JP2000135965A - Occupant detecting device and occupant protective system and air conditioning system using this device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To shorten processing time for detecting the existence of an occupant required for controlling a system by restricting occupant information to be detected in an occupant detecting device to quantity less than when a vehicle is put in a stopping state when the vehicle is put in a traveling state. SOLUTION: Distances L1 to L4 are detected. That is, the distances L1 to L4 corresponding to the respective irradiating dirctions are detected by a distance sensor (S16). Distance data on the detected distances L1 to L4 is transmitted to a control part (S17). Since an occupant existent state does not change when a vehicle travels, until the vehicle stops, the control part works well when there is only the distance data to monitor so that an occupant (a front passenger seat) does not excessively approach an unfolding area of an air bag. Information on the occupant is restricted by stopping to detect (to be judged by the control part) the existance, a posture and position data of an unnecessary occupant to shorten processing time of a microcomputer.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an occupant detection device for detecting whether an occupant is present in a vehicle, and more particularly to an occupant detection device in which the time required for occupant detection is reduced, an occupant protection system using the device, and Related to air conditioning systems.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Recently, airbags have been provided not only on the driver's seat side but also on the passenger's seat side. However, there is not always an occupant in the passenger seat at the time of a collision. It is wasteful to expand the, and it is desirable not to expand it. Therefore, there is an occupant detection device that detects whether or not an occupant is present in the passenger seat, and controls such that the airbag is not deployed when it is detected that there is no occupant in the passenger seat.

FIG. 7 is a view for explaining a conventional airbag control system. FIG.
FIG. 2B is a configuration block diagram of an occupant detection device, and FIG. 2C is a configuration block diagram of an airbag control system. Hereinafter, description will be made with reference to the drawings.

[0004] Reference numeral 11 denotes a head, a chest, a leg, and a foot of an occupant (hereinafter, the occupant is an occupant on the passenger seat side), which is set on a front grill or an upper part of a windshield, respectively. Distance L1 to the chest, distance L to the chest
2. A distance sensor for detecting a distance L3 to a leg and a distance L4 to a foot, and a pair of Cs having a plurality of infrared light receiving elements (photodiodes) arranged in a line.
It comprises a CD sensor, and superimposes the intensity distribution of light on the measurement target line (lateral direction) received by the two CCD sensors, and detects distances L1 to L4 to detection points representing the measurement target line by triangulation. Reference numeral 13 denotes an infrared light emitting unit (light source) including a light emitting diode or the like for compensating for a shortage of light amount to the distance sensor 11 when external light decreases at night or the like.
Reference numeral 14 denotes the presence or absence of an occupant based on the intensity distribution of light on the detected measurement target line (horizontal direction), the degree of divergence (i.e., the degree of divergence) of the distances L1 to L4 from the absence of the seat, the time series change, and the like. A control unit A (occupant detection control unit) configured by a microcomputer or the like for determining a posture, a position, and the like.

An acceleration sensor (G sensor) 21 detects acceleration applied to the vehicle due to a collision or the like. Reference numeral 23 denotes a control unit B (an airbag control unit) including a microcomputer or the like that determines whether or not to deploy the airbag based on data received from the control unit A14 of the occupant detection device and a detection signal from the acceleration sensor 21. ). + B is constituted by a battery power supply for deploying the airbag and a capacitor for complementing the abnormality in the battery power supply due to collision. Tr1 is a transistor for controlling the deployment of the airbag. An ignition signal output when the control unit B23 detects an acceleration equal to or more than a predetermined value when the occupant is seated in the passenger seat and is supplied to the base. An ignition current is supplied to Reference numeral 25 denotes a squib that generates gas by ignition and deploys the airbag. The control unit A14 and the control unit B23 connect each control device in the vehicle and transmit / receive information to / from a LAN (Local Area Ne).
network).

FIGS. 8A and 8B are diagrams for explaining a distance detection method, wherein FIG. 8A is a diagram showing an image formation state on a CCD, FIG. 8B is a diagram of a detection circuit, and FIG. 8C is a diagram of a detection signal waveform. FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining a method of detecting the presence / absence, posture, and position of the occupant.
(A) is an occupant measurement target line, (b) is (distance measurement distance)-(seat distance) of each measurement target line when unattended, and (c) is (range detection distance) of each measurement target line in normal posture. )-(Seat distance), (d) is (distance measurement distance)-(seat distance) of each measurement target line in the forward leaning posture. FIG. 10 is a flowchart of a process performed by the control unit A of the conventional occupant detection device.
FIG. 11 is a flowchart of a process performed by the control unit B of the conventional airbag control system. This process starts from the point when the engine start switch is turned on (the vehicle is stopped).

First, the processing performed by the control unit A of the occupant detection device will be described. As shown in FIG.
In step 1, the distances L1 to L4 are detected, and the process proceeds to step S102. That is, the distance sensor 11 detects the distances L1, L2, L3, and L4 in the directions of the occupant's head, chest, legs, and feet. The distance detection method will be described with reference to FIG. 8. Light emitted from a point P of a measurement object on a horizontal plane passes through lenses Q1 and Q2, and photodiodes PD of light receiving elements CCD1 and CCD2 composed of left and right line CCDs.
1. Reach points P1 and P2 on PD2. The distance from the measurement object (point P) to the lenses Q1 and Q2 is A, the distance from the lenses Q1 and Q2 to the light receiving elements CCD1 and CCD2 is f (focal length), and the distance between the two lenses Q1 and Q2 is B. Imaging points P1, P2 on light receiving elements CCD1, CCD2
And the distance between the centers of the lenses Q1 and Q2 is X1,
Assuming that X2, A = B × f / (X1 + X2) (1) holds (see FIG. 8A).

On the other hand, the photodiode PD (PD1, P
In D2), a photocurrent i flows according to the intensity of light from the object to be measured (point P) and is accumulated in the junction capacitance (see FIG. 8B). As a result, the potential at the point Q rises and the threshold Vth
, The sensor output S is inverted. The time until the inversion (response time) depends on the intensity of light. That is, the intensity of light is converted into a longer response time (see FIG. 8C).

Light emitted from the object to be measured (point P ') reaches P1' and P2 'on the photodiodes PD1 and PD2. The light intensity at this time is almost the same for both P1 'and P2', but differs from the arrival points P1 and P2 from point P because the brightness and distance of the object to be measured change. At this time, the sum of X1 'and X2' (not shown) becomes smaller than X1 and X2, and the distance A becomes larger than the distance A '. That is, the smaller the sum of X1 and X2 shown in Expression (1), the larger the distance A. Therefore, an element exhibiting the same response time is searched for in the left and right photodiodes PD1 and PD2, and the distance (X1 + X2) at each point including the points P and P 'is obtained. The detection distance A can be obtained by substituting the distance (X1 + X2) into the equation (1).

In step S102, the presence / absence, posture, and position of the occupant are detected, and the flow advances to step S103. That is,
The presence / absence, posture, and position of the occupant are determined from the distribution (on the line) of the detected distances L1 to L4 in each direction. A method of determining the presence / absence, posture, and position of the occupant will be described with reference to FIG.
The distances (seat distances) corresponding to the directions of the head, chest, legs, and feet when the occupant is not seated beforehand and the distances (distance measurement distances) L1, L2, L3, When the difference of L4, that is, (distance measurement distance)-(seat distance) is illustrated,
9 (b), the four lines to be measured become flat as shown in FIG. 9 (b), the distance becomes shorter by a distance corresponding to the human body as shown in FIG. 9 (c) in the normal posture, and FIG.
As shown in (d), of the distance corresponding to the human body, the head (L1) and the chest (L2) particularly corresponding to the upper body become extremely short.
As described above, the presence / absence, posture, and position of the occupant are determined from the pattern of each line of (ranging distance)-(seat distance).

In step S103, the presence / absence, posture, position data, and distance data of the occupant are transmitted to the control unit B, and the flow advances to step S104. That is, the detected or determined data is transmitted to the control unit B23 of the airbag control system via the LAN.

Next, the control unit B of the airbag control system
Will be described. In step S111, the presence / absence of an occupant, posture, position data reception, L1-L4 distance data reception, acceleration sensor output reception, and step S112
Move on to That is, data is received from the control unit A14 via the LAN.

In step S112, it is determined whether or not an occupant has been detected.
The process proceeds to step S115 if no occupant is detected. This determination is made based on the occupant presence / absence data received from the control unit A14.

In step S113, it is determined whether or not a collision has been detected. If a collision has been detected, the process proceeds to step S114. If a collision has been detected, the process returns to step S111 to repeat the data reception process. The collision is determined based on whether the acceleration sensor 21 detects an acceleration equal to or higher than a predetermined value.

In step S114, control is performed to deploy the airbag, and the process ends. That is, since the collision is detected by the acceleration sensor 21 and the occupant is detected in the passenger seat, the airbag is deployed to protect the occupant. The control unit B23 outputs an ignition signal to the transistor Tr1, and the path of the battery + B, the transistor Tr1, the squib SQ, and the ground is closed, and the airbag is deployed.

In step S115, control is performed so as not to deploy the airbag, and the process returns to step S111. That is, since there is no occupant in the passenger seat, it is not necessary to deploy the airbag even in the event of a collision, so that no ignition signal is output to the transistor Tr1 so that the airbag does not deploy, and therefore the airbag does not deploy.

In addition to such a method, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No.
As in JP 119715, based on the detected distance,
Some recognize adults and children and set the deployment speed of the airbag adapted to adults and children.

[0018]

In the conventional occupant detection apparatus, the distances of four points to the object to be measured are constantly detected, and based on the detection results, data on the presence / absence, posture, and position of the occupant are determined. The transmission to the airbag control unit is used to control the deployment of the airbag. However, as shown in FIG. 10, it takes a long time to detect the distance, determine the presence / absence of the occupant, and determine the posture and position.
Meanwhile, there is a problem that the microcomputers of the control units A and B are occupied.

If the occupant is too close to the deployment area of the airbag, there is a danger that the occupant will be repelled by the deployed airbag in the event of a collision, causing a serious accident.

Further, the air conditioning system has another problem that, for example, the passenger in the passenger seat is a child, but the air temperature in the passenger seat is unnecessarily lowered.

The present invention relates to an occupant detection system capable of shortening a processing time for detecting the presence or absence of an occupant necessary for controlling an occupant protection system such as an airbag and an efficient air conditioning system, an occupant protection system using the device, It is intended to provide an air conditioning system.

[0022]

According to the present invention, there is provided an occupant detection device for detecting various occupant information relating to an occupant on a seat, comprising: a traveling state detecting means for detecting a traveling state of a vehicle; Limiting means for limiting the occupant information to be detected by the occupant detection device to a smaller amount than when the vehicle is in a stopped state when the vehicle is in a running state based on a detection output from the running state detecting means. It is characterized by having.

Further, distance detecting means for measuring and detecting the distances of the occupants on the seat to the plurality of measuring objects, respectively, and based on each distance data to the plurality of measuring objects detected by the distance detecting means. And occupant detection means for detecting occupant data indicating the state of the occupant such as presence / absence, posture, and position of the occupant on the seat, wherein the various occupant information includes the plurality of distance data and the occupant data. It is characterized by being.

[0024] Further, the restricting means may include the occupant information,
The present invention is characterized in that the data is limited to only a plurality of distance data detected by the distance detecting means.

Further, the limiting means further limits only the distance data having the upper body of the occupant as an object to be measured among the plurality of distance data.

Further, when there is distance data whose distance to the object to be measured is equal to or less than a predetermined value, the limiting means limits the distance data to only the distance data equal to or less than the predetermined value. It is characterized by having.

When there are a plurality of distance data whose distance to the object to be measured is equal to or less than a predetermined value, the limiting means restricts the distance data to only the distance to the object to be measured having the smallest detected distance. It is characterized by doing.

Further, the distance detecting means detects one distance data from a plurality of detection points in one measuring object, and the limiting means reduces the number of detection points in each of the distance data. It is characterized by the following.

When the vehicle is in a running state and the presence of an occupant on the seat is not detected based on the occupant detection information, the limiting means operates the occupant information detecting means. Is stopped, and the plurality of distance data and the occupant data are all nullified.

Further, when the traveling state detecting means detects that the vehicle has stopped, there is provided releasing means for releasing the restriction of the restricting means.

In an occupant protection system using an occupant detection device for detecting various occupant information relating to an occupant on a seat, the occupant information includes distance data to a plurality of objects to be measured in the occupant and information on the seat. Receiving means for receiving occupant data indicating the state of the occupant; and warning means for issuing a warning when there is distance data equal to or less than a predetermined distance among the respective distance data received by the receiving means. It is a feature.

Further, in an occupant protection system using an occupant detection device for detecting various occupant information relating to an occupant on a seat, the occupant information includes distance data to a plurality of objects to be measured in the occupant and information on the seat. Receiving means for receiving occupant data indicating the state of the occupant, deploying means for deploying the airbag in the event of a vehicle collision, and no occupant being detected on the seat based on the occupant data received by the receiving means. Time, or at the time of collision of the vehicle, when there is distance data that is equal to or less than a predetermined distance among the distance data received by the receiving means, prohibiting means for prohibiting deployment of the airbag by the deploying means. It is characterized by having.

Further, in an occupant protection system using an occupant detection device for detecting various occupant information relating to an occupant on a seat, each occupant information includes distance data to a plurality of objects to be measured in the occupant and information on the seat. Receiving means for receiving the occupant data indicating the state of the occupant; deploying means for deploying the airbag at the time of a vehicle collision; and at the time of the vehicle collision, a predetermined distance or less of the distance data received by the receiving means. When the distance data exists, there is provided a relaxation means for relaxing the degree of deployment of the airbag by the deployment means.

Further, in an air conditioning system using an occupant detection device for detecting various occupant information relating to an occupant on a seat, in the occupant information, each distance data to a plurality of objects to be measured in the occupant and the information on the seat. Receiving means for receiving occupant data indicating the state of the occupant; and air conditioning control means for adjusting the air environment in the vehicle according to the occupant based on the occupant data and each distance data received by the receiving means. It is a feature.

Further, the distance detecting means passes through a pair of lenses disposed apart from the light from the object to be measured.
An image is formed on a pair of corresponding CCD light receiving elements,
D for detecting the distance to the measurement object from the shift of the imaging position on the light receiving element, and has an illuminating means for irradiating the measurement object with light, and the light receiving signal from the CCD light receiving element is It is characterized in that the lighting means is operated when it decreases.

Further, the distance detecting means passes through a pair of lenses disposed apart from the light from the object to be measured.
An image is formed on a pair of corresponding CCD light receiving elements,
D for detecting a distance from the shift of the image forming position on the light receiving element to the object to be measured, wherein the limiting means is a part of the plurality of CCD light receiving elements arranged at a predetermined interval. Characterized in that only the element of (i) is operated.

Further, storage means for storing the various occupant information, the running state of the vehicle, the impact state at the time of collision of the vehicle, the operating state of the occupant protection system, the operating state of the air conditioning system, and the like are provided. It is characterized by the following.

[0038]

1 is a diagram for explaining the configuration of an airbag control system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 (a) is a diagram showing an installation state of an airbag, and FIG. 1 (b) is a block diagram of a configuration of an occupant detection device. (C) is a configuration block diagram of the airbag control system. Hereinafter, description will be made with reference to the drawings.

Numeral 11 is installed on the front grill or on the windshield, and the distance L1 to the head, the distance L2 to the chest, the distance L3 to the legs, and the distance L4 to the feet of the occupant (passenger seat side) ( A distance sensor for detecting the distance data to the object to be measured), a pair of CCD sensors having a plurality of infrared light receiving elements arranged in a line, and a line to be measured received by two CCD sensors. The distance L to the detection point representing the line to be measured by triangulation by superimposing the intensity distribution of light on the (horizontal direction)
1 to L4 are detected. Reference numeral 12 denotes a vehicle speed sensor for determining whether the vehicle is running or stopped. 1
Reference numeral 3 denotes an infrared light emitting unit (corresponding to lighting means) including a light emitting diode or the like for compensating for a shortage of light amount to the distance sensor 11 at night or the like. Reference numeral 14 denotes the presence or absence of an occupant based on the intensity distribution of light on the detected measurement target line (horizontal direction), the degree of divergence (i.e., the degree of divergence) of the distances L1 to L4 from the absence of the seat, the time series change, and the like. A control unit A (corresponding to an occupant detection means in the occupant detection control unit) constituted by a microcomputer or the like for determining a posture, a position, and the like (corresponding to occupant data).

An acceleration sensor (G sensor) 21 detects acceleration applied to the vehicle due to a collision or the like. Reference numeral 23 denotes a control unit B (an airbag control unit) including a microcomputer or the like that determines whether or not to deploy the airbag based on data received from the control unit A14 of the occupant detection device and a detection signal from the acceleration sensor 21. ). 24 is a control unit A
Presence / absence, posture, position data, L1
This is a non-volatile EEPROM flash memory (storage means) for storing distance data and acceleration data of L4 to L4 in chronological order and using the latest data left at the time of the collision as data for situation analysis. + B is constituted by a battery power supply for deploying the airbag and a capacitor for complementing the abnormality in the battery power supply due to collision. Tr1 is a transistor for controlling the deployment of the airbag. An ignition signal output when the control unit B23 detects an acceleration equal to or more than a predetermined value when the occupant is seated in the passenger seat and is supplied to the base. An ignition current is supplied to Reference numeral 25 denotes a squib that generates gas by ignition and deploys the airbag. 26 is an alarm that warns that the occupant is too close to the deployment area of the airbag. The control unit A14 and the control unit B23 connect each control device in the vehicle and transmit / receive information to / from a LAN (Local).
Area Network).

First, the processing performed by the control unit A will be described. FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a process performed by the control unit A of the occupant detection device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. This process starts from the point when the engine start switch is turned on (the vehicle is stopped).

In step S11, the distances L1 to L4 are detected, and the flow advances to step S12. That is, the distance sensor 11
The distance L in the direction of the occupant's head, chest, legs, and feet
1, L2, L3 and L4 are detected. The CCD sensor C
The light emitting unit 13 is controlled to be turned on only when the light receiving signals from the CD 1 and the CCD 2 are small, thereby saving energy.

In step S12, the presence / absence of an occupant, posture,
The position is detected, and the process proceeds to step S13. That is, the posture and position of the occupant are determined from the distribution of the detected distances L1 to L4 in each direction.

In step S13, the presence / absence of an occupant, posture,
The position data and the distance data are transmitted to the control unit B, and the process proceeds to step S14. That is, the detected or determined data is transmitted to the control unit B of the airbag control system via the LAN.
23.

In step S14, it is determined whether or not the vehicle has changed from the stopped state to the running state. If the vehicle has changed to the running state, the process proceeds to step S15. If the stopped state continues, the process returns to step S11. Steps S11 to S14 are repeated. This judgment is made by the speed sensor 1
2 is performed with the speed data. That is, when the vehicle is in the running state, it is naturally impossible for the occupant to get in and out of the vehicle, and this is a process for assuming that the detection result of the presence or absence of the occupant detected so far does not change thereafter.

In step S15, it is determined whether or not an occupant has been detected. If an occupant has been detected, the process proceeds to step S16.
If no occupant is detected, the process moves to step S19. That is,
This is performed based on the determination in the process of step S12.

In step S16, the distances L1 to L4 are detected, and the flow advances to step S17. That is, the distance sensor 11
, Distances L1 to L4 corresponding to the respective irradiation directions are detected.

In step S17, the detected distances L1 to L1
The distance data of L4 is transmitted to the control unit B, and step S18 is performed.
Move on to Since the state in which the vehicle is running and the presence of an occupant does not change, until the vehicle stops, the control unit B23 uses distance data to monitor the occupant (passenger seat) so as not to be too close to the deployment area of the airbag. I just need. Detection of unnecessary occupant presence, posture, and position data (determined by the control unit A14) is stopped to limit information on the occupant, thereby reducing the processing time of the microcomputer.

In step S18, it is determined whether the vehicle has changed from the running state to the stopped state. If the vehicle has changed to the stopped state, the process returns to step S11. If the running state continues, the process returns to step S16. This determination is made based on the speed data from the speed sensor 12 of the vehicle. When the vehicle stops, it is expected that an occupant will get on and off (in this case, get off). In other words, when the vehicle is stopped, the presence or absence of an occupant may change. Therefore, it is necessary to return to step S11, detect the distance to the occupant, and detect the presence, absence, posture, and position of the occupant based on the result.

In step S19, the system is stopped to set in the standby mode, and the process proceeds to step S20. That is, since the vehicle is in a running state and no occupant is detected, it is impossible for the occupant to newly enter the passenger seat until the vehicle stops thereafter, and there is no need to perform the occupant detection process. The detection system (process) of the occupant detection device is stopped in order to give priority to the process of (1). Then, it waits until the vehicle stops (standby mode).

In step S20, it is determined whether or not the vehicle has changed from the running state to the stopped state. If the vehicle has changed to the stopped state, the procedure returns to step S11. If the running state continues, the procedure returns to step S19. This determination is made based on the speed data from the speed sensor 12 of the vehicle. When the vehicle stops, it is expected that an occupant will get on and off (in this case, get on). In other words, when the vehicle is stopped, the presence or absence of an occupant may change. Therefore, it is necessary to return to step S11, detect the distance to the occupant, and detect the presence, absence, posture, and position of the occupant based on the result.

Next, an airbag control system (occupant protection system) using the occupant detection device according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a process performed by the control unit B of the airbag control system according to the embodiment of the present invention. This process starts from the point when the engine start switch is turned on (the vehicle is stopped).

In step S81, the presence or absence of the occupant, the posture,
The process proceeds to step S82 after receiving the position data, receiving the distance data of L1 to L4, and receiving the output of the acceleration sensor. That is, L
The data is received from the control unit A14 via the AN.

In step S82, the received data is
The data is stored in the ROM, and the flow proceeds to step S83. That is, in order to leave data for situation analysis in the event of a collision, the presence / absence of an occupant, posture, position data, distance data of L1 to L4, and acceleration sensor output are stored in a non-volatile memory 24 (EEP).
ROM). Data is sequentially input to the memory 24, the old data is deleted, and the latest data is left.

In step S83, it is determined whether or not an occupant has been detected. If an occupant is detected, the process proceeds to step S84. If no occupant is detected, the process proceeds to step S90. This determination is made based on the occupant presence / absence data received from the control unit A14.

In step S84, the distances L1 to L4 are 5
It is determined whether or not there is an object having a size of 0 cm or less. If there is an object having a size of 50 cm or less, the process proceeds to step S85. If there is no object having a size of 50 cm or less, the process proceeds to step S86. This determination is made based on the distance data received from the control unit A14. Note that the control unit A14 of the occupant detection device may determine whether the distances L1 to L4 are equal to or less than 50 cm, and transmit the target distance data to the control unit B23 (FIG. (4) The occupant detection device according to the second embodiment. This distance is determined by the type of the vehicle, the size of the airbag, the deployment speed, and the like, for example.

In step S85, a warning is output, and the flow advances to step S86. That is, since the occupant is approaching the deployment area of the airbag and the occupant may be blown off by the pressure at which the airbag is deployed, a warning is given by the alarm 26 such as a buzzer or a speaker.

In step S86, it is determined whether or not a collision is detected, and if a collision is detected, the flow shifts to step S87.
If a collision is detected, the process returns to step S81 to repeat from the data receiving process. The collision is determined based on whether the acceleration sensor 21 detects an acceleration equal to or higher than a predetermined value.

In step S87, the distances L1 to L4 are 4
It is determined whether or not there is an object having a size of 0 cm or less. If there is an object having a size of 40 cm or less, the process proceeds to step S88. This determination is made based on the distance data received from the control unit A14. This distance is determined by the type of the vehicle, the size of the airbag, the deployment speed, and the like, for example.

In step S88, control is performed so as not to deploy the airbag, and the process ends. That is, it is necessary to detect the collision and deploy the airbag. However, since the occupant is approaching the deployment area of the airbag and may be injured by the impact due to the deployment of the airbag, the transistor Tr1 Does not output an ignition signal and therefore does not deploy the airbag. In this case, if the airbag is controlled not to deploy, the impact on the occupant cannot be absorbed, so the deployment speed is reduced and the airbag is controlled to deploy slowly so that the occupant does not repel. You may.

In step S89, control is performed to deploy the airbag, and the process ends. That is, since the collision is detected and the occupant is not approaching the deployment area of the airbag, the airbag is deployed. The control unit B23 outputs an ignition signal to the transistor Tr1, and the path of the battery + B, the transistor Tr1, the squib SQ, and the ground is closed, and the airbag is deployed.

In step S90, control is performed so as not to deploy the airbag, and the process returns to step S81. In other words, since there is no occupant in the passenger seat, there is no need to deploy the airbag even if a collision occurs, so that the airbag does not deploy,
The ignition signal is not output to the transistor Tr1, and the airbag does not deploy.

As described above, in this embodiment, after the engine start switch is turned on, the distance to the occupant is detected while the vehicle is stopped, and the presence / absence, posture, and position of the occupant are repeatedly detected based on the result. Are sequentially transmitted to the control unit B (airbag control unit) and are used for controlling the deployment of the airbag. Therefore, there is no possibility that the reliability of the airbag is reduced. In addition, since it is impossible for the occupant to get on and off while traveling, it is not necessary to determine the presence or absence of the occupant, and it is sufficient to monitor the distance to the occupant only based on the distance data so that the occupant does not approach the deployment area of the airbag And the processing time can be shortened.
Furthermore, if the occupant is not detected when the vehicle changes from stopping to running, the occupant cannot enter the vehicle until the vehicle stops thereafter, so that the distance detection processing can be omitted.

In this example, the distance to the occupant is four points (L
1 to L4) Although the case of detection has been described, since the purpose is to monitor the occupant so that the occupant does not approach the deployment area of the airbag when the vehicle enters a running state, the distances of all four points are detected. There is no need to send distance data. In other words, in order to monitor the most dangerous occupant's forward leaning posture, in particular, the distance to the upper body (for example, the head L1, the chest L2) where the distance greatly changes due to shaking during running of the vehicle, the movement of the occupant, and the like. The lower body (for example, the leg L3,
The processing time can be further reduced by omitting the detection of the distance to the foot L4).

Further, in this embodiment, an example in which the detection result of the occupant detection device is applied to the airbag control system has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this.
It can be applied to the control of the opening and closing of the air-conditioning vents in the car and the control of the air volume, so that the air conditioning system suitable for the occupant can be efficiently managed.

Hereinafter, another embodiment of the occupant detection device will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 4 shows a second embodiment of the present invention.
It is a flowchart of the process which the control part A of the occupant detection device of a Example performs. Note that the configuration of the apparatus is the same as that of the first embodiment, and a description thereof will be omitted. Further, this processing is started when the engine start switch is turned on (the vehicle is stopped).

In step S21, the distances L1 to L4 are detected, and the flow advances to step S22. That is, the distance sensor 11
The distance L in the direction of the occupant's head, chest, legs, and feet
1, L2, L3 and L4 are detected. In step S22, presence / absence, posture, and position of the occupant are detected, and step S23 is performed.
Move on to That is, the posture and position of the occupant are determined from the distribution of the detected distances L1 to L4 in each direction. In step S23, the presence / absence of an occupant, posture, position data, and distance data are transmitted to the control unit B, and the process proceeds to step S24. That is, the detected or determined data is transmitted to the control unit B23 of the airbag control system via the LAN. Step S2
In S4, it is determined whether the vehicle has changed from the stopped state to the running state.
Then, if the stop state continues, the process returns to step S21, and the processes from step S21 to step S24 are repeated. In step S25, it is determined whether or not an occupant has been detected. If an occupant is detected, the process proceeds to step S26. If no occupant is detected, the process proceeds to step S33. That is, the determination is performed based on the determination in the process of step S22.

In step S26, it is determined whether or not there is distance data equal to or less than 50 cm (a predetermined distance).
If the following distance data is at least one of the distances L1 to L4, the process proceeds to step S30. If there is no distance data of 50 cm or less, the process proceeds to step S27. This predetermined distance is set to a safe distance such that the occupant is not hit by the airbag even when the airbag is deployed. That is, only the distance data corresponding to the part of the occupant close to the deployed airbag is used for control. If the risk is high 5
When there are a plurality of distance data of 0 cm or less, the distance data corresponding to a portion (the smallest distance among L1 to L4) in which the most dangerous distance is the smallest among the plurality of distance data of 50 cm or less thereafter. Only the distance data to be performed may be detected. In this way, the processing time for distance detection can be further reduced.

In step S27, the distances L1 to L4 are detected, and the flow advances to step S28. That is, the distance sensor 11
, Distances L1 to L4 corresponding to the respective irradiation directions are detected. In step S28, the distance data of the detected distances L1 to L4 is transmitted to the control unit B, and the process proceeds to step S29.
In step S29, it is determined whether or not the vehicle has changed from the running state to the stopped state. If the vehicle has changed to the stopped state, the process returns to step S21. If the running state continues, the process returns to step S26.

In step S30, the distance of the line is detected, and the flow advances to step S31. That is, the part of the occupant approaching the airbag is mainly detected. Step S
At 31, the distance data of the corresponding line is transmitted, and the routine goes to Step S32. In step S32, it is determined whether the vehicle has changed from the running state to the stopped state. If the vehicle has changed to the stopped state, the process returns to step S21. If the running state continues, the process returns to step S30.

In step S33, the system is stopped, and the mode is set to the standby mode, and the process proceeds to step S34. That is, since the vehicle is in a running state and no occupant is detected, it is impossible for the occupant to get into the passenger seat until the vehicle stops thereafter. The detection system (process) of the occupant detection device is stopped in order to give priority to. Then, it waits until the vehicle stops (standby mode). In step S34, it is determined whether the vehicle has changed from the running state to the stopped state. If the vehicle has changed to the stopped state, the process returns to step S21. If the running state continues, the process returns to step S33.

As described above, in this embodiment, after the engine start switch is turned on, the distance to the occupant is detected while the vehicle is stopped, and the presence / absence, posture, and position of the occupant are repeatedly detected based on the result. Are sequentially transmitted to the control unit B (airbag control unit) and are used for controlling the deployment of the airbag. Therefore, there is no possibility that the reliability of the airbag is reduced. In addition, since it is impossible for the occupant to get on and off during traveling, it is not necessary to judge the presence or absence of the occupant, so that the occupant does not approach the deployment area of the airbag, especially because distance data close to the occupant is monitored. Time can be reduced.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a process performed by the control unit A of the occupant detection device according to the third embodiment of the present invention. still,
Since the configuration of the apparatus is the same as that of the first embodiment, the description is omitted. Further, this processing is started when the engine start switch is turned on (the vehicle is stopped).

In step S41, the distances L1 to L4 are detected, and the flow advances to step S42. That is, the distance sensor 11
The distance L in the direction of the occupant's head, chest, legs, and feet
1, L2, L3 and L4 are detected. In step S42, presence / absence, posture, and position of the occupant are detected, and step S43 is performed.
Move on to That is, the posture and position of the occupant are determined from the distribution of the detected distances L1 to L4 in each direction. In step S43, the presence / absence of an occupant, posture, position data, and distance data are transmitted to the control unit B, and the process proceeds to step S44. That is, the detected or determined data is transmitted to the control unit B23 of the airbag control system via the LAN. Step S4
In S4, it is determined whether the vehicle has changed from the stopped state to the running state.
Then, if the stop state is continued, the process returns to step S41, and the processes from step S41 to step S44 are repeated. In step S45, it is determined whether or not an occupant has been detected. If an occupant has been detected, the process proceeds to step S46. If no occupant has been detected, the process proceeds to step S50. That is, the determination is performed based on the determination in the process of step S42.

In step S46, the photodiodes PD of the light receiving elements CCD1 and CCD2 used for distance detection
1. The number of PD2 is halved, distances L1 to L4 are detected, and the process proceeds to step S47. That is, the distances L1 and L1 in the directions of the occupant's head, chest, legs, and feet are detected by the distance sensor 11.
When detecting L2 and L3, L4, for example, the number of photodiodes PD1 and PD2 in the light receiving unit is reduced to half and roughened. This processing lowers the resolution of the light receiving elements CCD1 and CCD2 and slightly lowers the accuracy of distance detection. However, since the distance is detected accurately while the vehicle is stopped, the presence or absence of an occupant does not change during traveling. Therefore, the occupant detection device does not make a mistake in the determination as a whole. The processing time can be shortened accordingly.

In step S47, the presence or absence of the occupant, the posture,
The position is detected, and the routine goes to Step S48. That is, the posture and position of the occupant are determined from the distribution of the detected distances L1 to L4 in each direction. Although the accuracy of the distance detection data is slightly reduced, there is no practical problem since the determination is made based on the result of accurately detecting the distance while the vehicle is stopped. Step S
At 48, the presence / absence of an occupant, posture, position data, and distance data are transmitted to the control unit B, and the routine goes to Step S49. That is,
The detected or determined data is transmitted to the control unit B23 of the airbag control system via the LAN. In step S49, it is determined whether or not the vehicle has changed from the running state to the stopped state. If the vehicle has changed to the stopped state, the process returns to step S41.
Return to 6.

In step S50, the system is stopped to set the standby mode, and the flow proceeds to step S51. That is, since the vehicle is in a running state and no occupant is detected, it is impossible for the occupant to get into the passenger seat until the vehicle stops thereafter. The detection system (process) of the occupant detection device is stopped in order to give priority to. Then, it waits until the vehicle stops (standby mode). In step S51, it is determined whether or not the vehicle has changed from the running state to the stopped state. If the vehicle has changed to the stopped state, the process returns to step S41. If the running state continues, the process returns to step S50.

As described above, in this embodiment, after the engine start switch is turned on, the distance to the occupant is detected while the vehicle is stopped, and the presence / absence, posture, and position of the occupant are repeatedly detected based on the result. Are sequentially transmitted to the control unit B (airbag control unit) and are used for controlling the deployment of the airbag. Therefore, there is no possibility that the reliability of the airbag is reduced. Further, since the occupant cannot get on and off during traveling, even if the accuracy of occupant detection is slightly sacrificed, there is no possibility that the deployment control of the airbag is mistaken, and the processing time can be reduced.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of a process performed by the control unit A of the occupant detection device according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. still,
Since the configuration of the apparatus is the same as that of the first embodiment, the description is omitted. Further, this processing is started when the engine start switch is turned on (the vehicle is stopped).

At step S61, distances L1 to L4 are detected, and the routine goes to step S62. That is, the distance sensor 11
The distance L in the direction of the occupant's head, chest, legs, and feet
1, L2, L3 and L4 are detected. In step S62, the presence / absence, posture, and position of the occupant are detected, and step S63 is performed.
Move on to That is, the posture and position of the occupant are determined from the distribution of the detected distances L1 to L4 in each direction. In step S63, the presence / absence of an occupant, posture, position data, and distance data are transmitted to the control unit B, and the process proceeds to step S64. That is, the detected or determined data is transmitted to the control unit B23 of the airbag control system via the LAN. Step S6
In step S65, it is determined whether the vehicle has changed from the stopped state to the running state.
Then, if the stop state is continued, the process returns to step S61, and the processes from step S61 to step S64 are repeated. In step S65, it is determined whether or not an occupant has been detected. If an occupant is detected, the process proceeds to step S66. If no occupant is detected, the process proceeds to step S69. That is, the determination is made based on the determination in the process of step S62.

In step S66, the photodiodes PD of the light receiving elements CCD1 and CCD2 used for distance detection
1. The number of PD2 is halved, distances L1 to L4 are detected, and the routine goes to Step S67. That is, the distances L1 and L1 in the directions of the occupant's head, chest, legs, and feet are detected by the distance sensor 11.
When detecting L2 and L3, L4, for example, the number of photodiodes PD1 and PD2 in the light receiving unit is reduced to half and roughened. This processing lowers the resolution of the light receiving elements CCD1 and CCD2 and slightly lowers the accuracy of distance detection. However, since the distance is detected accurately while the vehicle is stopped, the presence or absence of an occupant does not change during traveling. Therefore, the occupant detection device does not make a mistake in the determination as a whole. The processing time can be shortened accordingly.

In step S67, the detected distances L1 to L1
The distance data of L4 is transmitted to the control unit B, and step S68 is performed.
Move on to In step S68, it is determined whether or not the vehicle has changed from the running state to the stopped state. If the vehicle has changed to the stopped state, the process returns to step S21. If the running state continues, the process returns to step S61.

In the step S69, the system is stopped to set the standby mode, and the process proceeds to a step S70. That is, since the vehicle is in a running state and no occupant is detected, it is impossible for the occupant to get into the passenger seat until the vehicle stops thereafter. The detection system (process) of the occupant detection device is stopped in order to give priority to. Then, it waits until the vehicle stops (standby mode). In step S70, it is determined whether or not the vehicle has changed from the running state to the stopped state. If the vehicle has changed to the stopped state, the process returns to step S61. If the running state continues, the process returns to step S69.

As described above, in this embodiment, after the engine start switch is turned on, the distance to the occupant is detected while the vehicle is stopped, and the presence / absence, posture, and position of the occupant are repeatedly detected based on the result. Are sequentially transmitted to the control unit B (airbag control unit) and are used for controlling the deployment of the airbag. Therefore, there is no possibility that the reliability of the airbag is reduced. Further, since the occupant cannot get on and off during traveling, even if the accuracy of occupant detection is slightly sacrificed, there is no possibility that the deployment control of the airbag is mistaken, and the processing time can be reduced. Furthermore, even if only the distance data is used in the running state, the reliability does not decrease.

[0085]

As described above, according to the present invention, the processing time for detecting the presence or absence of an occupant necessary for controlling an occupant protection system such as an air bag or an efficient air conditioning system can be shortened, and the effect of saving energy can be obtained. To play. Furthermore, an occupant protection system and an air conditioning system that are more adapted to the occupant can be provided.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an airbag control system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a process performed by a control unit A of the occupant detection device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a process performed by a control unit B of the airbag control system according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a process performed by a control unit A of the occupant detection device according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a process performed by a control unit A of the occupant detection device according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of a process performed by a control unit A of the occupant detection device according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a conventional airbag control system.

FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining a distance detection method.

FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining a method of detecting the presence / absence, posture, and position of an occupant.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart of a process performed by a control unit A of the conventional occupant detection device.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart of a process performed by a control unit B of the conventional airbag control system.

[Explanation of symbols]

11 ··· Distance sensor, 24 ··· Memory, 12 ··· Vehicle speed sensor, 25 ···
..Squibs, 13,...
26 alarm device, 14 control unit A,
Tr1 ... Transistor, 21 ... Acceleration sensor, + B ... Battery, 23 ...
..Control unit B.

Continued on the front page F-term (reference) 2F065 AA00 AA01 AA06 AA31 AA61 BB05 CC16 DD06 FF09 FF24 FF42 FF64 GG07 GG12 GG22 JJ01 JJ02 JJ05 JJ16 JJ25 LL04 NN02 NN20 PP22 QQ23 QQ25 SS09 AFAAA BB04 GG65 GG71 HH30 NN09 QQ03 RR01 3D054 EE09 EE11 EE29 EE34 EE54 EE57 FF20

Claims (16)

[Claims] An occupant detection device for detecting various occupant information relating to an occupant on a seat, wherein: a traveling state detecting means for detecting a traveling state of the vehicle; and a vehicle traveling based on a detection output from the traveling state detecting means. An occupant detection device comprising: a limiter configured to limit occupant information to be detected by the occupant detection device to a smaller amount when the vehicle is in a stopped state than when the vehicle is stopped. 2. A distance detecting means for measuring and detecting a distance to a plurality of measuring objects of an occupant on a seat, and based on each distance data to the plurality of measuring objects detected by the distance detecting means. And occupant detection means for detecting occupant data indicating the state of the occupant, such as the presence or absence of an occupant on the seat, posture, position, etc., wherein the various occupant information includes the plurality of distance data and the occupant data. The occupant detection device according to claim 1, wherein 3. The occupant detection device according to claim 2, wherein the restriction unit restricts the occupant information to only a plurality of distance data detected by the distance detection unit. 4. The occupant according to claim 3, wherein the restricting means further restricts only the distance data having the upper body of the occupant as an object to be measured among the plurality of distance data. Detection device. 5. When there is distance data whose distance to the measurement object is equal to or less than a predetermined value among the plurality of distance data, the limiting means limits the distance data to only the distance data equal to or less than the predetermined value. The occupant detection device according to claim 3, wherein: 6. When there are a plurality of distance data whose distance to the measurement object is equal to or less than a predetermined value, the restriction means restricts only the distance data to the measurement object having the minimum detected distance. The occupant detection device according to claim 5, wherein 7. The distance detection means detects one distance data from a plurality of detection points in one measurement object, and the restriction means reduces the number of detection points in each of the distance data. 3. The occupant detection device according to claim 2, wherein 8. The operation of the means for detecting occupant information when the vehicle is in a running state and no occupant is detected on the seat based on the occupant detection information. 8. The occupant detection device according to claim 1, wherein the occupant detection device is stopped, and the plurality of distance data and the occupant data are all absent. 9. The vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising a release unit that releases the restriction of the restriction unit when the traveling state detection unit detects that the vehicle has stopped. Occupant detection device. 10. An occupant protection system using an occupant detection device for detecting various occupant information relating to an occupant on a seat, wherein each occupant information includes distance data to a plurality of objects to be measured in the occupant and information on the seat. Receiving means for receiving occupant data indicating the state of the occupant; and warning means for issuing a warning when distance data that is equal to or less than a predetermined distance is present among the distance data received by the receiving means. Characterized occupant protection system. 11. An occupant protection system using an occupant detection device that detects various occupant information relating to an occupant on a seat, wherein the occupant information includes distance data to a plurality of objects to be measured in the occupant and information on the seat. Receiving means for receiving occupant data indicating the state of the occupant; deploying means for deploying the airbag upon collision of the vehicle; and no occupant being detected on the seat based on the occupant data received by the receiving means. Time, or at the time of collision of the vehicle, when there is distance data that is equal to or less than a predetermined distance among the distance data received by the receiving means, prohibiting means for prohibiting deployment of the airbag by the deploying means. An occupant protection system characterized by comprising: 12. An occupant protection system using an occupant detection device for detecting various occupant information relating to an occupant on a seat, wherein the occupant information includes distance data to a plurality of objects to be measured in the occupant and information on the seat. Receiving means for receiving occupant data indicating the state of the occupant; deploying means for deploying an airbag at the time of a collision of the vehicle; and at a predetermined distance or less of the distance data received by the receiving means at the time of the collision of the vehicle. And an easing means for easing the degree of deployment of the airbag by the deployment means when the distance data exists. 13. An air conditioning system using an occupant detection device that detects various occupant information relating to an occupant on a seat, wherein each occupant information includes distance data to a plurality of measurement objects in the occupant and information on the seat. Receiving means for receiving occupant data indicating the state of the occupant; and air conditioning control means for adjusting the air environment in the vehicle according to the occupant based on the occupant data and each distance data received by the receiving means. An air-conditioning system characterized. 14. The distance detecting means forms an image on a pair of corresponding CCD light receiving elements through a pair of lenses disposed apart from the object to be measured, and
Detecting a distance to the measurement object from a shift of an image forming position on the light receiving element, comprising an illuminating unit for irradiating the measurement object with light, and reducing a light reception signal from the CCD light receiving element 3. The occupant detection device according to claim 2, wherein the illuminating means is operated when the occupant performs the operation. 15. The distance detecting means forms an image on a pair of corresponding CCD light receiving elements through a pair of lenses disposed apart from the object to be measured, and
Detecting the distance to the object to be measured from the shift of the imaging position on the light receiving element, wherein the limiting means includes a part of the plurality of light receiving elements of the CCD light receiving element arranged at a predetermined interval. The occupant detection device according to claim 7, wherein only the element is operated. 16. A storage means for storing the various occupant information, the running state of the vehicle, the impact state at the time of collision of the vehicle, the operating state of the occupant protection system, the operating state of the air conditioning system, and the like. Claim 1, Claim 2, Claim 3, Claim 4, Claim 5, Claim 6, Claim 7, Claim 8, Claim 9, Claim 14, or Claim 15 characterized by the following. Occupant detection device.