JP6775134B2 - Driver status detector - Google Patents

Description

The technique disclosed herein relates to a driver state detection device that detects an abnormal state of a driver.

Conventionally, there is known a technique of detecting biological information such as a driver's pulse and body temperature and estimating a driver's physical condition or the like from the detected biological information (see Patent Document 1). In the technique described in Patent Document 1, a sensor for detecting biological information is incorporated in an armrest portion of a vehicle seat or an operation switch for operating a device. As a result, the driver is not restrained when detecting the biological information.

JP-A-2009-247649

However, in order to accurately detect the driver's biological information using the sensor, it is necessary to keep the sensor in close contact with the driver. Therefore, as long as a sensor that detects biological information is used, it is inevitable that the driver will feel restrained. Therefore, it is desired to easily detect an abnormal state of a driver without using a sensor that detects biological information.

The technique disclosed herein aims to easily detect an abnormal state of a driver without using a sensor for detecting biological information.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, one aspect of the technique disclosed herein is from an imaging unit that is arranged in the vehicle interior and images the driver, and an image of the driver captured by the imaging unit. The attitude determination unit that determines the angle of the driver's forward leaning posture, the storage unit that stores a predetermined first threshold angle, and the angle of the driver's forward leaning posture determined by the attitude determination unit are When the first threshold angle stored in the storage unit is exceeded, the state determination unit for determining that the driver is in an abnormal state and the state determination unit for determining that the driver is in an abnormal state are determined. The driver is provided with an alarm sound generator that operates with and generates an alarm sound for the driver, and the state determination unit is based on whether or not there is a reaction of the driver to the operation of the alarm sound generator. It is for determining whether or not driving support for the driver is necessary .

In this aspect, the angle of the driver's forward leaning posture is determined by the posture determination unit from the image of the driver captured by the imaging unit. When the determined angle of the forward leaning posture of the driver exceeds the first threshold angle stored in the storage unit, the state determination unit determines that the driver is in an abnormal state. The fact that the angle of the driver's forward leaning posture exceeds the first threshold angle deviates from the normal driving posture, and it is considered that the driver is not in the normal state. Therefore, according to this aspect, it is possible to easily detect the abnormal state of the driver without using a sensor that detects biological information.

In the above aspect, the posture determining unit may determine the torso angle, which is the tilt angle of the fuselage with respect to the vertical direction, as the angle of the driver's forward leaning posture from the image of the driver captured by the imaging unit. Good.

In this aspect, the torso angle, which is the tilt angle of the fuselage with respect to the vertical direction, is determined by the posture determination unit as the angle of the driver's forward leaning posture. When the torso angle exceeds the first threshold angle, the driver deviates from the normal driving posture. Therefore, according to this aspect, it is possible to easily detect the abnormal state of the driver without using a sensor that detects biological information.

In the above aspect, it is determined whether or not the environment detection unit that detects the driving environment in which the driver is driving the vehicle and the driving environment detected by the environment detection unit satisfy a predetermined environmental condition. An environment determination unit may be further provided. The storage unit may further store a predetermined second threshold angle at a value larger than the first threshold angle. When the environment determination unit determines that the driving environment satisfies the environment condition, the state determination unit is in front of the driver detected by the attitude detection unit instead of the first threshold angle. When the angle of the tilted posture exceeds the second threshold angle, it may be determined that the driver is in an abnormal state.

In this aspect, the driving environment in which the driver is driving the vehicle is detected by the environment detection unit. The environment determination unit determines whether or not the detected operating environment satisfies the environmental conditions. When it is determined that the driving environment satisfies the environmental condition, instead of the first threshold angle, when the angle of the driver's forward leaning posture detected by the posture detection unit exceeds the second threshold angle, the driver It is determined by the state determination unit that it is in an abnormal state. When the driving environment satisfies the environmental condition, the angle of the driver's forward leaning posture may exceed the first threshold angle even if the driver is in a normal state. Therefore, when the driving environment satisfies the environmental conditions, if the angle of the driver's forward leaning posture exceeds the second threshold angle, it is determined that the driver is in an abnormal state, thereby preventing erroneous determination. be able to.

In the above aspect, the environment detection unit may include a vehicle speed sensor that detects the speed of the vehicle. The environment determination unit may determine that the driving environment satisfies the environmental condition when the speed of the vehicle detected by the vehicle speed sensor is equal to or less than a predetermined first speed.

In this aspect, when the speed of the vehicle detected by the vehicle speed sensor is equal to or lower than the first speed, it is determined that the driving environment satisfies the environmental condition. When the speed of the vehicle is low below the first speed, the angle of the driver's forward leaning posture exceeds the first threshold angle in order to perform operations other than driving even if the driver is in a normal state. There can be. Therefore, when the speed of the vehicle is equal to or lower than the first speed, if the angle of the driver's forward leaning posture exceeds the second threshold angle, it is determined that the driver is in an abnormal state, thereby making an erroneous determination. Can be prevented.

In the above aspect, the environment detection unit may include a signal sensor that detects the lighting color of a traffic signal arranged in the traveling direction of the vehicle. The environment determination unit may determine that the driving environment satisfies the environmental condition when the lighting color of the traffic signal detected by the signal sensor is red.

In this aspect, when the lighting color of the traffic signal detected by the signal sensor is red, it is determined that the driving environment satisfies the environmental condition. When the lighting color of the traffic signal is red, the angle of the driver's forward leaning posture may exceed the first threshold angle in order to perform operations other than driving even if the driver is in a normal state. obtain. Therefore, when the speed of the vehicle is equal to or less than the predetermined speed, if the angle of the driver's forward leaning posture exceeds the second threshold angle, it is determined that the driver is in an abnormal state to prevent erroneous determination. can do.

In the above aspect, the environment detection unit may include a vehicle speed sensor that detects the speed of the vehicle and a vehicle sensor that detects another vehicle in front of the vehicle traveling in the same direction as the vehicle. The environment determination unit determines whether or not there is a traffic jam based on the speed of the vehicle detected by the vehicle speed sensor and the number of other vehicles detected by the vehicle sensor, and is a traffic jam. If it is determined, it may be determined that the operating environment satisfies the environmental condition.

In this aspect, it is determined whether or not there is a traffic jam based on the speed of the vehicle and the number of other vehicles in front of the vehicle traveling in the same direction as the vehicle, and if it is determined that there is a traffic jam, the driving environment is changed. It is judged that the environmental condition is satisfied. In the case of traffic congestion, even if the driver is in a normal state, the angle of the driver's forward leaning posture may exceed the first threshold angle in order to perform an operation other than driving. Therefore, in the case of traffic congestion, if the angle of the driver's forward leaning posture exceeds the second threshold angle, it is possible to prevent erroneous determination by determining that the driver is in an abnormal state. ..

In the above aspect, the environment detection unit is arranged on a vehicle speed sensor that detects the speed of the vehicle and a seat surface portion of the driver's seat, and detects the pressure distribution of the driver seated on the driver's seat. It may include one pressure sensor and a second pressure sensor which is arranged on the back surface of the driver's seat and detects the presence or absence of pressure of the driver who sits on the driver's seat. The environment determination unit calculates the difference pressure between the left pressure value by the driver's left foot and the right pressure value by the driver's right foot from the pressure distribution detected by the first pressure sensor, and the vehicle speed sensor. It is detected that the speed of the vehicle detected by the above-mentioned vehicle is equal to or less than a predetermined second speed, the differential pressure is equal to or more than a predetermined pressure value, and the second pressure sensor detects that there is no pressure from the driver. Then, it may be determined that the operating environment satisfies the environmental condition.

In this aspect, the vehicle speed sensor detects the speed of the vehicle. The pressure distribution of the driver seated on the driver's seat is detected by the first pressure sensor arranged on the seat surface of the driver's seat. A second pressure sensor located on the back of the driver's seat detects the presence or absence of pressure from the driver sitting on the driver's seat. The speed of the vehicle is equal to or less than the second speed, the difference pressure between the left pressure value by the driver's left foot and the right pressure value by the driver's right foot is equal to or more than the predetermined pressure value, and the driver uses the second pressure sensor. When it is detected that there is no pressure, it is determined that the operating environment satisfies the environmental condition.

The difference between the left pressure value of the driver's left foot and the right pressure value of the driver's right foot is equal to or greater than the predetermined pressure value, and there is no driver's pressure detected by the second pressure sensor. It is considered that the driver leans out from the driver's seat to the left or right to perform an operation other than driving because the vehicle is at a low speed of the second speed or less. In order to perform this operation, even if the driver is in a normal state, the angle of the driver's forward leaning posture may exceed the first threshold angle. Therefore, when the angle of the driver's forward leaning posture exceeds the second threshold angle, it is possible to prevent erroneous determination by determining that the driver is in an abnormal state.

According to this driver state detection device, when the determined forward leaning posture angle of the driver exceeds the first threshold angle, it is determined that the driver is in an abnormal state. Therefore, a sensor that detects biological information. It is possible to easily detect the abnormal state of the driver without using.

It is a block diagram which shows schematic structure of the vehicle which mounted the driver state detection device of this embodiment. It is a figure explaining a torso angle. It is a figure which shows an example of the actual measurement data of a torso angle. It is a figure which shows schematicly the driver who operates the glove box on the left front of the driver's seat while driving. It is a figure which shows an example of the pressure distribution detected by the 1st pressure sensor when a driver is driving normally. It is a figure which shows an example of the pressure distribution detected by the 1st pressure sensor while the driver is operating the glove box on the left front of the driver's seat. It is a flowchart which shows an example of a driver state detection operation. It is a flowchart which shows an example of a driver state detection operation. It is a figure which shows roughly the driving posture of a driver just before an accident estimated from the example of an autopsy.

(One aspect of the viewpoint according to the present disclosure)
First, one aspect of the viewpoint of the present disclosure will be described. One of the causes of death in a traffic accident is a sudden change in the driver's physical condition while driving. Factors of sudden changes in the driver's physical condition include various diseases such as cerebrovascular disease and heart disease, and the condition of the driver who cannot continue driving due to the sudden change in the physical condition is not constant.

It is difficult to judge such poor physical condition of the driver from biological information such as pulse or eye movement. Moreover, as described above, it is desired to easily detect the state of the driver without using a sensor that detects biological information.

FIG. 9 is a diagram schematically showing the driving posture of the driver immediately before the accident estimated from the example of autopsy. As shown in FIG. 9, the driver 2 seated in the driver's seat 1 leans on the steering wheel 3 and is in a forward leaning posture as compared with the normal driving posture. The driver 2 whose physical condition suddenly changes during driving is often unable to take actions to avoid an accident. Therefore, it is considered that the driver 2 loses consciousness in some cases due to a decrease in consciousness level due to a sudden change in physical condition. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 9, it is considered that the driver 2 is in a forward leaning posture deviating from the normal driving posture. In view of the above considerations, one aspect of the present disclosure described below has been devised.

(Embodiment)
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In each figure, similar elements are designated by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted as appropriate.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram schematically showing a configuration of a vehicle equipped with the driver state detection device of the present embodiment. The vehicle 10 is, for example, a four-wheeled vehicle. As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle 10 includes an in-vehicle camera 101, an outside camera 102, a vehicle speed sensor 103, a first pressure sensor 104, a second pressure sensor 105, an operation switch 106, a brake pedal 107, a steering sensor 108, and an alarm sound. It includes a generator 201, a hazard flasher 202, an operation support device 203, and an electronic control unit (ECU) 300.

The in-vehicle camera 101 (an example of an imaging unit) is attached to, for example, a front pillar on the passenger seat side in the vehicle 10 so that the optical axis of the in-vehicle camera 101 faces the driver's seat of the vehicle 10. The in-vehicle camera 101 images the driver of the vehicle 10 from the side. The in-vehicle camera 101 outputs the captured image data to the ECU 300. Alternatively, the in-vehicle camera 101 may be attached to the lateral ceiling of the driver's seat in the interior of the vehicle 10 so that the optical axis of the in-vehicle camera 101 faces the driver's seat in the vehicle 10. Alternatively, a plurality of cameras may be mounted on the front pillar on the passenger seat side, the ceiling in the interior of the vehicle 10, etc. so that their respective optical axes face the driver's seat of the vehicle 10.

In the vehicle exterior camera 102 (an example of an environment detection unit, an example of a signal sensor, an example of a vehicle sensor), the optical axis of the vehicle exterior camera 102 is located in the interior of the vehicle 10, for example, on the back side of a rearview mirror or near the upper end of the windshield. It is installed so that it faces the front of the camera. The vehicle exterior camera 102 images a traffic signal in front of the vehicle 10, another vehicle in front of the vehicle traveling in the same direction as the vehicle 10, and the like. The external camera 102 outputs the captured image data to the ECU 300. The vehicle speed sensor 103 (an example of the environment detection unit) detects the traveling speed of the vehicle 10. The vehicle speed sensor 103 outputs the detected running speed of the vehicle 10 to the ECU 300.

The first pressure sensor 104 (an example of the environment detection unit) is arranged on the seat surface portion of the driver's seat. The first pressure sensor 104 detects the pressure distribution of the driver seated on the driver's seat. The first pressure sensor 104 outputs the detected pressure distribution to the ECU 300. The second pressure sensor 105 is arranged on the back surface of the driver's seat. The second pressure sensor 105 detects the pressure of the driver leaning against the back surface of the driver's seat. The second pressure sensor 105 outputs the detected pressure value to the ECU 300.

The operation switch 106 is for stopping the operating alarm sound generator 201, and is operated by the driver. The brake pedal 107 is for operating the brake and is operated by the driver's foot. The steering sensor 108 is arranged on the steering wheel and detects the torque applied to the steering wheel by the driver.

The alarm sound generator 201 includes, for example, a buzzer or a bell, and generates an alarm sound for the driver. The hazard flasher 202 blinks all the orange (for example, four) turn signal lights all at once. The driving support device 203 assists the driver in driving the vehicle 10. The driving support device 203 may have a function of automatically operating the brake to decelerate or stop the vehicle 10. The driving support device 203 may have a function of causing the vehicle 10 to maintain a lane by controlling the steering wheel.

The ECU 300 controls the overall operation of the vehicle 10. The ECU 300 includes a central processing unit (CPU) 310, a memory 320, and other peripheral circuits. The memory 320 (an example of a storage unit) is composed of, for example, a semiconductor memory such as a flash memory, a hard disk, or another storage element. The memory 320 includes a memory for storing a program, a memory for temporarily storing data, and the like. The memory 320 stores a predetermined first threshold angle θt1 and a second threshold angle θt2 (θt1 <θt2) as a part of the program. The first threshold angle θt1 and the second threshold angle θt2 will be described in detail later. The memory 320 may be composed of a single memory including an area for storing a program and an area for temporarily storing data.

The CPU 310 functions as a posture determination unit 311, a state determination unit 312, an environment determination unit 313, a timekeeping unit 314, and an operation control unit 315 by operating according to a program stored in the memory 320.

The posture determination unit 311 extracts the driver from the image data captured by the in-vehicle camera 101, for example, by template matching. The posture determination unit 311 determines the extracted driver's torso angle (an example of the forward leaning posture angle).

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a torso angle. FIG. 2 shows a state in which the driver 23, who is seated on the driver's seat 21 and holds the steering wheel 22 to drive the vehicle, is viewed from the side. The torso angle is the angle of inclination of the fuselage with respect to the vertical direction. Specifically, the torso angle θ is an inclination angle of the straight line 26 connecting the lower end 24 of the waist and the base 25 of the neck with respect to the vertical line 27.

The posture determination unit 311 detects the lower end 24 of the waist and the base 25 of the neck of the driver 23 extracted by template matching or the like, and determines the torso angle θ. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, when the base 25 of the neck is horizontal to the front of the lower end 24 of the waist, θ = + 90 degrees, and the base 25 of the neck is rearward to the lower end 24 of the waist. When it is horizontal to, θ = -90 degrees. That is, in the present embodiment, the torso angle θ is set to a positive value when the driver 23 is in the forward leaning posture, and the torso angle θ is set to a negative value when the driver is in the backward leaning posture. When the driver 23 is driving normally, the torso angle θ is usually a negative value as shown in FIG.

The state determination unit 312 determines whether or not the torso angle θ of the driver 23 determined by the attitude determination unit 311 is equal to or greater than the first threshold angle θt1 stored in the memory 320. If the torso angle θ is equal to or greater than the first threshold angle θt1, the state determination unit 312 determines that the driver 23 is in an abnormal state.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of actual measurement data of the torso angle θ. FIG. 3 shows the result of integrating the torso angles of the driver measured at regular intervals during driving. The horizontal axis of FIG. 3 represents the torso angle θ, and the vertical axis represents the measured frequency. The lower figure of FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the vertical axis of the upper figure in order to clearly represent the frequency number of the low frequency torso angle θ. As shown in the lower figure of FIG. 3, the torso angle θ is included in the range of θt1 ≧ θ ≧ −θt11.

Therefore, θt1 is stored in the memory 320 as a predetermined first threshold angle. Then, the state determination unit 312 determines that the driver is in an abnormal state when the torso angle θ determined by the posture determination unit 311 is equal to or greater than the first threshold angle θt1 (that is, θ ≧ θt1).

The environment determination unit 313 determines whether or not the current driving environment is traffic congestion based on the speed of the vehicle 10 detected by the vehicle speed sensor 103 and the image data captured by the external camera 102. Specifically, the environment determination unit 313 extracts another vehicle in front traveling in the same direction as the vehicle 10 from the image data captured by the vehicle exterior camera 102, for example, by template matching. In the environment determination unit 313, the speed of the vehicle 10 detected by the vehicle speed sensor 103 is equal to or less than a predetermined speed Vt (for example, Vt = 10 km / h), and the number of other vehicles extracted is a predetermined number (for example, 2). At the above times, it is determined that the current driving environment is traffic congestion. When the environment determination unit 313 determines that the current driving environment is traffic congestion, it determines that the driving environment satisfies a predetermined environmental condition.

The environment determination unit 313 further determines whether or not the current driving environment is a red light based on the image data captured by the external camera 102. Specifically, the environment determination unit 313 extracts a traffic signal arranged in the traveling direction of the vehicle 10 from the image data captured by the vehicle exterior camera 102, for example, by template matching. The environment determination unit 313 determines whether or not the lighting color of the extracted traffic signal is red. When the environment determination unit 313 determines that the lighting color of the traffic signal is red, it determines that the current driving environment is a red light. When the environment determination unit 313 determines that the current operating environment is a red light, it determines that the operating environment satisfies a predetermined environmental condition.

The environment determination unit 313 further operates based on the speed of the vehicle 10 detected by the vehicle speed sensor 103, the pressure distribution detected by the first pressure sensor 104, and the pressure value detected by the second pressure sensor 105. Determine if a person is operating the glove box.

FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically showing a driver who is operating the glove box on the left front of the driver's seat while driving. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a pressure distribution detected by the first pressure sensor 104 when the driver is driving normally. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the pressure distribution detected by the first pressure sensor 104 when the driver is operating the glove box on the left front of the driver's seat. In FIGS. 5 and 6, isobars having the same pressure are shown.

During normal driving, for example, as shown in FIG. 2, the driver 23 sits in the center of the driver's seat 21 and holds the steering wheel 22 with both his left and right hands. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5, the left pressure value 50L by the left foot and the right pressure value 50R by the right foot detected by the first pressure sensor 104 are substantially equal.

On the other hand, the driver 23 may operate the glove box, such as taking out what is stored in the glove box provided in front of the passenger seat, while the vehicle 10 is traveling at a low speed. In this case, as shown in FIG. 4, the driver 23 leans out from the driver's seat 21 and operates the glove box with his left hand while holding the steering wheel 22 with his right hand. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6, the differential pressure between the left pressure value 50L by the left foot and the right pressure value 50R by the right foot detected by the first pressure sensor 104 becomes equal to or more than a predetermined pressure value. .. At this time, as shown in FIG. 4, since the driver 23 leans out from the driver's seat 21, the pressure is applied to the back surface of the driver's seat 21 detected by the second pressure sensor 105. The pressure value becomes 0.

The pressure distribution shown in FIG. 6 is maintained while the driver 23 is operating the glove box. Therefore, the timing unit 314 counts the duration of the state in which the differential pressure between the left pressure value 50L and the right pressure value 50R detected by the first pressure sensor 104 is equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold pressure Pt. The threshold pressure Pt is set to the left and right pressure difference assumed when the person is in the posture of operating the glove box.

In the environment determination unit 313, the speed of the vehicle 10 detected by the vehicle speed sensor 103 is equal to or less than the predetermined speed Vt (for example, Vt = 10 km / h, an example of the second speed), and the left side is detected by the first pressure sensor 104. The state in which the differential pressure between the pressure value 50L and the right pressure value 50R is equal to or higher than the threshold pressure Pt continues for a predetermined time Tt (for example, Tt = 1 second) or longer, and the pressure value detected by the second pressure sensor 105 is 0. When is, it is determined that the driver 23 is operating the glove box. When the environment determination unit 313 determines that the driver 23 is operating the glove box, it determines that the driving environment satisfies a predetermined environmental condition.

When the state determination unit 312 further determines that the operating environment satisfies a predetermined environmental condition by the environment determination unit 313, when the torso angle θ is the second threshold angle θt2 or more (that is, θ ≧ θt2), the state determination unit 312 further determines. It is determined that the driver is in an abnormal state. As described above, θt2> θt1 is set. That is, when the state determination unit 312 determines that the driving environment satisfies a predetermined environmental condition by the environment determination unit 313, the driver becomes abnormal when the forward leaning posture of the driver becomes larger than usual. Judge that it is in the state.

When the state determination unit 312 determines that the driver 23 is in an abnormal state, the operation control unit 315 operates the hazard flasher 202 and blinks all the turn signals to call attention to other vehicles. .. The driving control unit 315 controls the driving support device 203 to support the driver's driving. The operation control unit 315 may, for example, operate a brake to decelerate or stop the vehicle 10. The driving control unit 315 may control the steering wheel 22 to maintain the lane in which the vehicle 10 is traveling.

7 and 8 are flowcharts showing an example of the driver state detection operation. For example, when the engine of the vehicle 10 is started, the operations shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 are executed at regular time intervals, for example.

In step S701, the CPU 310 reads the detected values of the vehicle speed sensor 103, the first pressure sensor 104, and the second pressure sensor 105, and stores them in the memory 320. In step S702, the posture determination unit 311 extracts the image of the driver 23 from the image data captured by the in-vehicle camera 101, for example, by template matching. The posture determination unit 311 determines the torso angle θ from the extracted image of the driver 23.

In step S703, the state determination unit 312 determines whether or not the torso angle θ determined by the posture determination unit 311 in step S702 is equal to or greater than the first threshold angle θt1. If the torso angle θ is equal to or greater than the first threshold angle θt1 (YES in step S703), the state determination unit 312 advances the process to step S704. On the other hand, if the torso angle θ is less than the first threshold angle θt1 (NO in step S703), the state determination unit 312 determines that the driver 23 is not in an abnormal state, and operates as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. To finish.

In step S704, the environment determination unit 313 determines whether or not the speed of the vehicle 10 detected by the vehicle speed sensor 103 is equal to or less than the predetermined speed Vt. If the environment determination unit 313 determines that the speed of the vehicle 10 is equal to or less than the predetermined speed Vt (YES in step S704), the state determination unit 312 proceeds to the process in step S705. On the other hand, if the environment determination unit 313 determines that the speed of the vehicle 10 exceeds the predetermined speed Vt (NO in step S704), the state determination unit 312 proceeds to the process in step S803 (FIG. 8).

In step S705, the environment determination unit 313 determines whether or not the current driving environment is traffic congestion or waiting for a traffic light based on the image data captured by the external camera 102. If the environment determination unit 313 determines that the current driving environment is traffic congestion or waiting for a traffic light (YES in step S705), the state determination unit 312 proceeds to the process in step S706. On the other hand, if the environment determination unit 313 determines that the current driving environment is neither a traffic jam nor a signal waiting (NO in step S705), the state determination unit 312 proceeds to the process in step S803 (FIG. 8).

In step S706, the environment determination unit 313 determines that the differential pressure between the left pressure value 50L (FIGS. 5 and 6) and the right pressure value 50R (FIGS. 5 and 6) detected by the first pressure sensor 104 is the threshold pressure. It is determined whether or not the state of Pt or more continues for a predetermined time Tt or more. If the environment determination unit 313 determines that the state in which the differential pressure is equal to or higher than the threshold pressure Pt continues for a predetermined time or longer (YES in step S706), the state determination unit 312 proceeds to the process in step S707. On the other hand, if the environment determination unit 313 determines that the differential pressure is less than the threshold pressure Pt or the differential pressure is equal to or higher than the threshold pressure Pt for a predetermined time Tt or more (NO in step S706). ), The state determination unit 312 determines that the driver 23 is not in an abnormal state, and ends the operations shown in FIGS. 7 and 8.

In step S707, the environment determination unit 313 determines whether or not the pressure value detected by the second pressure sensor 105 is zero. If the pressure value detected by the second pressure sensor 105 is 0 (YES in step S706), the environment determination unit 313 determines that the driver 23 is operating the glove box. When the environment determination unit 313 determines that the driver 23 is operating the glove box, the state determination unit 312 proceeds to the process in step S801 (FIG. 8).

On the other hand, when the environment determination unit 313 determines that the pressure value detected by the second pressure sensor 105 is not 0 (NO in step S707), the state determination unit 312 determines that the driver 23 is not in an abnormal state. , The operation shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 is terminated.

In step S801 of FIG. 8, the state determination unit 312 reads the second threshold angle θt2 from the memory 320. In step S802, the state determination unit 312 determines whether or not the torso angle θ determined by the posture determination unit 311 in step S702 is equal to or greater than the second threshold angle θt2. If the torso angle θ is equal to or greater than the second threshold angle θt2 (YES in step S802), the state determination unit 312 proceeds to the process in step S803. On the other hand, if the torso angle θ is less than the second threshold angle θt2 (NO in step S802), the state determination unit 312 determines that the driver 23 is not in an abnormal state, and operates as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. To finish.

In step S803, the state determination unit 312 determines that the driver 23 is in an abnormal state, activates the alarm sound generator 201, and calls attention to the driver 23.

In step S804, the state determination unit 312 determines whether or not there is a reaction of the driver 23 to the operation of the alarm sound generator 201 in step S803. The state determination unit 312 determines that there is a reaction of the driver 23, for example, when the operation switch 106 is operated and the alarm sound generator 201 is turned off. The state determination unit 312 may determine that there is a reaction of the driver 23 when the brake pedal 107 is operated. When the state determination unit 312 determines that the steering wheel has been operated based on the detection value of the steering sensor 108, it may determine that there is a reaction of the driver 23.

When it is determined that there is a reaction of the driver 23 (YES in step S804), the state determination unit 312 ends the operation shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. On the other hand, if it is determined that there is no reaction from the driver 23 (NO in step S804), the state determination unit 312 proceeds to the process in step S805.

In step S805, the operation control unit 315 operates the hazard flasher 202 to blink the hazard lamps (four orange turn signals). In the following step S806, the operation control unit 315 operates the operation support device 203. After that, the operations shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 are completed.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the torso angle θ of the driver 23 is determined from the image of the driver 23 captured by the in-vehicle camera 101. If the determined torso angle θ is equal to or greater than the first threshold angle θt1 (YES in step S703) and the speed of the vehicle 10 exceeds the predetermined speed Vt (NO in step S704), the driver 23 is in an abnormal state. It is determined that the alarm sound generator 201 is activated.

Further, in the present embodiment, the determined torso angle θ is equal to or greater than the first threshold angle θt1 (YES in step S703), the speed of the vehicle 10 is equal to or less than the predetermined speed Vt (YES in step S704), and traffic. If there is no congestion or waiting for a signal (NO in step S705), it is determined that the driver 23 is in an abnormal state.

Therefore, according to the present embodiment, the abnormal state of the driver 23 can be easily detected without using a sensor that detects biological information.

Further, in the present embodiment, the determined torso angle θ is equal to or greater than the first threshold angle θt1 (YES in step S703), the speed of the vehicle 10 is equal to or less than the predetermined speed Vt (YES in step S704), and the traffic is congested. When it is determined that the glove box is being operated (YES in steps S706 and S707) due to traffic congestion or waiting for a signal (YES in step S705), the determined torso angle θ is larger than the first threshold angle θt1. When the two threshold angles θt2 or more (YES in step S802), it is determined that the driver 23 is in an abnormal state. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to prevent erroneous determination due to the operation of the glove box.

(Transformed embodiment)
(1) In FIGS. 7 and 8, steps S704 to S707, S801 and S802 are omitted, and if the torso angle θ is equal to or greater than the first threshold angle θt1 (YES in step S703), the process proceeds to step S803. You may. Also in this embodiment, the abnormal state of the driver 23 can be easily detected without using a sensor for detecting biological information.

(2) In FIGS. 7 and 8, if steps S705 to S707 are omitted and the speed of the vehicle 10 is equal to or less than the predetermined speed Vt (an example of the first speed) (YES in step S704), the process proceeds to step S801. You may do so. According to this embodiment, when the vehicle 10 is traveling at a low speed, even if the driver 23 makes the forward leaning posture steeper than usual and the torso angle θ becomes large, the first threshold angle θt1 is set. By using the second threshold angle θt2 instead, erroneous determination can be prevented.

(3) In FIGS. 7 and 8, if steps S706 to S707 are omitted and there is traffic congestion or waiting for a traffic light (YES in step S705), the process may proceed to step S801. According to this embodiment, even when the driver 23 is leaning against the steering wheel 22 during traffic congestion or waiting for a traffic light, the second threshold angle θt2 is used instead of the first threshold angle θt1. , It is possible to prevent erroneous judgment.

(4) In FIGS. 7 and 8, if step S705 is omitted and the speed of the vehicle 10 is equal to or less than the predetermined speed Vt (YES in step S704), the process may proceed to step S706. According to this embodiment, if it is determined that the glove box is being operated without traffic congestion or waiting for a traffic light, the second threshold angle θt2 is used instead of the first threshold angle θt1, so that an erroneous determination is made. Can be prevented.

(5) The posture determination unit 311 may store the determined torso angle θ of the driver 23 in the memory 320. The state determination unit 312 may rewrite the first threshold angle θt1 to the upper limit value of the fluctuation range of the torso angle θ stored in the memory 320. As a result, the first threshold angle θt1 can be updated to a value suitable for the driver 23 who uses the vehicle 10.

101 In-vehicle camera 102 Out-of-vehicle camera 103 Vehicle speed sensor 104 1st pressure sensor 105 2nd pressure sensor 311 Attitude judgment unit 312 Condition judgment unit 313 Environmental judgment unit 314 Timekeeping unit 320 Memory

Claims (8)

An imaging unit that is placed inside the vehicle and images the driver,
A posture determination unit that determines the angle of the driver's forward leaning posture from the image of the driver captured by the imaging unit, and
A storage unit that stores a predetermined first threshold angle, and
When the angle of the forward leaning posture of the driver determined by the posture determination unit exceeds the first threshold angle stored in the storage unit, it is determined that the driver is in an abnormal state. Judgment part and
An alarm sound generator that operates when it is determined that the driver is in an abnormal state and generates an alarm sound for the driver.
Equipped with a,
The state determination unit determines whether or not driving support for the driver is necessary based on whether or not there is a reaction of the driver to the operation of the alarm sound generator.
Driver state detection device. The posture determination unit determines the torso angle, which is the inclination angle of the fuselage with respect to the vertical direction, as the angle of the driver's forward leaning posture from the image of the driver captured by the imaging unit.
The driver state detection device according to claim 1. An environment detection unit that detects the driving environment in which the driver is driving the vehicle,
An environment determination unit that determines whether or not the operating environment detected by the environment detection unit satisfies a predetermined environmental condition, and an environment determination unit.
With more
The storage unit stores a predetermined second threshold angle larger than the first threshold angle.
When the environment determination unit determines that the driving environment satisfies the environment condition, the state determination unit is in front of the driver determined by the attitude determination unit instead of the first threshold angle. When the angle of the tilted posture exceeds the second threshold angle, it is determined that the driver is in an abnormal state.
The driver state detection device according to claim 1 or 2. An imaging unit that is placed inside the vehicle and images the driver,
A posture determination unit that determines the angle of the driver's forward leaning posture from the image of the driver captured by the imaging unit, and
A storage unit that stores a predetermined first threshold angle, and
When the angle of the forward leaning posture of the driver determined by the posture determination unit exceeds the first threshold angle stored in the storage unit, it is determined that the driver is in an abnormal state. Judgment part and
An environment detection unit that detects the driving environment in which the driver is driving the vehicle,
An environment determination unit that determines whether or not the operating environment detected by the environment detection unit satisfies a predetermined environmental condition, and an environment determination unit.
Bei to give a,
The storage unit stores a predetermined second threshold angle larger than the first threshold angle.
When the environment determination unit determines that the driving environment satisfies the environment condition, the state determination unit is in front of the driver determined by the attitude determination unit instead of the first threshold angle. When the angle of the tilted posture exceeds the second threshold angle, it is determined that the driver is in an abnormal state.
Driver state detection device. The environment detection unit includes a vehicle speed sensor that detects the speed of the vehicle.
The environment determination unit determines that the driving environment satisfies the environmental condition when the speed of the vehicle detected by the vehicle speed sensor is equal to or less than a predetermined first speed.
The driver state detection device according to claim 3 or 4 . The environment detection unit includes a signal sensor that detects the lighting color of a traffic signal arranged in the traveling direction of the vehicle.
The environment determination unit determines that the driving environment satisfies the environmental condition when the lighting color of the traffic signal detected by the signal sensor is red.
The driver state detection device according to any one of claims 3 to 5 . The environment detection unit
A vehicle speed sensor that detects the speed of the vehicle and
A vehicle sensor that detects another vehicle in front of the vehicle traveling in the same direction as the vehicle,
Including
The environment determination unit determines whether or not there is a traffic jam based on the speed of the vehicle detected by the vehicle speed sensor and the number of other vehicles detected by the vehicle sensor, and is a traffic jam. If it is determined that the operating environment satisfies the environmental condition,
The driver state detection device according to any one of claims 3 to 6 . The environment detection unit
A vehicle speed sensor that detects the speed of the vehicle and
A first pressure sensor, which is arranged on the seat surface of the driver's seat and detects the pressure distribution of the driver who sits on the driver's seat,
A second pressure sensor, which is arranged on the back surface of the driver's seat and detects the presence or absence of pressure of the driver sitting on the driver's seat,
Including
The environment judgment unit
From the pressure distribution detected by the first pressure sensor, the differential pressure between the left pressure value by the driver's left foot and the right pressure value by the driver's right foot is calculated.
The speed of the vehicle detected by the vehicle speed sensor is equal to or lower than a predetermined second speed, the differential pressure is equal to or higher than a predetermined pressure value, and there is no pressure from the driver by the second pressure sensor. Is detected, it is determined that the operating environment satisfies the environmental condition.
The driver state detection device according to any one of claims 3 to 7 .

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