JP2011178298A - Vehicle control device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a vehicle control device which appropriately prevents a vehicle control such as unintentional starting of a drive source. <P>SOLUTION: The vehicle control device includes: operation detection means 20a-20c each detecting that a steering wheel 10, a shift knob 15 or a brake pedal 14 has been operated so as to output the detected result; and control means 40 controlling a power supply state or starting of the drive source based on the detected result. Human body communication means 30 is provided in each steering wheel 10, shift knob 15 and brake pedal 14. Information is transmitted and received between each of human body communication means 30 that corresponds to each of the operation detection means 20a-20c that have output the detected result. The control means 40 controls the power supply state or starting of the drive source on condition that the transmission and reception of information is established between each of human body communication means 30. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle control apparatus that performs vehicle control such as starting a drive source based on a vehicle state.

Conventionally, in a vehicle control apparatus that performs vehicle control such as starting of a drive source such as an engine or a motor based on a vehicle state, a door sensor, an engine hood sensor, a seat belt can be used without intentional operation by the owner. There is known a device capable of automatically starting an engine as a driving source on condition that a plurality of sensors such as a sensor, a brake sensor, and a touch sensor are all in an ON state (see, for example, Patent Document 1). ).
In the vehicle control device, seat check means is provided for checking whether or not a proper driver is seated in the driver's seat in order to prevent unintended engine start.

JP 2000-264166 A

  However, the above-described conventional vehicle control device is not driven by a driver alone, such as a brake sensor or a touch sensor, but is driven in the same manner even when a plurality of passengers perform sensor input simultaneously. The conditions for permitting the starting of the source and the like are satisfied. Therefore, there is a problem that there is a possibility that unintended starting of the drive source or the like cannot be prevented appropriately.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and provides a vehicle control device that can appropriately prevent vehicle control such as unintended start of a drive source.

  In order to solve the above problems, the invention described in claim 1 is provided for a purpose other than the purpose of switching the power supply state of the vehicle or starting the drive source of the vehicle, and a plurality of operation means operable by the occupant. (For example, the steering wheel 10, the shift knob 15, and the brake pedal 14 in the embodiment) and an operation detection that is provided for each of the plurality of operation means and detects that the operation means is operated and outputs a detection result. Means (for example, operation detection means 20a to 20c in the embodiment) and control means (for example, implementation) for controlling the power supply state or starting of the drive source based on the plurality of detection results output from the operation detection means. Control means 40) in the form of the vehicle control device, provided for each of the plurality of operation means to communicate the human body of the passenger Human body communication means (for example, the human body communication means 30 in the embodiment) that transmits and receives information, and the human body communication means is provided in the operation means corresponding to the operation detection means that outputs the detection result. The information transmission / reception is performed between the human body communication means, and the control means controls the power supply state or the start of the driving source on condition that the information transmission / reception is established between the human body communication means. Features.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the operation detection means is configured to apply the operation means when a pressure equal to or greater than a predetermined value is applied to the operation means provided with the operation detection means. It is a pressure-sensitive sensor that detects that the is operated.

  The invention described in claim 3 is the invention described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the information transmitted / received by the human body communication means is an identifier capable of identifying the human body communication means (for example, an identification ID in the embodiment). The control means controls the power supply state or start of the drive source based on an identifier included in the information that the transmission / reception is established.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the third aspect of the present invention, informing means (for example, in the embodiment) capable of notifying the occupant of an operation method for controlling the power supply state or starting of the driving source. Notification means H), wherein the notification means determines the content of the notification based on an identifier included in the information that the transmission / reception has been established.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the invention according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, the human body communication means is a measuring means capable of measuring the electrical characteristics of the human body of the occupant (for example, the embodiment). Measuring means 31), and the control means comprises storage means (for example, storage means 41 in the embodiment) for preliminarily storing electrical characteristics of the human body of the occupant, and the detection output outputted from the operation detection means Based on the result, the measured value measured by the measuring unit is compared with the stored value stored in the storage unit, and switching of the power supply state or starting of the driving source is limited based on the comparison result. Features.

  The invention described in claim 6 is the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the portable device is mounted on the vehicle and carried by an occupant (for example, the portable device K in the embodiment). A vehicle-side transceiver (for example, the vehicle-side transceiver 60 in the embodiment) that can transmit a response request signal and can receive a response signal transmitted from the portable device that has received the response request signal. The control means, when the transmission / reception of the information is established between the human body communication means, causes the vehicle-side transceiver to transmit the response request signal to the vehicle interior, and the vehicle-side transceiver transmits the portable device. The power supply state or the start of the drive source is controlled on condition that the response signal is received from the controller.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, as a plurality of vehicle operating means provided for purposes other than the purpose of switching the power supply state of the vehicle or starting the drive source of the vehicle, for example, a steering wheel, a shift knob, and When the operation detecting means detects that the occupant has operated the brake pedal or the like, the human body communication means if the human body communication means transmits / receives information using the occupant's human body as the communication path and the operation is performed by the same person Since the transmission / reception of information is established, the control means controls the power supply state or the start of the drive source. Therefore, there is an effect that it is possible to prevent the unintended switching to the power supply state and the start of the drive source from being performed as in the case where a plurality of operating means are operated simultaneously by a plurality of persons.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, in addition to the effect of the first aspect, the operation means is detected by detecting that the operation means is operated when a pressure of a predetermined value or more is applied to the operation means. On the other hand, the operation is detected only when the occupant intentionally operates, and transmission / reception by the human body communication means is not started when the operation means is accidentally touched. There is an effect that it is possible to suppress wasteful communication power consumption for transmitting and receiving means.

  According to the invention described in claim 3, in addition to the effect of claim 1 or 2, the human body communication means in which transmission / reception is established can be specified by the identifier. For example, the occupant operates only the steering wheel and the shift knob. Switch to the power supply state when the steering wheel, the shift knob, and the brake pedal are operated, and a different control pattern can be assigned according to the operation pattern of the plurality of operating means, such as starting the drive source when operating the steering wheel, shift knob, and brake pedal. This is possible and has the effect of improving convenience.

  According to the invention described in claim 4, in addition to the effect of claim 3, by specifying the human body communication means in which transmission / reception is established by the identifier, and determining the notification content according to this specification result, for example, Since it is possible to notify the occupant of an operation method for performing control other than the control corresponding to the operation, even an occupant unfamiliar with the operation can easily perform an operation for performing desired control. There is an effect that can be done.

  According to the invention described in claim 5, in addition to the effect of any one of claims 1 to 4, it is compared with the electrical characteristics of the occupant's human body stored in the storage means, such as impedance and dielectric constant. Thus, when the electrical characteristics of the human body measured by the measuring means are significantly different, it can be detected that the person is not a regular occupant. There is an effect that it is possible to improve the security by limiting the starting of the source.

  According to the invention described in claim 6, in addition to the effect of any one of claims 1 to 5, when the response signal of the portable device carried by the passenger is received by the vehicle-side transceiver, the portable device is Since it can be determined that the vehicle is present in the room, it is possible to switch to the power supply state and start the drive source in a state where it can be estimated that a regular occupant is on board.

It is a perspective view of a vehicle interior showing the arrangement of operation means in the first embodiment of the present invention. It is a block diagram which shows schematic structure of the vehicle control apparatus in 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of the vehicle control apparatus in 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of the vehicle control apparatus in 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows schematic structure of the vehicle control apparatus in 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of the vehicle control apparatus in 2nd Embodiment of this invention.

Next, a vehicle control apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 shows the periphery of a driver's seat 2 of a right-hand drive vehicle on which the vehicle control device 1 of this embodiment is mounted. Moreover, FIG. 2 has shown schematic structure of the vehicle control apparatus 1 of this embodiment. A steering wheel 10 constituting a steering device is disposed in front of the driver's seat 2 of the vehicle, a transmission shift lever 12 is disposed in the center console 11, and an accelerator pedal 13 and a foot pedal in front of the driver's seat are disposed. A brake pedal 14 is arranged. The steering wheel 10, the shift lever 12, the accelerator pedal 13, and the brake pedal 14 are operation means operated by the driver's limbs.
The steering wheel 10 is provided with operation detection means 20a for detecting the operation of the occupant. The operation detection means 20a is a pressure sensor that is attached to the rim portion 10a of the steering wheel 10 and detects that the steering wheel 10 has been operated when a pressure equal to or greater than a predetermined value is applied. Here, the pressure equal to or higher than the predetermined value is a pressure value set in advance so that it can be clearly determined that the occupant has intentionally operated the steering wheel 10.

  Similar to the steering wheel 10, the operation detection means 20 b is attached to the shift knob 15 of the shift lever 12, and the operation detection means 20 c is attached to the brake pedal 14. The operation detection unit 20b is a pressure-sensitive sensor that detects that the shift knob 15 is operated when a pressure equal to or greater than a predetermined value is applied. The operation detection unit 20c is configured when a pressure equal to or greater than a predetermined value is applied. It is a pressure-sensitive sensor that detects that the brake pedal 14 has been operated. These operation detection means 20a to 20c are each connected to the control means 40 and output the detection results to the control means 40, respectively. Note that the predetermined value in the operation detection means 20b is a pressure value that can be determined that the occupant has intentionally operated the shift knob 15 intentionally, and the predetermined value in the operation detection means 20c is clearly the occupant. The pressure value is such that it can be determined that the brake pedal 14 is operated intentionally. For the brake pedal 14 described above, a brake pedal sensor (not shown) that detects the operation of the brake pedal 14 may be used instead of the operation detection means 20c.

The steering wheel 10, the shift knob 15, and the brake pedal 14 are provided with human body communication means 30 for performing human body communication.
The human body communication means 30 starts operating based on the control command of the control means 40, and communicates the human body of the occupant who is operating at least two of the steering wheel 10, the shift lever 12, and the brake pedal 14 simultaneously. By transmitting weak radio waves as a road, data communication is performed by the human body communication means 30 at the place touched by the occupant. That is, as a condition for establishing a communication path by the human body, the same occupant must contact the steering wheel 10, the shift lever 12, and the brake pedal 14 at a plurality of locations.

  In addition, each human body communication means 30 provided in the steering wheel 10, the brake pedal 14, and the shift knob 15 stores a unique identification ID in advance, and transmits this identification ID during data communication. Another identification ID transmitted via the human body is received. Then, the received identification ID is output to the control means 40.

  The control means 40 determines whether two or more operations among the steering wheel 10, the brake pedal 14, and the shift knob 15 are detected based on the detection results of the operation detection means 20a to 20c. If all the operations are detected, it is determined whether all three operations are detected. And when it determines with two or more operation mentioned above and three operation having been detected based on the detection result of operation detection means 20a-20c, transmission / reception of identification ID by all the human body communication means 30 is started.

  For example, when an occupant operates the steering wheel 10 and the brake pedal 14 and transmission / reception is established between the human body communication means 30 of the steering wheel 10 and the human body communication means 30 of the brake pedal 14, the steering wheel 10 The identification ID of the human body communication means 30 is received by the human body communication means 30 of the brake pedal 14, and the identification ID of the human body communication means 30 of the brake pedal 14 is received by the human body communication means 30 of the steering wheel 10. The identification ID received by the human body communication means 30 is input to the control means 40.

  When the information of the received identification ID is input from the human body communication unit 30 that has received the identification ID by transmission / reception between the human body communication units 30, the control unit 40 determines that transmission / reception by the human body communication unit 30 has been established, The human body communication means 30 in which transmission / reception is established is specified by the identification ID. When the transmission / reception by the human body communication unit 30 is established, at least two identification IDs are input to the control unit 40.

  The control means 40 includes an identification ID of the human body communication means 30 of the steering wheel 10 (hereinafter simply referred to as an identification ID of the steering wheel 10) and an identification ID of the human body communication means 30 of the brake pedal 14 (hereinafter simply referred to as identification of the brake pedal 14). ID) and the identification ID of the human body communication means 30 of the shift knob 15 (hereinafter simply referred to as the identification ID of the shift knob 15) and a plurality of vehicle controls are stored in association with each other using a table or the like. .

  When the human body communication means 30 is provided for the steering wheel 10, the brake pedal 14, and the shift knob 15, the combination of identification IDs is the combination of the identification ID of the steering wheel 10 and the identification ID of the brake pedal 14, and the identification ID of the steering wheel 10. And a combination of an identification ID of the shift knob 15, a combination of an identification ID of the brake pedal 14 and an identification ID of the shift knob 15, and a combination of an identification ID of the steering wheel 10, an identification ID of the brake pedal 14 and an identification ID of the shift knob 15. . Different vehicle controls are associated with the combinations of these identification IDs. It should be noted that a combination of identification IDs that do not require vehicle control can be set to blank without associating vehicle control.

  When two identification IDs and three identification IDs are input from among the identification IDs described above, the control means 40 performs vehicle control associated with a combination of identification IDs input from among a plurality of vehicle controls. The vehicle control is specified and specified. For example, when two identification IDs of the brake pedal 14 and the shift knob 15 are input, the changeover switch 50 (see FIG. 2) having the function of an ignition switch is switched to the accessory (ACC) ON in the power supply state. When the vehicle control is performed and three identification IDs of the steering wheel 10, the brake pedal 14, and the shift knob 15 are input, the changeover switch 50 is controlled to automatically control the driving source such as the engine and the motor. The vehicle control for starting is started. The vehicle control corresponding to the combination of the identification IDs is an example and may be set as appropriate.

  In addition, the control unit 40 notifies the operation method for performing vehicle control other than the vehicle control corresponding to the current combination of identification IDs when the transmission / reception by the human body communication unit 30 is established. (See 2). For example, when an identification ID of a combination corresponding to vehicle control for switching to accessory ON is input to the control means 40, an operation method for causing the control means 40 to input an identification ID corresponding to vehicle control for starting the drive source When the identification ID of the combination corresponding to the vehicle control for starting the drive source is input to the control means 40, the identification ID corresponding to the vehicle control to be switched to the accessory ON is notified. An operation method for causing the control means 40 to input is notified to the occupant by the notification means H. The notification means H is constituted by, for example, a multi-information display (not shown) or a speaker (not shown) arranged on a meter panel or the like.

  Connected to the control means 40 is a vehicle-side transceiver 60 that performs communication with a portable device (FOB) K carried by an occupant only in the passenger compartment. The control means 40 transmits a response request signal to the portable device K and can receive a response signal from the portable device K before transmission / reception by the plurality of human body communication means 30 is established and the vehicle control described above is performed. Only, switching to accessory ON by the changeover switch 50, which is the vehicle control described above, or starting of the drive source is permitted. Thus, by confirming that the portable device K exists in the vehicle interior, security can be improved and further safety can be improved.

The vehicle control device 1 of this embodiment has the above-described configuration, and the operation of the vehicle control device 1 will be described next with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS. 3 and 4.
First, when a user having the portable device K outside the vehicle compartment performs an unlocking operation, the vehicle door is unlocked (step S01) and the vehicle control device 1 is activated (step S02).
Next, the operation is detected by two or more operation detection means among the operation detection means 20a of the steering wheel 10, the operation detection means 20b of the brake pedal 14, and the operation detection means 20c of the shift knob 15 by the control means 40. It is determined whether or not there is an operation (step S03). If it is determined that two or more operations have not been detected as a result of this determination (No in step S03), the operation detection means 20a to 20c is determined until it is determined that two or more operations have been detected. Continue monitoring.

  On the other hand, when two or more operations are detected among the operation detection unit 20a of the steering wheel 10, the operation detection unit 20b of the brake pedal 14, and the operation detection unit 20c of the shift knob 15, three operations are subsequently performed. It is determined whether or not it has been detected (operation is present) (step S04). As a result of this determination, when it is determined that three operations are detected, a combination of identification IDs (communication IDs) input to the control means 40 after transmission / reception is established by the human body communication means 30 is specified. Then, it is determined whether or not this combination is a combination of identification IDs corresponding to vehicle control for starting (IG) the drive source (step S05). As a result of this determination, if it is determined that the combination of identification IDs corresponding to the vehicle control for starting the drive source (Yes in step S05), it can be determined that three operations are performed by the same person, Next, it is determined whether or not the portable device K is present in the vehicle interior (there is an in-vehicle FOB) (step S06).

As a result of this determination, if it is determined that there is a portable device K in the vehicle interior (Yes in step S06), the ignition switch (IG) is turned on by the changeover switch 50, that is, the drive source is started (step S07). A series of processing is once ended.
On the other hand, as a result of the determination, if it is not determined that the portable device K is present in the vehicle interior (No in step S06), the absence of the portable device K in the vehicle interior (in-vehicle FOB confirmation), for example, a warning display or warning Control for notifying the occupant is performed (step S09), and the series of processes described above is temporarily terminated.

  Further, it is determined that three operations are detected (Yes in step S04), and the combination of identification IDs input to the control means 40 is a combination of identification IDs corresponding to vehicle control that starts (IG) the drive source. If it is determined that it is not (No in step S05), control is performed to notify the occupant that the human body communication is not correctly performed, that is, the operation is not performed by the same person (step S08). The process is temporarily terminated.

  On the other hand, the operation is detected by two or more operation detection means among the operation detection means 20a of the steering wheel 10, the operation detection means 20b of the brake pedal 14, and the operation detection means 20c of the shift knob 15 (operations). (Yes in step S03) and if it is not determined that an operation has been detected by all three operation detection means 20a to 20c (No in step S04), transmission / reception is performed by the human body communication means 30. Whether a combination of identification IDs (communication IDs) established and input to the control means 40 is specified and this combination is a combination of identification IDs corresponding to vehicle control for switching the changeover switch 50 to the accessory (ACC) ON. Is determined (step S21).

  As a result of this determination, if it is determined that the combination of identification IDs corresponding to the vehicle control to be switched to accessory ON (Yes in step S21), it is determined whether or not there is a portable device K (with in-vehicle FOB) in the vehicle interior. Determination is made (step S22). As a result of the determination, if it is determined that the portable device K is in the vehicle interior (Yes in step S22), the vehicle control for switching to the accessory ON by the changeover switch 50 is performed (step S07), and the drive source is started. For this purpose, control is performed to notify the occupant which part should be touched at the same time in order to start the drive source (step S24), and the above-described series of processes is temporarily terminated.

  On the other hand, as a result of the determination, if it is not determined that the portable device K is present in the vehicle interior (No in step S22), the absence of the portable device K in the vehicle interior (in-vehicle FOB confirmation), for example, a warning display or a warning sound Control for notifying the occupant is performed, and the series of processes described above is temporarily terminated.

  If it is determined that the combination of identification IDs input to the control means 40 is not a combination of identification IDs corresponding to vehicle control for switching to accessory ON (No in step S21), switching for switching to accessory ON. A control (switching method) is performed to notify the occupant which part should be touched at the same time to switch to the accessory ON (step S25), and the above-described series of processing is temporarily terminated.

  Therefore, according to the vehicle control apparatus 1 of the above-described embodiment, the steering wheel 10 and the shift knob 15 which are a plurality of operation means provided for purposes other than the purpose of switching the vehicle accessory to ON or starting the vehicle drive source. When the operation detecting means 20a to 20c detect that the occupant operates the brake pedal 14, information is transmitted and received by the human body communication means 30 using the occupant's human body as a communication path, and the operation by the same person is performed. In this case, since the transmission / reception of information by the human body communication means 30 is established and the vehicle is controlled by the control means 40 to switch to accessory ON or start the drive source, a plurality of operation means are conventionally operated by a plurality of passengers. If these operations are performed at the same time, unintentional switching to the power supply state or starting of the drive source will be performed. It is possible to prevent.

  Further, the operation detection means 20a to 20c is a pressure-sensitive sensor that detects that a pressure of a predetermined value or more is applied, so that the occupant intends for the steering wheel 10, the shift knob 15, and the brake pedal 14. Since the operation is detected by the operation detection means 20a to 20c only when the operation is performed, transmission / reception by the human body communication means 30 is not started when the steering wheel 10, the shift knob 15, and the brake pedal 14 are accidentally touched. As a result, it is possible to prevent malfunction of the operation detection means 20a to 20c and to suppress wasteful communication power consumption for transmission / reception of the human body communication means 30.

  Since the human body communication means 30 in which transmission / reception is established can be specified by the identification ID, for example, when the occupant is operating only the steering wheel 10 and the shift knob 15, the accessory is switched on, and the steering wheel 10 and the shift knob 15 are switched. In addition, it is possible to assign different control patterns according to the operation patterns of a plurality of operation means, such as starting the drive source when the brake pedal 14 is operated, which improves convenience.

  An operation method for performing different vehicle control other than the vehicle control corresponding to the current operation by specifying the human body communication means 30 in which transmission / reception is established by the identification ID and determining the notification content according to the identification result. Therefore, even an occupant unfamiliar with the operation can easily perform an operation for performing desired control.

  Further, when the response signal of the portable device K carried by the occupant is received by the vehicle-side transceiver 60, it can be determined that the portable device K is present in the passenger compartment, so that it can be estimated that the regular occupant is in the vehicle. Since it is possible to perform vehicle control such as accessory ON switching control and drive source start control, security can be improved.

  Next, a vehicle control apparatus 101 according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. The vehicle control apparatus 101 according to the second embodiment adds the measuring means 31 for measuring the electrical characteristics of the human body to the human body communication means 30 according to the first embodiment described above, and the transmission / reception of the human body communication means 30 is established. Is added to the process of determining whether or not the vehicle is a regular occupant based on the notification of the input reception by, and the measurement result of the measuring means 31. The same parts as those of the vehicle control device 1 of the first embodiment described above are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted.

  FIG. 5 shows a schematic configuration of the vehicle control apparatus 101 of the second embodiment. The vehicle control device 101 is similar to the vehicle control device 1 of the first embodiment described above, in that the operation detection means 20a and the human body communication means 30 provided on the steering wheel 10, and the operation detection means provided on the brake pedal 14. 20 c and human body communication means 30, operation detection means 20 b and human body communication means 30 provided on the shift knob 15, and control means 40. The operation detection means 20a to 20c, the human body communication means 30, the changeover switch 50, the vehicle-side transceiver 60, and the notification means H are connected to the control means 40, respectively.

  Each of the human body communication means 30 includes a measurement means 31 that measures the electrical characteristics of the human body. When the communication path by human body communication is established, the measuring unit 31 measures the impedance as the electrical characteristics of the human body by changing the frequency of the radio wave, or measures the dielectric constant based on the impedance, for example. . The human body communication means 30 outputs the measured value of the electrical characteristics to the control means 40.

  The control means 40 includes a storage means 41 in which a stored value of the electrical characteristics of the human body of a regular occupant is stored in advance. The control means 40 compares the stored value of the electrical characteristics stored in the storage means 41 with the measured value of the electrical characteristics of the human body measured by the measurement means 31 described above, and as a result of this comparison, the storage means 41 If the measured value of the electrical characteristics of the human body deviates by more than a preset threshold value from the stored value stored in the vehicle, it is determined that the vehicle is not a regular occupant and vehicle control is restricted. Then, starting of the drive source by the changeover switch 50 is prohibited. Note that the above-described predetermined threshold is a threshold for determining that it is clearly different from the electrical characteristics of a regular occupant, and is determined empirically (or experimentally), for example. .

Next, the operation of the vehicle control apparatus 101 of this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. In the second embodiment, an example in which vehicle control for switching to accessory ON is omitted and only vehicle control for starting a drive source is performed will be described.
First, based on the detection result of the operation detection means 20c of the brake pedal 14, it is determined whether or not there is a brake operation (brake depression) (step S31). If it is determined that there is no brake operation (No in step S31), this series of processes is temporarily terminated. On the other hand, when it is determined that there is a brake operation (Yes in step S31), the vehicle control device 101 is activated (step S32). In the second embodiment, an example is shown in which the vehicle control apparatus 101 is activated with a brake operation performed as a trigger. However, as in the first embodiment, the vehicle is activated with a door unlock as a trigger. Also good.

  Next, whether or not the identification IDs at all three places are input to the control means 40 from the human body communication means 30 provided on the steering wheel 10, the brake pedal 14, and the shift knob 15 (whether all the three IDs are OK). Is determined (step S33). As a result of this determination, if all three identification IDs are not input to the control means 40 (No in step S33), the simultaneous operation to the three places by the same person is not performed, so this series of processing Is temporarily terminated. On the other hand, when all of the above three identification IDs are input to the control means 40 (Yes in step S33), since the same person is simultaneously operating the above three places, the notification means H is controlled. Then, the input acceptance display indicating that the simultaneous operation input has been accepted is turned on (step S34), and the input acceptance buzzer is turned on (step S35).

  Then, the measurement means 31 of each human body communication means 30 measures the impedance and dielectric constant as the electrical characteristics of the human body (step S36), and this measured value and the electrical characteristics of the normal occupant stored in the storage means 41 in advance. To determine whether or not the vehicle is a regular occupant (registered user) (step S37). As a result of this determination, if it is determined that the vehicle is not a regular occupant (Yes in step S37), vehicle control for starting the drive source is prohibited (step S40), and this series of processing is temporarily terminated. On the other hand, when it is not determined that the vehicle is not a regular occupant, that is, when it is estimated that the vehicle is a regular occupant (step S37), for example, the seat position of the driver's seat, the position of the side mirror (not shown), etc. A control signal for adjusting the position so as to obtain a customized state registered in advance for the passenger is output to an actuator (not shown) (step S38), and then the start of the drive source is permitted to start the drive source. The control signal for vehicle control is output to the changeover switch 50 (step S39).

Therefore, according to the vehicle control apparatus 101 of the second embodiment described above, the electrical characteristics of the human body measured by the measuring means 31 are compared with the electrical characteristics of the human body of the regular occupant stored in the storage means 41. If the characteristics are significantly different, it can be detected that the passenger is not a regular occupant, and therefore vehicle control that starts the drive source when it is detected that the vehicle is not operated by a regular occupant is prohibited to improve security. Can do.
When all three identification IDs are input to the control means 40, the passenger can recognize the establishment of transmission / reception by the human body communication means 30 by turning on the input acceptance display by the notifying means H and turning on the buzzer. .
Furthermore, when it is not determined that the vehicle is not a regular occupant based on the measurement result of the measuring means 31, the vehicle can be controlled in a customized state of a registered regular occupant, so that convenience can be improved.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various design changes can be made without departing from the scope of the invention.
In the above embodiment, the case where the steering wheel 10, the shift knob 15, and the brake pedal 14 are used as an example of the operation means has been described. However, if the operation means can be operated simultaneously by one occupant, the steering wheel 10, the shift knob 15, And it is not restricted to the brake pedal 14.
Further, in the above-described embodiment, the case where the operation detection units 20a to 20c and the human body communication unit 30 are provided for the three operation units of the steering wheel 10, the shift knob 15, and the brake pedal 14 has been described. Alternatively, four or more operation means may be provided.

In the above-described embodiment, the case where the propagation method is used as the human body communication unit 30 has been described. However, when the method is applied only to the operation unit that directly contacts the occupant's skin during the operation, a weak current is transmitted to the human body. A so-called current type human body communication means for communication may be applied.
Further, it has been described whether or not the portable device K is present in the vehicle interior and the vehicle control is not performed when the portable device K is not present in the vehicle interior. The configuration for determining and controlling the vehicle control may be omitted.

  Further, in the above-described second embodiment, when it is not determined that the vehicle is not a regular occupant based on the measurement result by the measuring unit 31 (when it is estimated that the vehicle is a regular occupant), the vehicle is registered in the registered customized state. Although the control (step S38) and the case of permitting the vehicle control to start the drive source (step S39) have been described, the vehicle control for switching to the power supply state (accessory ON) described in the first embodiment is added. May be. And vehicle control which switches to a power supply state may be permitted only when it is not determined that it is a regular occupant based on the measurement result of the measurement means 31 (when it is estimated that it is a regular occupant). Accordingly, it is possible to improve security with respect to the vehicle control for switching to the power supply state in the same manner as the vehicle control for starting the drive source.

10 Steering wheel (operating means)
14 Brake pedal (operating means)
15 Shift knob (operating means)
20a to 20c Operation detection means 30 Human body communication means 31 Measurement means 40 Control means 41 Storage means 60 Vehicle side transceiver H Notification means K Portable device

Claims (6)

A plurality of operation means provided for purposes other than the purpose of switching the power supply state of the vehicle or starting the drive source of the vehicle, and operable by the occupant;
An operation detection means provided for each of the plurality of operation means to detect that the operation means has been operated and to output a detection result;
In a vehicle control device comprising: control means for controlling the power supply state or starting of the drive source based on a plurality of the detection results output from the operation detection means;
Human body communication means provided for each of the plurality of operation means and performing transmission / reception of information using the human body of the occupant as a communication path,
The human body communication means transmits and receives the information between the human body communication means provided in the operation means corresponding to the operation detection means that outputs the detection result,
The vehicle control apparatus, wherein the control means controls the power supply state or the start of the drive source on condition that the transmission / reception of the information is established between the human body communication means.   The operation detection means is a pressure-sensitive sensor that detects that the operation means is operated when a pressure equal to or higher than a predetermined value is applied to the operation means provided with the operation detection means. The vehicle control device according to claim 1. The information transmitted and received by the human body communication means includes an identifier capable of identifying the human body communication means,
3. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the power supply state or starting of the drive source based on an identifier included in the information that the transmission / reception is established. Informing means capable of notifying the occupant of an operation method for controlling the power supply state or starting of the drive source,
The vehicle control device according to claim 3, wherein the notification unit determines the content of the notification based on an identifier included in the information in which the transmission / reception is established. The human body communication means includes measurement means capable of measuring electrical characteristics of the occupant's human body,
The control means includes
Storage means for storing in advance the electrical characteristics of the occupant's human body,
The measurement value measured by the measurement means based on the detection result output from the operation detection means is compared with the stored value stored in the storage means, and the power supply state is switched based on the comparison result. Alternatively, the vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein start of the drive source is limited. Vehicle-side transmission / reception capable of transmitting a response request signal to a portable device mounted on the vehicle and carried by an occupant and capable of receiving a response signal transmitted from the portable device that has received the response request signal Equipped with a machine
The control means includes
When the transmission / reception of the information is established between the human body communication means, the vehicle-side transceiver transmits the response request signal to the vehicle interior, and the vehicle-side transceiver receives the response signal from the portable device. 6. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle control device controls the power supply state or the start of the drive source on the condition of the above.

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