JP2018167626A - Occupant protection system - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an occupant protection system which can secure safety of an occupant when a seat is returned from a form taken during automatic operation to a form suitable for manual operation.SOLUTION: An occupant protection system includes: an operation control part 1 which switches operation of a vehicle V between automatic operation and manual operation; and a seat 10 provided at the vehicle V. The seat 10 has: protection means which protects an occupant in a situation where protection of the occupant seated on the seat 1 is needed; and protection means control part which controls operation of the protection means.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

  The present invention relates to an occupant protection system in a vehicle.

  In recent years, technologies related to automatic driving have been developed in which vehicles such as automobiles keep track of surrounding conditions, maintain or change lanes while driving, avoid obstacles, or stop or run according to the situation. Has been. Various technologies relating to such automatic driving have been proposed. For example, the seat on which the driver is seated during automatic driving is opposite (rearward) to the vehicle traveling direction, There is also known one capable of seat arrangement in which an occupant and a driver are in a face-to-face sitting state (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2017-039468 A

In a vehicle capable of automatic driving, it is conceivable that a scene of switching from automatic driving to driving occurs depending on the situation. At this time, the seat on which the driver is seated needs to be returned to the form suitable for manual driving from the form during automatic driving.
By the way, switching from automatic driving to manual driving is highly urgent in addition to the case where it is performed based on the driver's intention, for example, when a vehicle collides or when there is an obstacle, a sudden avoidance action, etc. Since it is also performed in the case of falling into a situation, it has been desired to ensure the safety of the occupant when returning from a form during automatic driving to a form suitable for manual driving.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and provides an occupant protection system capable of ensuring the safety of an occupant when returning a seat from a form during automatic operation to a form suitable for manual operation. With the goal.

In order to solve the above problems, the invention according to claim 1 is an operation control unit that switches between automatic operation and manual operation of a vehicle,
A seat provided on the vehicle,
The seat includes a protection unit that protects the occupant in a situation that requires protection of the occupant seated on the seat, and a protection unit control unit that controls the operation of the protection unit.

The invention according to claim 2 is the occupant protection system according to claim 1,
The protection means control unit controls the operation of the protection means when the vehicle is switched from automatic operation to manual operation by the operation control unit.

The invention according to claim 3 is the occupant protection system according to claim 1 or 2,
The said protection means control part controls operation | movement of the said protection means, when the said operation control part detects the abnormality of the system which concerns on automatic driving | operation.

The invention according to claim 4 is the occupant protection system according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
It has a driver status detector that detects the driver's status,
The protection means control unit controls the operation of the protection means according to a detection result of a driver state by the driver state detection unit.

The invention according to claim 5 is the occupant protection system according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The protection means control section controls the operation of the protection means when the vehicle in automatic operation collides with an obstacle or the like.

The invention according to claim 6 is the occupant protection system according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
The protection means control unit controls the operation of the protection means when the vehicle in automatic driving acts to avoid an obstacle or the like.

The invention according to claim 7 is the occupant protection system according to claim 5 or 6,
A surrounding condition detection unit for detecting the surrounding condition of the vehicle is provided, and the presence or absence of the obstacle or the like is detected by the surrounding condition detection unit.

The invention according to claim 8 is the occupant protection system according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
The protection means includes an enclosing means for protecting the occupant seated on the seat so as to enclose the occupant.

The invention according to claim 9 is the occupant protection system according to claim 8,
The surrounding means has a plurality of patterns with different degrees of protection depending on the situation where the passenger needs to be protected.

The invention according to claim 10 is the occupant protection system according to any one of claims 1 to 9,
The protection means includes sheet rotation means for rotating the seat in accordance with a direction of an impact load applied to the vehicle from the outside.

  According to the invention described in claim 1, the seat includes a protection unit that protects the occupant in a situation that requires protection of the occupant seated on the seat, and a protection unit control unit that controls the operation of the protection unit. Therefore, when a situation where it is necessary to protect an occupant seated on the seat, the operation of the protection means can be controlled by the protection means control section to protect the occupant. Therefore, it is possible to ensure the safety of the occupant when the seat is returned from the form during automatic operation to the form suitable for manual operation.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, regardless of whether or not the vehicle is in a highly urgent situation, the protection means prevents the occupant when returning the seat from the automatic driving configuration to the configuration suitable for manual driving. It is possible to always ensure safety.

  According to the invention described in claim 3, when an abnormality occurs in the system related to automatic driving, and when the seat is returned from the form during automatic driving to the form suitable for manual driving, the occupant is protected by the protection means. It is possible to ensure safety.

  According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to ensure the safety of the occupant by the protection means according to the detection result of the driver state by the driver state detection unit.

  According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to ensure the safety of the occupant by the protection means when the vehicle during automatic driving collides with an obstacle or the like.

  According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, when the vehicle during automatic driving acts to avoid an obstacle or the like, the safety of the occupant can be ensured by the protection means.

  According to the seventh aspect of the invention, if the presence / absence of an obstacle or the like in the surrounding situation of the vehicle is detected by the surrounding situation detection unit, the occupant can be protected quickly by the protection means, which contributes to ensuring the safety of the occupant. it can.

  According to the eighth aspect of the invention, since the occupant can be protected by surrounding means provided in the protection means, it is easier to ensure the safety of the occupant compared to the protection means when the occupant is not surrounded. .

  According to the invention described in claim 9, since the surrounding means has a plurality of patterns having different degrees of protection depending on the situation requiring the protection of the occupant, it is suitable for each situation requiring the protection of the occupant. The passenger can be protected in the state and can contribute to ensuring the safety of the passenger.

  According to the tenth aspect of the present invention, the protection means includes the sheet rotation means for rotating the seat in accordance with the direction of the impact load applied to the vehicle from the outside. Therefore, the protection means rotates the seat in a direction that can easily withstand the impact load. Crew can be protected.

It is a block diagram which shows schematic structure of a vehicle control system. It is a flowchart at the time of switching from automatic operation to manual operation. It is a figure explaining the example which changes the form of a sheet | seat. It is a figure explaining the example which changes the form of a sheet | seat. It is a figure explaining the outline | summary of a passenger | crew protection system. It is a figure explaining the outline | summary of a passenger | crew protection system. It is a figure explaining the outline | summary of a passenger | crew protection system.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. However, the embodiments described below are provided with various technically preferable limitations for carrying out the present invention. However, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments and illustrated examples. Absent.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration of the vehicle control system.
The vehicle control system of the present embodiment changes the operation control unit 1 that switches between automatic operation and manual operation of the vehicle V, the seat 10 that can be changed to different forms during automatic operation and manual operation, and the form. A seat control unit 2 that controls the operation of the seat 10 at the time, a seat form change unit 20 that changes the form of the seat 10 based on the control of the seat control unit 2, a driver state detection unit 30, and a protection means 40 , And each is connected to the in-vehicle network. The vehicle V is provided with a plurality of seats 10.

[Operation control unit]
The operation control unit 1 includes a microcomputer including a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), and the like. The operation control unit 1 is connected to various devices such as a brake light, an auxiliary device (for example, a direction indicator light, a headlight, a wiper device, etc.), and an actuator.
The operation control unit 1 controls the automatic operation by developing a program stored in advance in the ROM in the RAM and executing it by the CPU to control the operation of various devices. The operation control unit 1 may be composed of a plurality of electronic control units.

  Specifically, the operation control unit 1 controls switching between automatic driving for controlling the vehicle V by determining the surrounding situation of the vehicle V and the situation of the vehicle V, and manual driving by the occupant. During automatic driving, the driving control unit 1 determines the host vehicle and its surroundings based on information obtained from the surroundings detection unit 3 such as various sensors and peripheral photographing cameras in order to make the vehicle V run independently. To do. Then, an automatic driving control process for controlling an actuator that drives an accelerator amount, a brake amount, a steering angle, and the like is performed according to the determination result. In the automatic driving control process, a travel plan along a preset target route is generated based on the surrounding situation of the vehicle V and map information, and the driving is controlled so that the vehicle V travels independently according to the generated travel plan.

  For example, the driving control unit 1 can automatically start the automatic driving control process according to the behavior of the vehicle V and the surrounding situation during the manual driving of the occupant to assist the driving of the vehicle V by the occupant. In this case, the operation control unit 1 outputs information indicating the start of the automatic operation control process. Further, in the case of switching from the occupant's manual operation to the automatic operation by the automatic operation control process according to the occupant's instruction, the operation control unit 1 starts to start the automatic operation control process, that is, information indicating that the driving sovereignty is transferred The predetermined information which is the information shown is output.

  In addition, during the execution of the automatic driving control process, the driving control unit 1 automatically ends (cancels) the automatic driving control process according to the behavior of the vehicle V and the surrounding conditions, and allows the occupant to manually drive the vehicle V. Prompt processing can be performed. In this case, the driving control unit 1 outputs information indicating the end of the automatic driving control process in order to prompt the passenger to manually drive the vehicle V. Further, in the case of switching from automatic driving by automatic driving control processing to manual driving of the passenger by an instruction from the passenger, the driving control unit 1 performs information indicating that the driving sovereignty is transferred, that is, terminates the automatic driving control processing. The predetermined information which is the information shown is output.

The operation control unit 1 may include a communication device that exchanges information such as the surrounding situation between the vehicle V and the outside of the vehicle V. An example of the communication device is a communication device that receives road conditions by road-to-vehicle communication such as a wireless communication device using DSRC (Dedicated Short Range Communications) narrow-range communication.
In addition, information indicating road conditions received by road-to-vehicle communication, which is the surrounding situation, includes the curvature of the driving lane, the shape and state of the lane such as the road surface cant, the positional relationship of the vehicle V with respect to the lane, and the traveling Information indicating the positional relationship of other vehicles, the traffic volume around the vehicle, and the like can be given. Further, the operation control unit 1 can include a navigation system as an example of a device for obtaining a surrounding situation.

  The surrounding state detection unit 3 includes a plurality of types of sensors, a surrounding photographing camera, and the like, and detects the surrounding state of the vehicle V in order to perform automatic driving by the driving control unit 1. The surrounding state detection unit 3 detects, for example, the imaging information of the surrounding photographing camera, the obstacle information of the radar, the obstacle information of the rider (LIDER: Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging) and the like as the surrounding state of the vehicle V. The peripheral situation includes, for example, the position of the white line of the traveling lane with respect to the vehicle V, the position of the lane center, the road width, the road shape, the situation of obstacles around the vehicle V, and the like. The road shape includes, for example, the curvature of the traveling lane, a change in road gradient effective for estimating the sight of the sensor, and swell. The situation of obstacles around the vehicle V includes, for example, information for distinguishing between a fixed obstacle and a moving obstacle, the position of the obstacle with respect to the vehicle V, the moving direction of the obstacle with respect to the vehicle V, and the obstacle with respect to the vehicle V. There are relative speeds.

[About sheet control unit and sheet]
The seat control unit 2 is for changing the position, orientation, and orientation (that is, the form) of the seat 10 provided on the vehicle V with respect to the vehicle V, and includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a ROM (Read Only). Memory) and a microcomputer including RAM (Random Access Memory) and the like. In addition to the driving control unit 1 and the seat control unit 2, the vehicle control system of the present embodiment includes a storage unit that stores various information and programs, an input unit that transmits an occupant's intention to the system, It is assumed that various means necessary for changing the form of the seat 10 such as output means for transmitting information to the occupant are provided.
The seat control unit 2 is connected to the operation control unit 1 and can control the form of the seat 10 in conjunction with the control related to the operation of the vehicle V by the operation control unit 1. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the operation control unit 1 and the seat control unit 2 may be a single integrated control unit.

As shown in FIG. 3A, the seat 10 is provided at a seat cushion 11 that holds an occupant's buttocks, a seat back 12 with a lower end supported by the seat cushion 11, and an upper end of the seat back 12. A headrest 13 that supports the head of the passenger and a footrest 14 that is provided at the front end of the seat cushion 11 and supports the foot of the passenger.
Although not shown, the seat cushion 11 and the seat back 12 have a frame that is a framework of the seat cushion 11 and the seat back 12. Each of the seat cushion 11 and the seat back 12 includes side supports 11a and 12a that are provided so as to swell obliquely at the left and right ends and hold the occupant.
In the seat cushion 11, the above-described frame is supported on the floor of the vehicle body by a support mechanism (not shown).
As shown in FIG. 3, the headrest 13 has pillars 13 a assembled to the frame of the seat back 12.
Although not shown, the footrest 14 has a frame that is a framework of the footrest 14.

The seat form changing unit 20 includes a support mechanism, an actuator, and the like for changing the form of the seat 10 with respect to the vehicle V. The seat form changing unit 20 can change the seat arrangement of the seat 10. In the present embodiment, two rows of seats 10 are arranged in each of the vehicle width direction and the vehicle front-rear direction, and the form of each seat 10 can be changed by the seat control unit 2 and the seat form changing unit 20.
Each of the plurality of sheets 10 has a configuration that can be changed to a plurality of forms, and is changed to a plurality of forms based on the sheet control unit 2 and the sheet form change unit 20.

The plurality of forms in the seat 10 include a form suitable for manual operation and a form not suitable for manual operation.
In the present embodiment, at the timing when the operation control unit 1 switches from automatic operation to manual operation, the seat control unit 2 changes the seat form change unit 20 so as to change to manual operation seat arrangement (a form suitable for manual operation). Control. On the other hand, at the timing when the operation control unit 1 switches from manual operation to automatic operation, the seat control unit 2 controls the seat form changing unit 20 so as to change to automatic operation seat arrangement (a form not suitable for manual operation). In other words, the form not suitable for manual driving means that when the vehicle V is switched from manual driving to automatic driving by the driving control unit 1, the seat shape changing unit 20 operates and changes based on the control of the seat control unit 2. It is the form of the sheet | seat 10 used.
In addition, the seat 10 changed to a form suitable for manual operation can be adjusted by a passenger's manual operation. In other words, the occupant can make fine adjustments according to the physical characteristics of the occupant.

There are a plurality of patterns in the form of the seat 10 that is not suitable for manual operation, and the operation of the seat 10 is controlled by the seat control unit 2 so as to have a pattern selected by the occupant among the plurality of patterns. That is, although not illustrated, for example, a plurality of forms (a plurality of patterns) of the seat 10 during the automatic driving may be displayed on the display for the navigation system described above so that the occupant can select the vehicle. You may install the button which can select a several form in the interior of V. In other words, in the vehicle control system, a plurality of options (a plurality of patterns) are stored in advance, and a selection unit (input unit) for selecting the form of the seat 10 is incorporated. The form of the sheet 10 in an arbitrary pattern can be selected from the options (a plurality of patterns).
Then, the seat control unit 2 operates the seat form changing unit 20 so as to change the form of the seat 10 according to the selection made by the occupant using the selection means.
In order to make it possible to change the form as described above, the seat 10 includes a first angle changing unit 21, a second angle changing unit 22, a third angle changing unit 23, a fourth angle changing unit 24, The fifth angle changing unit 25, the seat rotating unit 26, the seat slide unit 27, and the seat posture detecting unit 28 are included (see FIG. 1).

The first angle changing unit 21 is controlled by the seat control unit 2 to change the angle of the seat cushion 11, and is incorporated in the above-described support mechanism. That is, the support mechanism that supports the seat cushion 11 is configured to be able to change the angle of the seat cushion 11.
The angle of the seat cushion 11 can be changed by the first angle changing unit 21 from an angle suitable for manual operation to a flat state. That is, the seat cushion 11 can be changed from a state where the front end portion is positioned above the rear end portion as shown in FIG. 3A to a flat state as shown in FIG.

The second angle changing unit 22 is controlled by the seat control unit 2 and changes the angle of the seat back 12. The second frame changing unit 22 changes the angle of the seat back 12 and the seat back 12 with respect to the seat cushion 11. A rotation shaft 22a that can rotate, and an actuator (not shown) that is driven to rotate the rotation shaft 22a are provided.
The angle of the seat back 12 can be changed by the second angle changing unit 22 from an angle suitable for manual operation to a flat state. That is, the seat back 12 can be changed from a tilted state as shown in FIG. 3A to a flat state as shown in FIG.

The third angle changing unit 23 is controlled by the seat control unit 2 and changes the angles of the side supports 11a and 12a in the seat cushion 11 and the seat back 12, and the cushion material constituting the side supports 11a and 12a is changed to the left and right. It has a movable mechanism that opens. That is, the movable mechanism is built in the seat cushion 11 and the seat back 12.
The angles of the side supports 11a and 12a can be changed by the third angle changing unit 23 from an angle suitable for manual operation to a flat state. That is, the seat cushion 11 and the seat back 12 are shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B from the state in which the side supports 11a and 12a swell obliquely as shown by the solid lines in FIGS. The side supports 11a and 12a can be made flat as shown by the two-dot chain line.

The fourth angle changing unit 24 is controlled by the seat control unit 2 to change the angle of the headrest 13, and the pillar 13 a included in the headrest 13 and the headrest 13 can be rotated with respect to the seat back 12. A rotating shaft 24a, and an actuator (not shown) that is driven to rotate the rotating shaft 24a.
When the seat back 12 is in a flat state, the angle of the headrest 13 can be changed by the third angle changing unit 24 until the headrest 13 is in a flat state. That is, the headrest 13 can be in a flat state as shown in FIG. 3B from an angle suitable for supporting the head of the occupant as shown in FIG.

The fifth angle changing unit 25 can be controlled by the seat control unit 2 to change the angle of the footrest 14, and the above-described frame of the footrest 14 and the footrest 14 can be rotated with respect to the seat cushion 11. A rotating shaft 25a that rotates, and an actuator (not shown) that is driven to rotate the rotating shaft 25a.
The angle of the footrest 14 can be changed by the fifth angle changing unit 25 until the footrest 14 becomes flat from an angle suitable for manual operation. That is, the footrest 14 can be changed from a state stored in the front end portion of the seat cushion 11 as shown in FIG. 3A to a flat state as shown in FIG.

The seat rotation unit 26 is controlled by the seat control unit 2 and rotates the seat cushion 11 (and thus the entire seat 10), and is incorporated in the above-described support mechanism. That is, the support mechanism that supports the seat cushion 11 is configured to be able to change the angle of the seat cushion 11.
The seat cushion 11 can be rotated by a seat rotating portion 26 from a position suitable for manual operation to a position facing completely rearward.

The seat slide portion 27 is controlled by the seat control portion 2 and slides the seat cushion 11 (and thus the entire seat 10) in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction, and is incorporated in the support mechanism described above. . That is, the support mechanism for supporting the seat cushion 11 is configured to be able to change the position of the seat cushion 11 in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction.
The seat cushion 11 is slidable from a position suitable for manual operation to a position not suitable for manual operation by the seat slide portion 27.

  The first to fifth angle changing units 21 to 25, the seat rotating unit 26, and the seat sliding unit 27 can be controlled separately by the seat control unit 2 as well as the first to fifth angle changing units 21 to 21. 25, the seat rotation unit 26 and the seat slide unit 27 can be simultaneously controlled by the seat control unit 2.

  The sheet posture detection unit 28 includes a plurality of sensors (not shown) that detect the positions of the respective parts of the sheet 10, and the sheet control unit 2 performs the posture and position of the sheet 10 based on detection signals from the plurality of sensors. The position and orientation can be calculated and derived. That is, after the form of the sheet 10 is changed, the sheet posture detection unit 28 can grasp what state the sheet 10 is in.

  Note that the driving control unit 1 can move the handle H for driving the vehicle V up and down as shown in FIG. The vehicle V includes a handle moving unit 4 that is a movable mechanism for moving the handle H up and down (see FIG. 1). By moving the handle H up and down, not only the position adjustment of the handle H but also the space in the vehicle can be expanded during automatic driving.

[When switching from manual operation to automatic operation]
The operation control unit 1 performs control based on a forced switching mode for forcibly switching between automatic driving and manual driving and a voluntary switching mode for switching between automatic driving and manual driving according to the driver's selection. In other words, switching from manual operation to automatic operation may be performed forcibly or autonomously.
In addition, when switching is forcibly performed, for example, when an abnormality occurs in the health state of an occupant, or when a timing for switching from manual driving to automatic driving is reserved in advance.

When the vehicle V is independently switched from manual operation to automatic operation, the occupant selects an arbitrary form of the seat 10 by the above-described selection means. The seat control unit 2 controls the operation of the seat form changing unit 20 so as to change the form of the seat 10 according to the occupant's selection.
Each part of the 1st-5th angle change parts 21-25 in the seat form change part 20 and the seat rotation part 26 operate | move suitably so that it may become the form which the passenger | crew selected.

Options (patterns) that can be selected by the occupant are not particularly limited, and various patterns are set in advance, including a form in which the seat 10 is flat as shown in FIG.
Other options include various patterns such as sleep patterns suitable for sleeping, appreciation patterns suitable for watching videos displayed on the display, desk work patterns suitable for work and writing, etc. Can be mentioned.

In the sleep pattern described above, the seat back 12 is inclined slightly above the flat state as shown in FIG.
In the appreciation pattern, the entire seat 10 is turned to the display side, and the angles of the seat cushion 11 and the seat back 12 are changed.

In the desk work pattern, the side supports 11a and 12a are in an open state, and the angle is changed to a preferred angle for sitting desk work. Further, although not shown, the table is placed in front of the occupant in order to sit on the seat 10 and easily work.
The table is provided as an auxiliary function unit that assists the work of the occupant seated on the seat 10, and is incorporated in the interior of the vicinity of the seat 10 in this embodiment. Further, the table can be moved by a table moving unit 5 which is a movable mechanism for moving the table.
In the present embodiment, the table is incorporated in the interior of the vicinity of the seat 10, but is not limited thereto, and is incorporated in a storage portion (not shown) formed in the seat 10 itself. May be.

  The auxiliary function unit such as the above-described table may have any function for assisting the occupant's work. In addition, for example, a drink holder is provided as an auxiliary function unit, and the drink holder moves to a position where it can be easily reached by an occupant in an appreciation pattern.

  It is assumed that after the seat 10 is changed to the form selected by the occupant, the angle of each part such as the seat cushion 11 and the seat back 12 and the orientation of the seat 10 can be finely adjusted.

[When switching from automatic operation to manual operation]
As described above, the operation control unit 1 performs control based on the forced switching mode for forcibly switching between automatic driving and manual driving and the autonomous switching mode for switching between automatic driving and manual driving according to the driver's selection. Is going.
In addition, when switching the vehicle V from an automatic driving | operation to a manual driving | operating voluntarily, it is performed by a passenger | crew arbitrarily. That is, when the occupant determines that manual operation is necessary, the occupant switches from manual operation to automatic operation.

For example, when the vehicle V is forcibly performed, the vehicle V may be moved from a highway to a general road, or a road having a complicated shape may be reached. However, when the driver is forced to switch from automatic driving to manual driving, for example, if the driver is not seated on the seat 10 or the driver's health condition is abnormal, the driver is forced to switch to manual driving. It is not preferable to be used.
Therefore, when the seat 10 is in an automatic driving mode, the driving control unit 1 can perform control so as not to switch the vehicle V from automatic driving to manual driving.

  The vehicle control system of this embodiment includes a driver state detection unit 30 for detecting the state of the driver. The driving control unit 1 is controllable so as not to switch from automatic driving to manual driving of the vehicle V according to the detection result of the driver state by the driver state detection unit 30.

More specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, the driver state detection unit 30 includes a seating state detection unit 31 that detects whether or not the driver is seated on the seat 10.
The seating state detection unit 31 is a sensor that is incorporated in at least the seat 10 of the driver's seat and detects the seating of an occupant. For example, a pressure sensor is employed.
The driving control unit 1 can switch from the automatic driving to the manual driving of the vehicle V when the seating state detection unit 31 can check the seating of the occupant. Continue automatic operation without switching from automatic operation to manual operation.
In the present embodiment, a pressure sensor is employed as the seating state detection unit 31, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the seating state of the occupant may be confirmed by camera photography.

Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the driver state detection unit 30 includes a health state detection unit 32 that detects the health state of the driver.
As the health condition detection unit 32, a sensor that is incorporated in at least the seat 10 of the driver's seat and detects the health condition of the occupant is employed. As such a sensor, for example, a biological sensor such as a blood pressure sensor or a pulse sensor can be employed.
The driving control unit 1 can switch from the automatic driving to the manual driving of the vehicle V when the health detecting unit 32 confirms that there is no problem with the health of the occupant. Then, the automatic driving is continued without switching the automatic driving of the vehicle V to the manual driving.

In the present embodiment, a biosensor is employed as the health condition detection unit 32, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the health condition of the occupant may be confirmed by camera photography. For example, the pupil is confirmed or a state where the hand is not placed on the handle H is confirmed.
Moreover, if a sensor and a camera are used together, it can be determined whether or not the occupant is just asleep. That is, when there is no problem in the health condition but the eyes are not opened, it is determined that the person is dozing.

In addition, a microphone that collects the driver's voice may be employed, and the biosensor and the microphone may be used together so that the driver's awareness can be confirmed. That is, when the driver is urged to speak and the driver's voice is not detected, it is determined that there is no consciousness.
Further, an alcohol sensor may be employed. When alcohol is detected from the driver's breath by the alcohol sensor, switching from automatic operation to manual operation is not performed. Depending on the case, the vehicle V may be parked at a place where parking is possible, and control may be performed so that the vehicle cannot start until alcohol is no longer detected from expiration. In this case, the driver may be able to make a call by changing to a passenger whose alcohol is not detected.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart when switching from automatic operation to manual operation.
As shown in the flowchart, when switching from automatic operation to manual operation, first, the seating state detection unit 31 detects the seating state of the occupant in the driver's seat 10 (step S1).

If the seating of the occupant cannot be confirmed in step S2, the operation control unit 1 notifies the occupant in the vehicle in step S3 and prompts the seat 10 to be seated.
When the seating of the occupant can be confirmed in step S2, the operation control unit 1 detects the occupant's health state by the health state detection unit 32 (step S4).

If it is confirmed in step S5 that there is no problem with the health condition of the occupant, the seat control unit 2 activates a protection means described later to protect the occupant (step S6).
Subsequently, the operation control unit 1 switches the vehicle V from automatic operation to manual operation (step S7). At this time, the driving operation of the vehicle V is performed by an occupant seated on the driver's seat 10. Thereafter, the manual operation is continued (step S8).

When a problem is confirmed in the health state of the occupant in step S5, the driving control unit 1 continues the automatic driving (step S9).
When the automatic driving is continued, for the sake of safety, the place where the vehicle V can be parked and stopped is detected by the surrounding state detection unit 3 (step S10). And when the place which can park and stop is not found, automatic driving | operation is continued. On the other hand, when a place where parking is possible is found, the vehicle V is stopped or parked at the place (step S11).
When switching from automatic operation to manual operation, the flow is as described above.

The vehicle V includes a plurality of seats 10 as described above. Then, when the vehicle V is switched from automatic driving to manual driving by the driving control unit 1, the seat control unit 2 is configured so that the driver's seat 10 and the other seats 10 are also in the manual driving mode from the automatic driving mode. The operation can be controlled to change to
If all the seats 10 in the vehicle are operated at the same time, it may not be preferable due to the space in the vehicle. Therefore, the seat control unit 2 gives priority to the operation of the driver's seat 10 among the plurality of seats 10. And control.

Further, when the occupant is in a relaxed state during automatic driving and the seat 10 is also in a form suitable for the occupant's relaxing state, the seat 10 is suitable for manual driving before the timing at which manual driving should be started. It may be impossible to return to the position.
Therefore, even when the seat 10 is in the form of automatic operation and the seat 10 cannot be returned to a position suitable for manual operation by the timing at which manual operation should be started, the operation control unit 1 is It is possible to control so as not to switch from automatic operation of V to manual operation.

Further, in order to prevent the seat 10 from being returned to the position suitable for the manual operation by the timing at which the manual operation should be started, the seat control unit 2 changes the mode from the manual operation mode to the automatic operation mode. The movement amount in the operation of the seat 10 is controlled.
That is, when switching from manual operation to automatic operation, for example, if the seat 10 is directly behind and in a flat state, it takes time to return to a position suitable for manual operation, and manual operation starts. It is conceivable that the timing is not in time. Therefore, originally, when changing from the form of manual operation to the form of automatic operation, if the movement amount of the seat 10 is limited, it is possible to prevent a situation in which the manual operation is not in time. Become.

The sheet control unit 2 controls the operation speed when changing the form of the sheet 10. That is, under the control of the seat control unit 2, the operating speed of the seat 10 when changing from the form during automatic operation to the form during manual operation, and the sheet when changing from the form during manual operation to the form during automatic operation The operating speed of 10 can be increased or decreased.
By doing in this way, when it is going to switch from manual operation to automatic operation, it becomes possible to prevent the situation where the change of the form of the seat 10 is not in time for the timing at which manual operation should be started. Moreover, the operation speed when changing the form of the seat 10 can be changed not only when switching from manual operation to automatic operation but also in other situations.

Further, the seat control unit 2 controls the speed in the operation of the seat 10 when changing from the form during automatic operation to the form during manual operation, thereby extending the required time. In other words, the operation of the seat 10 is delayed by the control of the seat control unit 2, and a time until the occupant who is in a relaxed state starts manual driving is secured.
By doing in this way, the operation | movement of the sheet | seat 10 at the time of a form change can be delayed, it can match with the timing which switches from automatic driving | operation to manual driving | operation, and a passenger | crew can face manual driving | operating with a margin of mind. .

Further, as described above, the operation control unit 1 is based on the forced switching mode for forcibly switching between the automatic driving and the manual driving and the independent switching mode for switching between the automatic driving and the manual driving by the driver's selection. The seat control unit 2 controls the speed of the operation of the seat 10 separately in the forced switching mode and the independent switching mode.
By doing in this way, when it is going to switch from manual operation to automatic operation, it becomes possible to prevent the situation where the change of the form of the seat 10 is not in time for the timing at which manual operation should be started. Furthermore, the sheet 10 can be operated at a speed suitable for each mode.

As described above, the seat 10 can be changed from the form during automatic operation to the form during manual operation, and the vehicle V can be switched from automatic operation to manual operation.
Since the timing of switching from automatic driving to manual driving is, in other words, the timing at which the sovereignty of driving the vehicle V is transferred from a computer to a human being, it is desired to ensure the safety of passengers. Needless to say, not only the timing of switching from automatic operation to manual operation, but also the safety of passengers during automatic operation must be ensured. In the following, an occupant protection system for ensuring occupant safety will be described.

[Crew protection system]
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 5 to 7, the seat 10 includes protection means for protecting the occupant in a situation where protection of the occupant seated on the seat 10 is required, and protection means for controlling the operation of the protection means. And a control unit.
Since the protection means control unit controls the operation of the protection means incorporated in the sheet 10, the sheet control unit 2 described above also serves as the protection means control unit.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the protection means includes surrounding means 23, 41, 42, and 43 for protecting the occupant sitting on the seat 10.
The surrounding means 23, 41, 42, 43 have a plurality of patterns with different degrees of protection depending on the situation that requires protection of the occupant. In this embodiment, it is assumed that the protection means includes first surrounding means 23, second surrounding means 41, third surrounding means 42, and fourth surrounding means 43.

The first surrounding means 23 is the third angle changing unit 23 that changes the angle of the side support 12a in the seat back 12, and changes the angle of the side support 12a inward as shown in FIG. It is configured to surround the occupant's body.
That is, the first surrounding means 23 includes a movable mechanism that operates the cushion material that constitutes the side support 12 a, and the operation of the movable mechanism is controlled by the seat control unit 2.
According to such first surrounding means 23, the occupant's body can be surrounded by the side support 12a in the seat back 12, so that the occupant can be held and the occupant can be protected.
In the present embodiment, the occupant's body is surrounded by the side support 12a in the seat back 12, but the occupant's buttocks may be surrounded by the side support 11a in the seat cushion 11 accordingly.

The second surrounding means 41 changes the angle of the left and right side end portions 13b of the headrest 13, and as shown in FIG. 5 (b), changes the angle of the side end portions 13b toward the inside, It is configured to surround the head.
That is, the second surrounding means 41 includes a movable mechanism that operates the cushion material that constitutes the side end portions 13 b of the headrest 13, and the operation of the movable mechanism is controlled by the seat control unit 2.
According to such a second surrounding means 41, the head of the occupant can be surrounded by the side end portions 13b of the headrest 13, so that the occupant can be protected.
In the present embodiment, the second surrounding means 41 is configured to change the angle of the side end portions 13b of the headrest 13 toward the inside to surround the head of the occupant. However, the present invention is not limited to this. is not. For example, a side support member that protrudes forward (or bulges out) in a range that does not obstruct the field of view may be provided at both end portions of the headrest 13, and this may be used as the second surrounding means 41.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 6, the third surrounding means 42 is provided on the side support 12 a in the seat back 12, and controls the airbag 42 a that surrounds the occupant's body to the front side during operation and the seat control unit 2. And an airbag operating part 42b that operates the airbag 42a according to the above.
The third surrounding means 42 is stronger than the first surrounding means 23 using the side support 12a in terms of the degree of protection, and operates when the vehicle V collides or when a collision is expected.
The airbag 42a is curved so as to cover from the side support 12a in the seat back 12 to the front surface of the occupant's body.
According to such third surrounding means 42, the passenger's body can be surrounded in a wide range by the airbag 42 a that is activated when the vehicle V collides or when a collision is expected. Can be protected.

The fourth surrounding means 43 is provided at the side end portion 13b of the headrest 13, and, when activated, the airbag 43a that surrounds the head of the occupant and the airbag that activates the airbag according to the control of the seat control unit 2. And an operating part 43b.
The fourth surrounding means 43 is stronger than the second surrounding means 41 using the headrest 13 in terms of the degree of protection, and operates when the vehicle V collides or when a collision is expected.
The airbag 43a is formed so as to protrude forward from both end portions of the headrest 13.
According to such a fourth surrounding means 43, the head of the occupant can be surrounded in a wide range by the airbag 43a that is activated when the vehicle V collides or when a collision is expected, so that the occupant can be more sure. Can be protected.

FIG. 7 shows an example of other protection means. The protection means in FIG. 7 includes a sheet rotation means for rotating the seat 10 in accordance with the direction of the impact load applied to the vehicle V from the outside. The sheet rotating means is configured by the sheet rotating unit 26 described above.
Not only the seat 10 in the present embodiment, but also a vehicle seat provided with a seat cushion and a seat back can be seated in a state where the strut is effective against a collision load from the front. Accordingly, the seat 10 is rotated by the seat rotating unit 26 serving as a seat rotating means, and the occupant seated on the seat 10 is in a state where the seat 10 is strung by adjusting the direction of the impact load applied to the vehicle V from the outside. Can be strongly opposed.
In consideration of passenger protection, it is desirable to rotate the seat 10 so that it completely coincides with the direction of the impact load. However, if there is no time allowance, the seat 10 should be rotated as much as possible. To do.

  In the present embodiment, only the seat rotating unit 26 is cited as the seat rotating means. However, when it is necessary to slide the seat 10 in consideration of the positional relationship with the interior space and other seats 10, The seat slide portion 27 may be used.

  The operation of the protection means shown in FIG. 5 to FIG. There are various situations that require the protection of passengers as described below.

When the vehicle V is switched from automatic operation to manual operation by the operation control unit 1, the seat control unit 2, which is a protection unit control unit, controls the operation of at least one of the various protection units described above.
When switching from automatic driving to manual driving, as described above, it is the timing at which the sovereignty of driving the vehicle V is transferred from a computer to a human being, so that it can be cited as a situation that requires protection of the occupant.
In addition, the protection means (the 1st surrounding means 23, the 2nd surrounding means 41) as shown in FIG. 5 is a protection means at the time of switching from such an automatic driving | operation to manual driving | operation so that a passenger | crew's manual driving | operation may not be inhibited. preferable.

When the operation control unit 1 detects an abnormality in the system related to automatic operation, the seat control unit 2 that is a protection unit control unit controls the operation of at least one of the various protection units described above.
When an abnormality in a system related to automatic driving is detected, how the vehicle V travels depends on what the detected abnormality is, and therefore appropriate protection means depending on the detected abnormality Is selected.
For example, if the system abnormality related to the automatic operation is switched from the automatic operation to the manual operation, the protection means (first enclosure means 23, second enclosure means 41) as shown in FIG. 5 is selected. Further, if the system abnormality related to the automatic driving is such that the operation of the vehicle V becomes impossible, the protection means (the third surrounding means 42 and the fourth surrounding means 43) as shown in FIG. 6 are selected. The That is, since the surrounding means has a plurality of patterns with different degrees of protection depending on the situation that requires protection of the occupant, the surrounding means corresponding to the situation is selected.

The seat control unit 2 serving as a protection unit control unit is configured to include at least one of the various protection units described above according to the detection result of the driver state by the health state detection unit 32 in the driver state detection unit 30. To control the operation.
The health state detection unit 32 detects the health state of the driver as described above, and an appropriate protection means is selected according to the health state of the driver. In particular, it is desirable to select a protection means according to the presence or absence of the driver's consciousness or to use several protection means in combination.

The seat control unit 2, which is a protection unit control unit, controls the operation of at least one of the various protection units described above when the vehicle V during automatic operation collides with the obstacle S or the like.
When the vehicle V collides with the obstacle S or the like, an impact load is applied to the vehicle V from the outside.
As protection means when such a vehicle V collides with the obstacle S or the like, the protection means (third enclosure means 42, fourth enclosure means 43) shown in FIG. 6 or the protection means (seat rotation) shown in FIG. Part 26) is selected. Or both may be selected.

The seat control unit 2, which is a protection unit control unit, controls the operation of at least one of the various protection units described above when the vehicle V during automatic operation acts to avoid the obstacle S or the like. .
When the vehicle V behaves to avoid the obstacle S or the like, for example, since the vehicle V curves sharply or brakes suddenly, it can be cited as a situation that requires protection of the occupant.
As the protection means when the vehicle V acts to avoid the obstacle S or the like, the protection means (first enclosure means 23, second enclosure means 41) as shown in FIG. It is preferable to resist the centrifugal force at the time of curving, or to select the protective means (third surrounding means 42) as shown in FIG. 6 to suppress the forward movement of the occupant.

  The occupant protection system (vehicle control system) includes the surrounding state detection unit 3 that detects the surrounding state of the vehicle V as described above, and the surrounding state detection unit 3 detects the presence or absence of an obstacle S or the like. be able to. Therefore, the various protection means described above are selected based on information obtained from the surrounding situation detection unit 3.

  The vehicle V incorporates the occupant protection system configured as described above, and can protect the occupant in a situation where the occupant sitting on the seat 10 needs to be protected.

  According to the present embodiment as described above, the seat 10 is provided with protection means for protecting the occupant in a situation where protection of the occupant seated on the seat 10 is required, and protection means control for controlling the operation of the protection means. Part (seat control part 2), and when the situation that requires protection of the occupant seated on the seat 10 occurs, the protection means control part controls the operation of the protection means to protect the occupant Can do. Therefore, it is possible to ensure the safety of the occupant when the seat 10 is returned from the form during automatic operation to the form suitable for manual operation.

  In addition, regardless of whether or not the situation is highly urgent, it is possible to always ensure the safety of the occupant when the seat 10 is returned from the form during the automatic operation to the form suitable for the manual operation by the protection means. It becomes possible.

  Further, when an abnormality occurs in the system related to automatic driving and the seat 10 is returned from the form during automatic driving to the form suitable for manual driving, the safety of the occupant can be ensured by the protective means. It becomes possible.

  Further, according to the detection result of the driver's state by the driver state detection unit 30, it is possible to ensure the safety of the occupant by the protection means.

  In addition, when the vehicle V during automatic operation collides with the obstacle S or the like, it is possible to ensure the safety of the occupant by the protection means.

  In addition, when the vehicle V during automatic driving acts to avoid an obstacle or the like, it is possible to ensure the safety of the occupant by the protection means.

  Moreover, if the presence or absence of the obstacle S or the like in the surrounding situation of the vehicle V is detected by the surrounding situation detection unit 3, the occupant can be protected quickly by the protection means, which can contribute to ensuring the safety of the occupant.

  Further, since the occupant can be protected by surrounding means 23, 41, 42, 43 provided in the protective means, it is easy to ensure the safety of the occupant as compared with the protective means when the occupant is not surrounded.

  Further, since the surrounding means 23, 41, 42, 43 have a plurality of patterns with different degrees of protection depending on the situation requiring the protection of the occupant, the wrapping means 23, 41, 42, 43 is in a state suitable for each situation requiring the protection of the occupant. The occupant can be protected and can contribute to ensuring the safety of the occupant.

  Further, since the protection means includes the seat rotation member 26 that rotates the seat 10 in accordance with the direction of the impact load applied to the vehicle V from the outside, the seat 10 is rotated in a direction that can easily withstand the impact load to protect the occupant. Can do.

1 Operation control unit 2 Seat control unit (protection means control unit)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 3 Peripheral condition detection part 10 Seat 11 Seat cushion 11a Side support 12 Seat back 12a Side support 13 Headrest 13a Side edge part 14 Footrest 20 Seat form change part 21 1st angle change part 22 2nd angle change part 22a Rotating shaft 23 3rd angle change Unit 24 fourth angle changing unit 24a rotating shaft 25 fifth angle changing unit 25a rotating shaft 26 seat rotating unit 27 seat sliding unit 28 seat attitude detecting unit 30 driver state detecting unit 31 seating state detecting unit 32 health state detecting unit 40 protection Means 41 Second enclosing means 42 Third enclosing means 42a Air bag 42b Air bag operating part 43 Fourth enclosing means 43a Air bag 43b Air bag operating part

Claims (10)

An operation control unit that switches between automatic driving and manual driving of the vehicle;
A seat provided on the vehicle,
The seat has a protection means for protecting the occupant in a situation that requires protection of the occupant seated on the seat, and a protection means control unit that controls the operation of the protection means. system.   The occupant protection system according to claim 1, wherein the protection means control section controls the operation of the protection means when the vehicle is switched from automatic driving to manual driving by the operation control section.   The occupant protection system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the protection means control section controls the operation of the protection means when the operation control section detects an abnormality of a system related to automatic driving. It has a driver status detector that detects the driver's status,
The said protection means control part controls operation | movement of the said protection means according to the detection result of the driver | operator's state by the said driver | operator state detection part, It is any one of Claims 1-3 characterized by the above-mentioned. Occupant protection system.   The occupant according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the protection means control section controls the operation of the protection means when the vehicle in autonomous driving collides with an obstacle or the like. Protection system.   The said protection means control part controls the operation | movement of the said protection means, when the said vehicle in automatic driving | operation carries out the action which avoids an obstruction etc., The Claim 1 characterized by the above-mentioned. The occupant protection system described.   The occupant protection system according to claim 5, further comprising a surrounding state detection unit that detects a surrounding state of the vehicle, wherein the surrounding state detection unit detects the presence or absence of the obstacle or the like.   The occupant protection system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the protection means includes an enclosure means for protecting an occupant seated on the seat so as to surround the occupant.   The occupant protection system according to claim 8, wherein the surrounding means includes a plurality of patterns having different degrees of protection depending on a situation requiring occupant protection.   The occupant protection system according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the protection unit includes a seat rotation unit that rotates the seat in accordance with an impact load applied to the vehicle from the outside.

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