JP2017136882A - Occupant state determination device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an occupant state determination device for determining a state of an occupant when a vehicle is decelerated suddenly, and properly protecting an occupant.SOLUTION: An occupant state determination device 20 comprises: a level determination part 24 for classifying a movement amount to any one of preset plural levels L1-L5; and an occupant protection control part 26 for changing actuation of an occupant protection device 30 for protecting an occupant. A signal reception part 25 receives a brake operation signal Bs and then identifies a level L corresponding to the movement amount calculated by an occupant movement amount calculation part 22. An occupant protection control part 26 changes actuation of the occupant protection device 30 according to the identified level L. According to such a configuration, the movement amount of the occupant is calculated based on acceleration Gs, the level L corresponding to the movement amount is identified, and the actuation of the occupant protection device 30 is changed according to the identified level L. Therefore, even when the vehicle V is suddenly decelerated by an automatic brake 11, the occupant can be protected properly.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to an occupant state determination device that determines an occupant state when a vehicle having an automatic brake decelerates rapidly.

  Conventionally, for example, in Patent Document 1 below, a technique relating to an occupant protection device that aims to select an airbag deployment speed appropriately in response to a momentary occupant's front turning is disclosed. The occupant protection device includes an airbag, a collision impact detection means, a sudden brake detection means, a seating position detection means, an occupant position estimation means, and an airbag deployment control means. The collision impact detection means detects the impact generated when the vehicle collides. The sudden brake detection means detects sudden braking by the pre-crash brake detection G sensor. The seating position detecting means detects and holds the seating position of the occupant with a plurality of infrared sensors. The occupant position estimating means estimates the position of the occupant when the airbag is deployed based on the seating position and the degree of impact. The airbag deployment control means deploys the airbag in one of two deployment modes.

JP 2000-016230 A

  However, in order to realize the technique described in Patent Document 1, it is necessary to provide a plurality of infrared sensors in the vehicle in order to detect the seating position of the occupant. A vehicle that is not provided with an infrared sensor cannot estimate the presence position of the occupant when the airbag is deployed based on the seating position and the impact level, and cannot deploy the airbag in one of the two deployment modes.

  The plurality of infrared sensors detect the occupant's torso (that is, the upper body other than the head) located in the seating area divided into a plurality of areas. Originally, it is the occupant's head that is important to protect, and in the technique described in Patent Document 1, the occupant movement amount is calculated by integrating the acceleration output from the collision detection G sensor twice. However, since the acceleration signal from the pre-crash brake detection G sensor is required to exceed the threshold value, the pre-crash brake detection G sensor needs to be provided in the vehicle. A vehicle that is not provided with the pre-crash brake detection G sensor cannot calculate the occupant movement amount.

  On the other hand, in recent years, an increasing number of vehicles have an automatic brake that automatically brakes to avoid a collision. When the vehicle suddenly decelerates due to the operation of the automatic brake, the occupant may lean forward.

  This indication is made in view of such a point, and provides a crew member state judging device which can judge a crew member's state and can protect a crew member appropriately when a vehicle suddenly decelerates by operation of an automatic brake. With the goal.

  The invention made to solve the above problems includes an acceleration sensor (10) that detects acceleration (Gs), an occupant movement amount calculation unit (22) that calculates an occupant movement amount based on the acceleration, and a collision. For the vehicle (V) having an automatic brake (11) that automatically brakes and outputs a brake actuation signal (Bs) to avoid it, and a signal receiver (25) that receives the brake actuation signal, In the occupant state determination device (20) that determines the state of the occupant when the vehicle suddenly decelerates, a level that classifies the movement amount into one of a plurality of preset levels (L1, L2, L3, L4, L5) And an occupant protection control unit (26) for changing the operation of the occupant protection device (30) for protecting the occupant, wherein the signal receiving unit receives the brake operation signal. The level (L) corresponding to the movement amount calculated by the occupant movement amount calculation unit is specified on the condition that the occupant protection control unit protects the occupant according to the specified level. Change the operation.

  According to this configuration, even if the vehicle suddenly decelerates due to the operation of the automatic brake, the occupant movement amount calculation unit calculates the occupant movement amount based on the acceleration, and the leveling unit specifies the level corresponding to the movement amount. . Since the occupant protection control unit changes the operation of the occupant protection device in accordance with the specified level, the occupant protection can be appropriately protected even when the vehicle is suddenly decelerated by the automatic brake.

  Note that “automatic brake” is also called “collision damage reducing brake”, “automatic brake device”, “automatic brake system”, etc., and is a general term for functions for detecting a collision target and preparing for a collision. As the “vehicle”, any vehicle may be applied regardless of the number of wheels and the power source (for example, an internal combustion engine, a rotating electrical machine, etc.). As the “occupant protection device”, any device may be applied as long as the occupant can be protected, and examples thereof include an airbag and a seat belt.

It is a schematic diagram which shows the structural example of a passenger | crew state determination apparatus. It is a mimetic diagram showing the example of composition of a crew member protection device. It is a schematic diagram explaining the acceleration which a passenger | crew's head begins to move. It is a schematic diagram explaining the acceleration which a passenger | crew's trunk | drum starts to move. It is a schematic diagram explaining the acceleration by which an occupant is restrained by a seat belt. It is a flowchart figure which shows the example of a procedure of a passenger | crew protection process. It is a schematic diagram explaining the calculation method of the trunk | drum movement amount. It is a time chart which shows the example of a time-dependent change, such as an acceleration and a moving amount | distance.

  Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that unless otherwise specified, “connecting” means electrically connecting. Each figure shows elements necessary for explaining the present invention, and does not necessarily show all actual elements. When referring to directions such as up, down, left and right, the description in the drawings is used as a reference. Alphanumeric continuous codes are abbreviated using the symbol “˜”. For example, “levels L1 to L5” means “levels L1, L2, L3, L4, L5”. The logic includes positive logic and negative logic, but a low level and a high level according to the positive logic are applied to the signal of this embodiment. The low level corresponds to “OFF”, “false”, non-transmission / reception of signals, and the high level corresponds to “ON”, “true”, transmission / reception of signals. “Setting” includes a change or update to be changed to an arbitrary numerical value at an arbitrary timing.

  A vehicle V shown in FIG. 1 includes an acceleration sensor 10, an automatic brake 11, an occupant state determination device 20, an occupant protection device 30, and the like. The occupant state determination device 20 is communicably connected to the acceleration sensor 10, the automatic brake 11, and the occupant protection device 30. A four-wheeled vehicle on which one or more passengers can ride is applied to the vehicle V of this embodiment. The seat on which one or more passengers sit is arbitrary, and may be any of a driver seat, a passenger seat, a rear seat, and the like. An occupant model 50 shown in FIGS. 3 to 5 described later is applied to one or more occupants. The occupant model 50 simulates a standard occupant shape.

  The acceleration sensor 10 detects and transmits the acceleration Gs of the vehicle V. The automatic brake 11 is a device, a system, or the like that automatically brakes to detect a collision target and avoid a collision. The collision target is not limited as long as it is an obstacle other than the vehicle (own vehicle) and can collide with the vehicle V. For example, other vehicles (other vehicles), railway vehicles, structures (including buildings and bridges), installations (signs, traffic lights, utility poles, guardrails, etc.) are applicable.

  The occupant state determination device 20 includes a head movement start detection unit 21, an occupant movement amount calculation unit 22, a lock detection unit 23, a leveling unit 24, a signal reception unit 25, an occupant protection control unit 26, and the like indicated by a one-dot chain line. The occupant state determination device 20 may have a software configuration or a hardware configuration, and for example, an ECU or a computer is applied. Note that ECU is an abbreviation consisting of the acronym “Electronic Control Unit”. The software configuration is a configuration in which the function of each unit is realized by the CPU executing a program. The hardware configuration is a configuration in which functions of each unit are realized by hardware logic including an electronic circuit and a logic circuit.

  The head movement start detection unit 21 includes an operational amplifier Q1 and the like, and detects that the passenger's head has started to move. The operational amplifier Q1 outputs a head movement signal Ci1 according to whether or not the acceleration Gs is greater than or equal to the movement start determination threshold Gth1. The head movement signal Ci1 is at a low level if Gs <Gth1, and is at a high level if Gs ≧ Gth1. A specific example of the movement start determination threshold value Gth1 will be described later.

  The occupant movement amount calculation unit 22 calculates the occupant movement amount based on the acceleration Gs. The movement amount includes a body part movement amount MB in which the occupant's body part moves and a head movement amount MH in which the occupant's head moves. Therefore, the occupant movement amount calculation unit 22 of this embodiment includes an operational amplifier Q2, an integrator 22a, a movement amount limiter 22b, an amplification processing unit 22c, and the like.

  The operational amplifier Q2 outputs a body part movement signal Ci2 according to whether or not the acceleration Gs is equal to or greater than the occupant movement determination threshold Gth2. The body movement signal Ci2 is at a low level if Gs <Gth2, and is at a high level if Gs ≧ Gth2. A specific example of the occupant movement determination threshold Gth2 will be described later.

  The integrator 22a calculates the body part movement amount MB based on the acceleration Gs. The body part movement amount MB is calculated by double integration of the acceleration Gs under the condition that the body part movement signal Ci2 transmitted from the operational amplifier Q2 becomes a high level.

  The movement amount limiter 22b outputs a limited movement amount ML in which the body portion movement amount MB is limited by an upper limit value when the occupant's body portion is restrained by the seat belt. The limit movement amount ML is the same as the body movement amount MB when the lock signal Ci3 transmitted from the operational amplifier Q3 described later is at a low level, and the same value as the body movement amount MB when the lock signal Ci3 is at a high level. Or it becomes the upper limit. Even if the lock signal Ci3 becomes a high level, the limit movement amount ML does not immediately reach the upper limit value because a time lag occurs until the locked seat belt is fully extended. As the upper limit value, a value obtained by adding a certain value to the body part movement amount MB is applied. That is, “upper limit value = body portion movement amount MB + constant value”. The constant value is a numerical value corresponding to the amount of movement of the body by which the slack of the seat belt extends after the seat belt is locked, and corresponds to, for example, 25 [mm]. Therefore, if the body part movement amount MB is less than the upper limit value, the limit movement amount ML is equal to the body part movement amount MB. On the other hand, if the body part movement amount MB is equal to or greater than the upper limit value, the limit movement amount ML becomes the upper limit value.

  The amplification processing unit 22c corrects the difference between the body part movement amount MB, which is the movement amount of the body part when the movement amount limiter 22b is activated, and the head movement amount MH, which is the head movement amount. When the vehicle V is suddenly decelerated by the automatic brake 11, an occupant who cannot expect sudden deceleration is likely to turn forward, and the head has a higher center of gravity than the torso, and the amount of movement increases. Therefore, the amplification processing unit 22c corrects the head movement amount MH by multiplying the body portion movement amount MB by a required magnification k. In this embodiment, since the occupant model 50 is applied to the occupant, “2” is applied to the magnification k.

The lock detection unit 23 includes an operational amplifier Q3 and the like, and detects that the seat belt included in the occupant protection device 30 is locked due to sudden deceleration. The operational amplifier Q3 outputs a lock signal Ci3 according to whether or not the acceleration Gs is greater than or equal to the lock determination threshold Gth3. The lock signal Ci3 is at a low level if Gs <Gth3, and is at a high level if Gs ≧ Gth3. The lock determination threshold Gth3 may be arbitrarily set according to a threshold condition described later. For example, an acceleration at which the seat belt is locked (for example, 6.86 [m / s ² ] corresponding to 0.7 G) is applied.

  The above-described movement start determination threshold Gth1, occupant movement determination threshold Gth2, and lock determination threshold Gth3 are set according to threshold conditions. Since the center of gravity of the head is higher than that of the torso, the movement start determination threshold Gth1 is smaller than the occupant movement determination threshold Gth2. Further, since the seat belt is locked after the body part moves, the lock determination threshold Gth3 becomes larger than the occupant movement determination threshold Gth2. Therefore, the threshold condition is to satisfy the inequality of Gth1 <Gth2 <Gth3.

  The leveling unit 24 classifies the movement amount into any of a plurality of preset levels L1 to L5 with respect to the head movement amount MH transmitted from the occupant movement amount calculation unit 22. Specific examples of the levels L1 to L5 will be described later. The leveling unit 24 of the present embodiment includes a first range determination part 241, a second range determination part 242, a third range determination part 243, a fourth range determination part 244, a fifth range determination part 245, a logical sum part 24a, and the like. Have.

  The first range determination part 241 determines whether or not the head movement amount MH is within the range of the level L1, and outputs the determination result as the level signal Ci41. The second range determination part 242 determines whether or not the head movement amount MH is within the range of the level L2, and outputs the determination result as the level signal Ci42. The third range determination part 243 determines whether or not the head movement amount MH is within the range of the level L3, and outputs the determination result as the level signal Ci43. The fourth range determination part 244 determines whether or not the head movement amount MH is within the range of the level L4, and outputs the determination result as the level signal Ci44. The fifth range determination part 245 determines whether or not the head movement amount MH is within the range of the level L5, and outputs the determination result as the level signal Ci45. The logical sum part 24a calculates the logical sum of the head movement signal Ci1 and the level signal Ci41, and outputs the calculation result as a logical sum signal Cor.

  The signal receiving unit 25 receives the brake operation signal Bs transmitted from the automatic brake 11, and specifies and outputs a level L corresponding to the head movement amount MH calculated by the occupant movement amount calculation unit 22. The level L is any one of the levels L1 to L5 at which any of the levels L1 to L5 is reached. However, if all of the levels L1 to L5 are low, the level L is set to a level L0 that does not reach the level L1. The signal receiving unit 25 according to this embodiment includes logical product portions 251 to 255 and the like.

  The logical product part 251 calculates the logical product of the logical sum signal Cor and the brake operation signal Bs, and outputs the calculation result as the level L1. The logical product part 252 calculates a logical product with the level signal Ci42 and outputs the calculation result as a level L2. The logical product part 253 calculates the logical product with the level signal Ci43 and outputs the calculation result as the level L3. The logical product part 254 calculates a logical product with the level signal Ci44 and outputs the calculation result as a level L4. The logical product part 255 calculates a logical product with the level signal Ci45 and outputs the calculation result as a level L5.

  The brake operation signal Bs becomes a high level when the automatic brake 11 is operated, and becomes a low level when the automatic brake 11 is not operated. In other words, the brake operation signal Bs is transmitted when the automatic brake 11 is operated, and the brake operation signal Bs is not transmitted when the automatic brake 11 is not operated. When the automatic brake 11 is not activated, the signal receiving unit 25 does not specify the level L. When the automatic brake 11 is operating, the signal receiving unit 25 specifies one of the levels L1 to L5 or the level L0 based on the head movement amount MH.

  The occupant protection control unit 26 performs control to change the operation of the occupant protection device 30. Specifically, based on the level L specified by the signal receiving unit 25 and the acceleration Gs transmitted from the acceleration sensor 10, the protection signal CP is transmitted to the occupant protection device 30 so that the occupant is optimally protected. How to operate the occupant protection device 30 according to the levels L1 to L5 may be arbitrarily set from the viewpoint of protecting the occupant. For example, if the level is L1, the protection signal CP is transmitted to the drive unit 35 to control the seat belt pretensioner 32 to operate at an early stage. If it is level L2, control which operates passenger protection device 30 at an early stage will be performed. If the level is L3, the deployment of the airbag 31 is weakly controlled. If it is level L4, the deployment of the airbag 31 is accelerated and the strength is controlled. If the level is L5, the air bag 31 is controlled not to be deployed in order to protect the passenger.

  The occupant protection device 30 shown in FIG. 2 includes an airbag 31, a seat belt pretensioner 32, a seat belt 33, an ignition unit 34, a drive unit 35, a lock mechanism 36, and the like. Each of the airbag 31 and the seat belt pretensioner 32 is a member that protects an occupant of the vehicle V. The airbag 31 protects the occupant by performing deployment according to the protection signal CP transmitted from the occupant protection control unit 26 to the ignition unit 34. The ignition unit 34 includes, for example, a squib that performs ignition. The seat belt pretensioner 32 operates the seat belt (including expansion and contraction and holding) in accordance with a protection signal CP transmitted from the occupant protection control unit 26 to the drive unit 35 to protect the occupant. The drive unit 35 includes, for example, a motor and a squib. The lock mechanism 36 locks the withdrawal of the seat belt 33 when the vehicle V suddenly decelerates above a predetermined acceleration (for example, an acceleration corresponding to the lock determination threshold Gth3 described above).

FIG. 3 shows a setting example of the movement start determination threshold value Gth1. The occupant model 50 includes a head center of gravity 51 of the head and a body part center of gravity 52 of the body part. When the vertical direction corresponding to the direction of gravity is used as a reference, the angle θ1 to the head center of gravity 51 and the angle θ2 to the torso center of gravity 52 have a relationship of θ1 <θ2. In addition, since the head center of gravity 51 is at a position higher than the body part center of gravity 52, the head is likely to move earlier than the body. The movement start determination threshold Gth1 is an acceleration Gs at which the head of the occupant model 50 starts moving, and corresponds to, for example, 1.372 [m / s ² ] corresponding to 0.14G.

  FIG. 4 shows a setting example of the occupant movement determination threshold Gth2. When the automatic brake 11 is activated, an acceleration Gs is generated forward in the occupant model 50. As the acceleration Gs increases, the head starts to move first, and then the body starts to move. When the body part starts to move, the acceleration Gs generated forward is assumed to be acceleration GF, and acceleration GE due to gravity is assumed. The occupant movement determination threshold value Gth2 represented by the vector diagram on the right side can be calculated by the equation Gth2 = GE × sin (θ2).

Since the angle θ2 changes depending on the angle setting of the sheet 40, an arbitrary numerical value may be set. In this embodiment, for example, 20 degrees is applied as the angle θ2, and 3.332 [m / s ² ] corresponding to 0.34 G is applied as the acceleration GF. Since the acceleration GE is gravity, 9.8 [m / s ² ] corresponding to 1 G is applied as a theoretical value. According to the above formula, the occupant movement determination threshold Gth2 is 3.528 [m / s ² ] corresponding to 0.36G.

  When the acceleration Gs becomes equal to or greater than the occupant movement determination threshold Gth2, the head moves forward together with the trunk. As described above, the head moves by a magnification k with respect to the body part. Therefore, it moves by the head movement amount MH shown in the figure from when the trunk portion starts to move to the posture of the two-dot chain line.

FIG. 5 shows an example of setting the lock determination threshold Gth3. As the acceleration Gs generated forward increases, the occupant model 50 also leans forward. In the general vehicle V, when the acceleration Gs becomes equal to or higher than the lock determination threshold Gth3, the drawer of the seat belt 33 is locked by the lock mechanism 36. As described above, 6.86 [m / s ² ] corresponding to 0.7 G is applied to the lock determination threshold value Gth3 of this embodiment.

  Since the hardware configuration has been described above, the software configuration will be described with reference to FIG. The occupant protection process shown in FIG. 6 is a procedure for realizing the occupant state determination device 20 shown in FIG. 1 by software, and is repeatedly executed when the occupant state determination device 20 is operating.

  Steps S10 and S11 correspond to the head movement start detection unit 21. Steps S10, S13, S14, and S17 correspond to the occupant movement amount calculation unit 22. Steps S10 and S15 correspond to the lock detector 23. Steps S18 and S19 correspond to the signal receiving unit 25. Steps S20 and S30 correspond to the occupant protection control unit 26.

  In step S10, the acceleration Gs transmitted from the acceleration sensor 10 is received. In step S11, it is determined whether or not the acceleration Gs received in step S10 is greater than or equal to the movement start determination threshold Gth1. That is, it is determined whether or not the inequality Gs ≧ Gth1 is satisfied. If the acceleration Gs is greater than or equal to the movement start determination threshold Gth1, the determination is YES, and the process proceeds to step S12. On the other hand, if the acceleration Gs is less than the movement start determination threshold Gth1, the determination is NO and the process proceeds to step S13.

  In step S12, it is estimated that the head of the occupant model 50 has started to move, and the level L is set to the level L1. After setting, the process proceeds to step S13.

  In step S13, it is determined whether or not the acceleration Gs received in step S10 is equal to or greater than the occupant movement determination threshold Gth2. That is, it is determined whether or not the inequality Gs ≧ Gth2 is satisfied. If the acceleration Gs is equal to or greater than the occupant movement determination threshold Gth2, the determination is YES, and the process proceeds to step S14. On the other hand, if the acceleration Gs is less than the occupant movement determination threshold Gth2, the determination is NO, and the process proceeds to step S18.

  In step S14, calculation is performed to estimate the body part movement amount MB of the occupant model 50. Specifically, the acceleration Gs received in step S10 is double-integrated. For example, in FIG. 7, assuming that step S13 is YES at time t11 and the current time is time tnow, the body part movement amount MB corresponds to the area of the hatched area. The speed Vth2 shown in FIG. 7 is a value obtained by integrating the occupant movement determination threshold value Gth2 at time t11. Similarly, the speed Vnow is a value obtained by integrating the occupant movement determination threshold value Gnow at time tnow.

  Returning to FIG. 6, in step S15, it is determined whether or not the acceleration Gs received in step S10 is equal to or greater than the lock determination threshold Gth3. That is, it is determined whether or not the inequality Gs ≧ Gth3 is satisfied. If the acceleration Gs is greater than or equal to the lock determination threshold Gth3, the determination is YES, and the process proceeds to step S16. On the other hand, if the acceleration Gs is less than the lock determination threshold Gth3, the determination is NO and the process proceeds to step S17.

  In step S16, it is estimated that the seat belt 33 is locked by the lock mechanism 36, and an upper limit value is set for the head movement amount MH. Since the occupant model 50 is restrained by the seat belt 33, the body part movement amount MB does not increase any more. Therefore, in this embodiment, the maximum value Mmax of the body part movement amount MB is applied as the upper limit value. When expressed by a mathematical formula, MH = Mmax.

  In step S17, calculation for correcting the head movement amount MH of the occupant model 50 is performed. Specifically, correction is performed by multiplying the body part movement amount MB calculated in step S14 by the magnification k. In this embodiment, a case where k = 2 is applied is shown.

  In step S18, it is determined whether or not the automatic brake 11 is operating. Specifically, the brake operation signal Bs transmitted from the automatic brake 11 is received, and the determination is made based on whether or not the brake operation signal Bs is at a high level. If the automatic brake 11 is operating, the determination is YES, and the process proceeds to step S19. On the other hand, if the automatic brake 11 is not operating, the answer is NO and the process proceeds to step S30.

  In step S19, the current level L is specified based on the head movement amount MH calculated in steps S16 and S17. Specifically, it corresponds to any of the levels L1 to L5 or the level L0 that does not reach the level L1.

  An example of the levels L1 to L5 and the level L0 is shown in FIG. The level L1 corresponds to the movement amount range MR0, and is a range where the head movement amount MH is greater than or equal to the movement amount threshold value 0 and less than the movement amount threshold value Mth1 (that is, 0 ≦ MR0 <Mth1). Level L2 corresponds to the movement amount range MR1, and is a range in which the head movement amount MH is equal to or more than the movement amount threshold value Mth1 and less than the movement amount threshold value Mth2 (that is, Mth1 ≦ MR1 <Mth2). The level L3 corresponds to the movement amount range MR2, and is a range where the head movement amount MH is equal to or more than the movement amount threshold value Mth2 and less than the movement amount threshold value Mth3 (that is, Mth2 ≦ MR2 <Mth3). Level L4 corresponds to the movement amount range MR3, and is a range in which the head movement amount MH is greater than or equal to the movement amount threshold value Mth3 and less than the movement amount threshold value Mth4 (that is, Mth3 ≦ MR3 <Mth4). Level L5 corresponds to the movement amount range MR4, and is a range in which the head movement amount MH is greater than or equal to the movement amount threshold Mth4 (that is, Mth4 ≦ MR4). The level L0 corresponds to a head movement amount MH = 0 in which the head of the occupant model 50 does not move. In the present embodiment, the movement amount thresholds Mth1 to Mth4 are set to required constant values regardless of the traveling state of the vehicle V (for example, traveling speed, acceleration Gs, etc.), and the form of the vehicle V (for example, vehicle body dimensions, weight, vehicle type, etc.) Regardless, the movement range MR0 to MR4 is set at equal intervals.

  Returning to FIG. 6 again, in step S20, the operation of the occupant protection device 30 is changed based on the level L specified in step S19. Specifically, the content of the protection signal CP transmitted from the occupant protection control unit 26 shown in FIG. 1 to the occupant protection device 30 is changed. The occupant protection device 30 protects the occupant with the airbag 31 and the seat belt pretensioner 32 as described above in accordance with the levels L1 to L5 that are the contents of the protection signal CP. After step S20 is executed, the occupant protection process is terminated (or returned).

  In step S30, since the automatic brake 11 is not operated, normal occupant protection is performed. Specifically, the acceleration Gs transmitted from the acceleration sensor 10 is received, and the occupant protection device 30 is operated based on the acceleration Gs. Since the operation of the occupant protection device 30 in step S30 is a general technique, illustration and description thereof are omitted. After executing step S30, the occupant protection process is terminated (or returned).

  An example of the level L specified by the configuration of FIG. 1 described above and the execution of the passenger protection process of FIG. 6 will be described with reference to FIG. In the upper part of FIG. 8, the acceleration Gs that changes with time t is indicated by a characteristic line X1. Similarly, the lower part shows a level L, a head movement amount MH, and the like that change with the passage of time t. The level L indicates a change identified by the signal receiving unit 25 in FIG. 1 or step S19 in FIG. 6 by a thick solid characteristic line X2. The head movement amount MH indicates an actual change by experiment with a solid characteristic line X3, and changes calculated by the occupant movement amount calculation unit 22 in FIG. 1 or steps S16 and S17 in FIG. It shows with.

  Since the acceleration Gs changes within a minute value range that can be regarded as zero until time t21, the head movement amount MH is within the movement amount range MR0. Therefore, the level L becomes the level L0.

  The acceleration Gs starts to increase from time t21, and then reaches the movement start determination threshold Gth1 at time t22. Therefore, level L after time t22 is specified as level L1. However, it is only estimated that the head of the occupant model 50 has moved, and it is estimated that the body part has not moved, so the body part movement amount MB remains zero.

  Further, the acceleration Gs continues to increase and reaches the occupant movement determination threshold Gth2 at time t23. Therefore, the characteristic line X4 corresponding to the head movement amount MH starts to increase. The acceleration Gs becomes the acceleration Gs1 at time t24, and the head movement amount MH falls within the movement amount range MR1. Therefore, level L after time t24 is specified as level L2.

  Similarly, the acceleration Gs reaches the acceleration Gs2 at time t25, and the head movement amount MH falls within the movement amount range MR2. Therefore, the level L after the time t25 is specified as the level L3. The acceleration Gs reaches the acceleration Gs3 at time t26, and the head movement amount MH falls within the movement amount range MR3. Therefore, the level L after time t26 is specified as the level L4.

  Since the acceleration Gs reaches the lock determination threshold value Gth3 at time t27, it is estimated that the withdrawal of the seat belt 33 is locked. Therefore, the level L after the time t27 is specified as the level L5.

  FIG. 8 shows a variation example in which the acceleration Gs continues to increase. Although illustration is omitted, the level L also decreases when descending after rising, and the level L also increases or decreases when repeating ascending and descending alternately. That is, the level L changes depending on which of the movement amount ranges MR0 to MR4 the head movement amount MH enters.

  According to the embodiment described above, the following operational effects can be obtained.

  (1) The occupant state determination device 20 having the acceleration sensor 10, the automatic brake 11, the occupant movement amount calculation unit 22, and the signal reception unit 25 is a level that classifies the movement amount into any of a plurality of preset levels L1 to L5. And the occupant protection control unit 26 that changes the operation of the occupant protection device 30 that protects the occupant. The signal receiving unit 25 specifies a level L corresponding to the movement amount calculated by the occupant movement amount calculation unit 22 on condition that the brake operation signal Bs is received. The occupant protection control unit 26 changes the operation of the occupant protection device 30 that protects the occupant according to the specified level L. According to this configuration, even when the vehicle V suddenly decelerates due to the operation of the automatic brake, the occupant movement amount calculation unit 22 moves the occupant movement amount (that is, the trunk body movement amount MB and the head movement amount MH) based on the acceleration Gs. And the leveling unit 24 specifies the level L corresponding to the head movement amount MH. The occupant protection control unit 26 changes the operation of the occupant protection device 30 according to the specified level L. Therefore, even if the automatic brake 11 operates and the vehicle V decelerates rapidly, the occupant can be protected appropriately.

  (2) As shown in FIG. 1, it has a head movement start detection part 21 which detects that the passenger | crew's head started moving. As shown in FIG. 1, the occupant movement amount calculation unit 22 has an occupant movement determination threshold value Gth2 for calculating movement amounts such as the body part movement amount MB and the head movement amount MH. As shown in FIG. 8, the movement start determination threshold Gth1 of the head movement start detection unit 21 is configured to be lower than the occupant movement determination threshold Gth2. According to this configuration, since the head movement start detection unit 21 has a determination threshold value lower than the occupant movement determination threshold value Gth2, the movement distance of the occupant head that starts moving earlier than the occupant's torso part Can be estimated. Thereby, since the passenger | crew head behavior in the early stage of deceleration by collision can be estimated, the passenger | crew protection in a low level state (namely, state of level L1) can be performed more optimally.

  (3) As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, it has a lock detection unit 23 that detects that the seat belt 33 included in the occupant protection device 30 is locked. As shown in FIG. 2, the occupant movement amount calculation unit 22 includes a movement amount limiter 22b, an amplification processing unit 22c, and the like. As shown in FIG. 1, the movement amount limiter 22b receives the lock signal Ci3 determined that the seat belt 33 is locked from the lock detection unit 23, and sets the movement amount calculated by the occupant movement amount calculation unit 22 to the upper limit value. Limit with. As shown in FIG. 1, the amplification processing unit 22c corrects the difference between the body part movement amount MB and the head movement amount MH when the movement amount limiter 22b is activated. According to this configuration, after the seat belt 33 is locked and the occupant's torso is restrained, the head movement amount MH can be estimated appropriately.

  (4) As shown in FIGS. 1, 6, and 8, the head movement start detection unit 21, the occupant movement amount calculation unit 22, and the lock detection unit 23 are all determined by the acceleration Gs detected by the acceleration sensor 10. I do. As shown in FIG. 8, the movement start determination threshold Gth1 of the head movement start detection unit 21, the occupant movement determination threshold Gth2 of the occupant movement amount calculation unit 22, and the lock determination threshold Gth3 of the lock detection unit 23 are in this order. Is set larger. According to this configuration, since each part is determined based on the acceleration Gs output from the acceleration sensor 10, the acceleration sensor 10 normally included in the collision detection device or system can be used. Thereby, since it can determine by transmitting / receiving a signal between the acceleration sensor 10 conventionally wired and the occupant state determination device 20, it is possible to suppress an increase in weight and complication of scooping. Further, since the threshold values used for the determination are different, the head movement amount MH can be leveled by exceeding the respective threshold values.

[Other Embodiments]
Although the form for implementing this invention was demonstrated above, this invention is not limited to the said form at all. In other words, various forms can be implemented without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, the following forms may be realized.

  The movement amount limiter 22b in the above-described embodiment is configured to output the limited movement amount ML based on the lock signal Ci3 transmitted from the operational amplifier Q3, as shown by the solid line in FIG. Instead of this form, as shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 2, a lock detection unit 37 that detects whether the seat belt 33 is locked by the lock mechanism 36 and outputs a lock signal CL is provided. For example, the lock signal CL is at a low level if the seat belt 33 is not locked, and is at a high level if the seat belt 33 is locked. Furthermore, as indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 1, the movement amount limiter 22 b may output the limit movement amount ML based on the lock signal CL transmitted from the lock detection unit 37. According to this configuration, since the limit movement amount ML when the seat belt 33 is actually locked can be output, the limit movement amount ML according to the secular change of the lock mechanism 36 can be output.

  Further, the movement amount limiter 22b may be configured to output the limited movement amount ML based on both the lock signal Ci3 and the lock signal CL. According to this configuration, it is possible to output the limited movement amount ML according to the lock signal transmitted to the movement amount limiter 22b. For example, if the occupant is not wearing the seat belt 33, the lock mechanism 36 does not operate, and the lock signal CL does not go high. Therefore, when the lock signal CL is at a low level, even if the lock signal Ci3 is at a high level, the limit movement amount ML output from the movement amount limiter 22b is set to the same value as the body portion movement amount MB. In this way, it is possible to accurately protect the occupant according to whether the seat belt 33 is attached or not. In other respects, the same effects as those of the above-described embodiment can be obtained.

  In the above-described embodiment, since the occupant model 50 is applied as an occupant as shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the amplification processing unit 22c is configured to apply “2” as the magnification k as shown in FIG. Instead of this form, a numerical value other than “2” may be applied as the magnification k. Although not shown, for example, the seat 40 includes an occupant detection sensor that detects the seating state of the occupant. The occupant detection sensor detects, for example, whether the occupant is seated, the physique of the occupant (for example, a small adult, a large adult, an infant, etc.), and outputs a seating signal. The amplification processing unit 22c changes the magnification k based on the seating signal transmitted from the occupant detection sensor. In this way, the head movement amount MH corresponding to the occupant's physique can be accurately estimated, and the occupant protection device 30 can more appropriately protect the occupant. In other respects, the same effects as those of the above-described embodiment can be obtained.

  In the above-described embodiment, the level L is divided into a plurality of levels L1 to L5 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 8, and the movement amount thresholds Mth1 to Mth4 are set to required constant values as shown in FIG. The movement amount ranges MR0 to MR4 are set at equal intervals as shown in FIG. Instead of this form, it may be configured to be divided into a plurality of levels other than the levels L1 to L5. The movement amount thresholds Mth1 to Mth4 may be changed according to the traveling state of the vehicle V. Further, the movement amount ranges MR0 to MR4 may be set at equal intervals according to the form of the vehicle V, or may be set at unequal intervals regardless of whether or not the form depends on the form of the vehicle V. Since the numerical value corresponding to the traveling state and form of the vehicle V is applied, it is possible to protect an appropriate passenger corresponding to the vehicle V. In other respects, the same effects as those of the above-described embodiment can be obtained.

  In the above-described embodiment, the occupant state determination device 20 has the hardware configuration shown in FIG. 1 or the software configuration shown in FIG. Instead of this form, a part of the occupant state determination device 20 (for example, the head movement start detection unit 21, the lock detection unit 23, the signal reception unit 25, and the like) has a hardware configuration, and a remaining part excluding the part ( For example, the occupant movement amount calculation unit 22, the leveling unit 24, the occupant protection control unit 26, and the like) may have a software configuration. Since only the difference between the hardware configuration and the software configuration is the same and the functions are the same, the same effects as those of the above-described embodiment can be obtained.

  In the embodiment described above, a low level and a high level are applied to various signals such as the head movement signal Ci1, the torso movement signal Ci2, and the lock signal Ci3 according to positive logic. Instead of this form, a configuration may be adopted in which a low level and a high level are applied according to negative logic. Since only the logical configuration is different, the same operation and effect as the above-described embodiment can be obtained.

  The vehicle V in the above-described embodiment is configured to apply a four-wheeled vehicle on which one or more passengers can ride as shown in FIG. Instead of this form, it is also possible to adopt a configuration that is similarly applied to vehicles other than automobiles and other transportation equipment, provided that the acceleration sensor 10, the occupant state determination device 20, and the occupant protection device 30 are provided. Examples of the vehicle V other than the automobile include a two-wheeled vehicle including a motorcycle, a multi-wheeled vehicle including a towed vehicle, and a railway vehicle. The other transport device corresponds to a transport device capable of transporting people, cargo, etc., such as an aircraft or a ship. Since the types of vehicles to be applied are merely different, the same effects as the above-described embodiment can be obtained.

V vehicle 10 acceleration sensor 11 automatic brake 20 occupant state determination device 21 head movement start detection unit 22 occupant movement amount calculation unit 23 lock detection unit 24 leveling unit 25 signal reception unit 26 occupant protection control unit 30 occupant protection device

Claims (4)

An acceleration sensor (10) that detects acceleration (Gs), an occupant movement amount calculation unit (22) that calculates an occupant movement amount based on the acceleration, and a brake that automatically brakes and avoids a collision For a vehicle (V) having an automatic brake (11) for outputting an operation signal (Bs) and a signal receiving unit (25) for receiving the brake operation signal, the state of an occupant is determined when the vehicle suddenly decelerates. In the occupant state determination device (20),
A leveling unit (24) for dividing the movement amount into any of a plurality of preset levels (L1, L2, L3, L4, L5);
An occupant protection control unit (26) for changing the operation of the occupant protection device (30) for protecting the occupant,
The signal reception unit specifies a level (L) corresponding to the movement amount calculated by the occupant movement amount calculation unit on condition that the brake operation signal is received;
The occupant protection control unit is an occupant state determination device that changes an operation of an occupant protection device (30) that protects an occupant according to the specified level. A head movement start detection unit (21) for detecting that the head of the occupant has started to move;
The occupant movement amount calculation unit has an occupant movement determination threshold (Gth2) for calculating the movement amount,
The occupant state determination device according to claim 1, wherein a movement start determination threshold value (Gth1) of the head movement start detection unit is lower than the occupant movement determination threshold value. A lock detector (23, 37) for detecting that the seat belt (33) included in the occupant protection device is locked;
The passenger movement amount calculation unit includes a movement amount limiter (22b) and an amplification processing unit (22c).
The movement amount limiter limits the movement amount calculated by the occupant movement amount calculation unit with an upper limit value when the lock signal (Ci3, CL) determined that the seat belt is locked is received from the lock detection unit. And
The occupant state determination device according to claim 1, wherein the amplification processing unit corrects a difference between a movement amount of the body portion and a movement amount of the head when the movement amount limiter is operated. The occupant movement amount calculation unit, the head movement start detection unit, and the lock detection unit perform determination based on acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor,
The occupant state determination device according to claim 3, wherein the determination threshold is set to be larger in the order of the head movement start detection unit, the occupant movement amount calculation unit, and the lock detection unit.

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