abandoned monitoring system 100, such as a server device. The term alarm as described in the above embodiments may be replaced with warning, notification, alert, or notification. Furthermore, the means used for alarms (e.g., sound, display, light) and the content of alarms (e.g., message content or display content) may be changed as appropriate to the extent that the purpose of the alarm can be achieved.

[0155] (19) In the above embodiment, an example was described in which the abandoned child monitoring system of the present invention was applied to a bus used to transport kindergarten children. However, the abandoned child monitoring system of the present invention is not limited to buses used to transport kindergarten children, but may also be applied to buses used to transport elderly people.

[0156] Up to this point, the bus has been described as a shuttle bus primarily used to transport kindergarten children, but the target population may also include infants, students, other children, the elderly, and other adults. Furthermore, the vehicle is not limited to transportation purposes. The vehicle may be, for example, a vehicle other than a bus that travels on roads (e.g., a regular passenger car), or a vehicle that travels on tracks such as a train, monorail, or maglev train (e.g., a public transport vehicle). In particular, the vehicle should be one in which it is difficult or impossible to see the entire interior from the entrance or its vicinity, or from outside the vehicle, and especially in a vehicle with seats, as people may be hidden behind the seats.

[0157] Items that may be left behind include objects other than people. Such objects include, for example, passengers' luggage such as bags. Therefore, the above-described unattended monitoring system may be applied to the construction of a system that prevents situations in which objects other than passengers are unintentionally left behind in the vehicle. In the case of object detection, for example, a function that performs object detection based on images taken inside the vehicle may be employed. For object detection, it is preferable to use object detection technology that performs image recognition on the captured images to identify the presence or absence and type of object. The shooting function may be provided by the first drive recorder 17 or the second drive recorder 18, but other shooting devices may also be used. Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to vehicles, but can also be applied to aircraft, elevators, gondolas, and other transportation equipment or vehicles.

[0158] (20) Some of the control and operation performed by each device described in the above embodiments may be omitted or modified. Also, the configuration described as transmission in the above embodiments may be read as output configuration. Output other than transmission is also possible, such as output by recording (storage) or printing. Furthermore, the functions of the main unit 11 and other control units may be realized by one or more hardware resources, one or more software resources, or a combination thereof. For functions realized by software resources, the program for realizing said functions may be distributed via the Internet or other network.

[0159] (21) Each function described in the embodiments described above may be implemented by one or more hardware elements, one or more software elements, or a combination thereof. Furthermore, each function may be implemented by one device that is physically or logically coupled, or by two or more devices that are physically or logically separated.

[0160] The storage medium for storing the program described in the above-described embodiment is not limited to that described in the above-described embodiment, but can be any storage medium that is readable by a computer. Suitable computer-readable storage media include various storage methods such as semiconductor storage media, optical storage media, and magnetic storage media. Furthermore, suitable computer-readable storage media include storage media built into a device that implements program-based functions, storage media attached externally to such a device, storage media such as those in a server connected to such a device via a telecommunications line (e.g., wired and / or wireless), and other storage media.

[0161] Furthermore, the functions implemented by the program should preferably be implemented by programs such as application programs, operating systems, middleware, and firmware.

[0162] Furthermore, while it is sufficient for the user to recognize the notification, the notification of the specified information is not limited to being done explicitly, but may also be done implicitly (i.e., without explicitly notifying the specified information).

[0163] As described above, the embodiments and modifications of this specification can reduce the abandonment of people or objects in vehicles, thereby contributing to the SDGs by, for example, ensuring human life, enabling people to live safely and securely, and creating cities where people can continue to live safely and securely.

[0164] [Note] Furthermore, the above-described embodiment discloses at least the following configuration. A vehicle monitoring system for people or objects should have the function of monitoring the person or object and outputting information according to the results of the monitoring. For example, it can help prevent people or objects from being left behind in the vehicle.

[0165] Such a monitoring system may include, for example, a function to detect the current location of the vehicle, a function to register locations where an alarm will be issued or not based on the monitoring results, and a function to control the issuance of an alarm based on whether or not the vehicle is within a predetermined area. In this way, an alarm can be issued at an appropriate time based on the registered locations.

[0166] Furthermore, such a monitoring system may include, for example, a function to detect the current location of the vehicle, a function to register locations where an alarm will be issued or not issued based on the monitoring results, a function to detect whether a person with a predetermined remote control is within a predetermined area from the vehicle, and a function to control the generation of alarms on the vehicle side and the remote control based on the current location of the vehicle, the registered locations, and the detection result of whether a person with the remote control is within the predetermined area. In this way, an alarm can be issued at an appropriate time based on the relationship between the registered locations and the location of the remote control or the person holding the remote control.

[0167] Furthermore, the function that controls the generation of the alarm may be configured to control the generation of the alarm based on operations performed on the remote control. In this way, by appropriately combining location registration, area detection, and button operations on the remote control, an alarm can be issued at the appropriate time.

[0168] Furthermore, as an example of the above-mentioned monitoring system, the abandoned monitoring system may be implemented as follows:

[0169] A first aspect of the present invention is an abandoned person monitoring system for monitoring the abandonment of occupants inside a vehicle, comprising a connection unit that connects to an alarm system which starts an alarm inside the vehicle when the vehicle's engine is turned off and continues the alarm until a confirmation button mounted at the rear of the vehicle is pressed, and has a configuration that detects a person inside the vehicle or records a person inside the vehicle based on the electrical state acquired via the connection unit.

[0170] A second aspect of the abandoned monitoring system of the present invention further includes a function that records video even when the power source is cut off, in addition to the function of the abandoned monitoring system of the first aspect, and has a configuration that stops the recording function in response to the detection that the button has been operated.

[0171] A third aspect of the abandoned object monitoring system of the present invention is a configuration in which, in the abandoned object monitoring system of the first or second aspect, the button is configured such that, even when the power source is turned off, at least the portion of the button to be pressed lights up due to a motion sensor.

[0172] A fourth aspect of the abandoned object monitoring system of the present invention is an abandoned object monitoring system of any of the first to third aspects, wherein the button lights up when a human presence sensor detects it, even when it is not pressed or when the power source is turned off, and lights up brightly when it is pressed.

[0173] A fifth aspect of the abandoned vehicle monitoring system of the present invention is an abandoned vehicle monitoring system of any of the first to fourth aspects, wherein the button is installed near the entrance / exit of the vehicle and is used for pressing by passengers entering and exiting the vehicle.

[0174] A sixth aspect of the abandoned vehicle monitoring system of the present invention is a system of abandoned vehicle monitoring that, in addition to the fifth aspect, includes a sensor for detecting the open / closed state of the passenger entrance / exit door, and has a configuration that counts the number of passengers entering or exiting when the button is pressed while the passenger entrance / exit door is open.

[0175] A seventh aspect of the present invention is an abandoned vehicle monitoring system that, in addition to any of the first to sixth aspects of the abandoned vehicle monitoring system, further comprises a camera for photographing the face of a person who has boarded the vehicle, and has a configuration for sending the image of the person's face to a server, smartphone, or other terminal device.

[0176] An abandoned vehicle monitoring system according to the eighth aspect of the present invention further comprises a sensor for detecting the locking of the vehicle, in addition to the abandoned vehicle monitoring system according to any of the first to seventh aspects, and is configured to output an alarm sound inside the vehicle when the sensor detects that the vehicle is locked, or after a predetermined time has elapsed since the sensor detected that the vehicle was locked.

[0177] A ninth aspect of the present invention is an abandoned vehicle monitoring system, which, in any of the first to eighth aspects of the abandoned vehicle monitoring system, has a configuration that, when it detects that there is a person inside the vehicle while the power source is turned off, starts the power source, opens the windows, and / or operates the air conditioner.

[0178] A tenth aspect of the present invention is an abandoned vehicle monitoring system, which, in any of the first to ninth aspects of the present invention, includes a plurality of types of sensors for detecting the presence of a person inside the vehicle, and has a configuration for transmitting or recording information on which type of sensor detected the person.

[0179] An abandoned vehicle monitoring system according to the 11th aspect of the present invention further comprises a plurality of sensors for detecting the presence of a person inside the vehicle, wherein the plurality of sensors are provided at different locations inside the vehicle and the system is configured to overlay a display indicating the location and detection range of the detected sensor onto the image of a viewer that displays the image of a camera taking pictures inside the vehicle.

[0180] A twelfth aspect of the present invention is an abandoned vehicle monitoring system, which is an abandoned vehicle monitoring system according to any of the first to eleventh aspects, and further comprises a plurality of sensors for detecting the presence of a person inside a vehicle, wherein the plurality of sensors are installed in multiple locations inside the vehicle, and further comprises a device for notifying the detected location by voice.

[0181] A drive recorder according to a thirteenth aspect of the present invention is a drive recorder that captures and records video inside a vehicle in the abandoned vehicle monitoring system of the first aspect, and has a configuration that includes at least a power supply function that operates when an alarm is output, which starts when the power source is turned off and stops when a button mounted at the rear of the vehicle is pressed.

[0182] The scope of the present invention is not limited to the configurations explicitly described in the specification, but also includes combinations of various aspects of the present invention disclosed herein. While the configurations for which patent protection is sought are specified in the appended claims, the present inventors intend to include configurations not currently specified in the claims within the scope of the claims disclosed herein in the future.

[0183] The present invention is not limited to the configuration described in the embodiments above. The components of each embodiment and modification described above can be arbitrarily selected and combined. Furthermore, any component of each embodiment and modification can be arbitrarily combined with any component described in the means for solving the invention, or any component that embodies any component described in the means for solving the invention. The present application intends to obtain rights to these as well through amendments or divisional applications. Even if there is a description such as "in the case of..." or "when...", it is not described as a configuration that is limited to that case or time. Configurations that do not fall under these cases or times are also disclosed, and the present application intends to obtain rights to them. Also, even if there is a sequence of descriptions, it is not limited to that order. Configurations with some parts deleted or the order rearranged are also disclosed, and the present application intends to obtain rights to them.

[0184] Furthermore, by converting to a design registration application, we intend to acquire rights to the overall design or a partial design. The drawing depicts the entire device with solid lines, but it is a drawing that includes not only the overall design but also partial designs claimed for parts of the device. For example, it is a drawing that includes not only a partial design for a part of the device's components, but also a partial design for a part of the device that is unrelated to any component. A part of the device may be a component of the device, or a part of a component. We intend to acquire rights to the overall design, as well as to any partial design where any part of the solid lines in the drawing is represented by dashed lines. In addition, all modules, components, and parts inside the device's casing that are shown in the drawing are also subject to independent trade, and we intend to acquire rights to them by converting to a design registration application. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0185] 100 Abandonment Monitoring System 11 Main Unit 12a~12d Sensors 13 Buzzer 14. Passenger exit confirmation switch (rear button) 15. Emergency Call Switch 16 Answerback Units 17. First dashcam 18. Second dashcam 19. Personal Computers 20 Transmitters and receivers (desktop transceivers, remote controls) 21 Surveillance terminals 22 Personal Computers 23 Volleyball switch 24 Sirens 25 speakers 26 GPS receivers 27 Indicators 28 Wireless communication module 29 Memory Card 71 Ceiling lining 72 Mounting screws 73 Sensor Unit 74 Washers 75 Doppler sensor 76 IR sensor lens 77 Washer Clips 78 clips

Claims

[Claim 1] A sensor unit used in a vehicle abandonment monitoring system that monitors whether occupants are left behind inside a vehicle, The aforementioned sensor unit is A means of securing to the vehicle, Doppler Wiki and Equipped with an IRcom, The aforementioned fixing means involves drilling holes in the ceiling lining for the IR sensor and for the clip, and then fixing the sensor unit to the ceiling lining using a washer clip and a clip for the IR sensor. A sensor unit characterized by the following.

Images