JP6791695B2 - Safety aids, mobiles, safety assistance methods, and safety assistance programs - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a safety assist device, a mobile body, a safety assist method, and a safety assist program that assist the safety device that cuts off the power supply to the mounted equipment.

In recent years, autonomously traveling moving objects and the like have been put into practical use, and the operation is controlled so as to avoid an accident by detecting an obstacle with a sensor or the like. Further, a method of avoiding contact as described above is also applied to a vehicle operated by a driver, and a vehicle running safety device has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP-A-2010-260504

In the vehicle travel safety device described in Patent Document 1, a contact determination unit that determines the contact between the vehicle and an object, a vehicle control unit that activates a contact avoidance support operation, and a vehicle travel path are connected. It is equipped with a connection road determination unit that determines the state of the connection road and a line-of-sight determination unit that determines the line-of-sight near the connection part of the travel path. The conditions are being changed. The safety device assists the driver by controlling the behavior of the vehicle, but since the operation makes the driver feel annoyed, the conditions are changed so that the vehicle operates at an appropriate timing. There is. In the above-mentioned vehicle running safety device, since the operation of the safety device is promoted depending on the situation, there is a problem that the safety device is frequently operated.

By the way, the method of avoiding contact is not limited to this, and a safety device that shuts off the power supply to the power when safely stopping in an emergency is also adopted. In such a safety device, there is a concern that the product may be damaged due to the forced power cutoff.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and it is possible to detect and avoid a safe stop due to a safety device in advance and reduce the damage caused by forcibly shutting off the power supply at the safe stop. It is an object of the present invention to provide safety assisting devices, moving objects, safety assisting methods, and safety assisting programs that can be performed.

The safety assist device according to the present invention is a safety assist device that assists the safety device that shuts off the power supply to the mounted device, and is a safety detection unit that detects an object to be detected within a preset safety range. An instruction detection unit that detects an object to be detected within a preset instruction range, and a safety determination unit that makes a safety determination as to whether or not to operate the safety device according to the detection result of the safety detection unit. The device includes an instruction determination unit that determines whether to decelerate or stop the device according to the detection result of the instruction detection unit, and the device is a moving body traveling on a traveling surface and is said to be safe. The device is configured to cut off the power supply to the drive unit, and the instruction range is set to include a distance farther than the safety range in the instruction direction with the device as the base point, and the safety determination unit is The safety determination is not performed when the device is decelerated or stopped .

In the safety assist device according to the present invention, the device may be a moving body traveling on a traveling surface, and the indicated direction may be a traveling direction of the moving body.

In the safety assist device according to the present invention, the safety detection unit and the instruction detection unit may be configured to detect an object to be detected by different methods.

In the safety assist device according to the present invention, the safety range may be a three-dimensional space, and the indicated range may be a flat surface.

In the safety assisting device according to the present invention, the indicated range may be set to include a distance farther than the safety range in the entire circumference except the starting point of the safety range in the top view.

In the safety assist device according to the present invention, when the instruction determination unit detects an object to be detected within the instruction range, the device is decelerated and the device is stopped before the object to be detected enters the safety range. It may be configured to make it.

In the safety assisting device according to the present invention, the safety range may be longer than the distance traveled from the operation of the safety device to the stop of the device in the indicated direction, and shorter than the indicated range.

In the safety assist device according to the present invention, the instruction range may be longer than the distance traveled in the instruction direction from the time when the instruction determination unit receives an instruction to decelerate and stop to the time when the device stops.

In the safety assist device according to the present invention, the safety range and / or the indicated range may be set so that the range changes according to the traveling speed of the device.

In the safety assisting device according to the present invention, the instruction determination unit may be configured to use the detection result of the safety detection unit for the instruction determination.

The moving body according to the present invention is characterized by including the safety assisting device according to the present invention.

The safety assist method according to the present invention is a safety assist method in a safety assist device that assists a safety device that shuts off the power supply to the mounted device, and is within a safety range preset in the safety detection unit. The safety detection step for detecting the object to be detected, the instruction detection step for causing the instruction detection unit to detect the object to be detected within the preset instruction range, and the safety determination unit according to the detection result of the safety detection unit. , A safety determination step for making a safety determination as to whether or not to operate the safety device, and an instruction determination as to whether or not to decelerate or stop the device according to the detection result of the instruction detection unit. The device is a moving body traveling on a traveling surface, and the safety device cuts off the power supply to the drive unit. The instruction range includes the device as a base point. The safety determination unit is set so as to include a distance farther than the safety range in the indicated direction, and the safety determination unit does not perform the safety determination when the device is decelerated or stopped. ..

The safety assistance program according to the present invention is characterized in that a computer is made to execute each step of the safety assistance method according to the present invention.

According to the present invention, since the instruction range is set farther than the safety range, when the object to be detected exists in the direction in which the device operates, the instruction determination is performed before the safety determination is performed. As a result, it is possible to detect and avoid a safe stop by the safety device in advance and reduce the damage caused by the forced power cutoff in the safe stop.

It is a schematic block diagram of the moving body which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic top view of the moving body which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic side view of the moving body which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a flow figure which shows the processing flow of the safety assistance method in the safety assistance device which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic top view of the moving body which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic top view of the moving body which concerns on 3rd Embodiment of this invention.

(First Embodiment)
Hereinafter, the safety assist device and the moving body according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a moving body according to the first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a schematic top view of the moving body according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a schematic top view. It is a schematic side view of the moving body which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention.

The moving body 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention is a four-wheeled vehicle that moves along a preset route, and is a safety device that cuts off the power supply to the moving body 1 (particularly, the drive unit 11). It includes a device 13, a safety assist device 20 that assists the safety device 13, and a power supply 12 that supplies electric power to the drive unit 11. The safety assist device 20 includes a safety detection unit 21 that detects an object to be detected within the preset safety range AR, an instruction detection unit 22 that detects an object to be detected within the preset instruction range SR, and safety detection. Whether to decelerate or stop the moving body 1 according to the detection result of the safety determination unit 23 that determines whether or not to operate the safety device 13 according to the detection result of the unit 21 and the instruction detection unit 22. It is provided with an instruction determination unit 24 for performing the instruction determination. The moving body 1 mainly travels straight forward (to the right in FIGS. 1 and 2).

In the following, for the sake of simplification of the description, the direction in which the moving body 1 travels straight is referred to as the straight direction X, and the front in the straight direction X may be omitted as the front. Further, in the top view, the direction perpendicular to the straight direction X of the moving body 1 may be called the width direction Y, and in the side view, the direction perpendicular to the straight direction X is called the height direction Z. There is. As described above, in the present embodiment, the traveling direction of the moving body 1 is the straight traveling direction X.

The drive unit 11 is composed of four wheels and a drive source such as a motor. The drive unit 11 is not limited to this, and the number of wheels may be changed, a belt or the like may be used, and the moving body 1 may be allowed to travel and the traveling speed may be adjusted as appropriate. Just do it. The drive unit 11 appropriately controls the traveling speed and direction according to the instruction from the instruction determination unit 24.

The power supply 12 is a rechargeable battery, and for example, a lithium ion battery, a nickel hydrogen battery, a Ni-Cd battery, a lead battery, a fuel cell, an air battery, or the like may be used, and mainly has a traveling function, a distance detection function, and a communication function. Supply power to do.

The safety device 13 cuts off the supply of electric power from the power source 12 and forcibly stops the moving body 1. In ISO 13482, it is required to provide a safety device 13 so as to cut off the power supply to the power (safe stop) when the stop is determined. Specifically, in ISO 13482, when the risk is mitigated by using the safety-related control function, one or more protection functions must be provided, and the stop function by the protection function is the removal of electric power to the drive actuator, etc. It is stipulated that it is desirable to control the hazards that are protected by safety.

The safety detection unit 21 is an optical sensor (3D laser sensor 21a) that is attached to the front surface of the moving body 1 and uses LIDAR (Light Detection and Ringing). It receives the reflected light (reflected wave) from. As a result, the safety detection unit 21 detects the position and distance of the traveling surface 30 and the object to be detected. Specifically, the 3D laser sensor 21a uses a TOF (Time of Flight) method, irradiates a laser in the direction in which the distance is to be measured, and measures the time until the laser hits an object and the reflected light is returned. The distance to the object is measured. The 3D laser sensor 21a has a detection angle of about 50 ° in the vertical direction and a detection distance of 10 m. The safety detection unit 21 is not limited to laser light, and may radiate infrared rays, visible light, ultrasonic waves, electromagnetic waves, or the like for detection.

The safety range AR is a three-dimensional space, and is specifically set so as to spread in a fan shape from the safety detection unit 21 toward the front in the straight-ahead direction X. That is, the safety range AR expands in the height direction Z and in the width direction Y as the distance from the safety detection unit 21 increases. In the present embodiment, the distance (safety distance AW) of the safety range AR in the straight-ahead direction X is about 3 m, and the angle at which the safety range AR spreads is about 60 ° in top view. That is, the safety range AR is mainly defined as a range including the front in the vicinity of the moving body 1.

The detection wave emitted from the safety detection unit 21 is not limited to the safety range AR, and may be irradiated to a wider range. When the reflected wave from the object to be detected is detected, the range set as the safety range AR is set as the target of the safety judgment, and in the other range, the position of the object to be detected may be simply grasped.

The instruction detection unit 22 is an optical sensor attached to the front surface of the moving body 1, and may be a sensor that irradiates other than the laser beam, like the safety detection unit 21. In the present embodiment, the instruction detection unit 22 is a 2D laser sensor 22a having a detection distance of 10 m.

The instruction range SR is a flat surface, and is set so as to spread in a fan shape around the instruction detection unit 22. That is, the instruction range SR expands in the width direction Y as the distance from the instruction detection unit 22 increases. The indicated range SR does not extend in the height direction Z like the safety range AR, but is slightly inclined toward the traveling surface 30 in front. In the present embodiment, the distance of the instruction range SR (instruction distance SW) is about 5 m, and the angle at which the instruction range SR spreads is about 270 ° in the top view. That is, the indicated range SR is mainly a range including the front and side of the moving body 1. As shown in FIG. 2, the instruction range SR is set to include a distance from the safety range AR in the instruction direction (straight direction X) with the moving body 1 as the base point.

The safety auxiliary device 20 includes a CPU (not shown), stores the safety determination unit 23 and the instruction determination unit 24 as a program incorporated in advance, and executes the stored program to execute a process described later. .. The CPU may be commonly used by the mobile body 1 and the safety assist device 20. Further, although omitted in FIG. 3, the moving body 1 is provided with a storage device for storing the detection results of the safety detection unit 21 and the instruction detection unit 22 and various settings such as the traveling speed. May be good.

In addition to the safety detection unit 21 and the instruction detection unit 22, the moving body 1 may include, for example, a sensor that detects in a narrow range that covers the moving body 1, a camera that captures an image of the surroundings, and the like. ..

The safety detection unit 21 and the instruction detection unit 22 are arranged at overlapping positions in the top view. That is, the indicated range SR is set so as to include a distance from the safety range AR in the entire circumference except the starting point of the safety range AR in top view. In this way, since the coordinates when the safety detection unit 21 and the instruction detection unit 22 are viewed from above overlap, the process of aligning the coordinates in each other's detection results can be simplified, and the detection results can be output quickly. it can. Not limited to this, the instruction detection unit 22 may be arranged behind the safety detection unit 21. Thereby, the detection range of the instruction detection unit 22 can be set so as to cover the entire circumference of the safety detection unit 21.

The instruction determination unit 24 may use not only the detection result of the instruction detection unit 22 but also the detection result of the safety detection unit 21 for the instruction determination. That is, the instruction determination unit 24 may make an instruction determination with the instruction range SR farther than the safety range AR among the detection results of the safety detection unit 21. In this way, by using the safety detection unit 21 that is irradiated in a wide range in the height direction Z for the instruction determination, it is possible to prevent oversight of low obstacles.

Next, the processing flow of the safety assistance method in the safety assistance device 20 (moving body 1) will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing a processing flow of the safety assist method in the safety assist device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

In step S01, the safety detection unit 21 and the instruction detection unit 22 detect the object to be detected.

In step S02, the instruction determination unit 24 determines whether or not the object to be detected exists within the instruction range SR. As a result, if the object to be detected exists within the indicated range SR (step S02: Yes), the process proceeds to step S03. On the other hand, if there is no object to be detected within the indicated range SR (step S02: No), the process proceeds to step S04.

In step S03, the instruction determination unit 24 gives a deceleration / stop instruction to the moving body 1. Here, when the deceleration / stop instruction is given, the moving body 1 appropriately decelerates or stops according to the distance to the object to be detected, and stops before the object to be detected enters the safety range AR. Therefore, it is desirable that the instruction range SR is longer than the distance traveled in the instruction direction from the time when the instruction determination unit 24 gives an instruction to decelerate and stop to the time when the moving body 1 stops.

In step S04, the safety determination unit 23 determines whether or not the object to be detected exists within the safety range AR. As a result, if the object to be detected exists within the safety range AR (step S04: Yes), the process proceeds to step S05. On the other hand, when the object to be detected does not exist in the safety range AR (step S04: No), the process ends.

In step S05, the safety determination unit 23 activates the safety device 13. Then, when the safety device 13 is activated, the moving body 1 is cut off from the power supply and stopped, ending the process. Therefore, it is desirable that the safety range AR is longer than the distance traveled from the operation of the safety device 13 to the stop of the moving body 1 in the indicated direction, and shorter than the indicated range SR.

If the object to be detected is not detected, the safety assist device 20 repeats the processes shown in steps S01 to S05 described above. Further, if the moving body 1 is decelerated or stopped, it is sufficient to wait until the object to be detected moves out of the detection range.

In the present embodiment, the safety determination (step S04) is performed regardless of the result of the instruction determination (step S02), but the process may be such that the safety determination is not performed. That is, the safety determination unit 23 does not perform the safety determination when the device is decelerated or stopped (step S02: Yes). In this case, the moving body 1 may be instructed to decelerate / stop (step S03), and after a predetermined time has elapsed, the processing from step S01 may be performed again. That is, since it can be grasped that the object to be detected exists in the vicinity of the moving body 1 by the detection in the instruction range SR, the moving body 1 is expected to stop promptly, and the power supply is forced by not immediately performing a safe stop. The frequency of blocking can be reduced.

The safety assist method in the present embodiment is a safety assist method in the safety assist device 20 that assists the safety device 13 that cuts off the power supply to the mounted device, and is preset in the safety detection unit 21. A safety detection step for detecting an object to be detected in the safety range AR, an instruction detection step for causing the instruction detection unit 22 to detect an object to be detected within the preset instruction range SR, and a safety detection unit 23 for safety detection. A safety determination step for making a safety determination as to whether or not to operate the safety device 13 according to the detection result of the unit 21, and the instruction determination unit 24 decelerating or decelerating the device according to the detection result of the instruction detection unit 22. It includes an instruction determination step for making an instruction determination as to whether or not to stop. The instruction range SR is set to include a distance from the safety range AR in the instruction direction with the device as the base point.

As described above, in the safety assist device 20, since the instruction range SR is set farther than the safety range AR, if there is an object to be detected in the direction in which the device operates, an instruction is given before the safety determination is made. Judgment is made. As a result, it is possible to detect and avoid the occurrence of a safe stop by the safety device 13 in advance and reduce the damage caused by the forced power cutoff in the safe stop.

Further, by applying the safety assist device 20 to the traveling moving body 1, it is possible to instruct the moving body 1 to decelerate or stop before the object to be detected enters the safety range AR. The safety assist device 20 is not limited to the mobile body 1, and may be mounted on other devices.

In the safety determination in the present embodiment, by performing three-dimensional detection, oversight can be prevented and the safety device 13 can be reliably operated. In addition, in the instruction determination, a wide range of situations can be quickly grasped by performing flat detection.

The safety range AR and the indicated range SR are set in advance to a certain range, but the range is not limited to this, and the range may be set to change according to the traveling speed of the moving body 1. Specifically, the safety range AR and the indicated range SR are widened in the traveling direction when the traveling speed is increased, and narrowed in the traveling direction when the traveling speed is decreased. Further, the direction in which the range is changed is not limited to the front direction, and may be changed in the turning direction when the moving body 1 turns as described later. Further, not only the safety range AR and the indicated range SR may be changed, but also one of them may be changed. By changing the range in this way, it is possible to make a determination according to the traveling speed. That is, it is possible to excessively react to the object to be detected that has a sufficient margin before contact, or to brake the moving body 1 at an early stage when traveling at high speed.

(Second Embodiment)
Next, the moving body according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 5 is a schematic top view of the moving body according to the second embodiment of the present invention. The components having substantially the same functions as those of the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted.

In the second embodiment, the types of the safety detection unit 21 and the instruction detection unit 22 are different from those of the first embodiment. Specifically, the safety detection unit 21 is a bumper sensor 21b attached to the front surface of the moving body 1 and detects the presence or absence of an object to be detected by a force pressed when it comes into contact with an object. Therefore, the safety range AR substantially coincides with the safety detection unit 21. The instruction detection unit 22 is an ultrasonic sensor 22b provided on the front side of the moving body 1, and detects by a reflected wave from an object in the same manner as a laser beam. The instruction range SR is mainly a range including the front and the diagonal front of the moving body 1, and is set to include a distance from the safety range AR in the straight direction X.

In the present embodiment, the safety detection unit 21 and the instruction detection unit 22 are configured to detect the object to be detected by different methods. Therefore, if a plurality of detection methods are provided, it is possible to prevent erroneous detection such as oversight by detecting an object to be detected that is difficult to detect with one method by the other method.

(Third Embodiment)
Next, the moving body according to the third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 6 is a schematic top view of the moving body according to the third embodiment of the present invention. The components having substantially the same functions as those of the first embodiment and the second embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted.

In the third embodiment, the traveling direction of the moving body 1 is different from that in the first embodiment, and turning and slalom running are performed. Specifically, the safety detection unit 21 is an optical sensor (3D laser sensor 21a) as in the first embodiment, and the safety range AR is substantially the same. The instruction detection unit 22 is the front surface of the moving body, and is an ultrasonic sensor 22c provided at both ends in the width direction Y. The instruction range SR is diagonally forward of the moving body 1 and is a range corresponding to each instruction detection unit 22. That is, the safety range AR is sandwiched between the indicated range SR in the width direction Y.

As shown by the arrow R1 or the arrow R2 shown in FIG. 6, the moving body 1 moves diagonally forward in a curved line, and makes a turn or slalom running. Therefore, in the traveling direction of the moving body indicated by the arrow R1 and the arrow R2, the indicated range SR is located farther than the safety range AR.

The moving body 1 that appropriately changes the traveling direction may be a combination of the first embodiment and the third embodiment, or may be configured to include a plurality of instruction detection units 22. That is, when the moving body 1 goes straight, the instruction range SR in the first embodiment is applied, and when the moving body 1 turns, the instruction range SR in the third embodiment is applied, and so on. The indicated range may be switched according to the traveling direction of.

In addition to the above-described configuration, the safety detection unit 21 and the instruction detection unit 22 may combine LIDARs having different mirror drive methods. Specifically, the safety detection unit 21 may be a MEMS mirror type LIDAR. On the other hand, the instruction detection unit 22 is applied with a motor rotation mirror type LIDAR or the like having a wide detection range. By using the motor rotation mirror type LIDAR, it is possible to cover the range of the blind spot of the MEMS mirror type LIDAR and prevent a sudden safe stop.

Further, even when the same physical quantity is detected, sensors having different methods may be combined. For example, when a pyroelectric infrared sensor and a near infrared sensor are combined, the pyroelectric infrared sensor detects the differential amount of infrared rays, and the near infrared sensor detects the instantaneous value of infrared rays. Here, even if the near-infrared sensor causes halation due to irradiation with strong light or the like, the pyroelectric infrared sensor can detect the movement of the object to be detected from the amount of change in the detected value. ..

It should be noted that the embodiments disclosed this time are examples in all respects and do not serve as a basis for limited interpretation. Therefore, the technical scope of the present invention is not construed solely by the above-described embodiments, but is defined based on the description of the claims. It also includes all changes within the meaning and scope of the claims.

1 Moving body 11 Drive unit 12 Power supply 13 Safety device 20 Safety auxiliary device 21 Safety detection unit 22 Instruction detection unit 23 Safety judgment unit 24 Instruction judgment unit 30 Driving surface AR Safety range AW Safety distance SR Instruction range SW Instruction distance X Straight direction Y Width direction Z Height direction

Claims (13)

It is a safety assist device that assists the safety device that shuts off the power supply to the mounted equipment.
A safety detector that detects objects to be detected within a preset safety range,
An instruction detection unit that detects an object to be detected within a preset instruction range,
A safety determination unit that determines whether or not to operate the safety device according to the detection result of the safety detection unit.
It is provided with an instruction determination unit that determines whether to decelerate or stop the device according to the detection result of the instruction detection unit.
The device is a moving body traveling on a traveling surface, and is configured such that the power supply to the drive unit is cut off by the safety device.
The instruction range is set to include a distance farther than the safety range in the instruction direction with the device as a base point .
The safety determination unit is a safety assisting device that does not perform the safety determination when the device is decelerated or stopped . The safety assist device according to claim 1.
A safety assisting device characterized in that the indicated direction is the traveling direction of the moving body. The safety assist device according to claim 1 or 2 .
The safety assisting device is characterized in that the safety detecting unit and the instruction detecting unit detect an object to be detected by different methods. The safety assisting device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 .
The safety range is a three-dimensional space,
The instruction range is a safety assisting device characterized in that it is flat. The safety assisting device according to any one of claims 1 to 4 .
The safety assisting device is characterized in that the indicated range is set so as to include a distance farther than the safety range in the entire circumference except the starting point of the safety range in top view. The safety assisting device according to any one of claims 1 to 5 .
When the instruction determination unit detects an object to be detected within the instruction range, the device is decelerated, and the device is stopped before the object to be detected enters the safety range. .. The safety assisting device according to any one of claims 1 to 6 .
The safety auxiliary device is characterized in that, in the indicated direction, the safety range is longer than the distance traveled from the operation of the safety device to the stop of the device and shorter than the indicated range. The safety assisting device according to any one of claims 1 to 7 .
The safety assisting device is characterized in that the indicated range is longer than the distance traveled in the indicated direction from the time when the instruction determining unit receives an instruction to decelerate and stop until the device stops. The safety assisting device according to any one of claims 1 to 8 .
The safety assist device, characterized in that the safety range and / or the indicated range is set so that the range changes according to the traveling speed of the device. The safety assisting device according to any one of claims 1 to 9.
The instruction determination unit is a safety assisting device characterized in that the detection result of the safety detection unit is used for the instruction determination. A mobile body provided with the safety assist device according to any one of claims 1 to 10 . It is a safety assistance method in a safety assistance device that assists a safety device that shuts off the power supply to the mounted equipment.
A safety detection step that causes the safety detection unit to detect an object to be detected within a preset safety range,
An instruction detection step that causes the instruction detection unit to detect an object to be detected within a preset instruction range.
A safety determination step in which the safety determination unit makes a safety determination as to whether or not to operate the safety device according to the detection result of the safety detection unit.
The instruction determination unit includes an instruction determination step of causing the instruction determination unit to perform an instruction determination as to whether or not to decelerate or stop the device according to the detection result of the instruction detection unit.
The device is a moving body traveling on a traveling surface, and is configured such that the power supply to the drive unit is cut off by the safety device.
The instruction range is set to include a distance farther than the safety range in the instruction direction with the device as a base point .
A safety assisting method, characterized in that the safety determination unit does not perform the safety determination when the device is decelerated or stopped . A safety assistance program for causing a computer to perform each step according to claim 12.

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