Notification system, vehicle, communication terminal, and helmet

Abstract

The present invention provides a notification system capable of notifying a rider of a plurality of types of information by maximally utilizing a shape of a helmet having a front opening part through which the rider looks forward. In a notification system (100) that notifies a rider (R) of a vehicle (50) of various types of information by means of notification units (10, 11, 12) provided in a helmet (1) worn by the rider (R), a front opening part (4) through which the rider (R) looks forward is formed in the helmet (1), the notification units (10, 11, 12) include at least an upper edge notification unit (10) provided at an upper edge of the front opening part (4) and a lower edge notification unit (11) provided at a lower edge of the front opening part (4), and the notification units (10, 11, 12) notify the rider (R) of different types of information by means of the upper edge notification unit (10) and the lower edge notification unit (11).

Description

Notification system, vehicle, communication terminal, and helmet

[0001] The present invention relates to a notification system, a vehicle, a communication terminal, and a helmet, and particularly to a notification system, a vehicle, a communication terminal, and a helmet configured to notify a vehicle occupant of various types of information via a notification unit provided in a helmet worn by the occupant.

[0002] Conventionally, there has been known a notification system configured to notify an occupant of a vehicle of various types of information via a notification unit provided in a helmet worn by the occupant.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a notification system using a full-face helmet that has a front opening through which an occupant faces forward, in which light sources are disposed on an upper edge and left and right side edges of the front opening, and when the direction of another vehicle present around the host vehicle differs from the direction of the occupant's line of sight, a predetermined light source is caused to emit light to prompt the occupant to pay attention to the direction of the other vehicle.

[0004] International Publication No. WO 2020 / 194686

[0005] Here, examples of information that is useful to be notified to a vehicle occupant include the positions of other vehicles present in front, behind, to the left, and to the right of the host vehicle, travel route guidance from a navigation system, and the remaining energy amount of the host vehicle. However, in the communication system disclosed in the patent document, there was room for further study regarding the configuration of a notification unit capable of notifying a plurality of different types of information and the notification method therefor.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and to provide a notification system, a vehicle, a communication terminal, and a helmet that can notify an occupant of a plurality of pieces of information by making maximum use of the shape of a helmet having a front opening through which the occupant faces forward.

[0007] To achieve the above objective, the present invention provides a notification system (100) that notifies the occupant (R) of a vehicle (50) of various information by notification units (10, 11, 12) provided on a helmet (1) worn by the occupant (R), wherein the helmet (1) has a front opening (4) through which the occupant (R) faces forward, and the notification units (10, 11, 12) include at least an upper edge notification unit (10) provided on the upper edge of the front opening (4) and a lower edge notification unit (11) provided on the lower edge of the front opening (4), and the first feature of the notification units (10, 11, 12) is that the upper edge notification unit (10) and the lower edge notification unit (11) each notify the occupant (R) of different information.

[0008] Furthermore, the notification units (10, 11, 12) have a second characteristic in that the upper edge notification unit (10) notifies information regarding the front of the vehicle (50), and the lower edge notification unit (11) notifies information regarding the rear of the vehicle (50).

[0009] Furthermore, the notification units (10, 11, 12) have a third feature: they notify the occupant (R) by emitting light, and when an object to be notified is present around the vehicle (50), they change the area to be illuminated according to the distance between the vehicle (50) and the object to be notified.

[0010] Furthermore, the notification units (10, 11, 12) have a fourth feature in that the lower edge notification unit (11) notifies the remaining energy amount of the vehicle (50).

[0011] Furthermore, the notification units (10, 11, 12) have a fifth feature in that the upper edge notification unit (10) notifies information regarding the travel route of the vehicle (50).

[0012] Furthermore, the upper edge notification section (10) consists of an upper left portion (10L), an upper right portion (10R), and an upper central portion (10C), and the lower edge notification section (11) consists of a lower left portion (11L), a lower right portion (11R), and a lower central portion (11C). The notification sections (10, 11, 12) notify information related to objects present in the vehicle's (50) travel path using the upper left portion (10L), the upper right portion (10R), the lower left portion (11L), and the lower right portion (11R), while notifying information unrelated to the objects using the upper central portion (10C) and the lower central portion (11C). This is the sixth feature of the notification section.

[0013] Furthermore, the notification units (10, 11, 12) notify the occupants of information by emitting light or flashing, and a seventh feature is that the flashing cycles of the upper left portion (10L), upper right portion (10R), lower left portion (11L), and lower right portion (11R) are different from the flashing cycles of the upper central portion (10C) and the lower central portion (11C).

[0014] Furthermore, the eighth feature of the notification section (10, 11, 12) is that it includes a pair of left and right side edge notification sections (12) provided on the side edges of the front opening (4).

[0015] Furthermore, the notification unit (10, 11, 12) has a ninth feature in that the side edge notification unit (12) notifies the operating status of the turn signals (60, 61) of the vehicle (50).

[0016] Furthermore, the notification unit (10, 11, 12) has a tenth feature in that, when the turn signals (60, 61) are operating in a situation unsuitable for the operation of the turn signals, the side edge notification unit (12) provides a notification prompting the driver to turn off the turn signals.

[0017] Furthermore, the helmet (1) worn by the occupant (R) of the vehicle (50) has notification units (10, 11, 12) that notify the occupant (R) of various information provided, and the helmet (1) has a front opening (4) through which the occupant (R) faces forward, and the notification units (10, 11, 12) include at least an upper edge notification unit (10) provided on the upper edge of the front opening (4) and a lower edge notification unit (11) provided on the lower edge of the front opening (4), and the helmet (1) has a notification control unit (17) that controls the upper edge notification unit (10) and the lower edge notification unit (11) to notify the occupant (R) of different information, which is the 11th to 13th feature.

[0018] According to the first feature, in a notification system (100) that notifies the occupant (R) of a vehicle (50) of various information by notification units (10, 11, 12) provided on a helmet (1) worn by the occupant (R), the helmet (1) has a front opening (4) formed in which the occupant (R) faces forward, and the notification units (10, 11, 12) include at least an upper edge notification unit (10) provided on the upper edge of the front opening (4) and a lower edge notification unit (11) provided on the lower edge of the front opening (4), and the notification units (10, 11, 12) notify the occupant (R) of different information by the upper edge notification unit (10) and the lower edge notification unit (11), respectively, so that it is possible to notify the occupant of multiple different pieces of information by making maximum use of the shape of the helmet having a front opening. Furthermore, the type of information can be determined by which notification unit is activated, so a highly convenient notification system can be obtained.

[0019] According to the second feature, the notification units (10, 11, 12) notify information regarding the front of the vehicle (50) by the upper edge notification unit (10) and notify information regarding the rear of the vehicle (50) by the lower edge notification unit (11). For example, by notifying information such as approaching vehicles from the front with the upper edge notification unit, which is more likely to direct attention to the front, and notifying information such as approaching vehicles from the rear with the lower edge notification unit, which is more likely to direct attention to the rear, it becomes easier for the occupant to recognize the direction in which they should pay attention.

[0020] According to the third feature, the notification units (10, 11, 12) notify the occupant (R) by emitting light, and when a notification target object is present around the vehicle (50), they change the area of ​​the light they emit according to the distance between the vehicle (50) and the notification target object. This allows the occupant to perceive the distance to the notification target object by changing the area of ​​the light emitted by the notification units. For example, by increasing the area of ​​the light emitted by the notification units as the distance between the vehicle and the notification target object decreases, the occupant can recognize that the notification target object is approaching.

[0021] According to the fourth feature, the notification unit (10, 11, 12) notifies the remaining energy amount of the vehicle (50) by the lower edge notification unit (11), so by activating the lower edge notification unit located below the front opening, it is possible to intuitively recognize that it is a notification of the remaining energy amount of the vehicle in which the occupant is riding.

[0022] According to the fifth feature, the notification unit (10, 11, 12) notifies information regarding the vehicle's (50) travel route via the upper edge notification unit (10). For example, on a travel route from a starting point to a destination, route guidance information such as the direction of travel, weather information along the route, and rest stop suggestions can be notified via the upper edge notification unit, which is easily directed forward.

[0023] According to the sixth feature, the upper edge notification section (10) consists of an upper left portion (10L), an upper right portion (10R), and an upper central portion (10C), and the lower edge notification section (11) consists of a lower left portion (11L), a lower right portion (11R), and a lower central portion (11C). The notification sections (10, 11, 12) notify information related to objects present in the vehicle's (50) travel path using the upper left portion (10L), the upper right portion (10R), the lower left portion (11L), and the lower right portion (11R), while notifying information unrelated to the objects using the upper central portion (10C) and the lower central portion (11C). For example, it is possible to notify information about approaching other vehicles using the upper left portion and the upper right portion, and route guidance information using the upper central portion. This makes it possible to notify multiple different pieces of information simultaneously while making effective use of the limited space.

[0024] According to the seventh feature, the notification units (10, 11, 12) notify the occupant of information by emitting light or flashing, and the flashing cycles of the upper left portion (10L), upper right portion (10R), lower left portion (11L), and lower right portion (11R) are made different from those of the upper central portion (10C) and lower central portion (11C). This makes it possible to recognize the type of information not only by the position of the notification unit but also by the flashing cycle, thereby improving the convenience of the notification system. For example, by making the flashing cycle of the central portion, where light is more likely to enter both of the occupant's eyes compared to the left and right portions, the amount of information entering both eyes simultaneously is suppressed, making it easier for the occupant to recognize the notification.

[0025] According to the eighth feature, since the notification section (10, 11, 12) includes a pair of left and right side edge notification sections (12) provided on the side edges of the front opening (4), by also providing notification sections on the side edges of the front opening, a large amount of information can be notified to the occupants in a single notification. For example, by combining the upper edge notification section, the lower edge notification section, and the side edge notification section, it becomes possible to notify the occupants of the relative positions of their own vehicle and other vehicles in the front, rear, left, and right.

[0026] According to the ninth feature, the notification units (10, 11, 12) notify the operating status of the vehicle's (50) turn signals (60, 61) via the side edge notification unit (12). By notifying the operating status of the turn signals, which are activated when the vehicle turns left or right or changes lanes, via the side edge notification units provided on the left and right side edges of the front opening, occupants can intuitively recognize the operating information of the turn signals.

[0027] According to the tenth feature, when the turn signals (60, 61) are operating in a situation unsuitable for their operation, the side edge notification unit (12) provides a notification prompting the driver to turn off the turn signals. Therefore, when it is determined that the driver has forgotten to turn off the turn signals, the driver can prompt the driver to turn off the turn signals by, for example, increasing the flashing speed of the side edge notification unit.

[0028] According to the 11th to 13th features, a helmet (1) worn by a occupant (R) of a vehicle (50) has notification units (10, 11, 12) that notify the occupant (R) of various information provided, and the helmet (1) has a front opening (4) through which the occupant (R) faces forward, and the notification units (10, 11, 12) include at least an upper edge notification unit (10) provided on the upper edge of the front opening (4) and a lower edge notification unit (11) provided on the lower edge of the front opening (4), and has a notification control unit (17) that controls the upper edge notification unit (10) and the lower edge notification unit (11) to notify the occupant (R) of different information, so a vehicle, communication terminal, helmet, etc. can be obtained that can notify the occupant of multiple different pieces of information by making maximum use of the shape of the helmet having a front opening.

[0029] This is a left side view of a rider wearing a helmet and a motorcycle according to one embodiment of the present invention. This is a perspective view of the helmet according to this embodiment. This is a left side view of the helmet. This is a front view of the helmet. This is a cross-sectional view of line VV in Figure 4. This is a front view of the front opening as seen from the rider's side. This is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of the notification system according to this embodiment. This is a plan view showing an example of the motorcycle and its surroundings. This is an explanatory diagram showing a first operation example of the upper edge notification section and the lower edge notification section. This is an explanatory diagram showing a second operation example of the upper edge notification section and the lower edge notification section. This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the lower edge notification section notifying the remaining energy amount of the motorcycle. This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the upper edge notification section notifying the direction of travel in driving route guidance. This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the side edge notification section notifying the operating status of the turn signal.

[0030] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 is a left side view of a rider R wearing a helmet 1 and a motorcycle 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The motorcycle 50 is a saddle-type vehicle that runs by transmitting the rotational power of a power unit P, which is an integrated internal combustion engine and transmission, to the rear wheel WR. A head pipe F1 is attached to the front end of the vehicle frame F, which supports a pair of left and right front forks 54 in a steerable manner. A steering handle 51 is fixed to the upper end of the front fork 54, and a front wheel WF is rotatably pivoted to the lower end of one of the front forks 54. The front of the head pipe F1 is covered by a front cowl 53 that supports a headlight 62 and a front turn signal 60.

[0031] A pivot 52 is supported at the lower rear end of the vehicle frame F, which pivots the swingarm 56 so that it can swing up and down. The rear wheel WR is pivotally supported at the rear end of the swingarm 56 so that it can rotate. A pair of left and right footrests 55 are provided below and behind the pivot 52 for the rider R to rest their feet on. A fuel tank 59 is provided on the upper part of the vehicle frame F, and a seat 58 for the rider R is provided behind the fuel tank 59. A seat cowl 57 is attached to the rear of the seat 58, which supports a taillight device 63 and a pair of left and right rear turn signals 61.

[0032] The present invention is characterized by the ability to notify the rider R of various information relating to the motorcycle 50 and its surrounding conditions via a notification unit provided on the helmet 1. In the following description, "in front of the motorcycle 50" means in front of the front end 50f of the front wheel WF, and "rear of the motorcycle 50" means rear of the front end 50f of the front wheel WF. The power unit P may also include a motor driven by power supplied from the vehicle's battery.

[0033] Figure 2 is a perspective view of the helmet 1 according to this embodiment. Figure 3 is a left side view of the helmet 1, Figure 4 is a front view of the helmet 1, and Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VV in Figure 4. The helmet 1 is a full-face type with a horizontally elongated front opening 4 through which the occupant R faces forward. The outer shell 2 of the helmet 1 is fitted with an upper and lower opening / closing shield 3 that covers the front opening 4.

[0034] Notification sections are provided on the four edges of the front opening 4 to notify the occupant R of information. Specifically, an upper edge notification section 10 is provided on the upper edge of the front opening 4, a lower edge notification section 11 is provided on the lower edge of the front opening 4, and a pair of left and right side edge notification sections 12 (12L, 12R) are provided on the side edges of the front opening 4. Each notification section can be made of a light-emitting plate using a light-emitting diode as a light source, a liquid crystal monitor, or the like.

[0035] Referring to Figure 5, a shock-absorbing cushioning material 6 is provided inside the outer shell 2 of the helmet 1, and an interior lining member 7 that contacts the head of the occupant R is provided inside the cushioning material 6. Each notification section is positioned so that the occupant R facing the front opening 4 can see it. Specifically, it can be provided between the edge of the outer shell 2 and the edge of the interior lining member 7, and various modifications are possible for its vertical dimensions, horizontal dimensions, thickness dimensions, area, etc.

[0036] On the inside of the outer shell 2, a pair of left and right voice notification units 8 (8L, 8R), each consisting of a speaker, are positioned at the ears of the occupant R. Furthermore, a pair of left and right vibration notification units 9 (9L, 9R), each consisting of a vibrator, are positioned in front of and below the voice notification units 8, at the mouth of the occupant R. The end of the chin strap 5 is fixed between the voice notification units 8 and the vibration notification units 9. The structure and arrangement of the voice notification units 8 and vibration notification units 9 can be modified in various ways.

[0037] Figure 6 is a front view of the front opening 4 as seen from the occupant's side. The upper edge notification section 10, the lower edge notification section 11, and the side edge notification section 12 are each configured to allow changes in the light-emitting area and the shape of the light-emitting part within a predetermined range. It is also possible to move the light-emitting part within a predetermined range and to display flashing with various flashing cycles. The upper edge notification section 10 and the lower edge notification section 11 are shaped to extend in the left-right direction, while the side edge notification section 12, consisting of the right side edge portion 12R and the left side edge portion 12L, is shaped to extend in the up-down direction.

[0038] The upper edge notification section 10 is divided into the upper edge left portion 20L, the upper edge right portion 20R, and the upper edge central portion 20C. Similarly, the lower edge notification section 11 is divided into the lower edge left portion 21L, the lower edge right portion 21R, and the lower edge central portion 21C. This division is shown for the purpose of explaining the lighting state corresponding to the various notifications described later, and does not define the boundaries of the lighting range.

[0039] Figure 7 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of the notification system 100 according to this embodiment. As described above, the helmet 1 is provided with an upper edge notification section 10 consisting of the upper edge central portion 10C, the upper edge right portion 10R, and the upper edge left portion 10L; a lower edge notification section 11 consisting of the lower edge central portion 11C, the lower edge right portion 11R, and the upper edge left portion 11L; and a side edge notification section 12 consisting of the side edge right portion 12R and the side edge left portion 12L. The helmet 1 is also provided with an audio notification section 8 and a vibration notification section 9.

[0040] Each notification unit is controlled by a notification control unit 17. The notification control unit 17 may be installed on the helmet 1, on the body of the motorcycle 50, or on a communication terminal carried by the rider R. The information gathering unit 15 receives various radio waves via the communication antenna 14 and collects route guidance information, traffic congestion information, weather information, etc. from the navigation system. The information gathering unit 15 also collects information such as the distance to other vehicles around the motorcycle 50, the remaining energy of the motorcycle, and the operating status of the turn signals 60 and 61 using various sensors installed on the motorcycle 50. The notification information selection unit 16 selects information to be notified to the rider R from among various pieces of information and transmits it to the notification control unit 17. The information transmitted to the notification control unit 17 is automatically selected by the notification information selection unit 16, or the rider R can arbitrarily select it by operating the input interface. Notifications to the rider R may be made by combining notification units 10, 11, and 12 with the voice notification unit 8 and the vibration notification unit 9.

[0041] Figure 8 is a plan view showing an example of a motorcycle 50 and its surroundings. This figure shows the motorcycle 50 traveling towards a crossroads intersection 65. The information gathering unit 15 can collect distance L1 to a preceding vehicle 70 and distance L2 to an oncoming vehicle 80 based on positioning information from millimeter-wave radar and satellite communication. The distance L1 between the motorcycle 1 and the preceding vehicle 70 can be, for example, the distance between the front end 50f of the front wheel WF and the rear end 70r of the other vehicle 70. The communication system 100 according to this embodiment can notify the occupant R of approaching information of other vehicles 70 and 80 via notification units 10, 11, and 12, and can also, for example, notify the occupant of the direction of travel when the navigation system's route guidance indicates a left turn 63 or a right turn 64 as the route to be taken.

[0042] Figure 9 is an explanatory diagram showing a first example of operation of the upper edge notification unit 10 and the lower edge notification unit 11. The notification control unit 17 can notify different information through the upper edge notification unit 10 and the lower edge notification unit 11. Specifically, the notification control unit 17 can notify information regarding the front of the motorcycle 50 through the upper edge notification unit 10, and information regarding the rear of the motorcycle 50 through the lower edge notification unit 11. This makes it possible to notify the rider R of multiple different pieces of information by making maximum use of the shape of the helmet 1 having a front opening 4.

[0043] In this diagram, the approach of another vehicle from the front is indicated by the illumination of the upper left portion 10L. The approach of another vehicle from the rear can be indicated by the illumination of the lower right portion 11R. This allows the occupant R to more easily recognize which direction to focus their attention, by notifying information such as approaching vehicles from the front using the upper edge notification section 10, which is more likely to direct attention forward, and by notifying information such as approaching vehicles from the rear using the lower edge notification section 11, which is more likely to direct attention backward. Furthermore, the illumination color of the upper edge notification section 10 and the lower edge notification section 11 can be changed according to the type of object being notified. For example, by setting different colors for each type of object—orange for four-wheeled vehicles, red for pedestrians, yellow for motorcycles, etc.—the occupant R can recognize the type of object according to the color. The selection of objects to be notified can be done using information acquired from front sensors, rear sensors, and side sensors mounted on the vehicle, such as cameras and radar. Furthermore, the vehicle may be connected to other vehicles and pedestrians via communication, and the selection of objects to be notified may be made based on their respective location information.

[0044] FIG. 10 is an explanatory view showing a second operation example of the upper edge notification unit 10 and the lower edge notification unit 11. The notification control unit 17 can change the light-emitting area of the notification unit in accordance with the distance between the motorcycle 50 and a notification target object. This makes it possible for an occupant R to perceive a sense of distance to the notification target object based on a change in the light-emitting area of the notification unit. In this drawing, for example, in a case where an oncoming vehicle is present at a position 50 meters ahead of the motorcycle 1 and a following vehicle is present at a position 200 meters behind the motorcycle 1, there is shown a state where the light-emitting area of the upper left portion 10L is larger than the light-emitting area of the lower right portion 11R. In this example, the closer the distance to the notification target object is, the larger the light-emitting area of the notification units 10, 11 is made. As described above, the light-emitting area of the notification units 10, 11 can be sequentially changed according to the distance to the notification target object.

[0045] The upper edge notification unit 10 and the lower edge notification unit 11 may be configured to emit light in different colors when the notification target object is an oncoming vehicle traveling in the opposite direction to the host vehicle, a preceding vehicle traveling ahead of the host vehicle, or a following vehicle traveling behind the host vehicle, respectively. Further, the upper edge notification unit 10 and the lower edge notification unit 11 may be configured to selectively emit light from a left portion, a central portion, and a right portion according to the direction in which the notification target object is present.

[0046] FIG. 11 is an explanatory view showing an example in which the lower edge notification unit 11 notifies the remaining energy amount of the motorcycle 50. The notification control unit 17 can notify the remaining energy amount of the motorcycle 50 via the lower edge notification unit 11. As a result, by operating the lower edge notification unit 11, which has a shorter distance to the fuel tank 59 than the upper edge notification unit 10, it is possible to allow intuitive recognition that the notification is of the remaining energy amount of the motorcycle 50. When the power source of the power unit P is an internal combustion engine, the remaining energy amount can be the remaining amount of fuel such as gasoline, and when the power source is a motor, the remaining energy amount can be the remaining capacity of an in-vehicle battery. Further, the remaining energy amount may be not only the remaining energy amount of the motorcycle 50, but also the remaining energy amount of a mobile terminal owned by the driver, or the remaining energy amount of a helmet. In this case, different colors may be used for the notification depending on the target device to be displayed.

[0047] Furthermore, the lower edge notification unit 11 can notify the occupant R by red blinking or the like that the emergency blinking function, which blinks the taillight device 63 to notify the following vehicle when the motorcycle 50 applies sudden braking, is in operation. The lower edge notification unit 11 can also notify information related to the motorcycle 50, such as the driving state and regenerative operation state of the motor included in the power unit P. Further, the lower edge notification unit 11 may notify that the chin strap 5 of the helmet 1 is not fastened, that the stand device is not retracted, or the like.

[0048] FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram showing an example in which the upper edge notification unit 10 notifies the traveling direction in travel route guidance. The notification control unit 17 can cause the upper edge notification unit 10 to notify information related to the travel route of the motorcycle 50 by the navigation system. In this figure, the light emitting unit of the upper notification unit 10 repeats expansion and contraction from the right end to the left end of the central upper edge portion 10C, thereby notifying that the traveling direction is leftward. Further, in the present embodiment, on the travel route from the departure point to the destination, in addition to the traveling direction, weather information on the route, rest proposal information, and the like can be notified by the upper edge notification unit 10, which allows the line of sight to be easily directed forward. At this time, for example, the upper edge notification unit 10 is colored blue when the weather forecast predicts rain, colored yellow when proposing a rest, and colored red when there is traffic congestion, lane reduction, or the like, so that the type of information can be recognized also by color. Note that the navigation system may be a system that can be processed only inside the vehicle, a system in which the vehicle directly acquires navigation information from an external device such as a server, or a system in which the vehicle indirectly acquires navigation information via a mobile terminal owned by the driver.

[0049] In this embodiment, the notification control unit 17 notifies information related to notification targets present in the travel path of the motorcycle 50 via the upper left portion 10L, the upper right portion 10R, the lower left portion 11L, and the lower right portion 11R. Information unrelated to notification targets is also notified via the upper central portion 10C and the lower central portion 11C. This allows, for example, notification of approaching other vehicles via the upper notification unit 10 and the lower notification unit 11, while simultaneously notifying route guidance information via the upper central portion 10C, effectively utilizing the limited space to simultaneously notify multiple different pieces of information.

[0050] Furthermore, the notification control unit 17 can also notify the type of information by flashing each notification unit and changing the flashing period of each notification unit. For example, the flashing periods of the upper left portion 10L, upper right portion 10R, lower left portion 11L, and lower right portion 11R can be made different from the flashing periods of the upper central portion 10C and lower central portion 11C. This allows, for example, the flashing period of the central portion, where light is more likely to enter both eyes of the occupant R compared to the left and right portions, to be made longer, thereby suppressing the amount of information that enters both eyes simultaneously and making it easier for the occupant R to recognize the notification.

[0051] Figure 13 is an explanatory diagram showing an example in which the operating status of the flasher lamps 60 and 61 is notified by the side edge notification section 12. In this embodiment, in addition to the upper edge notification section 10 and the lower edge notification section 11, there is a pair of left and right side edge notification sections 12. This allows a lot of information to be notified to the occupant R in a single notification. For example, by combining the side edge notification sections 12 with the upper edge notification section 10 and the lower edge notification section 11, it is possible to notify the occupant of the front, rear, left and right positional relationship between the vehicle and other vehicles.

[0052] Figure 13 shows the state in which the operating status of the left side turn signals 60 and 61 in the vehicle width direction is notified by flashing the left side edge portion 12L. This makes it possible for the occupant R to intuitively recognize the operating status of the turn signals 60 and 61, which are activated when the motorcycle 50 turns right or left or changes lanes, by notifying the occupant R of the operating status of the turn signals 60 and 61 via the side edge notification section 12 provided on the left and right side edges of the front opening 4.

[0053] Furthermore, the notification control unit 17 can determine that the occupant R has forgotten to turn off the turn signals 60 and 61 when the turn signals 60 and 61 are operating in a situation unsuitable for their operation, in other words, when the turn signals 60 and 61 are operating even though the navigation system's direction is straight ahead, and prompt the occupant R to turn off the turn signals 60 and 61 by accelerating the flashing of the side-edge notification unit. This notification can also prompt the occupant R to turn off the hazard lights, which operate both the left and right turn signals 60 and 61 simultaneously.

[0054] As described above, the notification system according to the present invention provides a notification system 100 that notifies rider R of various information via notification units 10, 11, and 12 provided on a helmet 1 worn by rider R of motorcycle 50. The system includes a notification control unit 17 that controls the notification units 10, 11, and 12. The helmet 1 has a front opening 4 through which rider R faces forward. The notification units 10, 11, and 12 include at least an upper edge notification unit 10 provided on the upper edge of the front opening 4 and a lower edge notification unit 11 provided on the lower edge of the front opening 4. The notification control unit 17 notifies rider R of different information via the upper edge notification unit 10 and the lower edge notification unit 11. This makes it possible to notify rider R of multiple different pieces of information by making maximum use of the shape of the helmet 1 having the front opening 4. Furthermore, the type of information can be determined by which notification unit is activated, resulting in a highly convenient notification system.

[0055] In these embodiments, the control unit may communicate directly with the vehicle and the helmet, with the control unit in the vehicle determining the content and method of notification on the helmet, and the notification unit then making the notification based on that determination. Alternatively, the control unit in the helmet may process information obtained from the vehicle to determine the content of the notification. Furthermore, the vehicle and the helmet may be connected via an external device such as a terminal or server owned by the user, and the notification unit may make the notification based on the content and method of notification determined by one or more of the control units in the vehicle, the helmet, the terminal, or the external device.

[0056] The vehicle's form, the helmet's shape and structure, the shape of the front opening, the arrangement of each notification unit, the shape and structure of each notification unit, the operation mode of the notification unit, the light color and flashing cycle of the notification unit, the relationship between the notified object and the light color, the content of the information notified to the occupant, the method of acquiring various types of information, and the configuration of the notification control unit are not limited to the above embodiment and can be modified in various ways.

[0057] 1...Helmet, 2...Outer shell, 4...Front opening, 10...Upper edge notification section (notification section), 10L...Upper edge left section, 10R...Upper edge right section, 10C...Upper edge center section, 11...Lower edge notification section (notification section), 11L...Lower edge left section, 11R...Lower edge right section, 11C...Lower edge center section, 12...Side edge notification section (notification section), 12R...Side edge right section, 12L...Side edge left section, 17...Notification control unit, 50...Motorcycle (vehicle), 60, 61...Turn indicator, 100...Notification system, R...Occupant

Claims

1. A notification system (100) that notifies the occupant (R) of a vehicle (50) of various information by notification units (10, 11, 12) provided on a helmet (1) worn by the occupant (R), wherein the helmet (1) has a front opening (4) formed in which the occupant (R) faces forward, and the notification units (10, 11, 12) include at least an upper edge notification unit (10) provided on the upper edge of the front opening (4) and a lower edge notification unit (11) provided on the lower edge of the front opening (4), and the notification units (10, 11, 12) notify the occupant (R) of different information by the upper edge notification unit (10) and the lower edge notification unit (11).

2. The notification system according to claim 1, characterized in that the notification units (10, 11, 12) notify information regarding the front of the vehicle (50) by the upper edge notification unit (10) and notify information regarding the rear of the vehicle (50) by the lower edge notification unit (11).

3. The notification system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the notification unit (10, 11, 12) notifies the occupant (R) by emitting light, and changes the area to be illuminated according to the distance between the vehicle (50) and the object to be notified when the object to be notified is present around the vehicle (50).

4. The notification system according to claim 1, characterized in that the notification units (10, 11, 12) notify the remaining energy amount of the vehicle (50) by the lower edge notification unit (11).

5. The notification system according to claim 2, characterized in that the notification units (10, 11, 12) notify information regarding the travel route of the vehicle (50) by the upper edge notification unit (10).

6. The notification system according to claim 2, characterized in that the upper edge notification section (10) consists of an upper left portion (10L), an upper right portion (10R), and an upper central portion (10C), the lower edge notification section (11) consists of a lower left portion (11L), a lower right portion (11R), and a lower central portion (11C), and the notification sections (10, 11, 12) notify information related to an object present in the driving path of the vehicle (50) by the upper left portion (10L), the upper right portion (10R), the lower left portion (11L), and the lower right portion (11R), and notify information not related to the object by the upper central portion (10C) and the lower central portion (11C).

7. The notification system according to claim 6, wherein the notification units (10, 11, 12) notify the occupant of information by emitting light or flashing, and the flashing cycles of the upper left portion (10L), upper right portion (10R), lower left portion (11L), and lower right portion (11R) are different from the flashing cycles of the upper center portion (10C) and the lower center portion (11C).

8. The notification system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the notification section (10, 11, 12) includes a pair of left and right side edge notification sections (12) provided on the side edge of the front opening (4).

9. The notification system according to claim 8, characterized in that the notification units (10, 11, 12) notify the operating status of the turn signals (60, 61) of the vehicle (50) by the side edge notification unit (12).

10. The notification system according to claim 8, characterized in that the notification units (10, 11, 12) provide a notification via the side edge notification unit (12) to prompt the user to turn off the turn signals when the turn signals (60, 61) are operating in a situation unsuitable for the operation of the turn signals.

11. A vehicle (50) characterized in that a helmet (1) worn by an occupant (R) has notification sections (10, 11, 12) that notify the occupant (R) of various information provided, the helmet (1) has a front opening (4) formed in it through which the occupant (R) faces forward, the notification sections (10, 11, 12) include at least an upper edge notification section (10) provided on the upper edge of the front opening (4) and a lower edge notification section (11) provided on the lower edge of the front opening (4), and the vehicle has a notification control section (17) that controls the upper edge notification section (10) and the lower edge notification section (11) to notify the occupant (R) of different information.

12. A communication terminal characterized in that a helmet (1) worn by an occupant (R) of a vehicle (50) has notification units (10, 11, 12) that notify the occupant (R) of various information provided, the helmet (1) has a front opening (4) formed in it through which the occupant (R) faces forward, the notification units (10, 11, 12) include at least an upper edge notification unit (10) provided on the upper edge of the front opening (4) and a lower edge notification unit (11) provided on the lower edge of the front opening (4), and the upper edge notification unit (10) and the lower edge notification unit (11) respectively control to notify the occupant (R) of different information concerning the vehicle (50).

13. A helmet (1) worn by an occupant (R) of a vehicle (50) has notification sections (10, 11, 12) that notify the occupant (R) of various information provided, the helmet (1) has a front opening (4) through which the occupant (R) faces forward, and the notification sections (10, 11, 12) include at least an upper edge notification section (10) provided on the upper edge of the front opening (4) and a lower edge notification section (11) provided on the lower edge of the front opening (4), and the upper edge notification section (10) and the lower edge notification section (11) each notify the occupant (R) of different information.

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