vehicle

Abstract

To perform such notification that there is a child in a vehicle at suitable timing.SOLUTION: A vehicle comprises: a display unit 20 which can perform notification by at least one of an image or sound on a screen; a seat belt part 11 of a child seat 10 that attaches a belt 11a to a child's body to arrest the child on a child seat 10, and acquires information concerning attachment / detachment of the belt 11a; a determination part 13 which determines whether there is a child on the child seat 10 or not according to the attachment / detachment state of the belt 11a; and a transmission part 14 which transmits a determination result of the determination part 13 to the display unit 20. When an operation is performed by a driver to turn OFF an ACC power source, the display unit 20 performs notification of the determination result of the determination part 13 according to detection of the OFF state of the ACC power source before a power source of the display unit is turned OFF.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a vehicle carrying infants. [Background Art]

[0002] It is a common practice to install a child seat in a vehicle, have a child sit on the child seat, and then carry the child in the vehicle. In recent years, when a driver gets off the vehicle, it has become a problem that a child is left behind in the vehicle due to the driver's carelessness.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses an apparatus that notifies a device on the driver's seat side of a signal indicating the fastening state of a seat belt of a rear seat of a vehicle. This can suppress the driver's oversight of the state of the rear seat of the vehicle. [Prior Art Literature] [Patent Literature]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2011-088580 [Summary of Invention] [Problem to be Solved by the Invention]

[0005] However, when detecting and notifying that there is a child in the rear seat when the driver gets off the vehicle based on the fastening state of the seat belt or the like, the effect of preventing a child from being left behind decreases regardless of whether the notification timing is too early or too late. Therefore, there is a demand for notifying the driver of the presence of a child in the vehicle at an appropriate timing. Furthermore, there is also a demand for improving detection accuracy when detecting a child riding in the rear seat of a vehicle.

[0006] The present disclosure provides a vehicle capable of notifying that there is a child in the vehicle at an appropriate timing. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The vehicle according to this disclosure is a vehicle in which a child seat is installed on the seat inside the vehicle, and comprises a display unit capable of providing notification by at least one of an image on the screen or sound, a seat belt portion of the child seat that fastens the child to the child seat by attaching a belt to the child's body and acquires information on the fastening and detaching state of the belt, a determination unit that determines whether or not there is a child in the child seat according to the fastening and detaching state of the belt, and a transmission unit that transmits the determination result of the determination unit to the display unit, wherein when the driver performs an operation to turn off the ACC power supply, the display unit will notify the determination result of the determination unit in response to the detection of the ACC power supply being turned off before turning off the power of the display unit. This allows the system to notify the driver of whether or not a child is in the child seat at a time that corresponds to their actions. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] This disclosure makes it possible to provide a vehicle that can notify the driver at an appropriate time if there is a child inside the vehicle. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a block diagram showing an example of the vehicle configuration according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 2] This diagram shows the processing flow according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 3] This is a block diagram showing an example of the vehicle configuration according to Embodiment 2. [Figure 4] This diagram shows the processing flow according to Embodiment 2. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] Embodiment 1 The vehicle according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. Vehicle 1 comprises a child seat 10 and a display unit 20. The child seat 10 comprises a seat belt portion 11, a first seating sensor 12, a determination unit 13, and a transmission unit 14. The display unit 20 comprises a receiving unit 21, a notification control unit 22, a display unit 23, and a speaker 24.

[0011] Here, we assume that vehicle 1 has a driver's seat in the front and a child seat 10 in the rear. Furthermore, we will explain this by assuming that a second seating sensor 31 is provided in the driver's seat.

[0012] The seat belt section 11 is provided on the child seat 10 and includes a belt 11a and a switch 11b. The belt 11a is attached to a child sitting on the child seat 10, thereby restraining the child's body to the child seat 10. The switch 11b acquires the locked state of the belt 11a, that is, the state of attachment or detachment of the belt 11a to the child. The switch 11b outputs information on the attachment or detachment state of the belt 11a to the determination unit 13.

[0013] The first seating sensor 12 is typically a sensor located on or inside the seat of the child seat 10. The first seating sensor 12 detects whether or not a child's body is sitting on the child seat 10. For example, the first seating sensor 12 can be a pressure sensor, but the type of sensor is not limited to this. The first seating sensor 12 outputs information of the result of detecting whether or not a child is on the child seat 10 to the determination unit 13.

[0014] The determination unit 13 determines the status of the child in the rear seat based on the information on the attachment / detachment status of the belt 11a, which is input from the switch 11b of the seat belt unit 11, and the detection result information on whether or not the child is in the child seat 10, which is input from the first seating sensor 12.

[0015] For example, as shown in Table 1, the determination unit 13 can determine that a child is in the rear seat based on at least one of: information indicating that the belt 11a has been fastened from the switch 11b of the seat belt unit 11, and information indicating that a child is on the child seat 10 from the first seating sensor 12.

Table 1

[0016] Note that in Table 1, the ON state where the seat belt unit 11 is locked and the seating sensor is in the OFF state may occur even when no child is actually on the child seat 10. However, herein, assuming a case where the seating sensor does not operate normally depending on the child's posture, the determination unit 13 makes a determination on the safe side and determines that a child is present.

[0017] Note that a CPU (Central Processing Unit) can be used for the determination unit 13, for example. The determination unit 13 is also capable of temporarily storing determination results, and in particular, can hold the most recently determined determination result. The "most recent" referred to in the most recently determined determination result is when an occupant leaves the seat after the vehicle has stopped. Therefore, other electronic devices such as a memory, an HHD (Hard Disk Drive), and an SSD (Solid State Drive) can be used in the determination unit 13. Furthermore, when the driver performs an operation to turn the ACC power supply OFF, the determination unit 13 can transmit the final determination result to the display unit 20 via the transmission unit 14.

[0018] Note that it is also possible to determine whether a child is present in the vehicle 1 by not providing the first seating sensor 12 and outputting only the belt attachment / detachment information from the seat belt unit 11 to the determination unit 13. However, the following description is based on the assumption that the first seating sensor 12 is provided on the child seat 10 in the vehicle 1.

[0019] The transmitting unit 14 can transmit information to the display unit 20 by transmitting the determination result from the determining unit 13 to the receiving unit 21 of the display unit 20. Hereinafter, the description is given on the assumption that the transmitting unit 14 performs communication by simultaneously transmitting information on the attachment / detachment state of the belt 11a detected by the switch 11b of the seat belt unit 11 and detection information from the first seating sensor 12 to the receiving unit 21 of the display unit 20.

[0020] Note that Bluetooth (registered trademark) communication can be used for communication between the transmitting unit 14 and the receiving unit 21 described below. The communication method between the transmitting unit 14 and the receiving unit 21 is not limited to this method, and other methods can be used. Furthermore, either wired communication or wireless communication may be employed.

[0021] The display unit 20 includes a receiving unit 21, a notification control unit 22, a display unit 23, and a speaker 24. Here, an integrated AV car navigation device having a car navigation function can be used as the display unit 20.

[0022] The receiving unit 21 receives information transmitted from the transmitting unit 14. The information received by the receiving unit 21 is output to the notification control unit 22.

[0023] The notification control unit 22 controls content displayed by the display unit 23 and sound output from the speaker 24 based on the information received by the receiving unit 21. The notification control unit 22 can also acquire the operation state of the driver changing the accessory power supply (hereinafter referred to as ACC power supply) of the vehicle 1 from an ON state to an OFF state, and control the display unit 23 and the speaker 24 to perform notification.

[0024] For example, a CPU can be used as the notification control unit 22. The notification control unit 22 is also capable of temporarily storing determination results, and can hold the most recent determination result obtained by the determining unit 13. Other electronic devices such as a memory, an HDD, and an SSD can be applied to the notification control unit 22.

[0025] The display unit 23 is a display that can display the determination result from the determination unit 13 based on the control of the notification control unit 22. The display unit 23 can also display information corresponding to the attachment / detachment status of the seat belt 11a of the seat belt unit 11 and the detection information from the first seat sensor 12.

[0026] The speaker 24 can output the judgment result from the judgment unit 13 as sound, based on the control of the notification control unit 22. The speaker 24 can also output information corresponding to the attachment / detachment status of the seat belt 11a of the seat belt unit 11 and the detection information from the first seat sensor 12.

[0027] For example, the display unit 23 and speaker 24 can not only provide information on whether or not there is a child in the child seat 10, but also, if the first seating sensor 12 detects that the child's body is in the child seat 10 and that the child is not fastened with the belt 11a of the seat belt unit 11, they can provide notification that the belt 11a is not fastened.

[0028] Furthermore, when the ACC power supply of vehicle 1 is ON, the judgment result from the judgment unit 13 can be constantly displayed on the screen of the display unit 23.

[0029] Next, referring to Figure 2, we will explain the procedure for notifying the detection results of a child in the rear seat in response to the driver's operation of turning off the ACC power supply of vehicle 1 when the vehicle 1 has finished driving.

[0030] First, vehicle 1 is assumed to be in a state of normal driving. The switch 11b on the seat belt section 11 continuously acquires information on the fastening / detaching status of the belt 11a, and also continuously acquires information on the detection result of whether or not a child is in the child seat 10 by the first seating sensor 12, and outputs both to the determination unit 13 (step S11).

[0031] The determination unit 13 determines whether or not a child is in the rear seat based on information regarding the attachment / detachment status of the belt 11a and detection information from the first seat sensor 12 indicating whether or not a child is in the child seat 10 (step S12). The transmission unit 14 transmits the determination result of the determination unit 13 to the receiving unit 21 of the display unit 20. Furthermore, the transmission unit 14 continuously transmits information regarding the attachment / detachment status of the belt 11a and detection information from the first seat sensor 12 to the receiving unit 21 of the display unit 20, respectively.

[0032] The notification control unit 22 controls the operation of the display unit 23 and the speaker 24 according to the information input by the receiving unit 21 (step S13). For example, the screen of the display unit 23 can display whether there is a child in the back seat or whether the seat belt 11a is fastened or unfastened. Also, for example, the speaker 24 can emit a warning sound if there is a child in the back seat and the seat belt 11a of the seat belt unit 11 is not fastened.

[0033] The notification control unit 22 obtains and determines whether the driver has performed an operation to turn off the ACC power supply (step S14). If the notification control unit 22 determines that the ACC power supply remains ON (No in step S14), the process returns to step S11. If the notification control unit 22 determines that the driver has performed an operation to turn off the ACC power supply (Yes in step S14), the process proceeds to step S15, assuming that vehicle 1 has stopped from a moving state.

[0034] The notification control unit 22 checks the determination result output from the determination unit 13 (step S15). That is, if the last input determination result is that there is a child in the back seat (Yes in step S15), the system proceeds to step S16. If the last input determination result is that there is no child in the back seat (No in step S15), the system proceeds to step S17.

[0035] The notification control unit 22 controls the operation of the display unit 23 and the speaker 24 to provide notification that there is a child in the rear seat (step S16). That is, the notification control unit 22 controls the system to provide notification in response to the detection of the ACC power being OFF. Alternatively, the notification control unit 22 may provide notification using only one of the display unit 23 or the speaker 24.

[0036] Vehicle 1 turns off the power to the display unit (step S17).

[0037] Depending on the type of vehicle, there may be an OFF position where the key can be inserted and removed, an ACC-ON position where the ACC power is turned ON by turning the key one notch, and an ENGINE ON position. In such a vehicle, when the driver performs the operation to turn the ACC power OFF using the procedure described above, it is possible to notify the determination result of the determination unit 13 in response to the detection of the ACC power OFF state before turning off the power of the display unit 20.

[0038] On the other hand, in some vehicles, especially in recent years, the ACC is turned on when the start switch is pressed without pressing the brake, and the engine starts immediately when the switch is pressed while the brake is pressed. In such vehicles, when stopping the engine, there is no state where the engine is OFF and the ACC power is ON. However, even in this case, when the driver performs an operation to turn the ACC power OFF, it is possible to notify the determination result of the determination unit 13 in response to the detection of the ACC power OFF state before turning off the power of the display unit 20.

[0039] As a result, when the vehicle 1 stops moving and the ACC power is turned off, it can notify the driver that there is a child in the back seat. At this time, the vehicle 1 checks for the presence of a child in the back seat based on the fastening / detaching status of the seat belt 11a of the seat belt section 11 and input from two series of the first seat sensor 12. This improves the accuracy of child detection and prevents overlooking situations where a child is left behind in the vehicle.

[0040] Embodiment 2 In Embodiment 1, the notification was described based on the operation of turning the ACC power supply of vehicle 1 to the OFF state. In Embodiment 2, the notification is described based on the driver leaving the driver's seat.

[0041] As shown in Figure 3, the vehicle 2 includes a child seat 10, a display unit 20, a second seating sensor 31 located in the driver's seat, and a power control unit 32. The child seat 10 includes a seat belt section 11, a first seating sensor 12, a determination unit 13, and a transmission unit 14. The display unit 20 includes a receiving unit 21, a notification control unit 22, a display unit 23, and a speaker 24. Components that perform the same functions as those shown in Embodiment 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals and their descriptions are omitted.

[0042] The second seating sensor 31 is typically a sensor located on or inside the seat surface of the driver's seat, which is the front seat. For example, a pressure sensor can be used for the second seating sensor 31, but the type of sensor is not limited to this. The second seating sensor 31 can detect whether or not a driver is sitting in the driver's seat, which is the front seat, and output this information to the notification control unit 22.

[0043] The power control unit 32 determines the status of the vehicle's ACC power supply and controls the status of the child seat 10, the display unit 20, and the second seat sensor 31. For example, the power control unit 32 controls the power supplied from the vehicle's battery (not shown) to the child seat 10, the display unit 20, and the second seat sensor 31 according to the status of the vehicle's ACC power supply and the notification status in the vehicle 1. In other words, the power control unit 32 will be described as controlling the power mode.

[0044] In this context, the power mode specifically refers to setting the power supply state to the child seat 10, the display unit 20, and the second seating sensor 31, and it is possible to set ON mode, low power mode, and OFF mode.

[0045] For example, the power control unit 32 can switch between an ON mode, in which all functions of the child seat 10, display unit 20, second seat sensor 31, etc. are available when the ACC power is ON in the vehicle 1; a low-power mode, in which only the functions necessary for notifying the child seat 10's determination unit 13 of the child seat 10 via the display unit 23 and speaker 24, depending on the state of the second seat sensor 31, are enabled when the ACC power is turned OFF; and an OFF mode, in which the power is shut down and even the functions necessary for notification are unavailable.

[0046] In particular, in low-power mode, the child seat 10 has the function to transmit the last determined judgment result from the judgment unit 13 via the transmission unit 14, the second seating sensor 31 can detect when the driver leaves the driver's seat, and the display unit 20 only needs to be supplied with enough power to notify the driver via the display unit 23 and speaker 24 in response to the detection of the driver leaving the seat by the second seating sensor.

[0047] Referring to Figure 4, the procedure for notifying the detection results of children in the back seat when the driver leaves the driver's seat will be explained. Note that the explanation for Figure 4 is the same as the procedure shown in Figure 2 except for the fact that the driver leaving the driver's seat is used as the criterion, so the explanation may be omitted.

[0048] First, the vehicle 2 is assumed to be in a state of normal driving. The switch 11b on the seat belt section 11 continuously acquires information on the fastening / detaching status of the belt 11a, and also continuously acquires information on the detection result of whether or not a child is in the child seat 10 by the first seating sensor 12, and outputs both to the determination unit 13 (step S21).

[0049] The determination unit 13 determines whether or not a child is in the rear seat based on information regarding the attachment / detachment status of the belt 11a and detection information from the first seat sensor 12 indicating whether or not a child is in the child seat 10 (step S22). The transmission unit 14 continuously outputs the determination result from the determination unit 13, along with the information regarding the attachment / detachment status of the belt 11a and the detection information from the first seat sensor 12, to the receiving unit 21 of the display unit 20.

[0050] The notification control unit 22 controls the operation of the display unit 23 and the speaker 24 according to the information input by the receiving unit 21 (step S23).

[0051] Next, the vehicle 1 is brought to a stop, and the driver performs an operation to turn off the ACC power. At this time, the power control unit 32 sets the power mode for the child seat 10, the display unit 20, and the second seat sensor 31 to low power mode (step S24).

[0052] The notification control unit 22 determines the state of the second seat sensor 31 and determines whether the driver has left the seat (step S25). This determination is made because it is assumed that the driver may remain seated in the driver's seat for a while after turning off the ACC power. If the notification control unit 22 determines, based on the information obtained by the second seat sensor 31, that the driver has left the driver's seat (Yes in step S25), it proceeds to step S26. On the other hand, if the notification control unit 22 determines that the driver is still seated in the driver's seat (No in step S25), it suspends processing without proceeding to the next step.

[0053] The notification control unit 22 checks the last judgment result output from the determination unit 13 (step S26). That is, if the last input judgment result indicates that there is a child in the back seat (Yes in step S26), the system proceeds to step S27. If the last input judgment result indicates that there is no child in the back seat (No in step S26), the system proceeds to step S28.

[0054] The notification control unit 22 controls the operation of the display unit 23 and the speaker 24 to provide notification that there is a child in the back seat (step S27).

[0055] Vehicle 1 is turned OFF (step S28). At this point, the power control unit 32 can set the power mode for the child seat 10, the display unit 20, and the second seat sensor 31 to the OFF mode, which is the power supply to each of them that is stopped.

[0056] This allows vehicle 2 to notify the driver if there is a child in the back seat when the driver leaves the driver's seat. At this time, vehicle 2 checks for the presence of a child in the back seat based on the fastening / detaching status of the seat belt 11a of the seat belt section 11 and input from two series of the first seat sensor 12. This improves the accuracy of child detection and prevents overlooking situations where a child is left behind in the vehicle.

[0057] Furthermore, for example, if the occupants remain inside the vehicle for a while after the power of vehicle 2 is stopped and then leave the vehicle 2, it is possible to avoid unnecessary notifications being issued immediately after the power is stopped. In other words, in vehicle 2, when the driver leaves the driver's seat, a warning can be issued at an appropriate time that there is a child in the back seat.

[0058] Furthermore, this second embodiment, like the first embodiment, can be implemented in any type of vehicle, including vehicles that have an OFF position where the key can be inserted and removed, an ACC-ON position where the ACC power is turned ON by turning the key one notch, and an engine ON position, as well as vehicles in which, when the engine is stopped, the engine is OFF and the ACC power is ON.

[0059] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the invention. In other words, the above description has been omitted and simplified as appropriate for the sake of clarity, and those skilled in the art can easily change, add, and modify each element of the embodiments within the scope of the present invention.

[0060] In Embodiment 2, the second seat sensor 31 was described as being located in the driver's seat, but it is not limited to this and may be located in the passenger seat. In this case, if the last input determination result is that there is a child in the back seat, a notification can be issued when the passenger leaves the passenger seat.

[0061] Furthermore, the second seating sensor 31 can be installed in multiple locations, including both the driver's seat and the passenger seat (both front seats), or in other locations as well. In this case, when an occupant leaves their seat, all of the multiple second seating sensors 31 can provide notification based on the last input result.

[0062] Furthermore, the above configuration and operation can also be applied when there are multiple child seats 10. For example, if a child is sitting in each of the multiple child seats 10, notification can be given based on the determination that a child is in one or more of the child seats 10.

[0063] Furthermore, the low-power mode shown in Embodiment 2 only requires that the total power consumption of the child seat 10, the display unit 20, and the second seat sensor 31 is lower than the total power consumption when operating in ON mode with the ACC power supply ON, and it may be possible to perform operations other than those necessary for notifying the final judgment result.

[0064] Furthermore, although the seat belt section 11 has been described as a seat belt provided on the child seat 10, it may also be a regular seat belt installed in a typical vehicle 2.

[0065] Furthermore, although the display unit 20 was described as an integrated AV car navigation system, it is also possible to use a display device and speakers that do not have navigation functions. Also, although the display unit 20 was described as having both a display unit 23 and a speaker 24, it may have only one of them.

[0066] Furthermore, although it has been described that information is transmitted from the transmitter 14 provided in the child seat 10 and received by the receiver 21 provided in the display unit 20, both may be transmitting and receiving units that send and receive information to and from each other.

[0067] Although step S25 describes setting the power mode to low power mode when the driver turns off the ACC power, it is also possible to maintain the power mode in ON mode, similar to when the ACC power is ON, until the second seat sensor 31 detects that the driver has left the seat. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0068] 1 vehicle 2 vehicles 10 Child car seats 11. Seat belt section 11a belt 11b switch 12. First seat sensor 13 Judgment section 14. Transmitter 20 display units 21 Receiving unit 22 Notification Control Unit 23 Display section 24 speakers 31. Second seat sensor 32 Power Control Unit

Claims

1. A vehicle in which a child seat is installed on the seat inside the vehicle, A display unit capable of providing notification through at least one of images or sounds on the screen, The child is restrained in the child seat by attaching a belt to the child's body, The seat belt portion of the child seat acquires information on the status of the belt being fastened or detached, A determination unit that determines whether or not there is a child in the child seat according to the state of attachment or detachment of the belt, A transmission unit that transmits the determination result of the determination unit to the display unit, A second seating sensor is provided in the driver's seat to detect whether or not the driver is in the driver's seat, The child seat, the display unit, and the power control unit that controls the power supply state to the second seating sensor, Equipped with, The aforementioned display unit is If the driver turns off the ACC power, and the second seat sensor detects that the driver has left the driver's seat, the determination unit will notify the determination result. The power control unit, When the driver turns the ACC power OFF, the power supply state to the child seat, the display unit, and the second seat sensor is controlled so that the second seat sensor can detect the driver leaving the seat and the notification in response to the detection of the driver leaving the seat can be made. vehicle.

2. The child seat is further provided with a first seating sensor that detects whether or not the child is in the child seat, The determination unit, The system determines whether or not a child is in the child seat based on the state of attachment / detachment of the belt and the state obtained from the first seat sensor. The vehicle according to claim 1.

3. The power control unit, The power consumption is lower compared to when the ACC power is ON, and control is performed to set the child seat, the display unit, and the second seat sensor to a low-power mode in which at least they can operate. The vehicle according to claim 1.

4. The aforementioned display unit is If the first seating sensor detects that a child's body is on the child seat and that the seat belt is not fastened, the system will notify the system of the status of the seat belt. The vehicle according to claim 2.

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