JP2018180970A - Driver identification system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a driver identification system capable of identifying a driver using pedaling force detection means mounted on a brake pedal.SOLUTION: A driver identification system includes: pedaling force detecting means 4 provided on a brake pedal of a vehicle for detecting a brake pedaling force from a distortion occurred in the brake pedal; processing means 9 for identifying a driver from pedaling force information acquired from the pedaling force detecting means 4; and recording means 8 for recording driver information and driver's pedaling information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

  The present disclosure relates to a driver authentication system that authenticates a driver driving a vehicle.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is known a system for acquiring operation information of a vehicle such as brake information of a driver driving the vehicle and feeding back or alerting the driver driving the vehicle. (Patent Documents 1, 2, 3, 4)

Patent No. 5057167 gazette Patent No. 5098503 Patent No. 5232629 Patent No. 5807578

  However, in the conventional system, when authenticating the driver and identifying the individual, there is a problem that it is necessary to separately provide a member for identifying the individual.

  An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems, and to provide a system for identifying a driver from the information on the driver's pedal force.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention identifies a driver based on treading force detection means provided on a brake pedal of a vehicle and detecting a brake treading force from distortion produced on the brake pedal, and treading force information acquired from the treading force detection means An identification unit and recording means for recording driver information and treading force information of the driver are provided.

  The above configuration allows the present invention to identify the driver with a small number of configurations.

(A) Graph showing the time change of treading power of light weight people, (b) Graph showing the time changing of tread power of the person who thinks of weight (A) A graph showing the time change of treading force of a person who has a long time from preparation to taking a brake, (b) shows a time change of the pedaling power of a person having a short time from preparing to taking a brake Graph (A) A graph showing the time change of the treading force of the person who steps on the brake slowly, (b) a graph showing the time change of the treading force of the person who steps on the brake a lot The figure which shows the structure of an example which the driver identification system of this invention can take. The figure which shows the structure of the driver identification system of Embodiment 1. The figure which shows the structure of the driver identification system of Embodiment 2. The figure which shows the structure of the driver identification system of Embodiment 3. The figure which shows the structure of the driver identification system of Embodiment 4. The figure which shows the structure of the driver identification system of Embodiment 5. The figure which shows the structure of the driver identification system of Embodiment 6

  Below, the driver identification system of each form is demonstrated using drawing. In the drawings, the same reference numerals are given to the same components, and the description will be omitted. Further, each component in each embodiment may be arbitrarily combined within the range where there is no contradiction.

(An example of the form which a driver identification system can take)
The following describes one possible example of the driver identification system.

1. Driver Identification System Identifies Driver and Estimates Driver's Condition The driver has a preference for driving, and the driving method of the driver who drives the car varies depending on the driver. Even when looking at how the driver decelerates, some drivers prefer to slow down slowly and gradually decelerate to reduce the impact when stopping as much as possible, but prefer to travel as fast as possible without decelerating to the last minute There is also a driver. Depending on how the driver brakes, some drivers prefer to release the brakes at once, while others prefer pumping brakes. As described above, the driver's preference is given depending on how the vehicle is decelerated and how the brake is applied. If the driver's preference is reflected on the automatic brake, the driver's comfort is improved. In order to realize an automatic brake tailored to the driver's preference, it is necessary to identify the driver, learn the driver's preference, and authenticate the driver. In order to learn the driver's preference, it is necessary to determine the habit of the driver's brake operation using the pedal effort information. However, the driver identification system 1 performs the driver identification based on the pedal effort information, so a member for driver identification is used. It is not necessary to provide separately. This can reduce the configuration of the system and improve the driver's comfort.

  The pedaling force information can be obtained by detecting the distortion generated in the brake pedal. From the pedaling force information, it is possible to acquire (1) the weight of the driver's foot, (2) the time until the driver steps in, and (3) how the driver steps. By combining the information of (1) to (3), the driver can be identified with high accuracy. The differences between drivers in each information will be described below using graphs. The following explanation is an example for explanation, and the same tendency appears except the condition of the following graph.

  Figure 1 shows the difference in treading power due to the weight of the driver's foot. FIG. 1 (a) is a graph showing the time change of the treading force of a person with a light weight, and FIG. 1 (b) is a graph showing the time change of the treading force of a person who is a weight. Here, 47 kg is assumed as a light weight person, and 80 kg is assumed as a weight person. Generally, the weight of one foot is said to be about 18.5% of human weight. For this reason, when preparing to step on the brake pedal by putting your foot on the brake pedal, the weight applied to the brake pedal is about 8.7 kg for a person with a light weight, and for a person with a weight desire It weighs about 14.8 kg. As described above, since the weight can be estimated from the weight when the foot is placed on the brake pedal, the driver can be identified by detecting the weight when the foot is placed on the pedal. Furthermore, it can be inferred that a person with greater preoccupation when preparing a brake is a cautious, male, relatively young person. Here, the driver can accurately detect the weight of the driver's foot by placing the foot on the brake pedal without putting the heel on the floor.

Figure 2 shows the difference in treading power over time between the driver's depressions. Fig. 2 (a) is a graph showing the time change of the treading power of people who have a long time from preparing to putting on the brake, and Fig. 2 (b) is a person who has a short time from preparing to putting on the brake It is a graph which shows the time change of treading force. In Fig. 2, a person who has a long time from preparing to putting on the brake is stepping on the brake in 2s, and a person having short time from preparing to putting on the brake is stepping on the brake in 0.6s There is. As shown in FIG. 2, the time from preparation by the driver to application of the brake varies. For this reason, the driver can be identified by measuring the time from putting the foot on the brake pedal to pressing the brake.

  Figure 3 shows the difference in treading power due to the difference in how the driver pedals. FIG. 3 (a) is a graph showing the time change of the depression force of the person who steps on the brake slowly, and FIG. 3 (b) is the graph showing the time change of the depression force of the person who steps on the brake. In FIG. 3, a person who steps on the brake slowly and a person who steps on the brake both prepare for and take 2 seconds to set the brake. However, when the brake is depressed, the change in treading force is steeper for the person who depresses the brake. As shown in FIG. 3, the manner in which the brake is stepped on varies depending on the driver. Therefore, the driver can be identified by detecting how to depress the brake.

  In this way, the driver can be identified from the respective information of (1) weight of the driver's foot, (2) time until the driver steps in, and (3) how the driver steps. The driver may be identified by any one of the information (1) to (3), or may be combined to identify the driver. The driver can be identified with high accuracy by combining all of the information of (1) to (3). In the present disclosure, it is described that all information of (1) to (3) are combined to identify a driver.

  In addition, the driver's condition can be estimated from the pedaling force information. The way in which the brake is operated may change depending on the number of passengers. Generally, the driver will drive comfortably when there is no passenger, but will drive carefully when there is a passenger. For this reason, when the passenger 2 is in the vehicle 2, the treading power when preparing to step on the brake tends to be large, and the time tends to be long. Further, if the number of passengers and the number of luggage are large, the braking distance becomes long as the weight of the vehicle 2 increases. For this reason, when the vehicle 2 is heavy, the time when preparing to step on the brake tends to be Nagai. From this, it can be estimated that the weight of the vehicle 2 is heavy. From these pieces of information, it is possible to estimate the driver's condition, that is, the condition that a passenger is driving carefully and that the vehicle 2 is driving while being heavy and ready to brake early.

2. Configuration of Driver Identification System Hereinafter, a configuration of an example of modes that the driver identification system can take will be shown.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a possible form of the driver identification system.

  The driver identification system 1 has a vehicle 2 and an information center 3 that communicates information with the vehicle 2. The information center 3 communicates with a plurality of vehicles 2 and records preferences of drivers using the driver identification system 1.

  First, the configuration of the vehicle 2 will be described.

  The vehicle 2 travels the road by the driver's operation, and the pedaling force detecting means 4 mounted on the brake pedal, the position information acquiring means 5 for acquiring the position information at which the pedaling force detecting means 4 operates, and the pedaling force detection The communication means 6 communicates the depression force information of the brake pedal detected by the means 4 with the information center 3, and the display means 7 displays the authentication result on the driver.

The pedaling force detecting means 4 detects the pedaling force generated on the brake pedal by the driver stepping on the brake pedal. The brake pedal unit generally includes a plate that a driver steps on, a pedal arm that supports the plate and transmits the pedaling force of the driver, and a clevis and clevis pin that supports the pedal arm and transmits the pedal arm to the rod via the pedaling force. It comprises a master cylinder that pumps brake fluid to the wheel cylinder, a simulator that generates a reaction force according to the operation of the brake pedal, and a rod that transmits the stepping force to the master cylinder. As the pedaling force detecting means 4, a strain gauge or a strain resistance element may be provided on any of a plate, a pedal arm, a clevis and clevis pin, a rod, a master cylinder and a simulator. Alternatively, a strain gauge or strain resistance element may be provided on the strain generating body, and a strain gauge or strain resistance element may be provided on the plate, pedal arm, clevis / clevis pin, rod, master cylinder, or simulator. As described above, the depression force detection means 4 only needs to be able to detect the distortion generated in the members constituting the brake pedal, and detection means other than the strain gauges and strain resistance elements may be employed. The treading force detection means 4 has better responsiveness and detection sensitivity to changes in the treading force than when using a stroke sensor or a hydraulic pressure sensor to directly detect distortion generated in the brake pedal, and further after the driver has stepped on the brake pedal The applied treading force can be detected. In this way, the sudden braking can be detected with high accuracy when the sudden braking is stepped on. By using the information at the time of stepping off, (3) it is possible to more accurately detect how to depress the brake. Further, since the pedaling force detecting means 4 can detect the pedaling force from the range of the play of the brake pedal, it can also detect that the driver lightly put his or her foot on the brake pedal. Thus, when the driver depresses the brake pedal, the depressing force can be detected from the preparatory movement of the driver, so that the depressing force can be detected more quickly than the stroke sensor or the hydraulic pressure sensor. Also, this makes it possible to detect (1) the weight of the driver's foot and (2) the time until the driver steps in with high accuracy. In addition, the driver's preference can be estimated with higher accuracy by detecting how to suddenly depress the brake and the preparatory movement.

  The position information acquisition unit 5 acquires position information of the vehicle 2 from outputs of a GPS (Global Positioning System) measurement unit, a distance sensor (not shown), and an azimuth sensor (not shown) provided in the vehicle 2. Whether to use all of the GPS measurement unit, the distance sensor, and the direction sensor as the position information acquisition means 5, or to use only some of them, or to use them in combination can be selected as necessary. The position information acquisition means 5 acquires the position information at which the pedaling force detection means 4 has operated, and transmits it to the information center 3. By the position information acquisition means 5 acquiring the position information, it is possible to acquire information on where and how the driver stepped on the brake. This makes it possible to obtain information on where the driver has stepped on the brake.

The communication unit 6 communicates with the treading force detection unit 4, the position information acquisition unit 5, the display unit 7 and the information center 3. The communication means 6, the treading force detection means 4 and the position information acquisition means 5 communicate by wire or wirelessly. The communication means 6 and the display means 7 communicate by wire or wirelessly. The communication means 6 and the information center 3 communicate wirelessly. The communication means 6 between the communication means 6 and the information center 3 may be a mobile phone network, a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) such as Wi-Fi, VICS (registered trademark) (Vehicle Information and Communication System), inter-vehicle communication A system (CVSS: Connected Vehicles Suport System), communication systems, such as LTE / 3G of a mobile etc., etc. are employable. It can be selected appropriately according to the use environment of the driver identification system 1 or the like. The communication means 6 transmits the depression force information detected by the depression force detection means 4 to the information center 3 and transmits the driver information received from the information center 3, the depression force information of the driver, and the preference of the driver to the display means 7. Further, the position information at which the pedaling force detecting means 4 acquired at this time and acquired by the position information acquiring means 5 is also transmitted to the information center 3 at the same time. Although two display means 7 are provided to communicate with both the pedal force detection means 4 and the display means 7, the communication means 6 for transmitting pedal force information to the information center 3, the driver information, the driver's pedal force information, the driver The communication means 6 for transmitting the user's preference to the display means 7 may be another configuration. The communication between the communication means 6 and the information center 3 may be performed constantly, but the communication may be performed only when the wireless LAN such as Wi-Fi is available. If the communication means 6 constantly communicates, the user can always obtain the latest information, and if communication is performed only when a wireless LAN such as Wi-Fi is available, energy saving can be achieved. The timing of communication can be appropriately selected according to the use environment of the driver identification system 1 or the like, and may be set by the user.

  As the display unit 7, an on-vehicle terminal device such as a car navigation device mounted on the vehicle 2 is used. The display means 7 displays a result of driver's authentication, a preference of the driver, and the like. When the driver authentication result or the like is notified to the driver by voice only, not the in-vehicle terminal but only the speaker may be adopted as the display means 7.

  A recording unit 8 for recording the driver information and the depression force information of the driver is provided. The recording means 8 has hardware for storing information, and the driver information, the treading force information of the driver, and the preference estimated from the treading force information of the driver are recorded.

  A processing means 9 for identifying the driver from the depression force information of the driver is provided. The processing means 9 is configured by hardware having software, and identifies the driver from the driver information recorded in the recording means 8 and the pedal effort information of the driver. Further, in the processing means 9, a program execution unit such as a CPU or processor may read out and execute a software program stored in a storage medium such as a hard disk or a memory. Also, the driver's preference is estimated from the driver's pedal effort information. The processing means 9 can also control the automatic braking of the vehicle 2. Although the processing means 9 and the recording means 8 are described separately, the processing means 9 and the recording means 8 may be provided as the same hardware.

  The other structure with which the vehicle 2 is provided is demonstrated below. Although the driver identification system 1 operates with the above configuration, the determination accuracy of the driver information, the pedal effort information of the driver, and the preference of the driver can be improved if the following configuration is further provided.

  An outside air temperature detection means 10 for detecting the outside air temperature of the vehicle 2 is provided. A temperature sensor is used for the outside air temperature detection means 10. The outside air temperature detection means 10 detects the outside air temperature of the vehicle 2, and the pedaling force detection means 4 records outside air temperature information in the information center 3 together with the pedaling force information in the recording means 8. By determining the environment outside the vehicle 2 using the outside air temperature information, it can be determined with high accuracy whether the road surface is frozen. By using the outside air temperature information, it is possible to estimate the driver's preference when the road surface is frozen, so it is possible to realize an automatic brake that is more suited to the driver's preference and to improve the driver's comfort.

  The humidity detection means 11 which detects the humidity of the vehicle exterior is provided. A humidity sensor is used as the humidity detection means 11. The humidity detection means 11 detects the humidity outside the vehicle 2 and records the humidity information on the recording means 8 together with the depression force information of the depression force detection means 4. By using the humidity information, it can be determined with high accuracy whether fog is generated or it is raining. By using the humidity information, it is possible to estimate the preference of the driver when it rains, so it is possible to realize an automatic brake that is more suited to the preference of the driver and to improve the driver's comfort.

  A wiper operation detection means 12 for detecting the operation of the wiper of the vehicle 2 is provided. The wiper operation detection unit 12 detects operation information of the wiper, and records the operation information of the wiper on the recording unit 8 together with the depression force information of the depression force detection unit 4. By using the operation information of the wiper, it is determined with high accuracy whether it is raining around the vehicle 2. By using the operation information of the wiper, it is possible to estimate the driver's preference at the time of rainy weather, so it is possible to realize the automatic brake more in accordance with the driver's preference and to improve the driver's comfort.

A steering operation detection means 13 for detecting a steering angle of steering and a steering amount is provided. A steering angle sensor is used for the steering operation detection means 13. If the steering angle and steering amount of the steering are detected, the present invention is not limited to the steering angle sensor, and a torque sensor or the like may be used. The steering operation detection means 13 detects steering operation information, and records the steering operation information in the recording means 8 together with the depression force information of the depression force detection means 4. By using the steering operation information, the driver's preference can be estimated by correlating the driver's steering operation with the brake's operation, so that the driver's automatic braking can be realized and the driver's Comfort can be improved.

  An outdoor camera 14 is provided for capturing an image of the outside of the vehicle 2. The outdoor camera 14 photographs the situation outside the vehicle, and records the outdoor information together with the depression force information of the depression force detection means 4 in the recording means 8. As a result, it is possible to obtain information on the outside of the vehicle such as road surface freezing, bad road, traffic congestion, etc., so that the driver's preference can be estimated with higher accuracy. By combining the pedaling force detecting means 4 and the camera, the determination accuracy of the preference of the driver is improved as compared with the case where only one of them is used. A drive recorder may be used as the outdoor camera 14.

  A vehicle speed detection unit 15 for detecting the traveling speed of the vehicle 2 is provided. The vehicle speed detection means 15 uses a sensor such as a vehicle speed sensor capable of detecting the traveling speed of the vehicle 2. Note that GPS may be used as the vehicle speed detection means 15 as long as the speed of the vehicle 2 can be detected. The vehicle speed detection unit 15 detects the speed of the vehicle 2 and records the vehicle speed information of the vehicle 2 on the recording unit 8 together with the depression force information of the depression force detection unit 4. By detecting the traveling speed of the vehicle 2 by the vehicle speed detection means 15, it is possible to detect the tendency of the driver to step on the brake according to the speed of the vehicle 2 and to estimate the driver's preference with higher accuracy. it can.

  Next, the configuration of the information center 3 will be described.

  The information center 3 uses a communication unit 16 in communication with the communication means 6 of the vehicle 2, a weather information acquisition unit 17 for acquiring weather information around the vehicle 2 acquired from the vehicle 2, and the driver identification system 1 The recording unit 18 records the preference of the driver, and the estimation unit 19 estimates the preference of the driver.

  The communication unit 16 wirelessly communicates with the communication means 6 of the vehicle 2. The communication unit 16 receives, from the communication unit 6, the pedal force information, the position information, the outside air temperature information, the humidity information, the wiper operation information, the steering operation information, the camera image, and the vehicle speed information. These pieces of information are transmitted to the recording unit 18. Further, the communication unit 16 transmits the tendency of the preference of the driver analyzed by the estimation unit 19 from the communication unit 6 to the vehicle 2.

  The weather information acquisition unit 17 acquires information on a weather forecast. The weather forecast may be, for example, a weather forecast on the Internet. The weather information acquisition unit 17 transmits the weather information acquired from the weather forecast to the communication unit 6. By determining the preference of the driver using the weather information, the processing means 9 can determine with high accuracy the preference of the driver in a situation caused by the weather such as freezing, fogging or slipping.

  The recording unit 18 has hardware for storing information, and the driver information, the pedal effort information of the driver, and the preference estimated from the pedal effort information of the driver are recorded. The recording unit 18 records driver information, pedaling force information, and preference information of a driver using the driver identification system 1. Also, if the driver's pedal effort information and the driver's name are registered in the recording unit 18 of the information center 3, when the driver buys a new vehicle 2 etc. It can be used. In this case, it is not necessary to re-register the depression force information of the driver from scratch.

  The estimation unit 19 is hardware having a software program. Further, in the estimation unit 19, a program execution unit such as a CPU or processor may read and execute a software program recorded in a storage medium such as a hard disk or a memory. The estimation unit 19 integrates the preference of the driver of the user of the driver identification system 1 from the recorded contents of the recording unit 18 to estimate the method of the operation of the automatic brake according to the traveling environment of the vehicle 2. As a result, even in an environment where a driver driving the vehicle 2 travels for the first time, it is possible to apply an optimal braking method in consideration of the preferences of other drivers using the driver identification system 1.

3. Driver Registration and Authentication by Driver Identification System The driver authentication by the driver identification system 1 will be described. The driver identification system 1 may be activated every time the engine of the vehicle 2 is started, or the driver identification system 1 may be activated only when the driver needs it. The driver identification system 1 can be frustrated when the driver identification system 1 is activated, so that the driver identification system can be comfortable by activating the driver identification system 1 only when the driver is necessary. 1 can be used. The driver identification system 1 may be activated by operating a display such as a car navigation device only when the driver is required, or the driver may say "driver identification system activation" using a microphone. The driver identification system 1 may be activated by voice. Preferably, the driver identification system 1 can be activated only when the vehicle 2 is at a stop. As a result, it is possible to prevent the driver from looking around and driving, and not only can secure the safety of the driver, but also can reliably perform registration and authentication of the driver described below.

  First, registration of a driver using the driver identification system 1 will be described for the first time. The driver who uses the driver identification system 1 for the first time detects the pedal effort by the pedal effort detection means 4 before starting to record the driver information in the recording means 8. First, the driver is guided by a car navigation device, a speaker, etc. to step on the brake pedal. Before or after the driver depresses the brake pedal, or after depressing the brake pedal, the driver's name is registered by the guidance of the car navigation device or the speaker. In the case of a car navigation device, a driver is input using a display. When the car navigation device is not used, the driver name spoken by the driver may be collected by a microphone to register the driver name. Three methods can be adopted as the way to depress the brake pedal.

  As the first registration method, the driver is allowed to depress the brake pedal freely and the driver information is registered. By letting the driver step freely, the driver can record the driver information without feeling stress.

  The second way of registration is to guide the driver on how to depress the brake pedal. For example, guide the driver as "lightly put your foot on the brake pedal and put on one breath and then depress the brake". By guiding in this manner, (1) the weight of the driver's foot, (2) the time until the driver steps in, and (3) the driver's way in can be detected with high accuracy. Since guidance on how to depress the brake pedal is given, it is possible to avoid the situation where the driver does not depress all the way to the end or the situation where the driver depresses the brake pedal without preparing operation, and the information of (1) to (3) Can be detected reliably. In addition, the driver's brake operation will be stable if the driver's brake operation is sudden, such as "lightly put your foot on the brake pedal and take a breath and then step on the brake". Since it is easy to make a difference in the information of (1) to (3) from the detection result of the pedaling force, the identification accuracy of the driver is improved.

  The third way of registering is that the driver is allowed to depress the brake pedal freely, but during the first predetermined time when depressing the brake pedal, the driver can apply the reaction force to the brake pedal and the driver can depress the brake pedal You can not do it. Thus, it is possible to detect (1) the weight of the driver's foot and (3) the method of stepping on the driver with higher accuracy than when the driver depresses the brake pedal freely. At this time, if a reaction force is applied to the brake pedal without any guidance, there is a possibility that the driver may be surprised that the brake pedal can not be depressed or may suspect the failure of the driver identification system 1. For this reason, the driver should know in advance how to register the driver by guiding, "At first, I can not depress the brake pedal, but when the reaction force of the brake pedal is lost, please depress the brake pedal as far as possible." Can. Thus, the driver can reliably register the driver.

  In any of the above three methods, (1) the weight of the driver's foot, (2) the driver's depression, by having the driver depress the brake pedal twice or three times a plurality of times. You can get information on how long it takes (3) how to step on the driver. This makes it possible to identify the driver with high accuracy. In addition, when detecting the weight of the driver's foot, if you put the foot on the brake pedal without putting a heel on the floor, the accuracy of detecting the weight of the foot will be improved, so when asking the driver to put the foot on the brake pedal It is preferable to guide as "Please put your foot on the pedal without putting the heel on the floor". By guiding in this manner, the weight of the driver's foot can be accurately detected, and the accuracy of driver identification can be improved.

  When the driver identification system 1 is activated for the second time or later, guidance may be provided to prompt the user to step on the brake pedal without requiring input of a driver name. In this case, the driver does not feel stress because the driver does not have to do extra work. In addition, a button may be requested to be additionally registered on a display such as a car navigation device when the driver declares only when the driver uses for the first time, or when the driver identification system 1 is activated. In this case, it is possible to prompt the driver to use the driver for the first time without stress. Also, the driver may be asked each time whether it is used for the first time or the second time or later. The confirmation method to the driver may be display on a display of a car navigation device or the like, or may be confirmation by sound from a speaker. In this case, it is possible to prevent the driver from forgetting registration and using the driver identification system 1. The driver may step on the brake pedal once or may step multiple times. The number of times the brake pedal is depressed can be appropriately selected according to the use condition of the driver identification system 1 and the like.

When the driver depresses the brake pedal, the driver may be notified of the authentication result. If the driver is notified of the authentication result every time, it is possible to prevent the driver identification system 1 from being used while the authentication result is wrong. If the driver's authentication result is incorrect, the treading force information is completely consistent or there is a difference in the treading force information, but the difference is a slight difference, and the difference is determined as the same driver as an error, the driver The operation of the identification system 1 may be changed. If the pedaling force information completely matches, the driver is requested to update the pedaling force information. This makes it possible to update the pedaling force information of the driver and, if there is a slight difference, makes it possible to authenticate the driver with high accuracy after the next time. At this time, for a driver having similar pedaling force information, the number of times the brake pedal is depressed may be increased at the time of driver authentication. In this way, it is possible to authenticate the driver with higher accuracy. If there is a slight difference in the pedaling force information, the slight difference may be determined not as an error but as the pedaling force information of different drivers after the next time. In this way, the driver does not have to re-register and comfort is improved. Alternatively, the driver may be required to re-register the pedaling force information. In this way, the pedaling force information can be updated, and the difference between drivers can be made clearer, so that the authentication accuracy from the next time on will be improved. As described above, the driver authentication accuracy can be improved by learning and updating the driver information.

  The driver's pedal effort information may change due to the driver's physical constitution changing, the driver's preference changing with age, etc. For this reason, it is preferable that the driver's pedal effort information be updated regularly. The timing at which the pedaling force information is updated may be determined by the passage of time, such as once a year. Further, it may be confirmed when the use of the driver identification system 1 is interrupted for a predetermined period, for example, when one month is left after the previous use. By updating the pedaling force information by these methods, it is possible to maintain high driver authentication accuracy. The timing for updating the pedaling force information may be determined in advance, or may be set by the driver. In addition, when the driver is aware that the pedaling force information has been changed due to, for example, a change in one's physical constitution, the driver can update the pedaling force information by himself, for example, a car navigation device etc. The registration button may be displayed on the display of or may be updated by voice recognition.

  If the driver information and the driver's pedaling force information are registered in the recording unit 18 and placed, even if the driver buys the vehicle 2 or the first-time vehicle 2 such as a rental car using the driver identification system 1 The driver identification system 1 can be used. This improves the convenience of the driver. If the driver 2 can not be started when the driver can not be authenticated, the safety of the vehicle 2 is improved. Further, it may be possible to register a unique way of depressing the brake. For example, the brake may be depressed twice and then started, or the brake, the accelerator and the brake may be depressed in order and then started. By setting the driver's own starting method in this way, the safety can be further improved. The starting method may be set by the number of times the brake is depressed, or may be set in combination with an on-vehicle device such as an accelerator or a car navigation device. Also, for example, the authentication may be changed even during the time when the brake is applied, such as “long press on the brake” and “shortly apply the brake”. For example, if the time to step on the brake is shorter than 2 seconds, if it is 2 seconds or longer, it is long to step down. it can. In addition, it may be possible to change the authentication depending on whether or not the brake is fully depressed or not fully depressed. In this way, the driver's safety can be further improved by not only simply stepping on the brake but also changing the certification depending on the combination with other members, the time for stepping on the brake, and the way of stepping on the brake. . The method of this authentication may be changed as appropriate, and the driver may be able to set it by himself.

4. Estimation of preference of the driver by the driver identification system and control of the automatic brake When the driver drives the vehicle 2 with the driver identification system 1 activated, the depression force information is recorded from the brake depression force detected by the depression force detection means 4 It is recorded in means 8. The processing means 9 estimates the driver's preference from the treading force information recorded in the recording means 8 and records the estimated driver's preference in the recording means 8. The driver's preference is to drive a general road, highway, mountain road, school zone, etc. how to brake the driver's brakes, such as the braking speed and the braking strength, which is a simple braking operation, and the timing to depress the brake. It records every difference in the environment, such as when it is raining, snow or icy, etc. In addition, the difference in how to apply the brake depending on the distance between the vehicle 2 traveling ahead and the vehicle 2 may be recorded, or the difference in how to apply the brake at the time of heavy traffic and when there is no traffic congestion may be recorded. In this way, the driver's preference is obtained by recording the pedaling force information in detail for each of various conditions such as the traveling environment, the road surface environment, the presence or absence of traffic congestion and controlling the automatic brake according to the preference estimated accordingly. Can provide an automatic brake. This allows the driver to use the automatic brake comfortably. In addition, by estimating and learning the driver's preference many times, it is possible to improve the estimation accuracy of the driver's preference, so it is possible to further improve the driver's comfort.

  In the case of a driver who has little driving experience, even if the driver's preference is estimated from how the driver brakes, it is not always possible to drive according to the driver's image, so I would like to change the control method of the automatic brake I may feel it. In this case, the driver can correct the preference estimated based on his / her pedal force information by himself / herself. For example, the driver can "early" or "slow" the "brake timing". The "brake timing" may be divided into several stages depending on the speed. By selecting the driver from the stage, automatic brake control close to the driver's image can be realized. The correction of the pedaling force information is not limited to the "brake timing" but can be made to each pedaling force information such as "the speed at which the brake is depressed" and "the strength at which the brake is depressed". This correction may be made to be able to be performed for each condition such as the traveling environment, the road surface environment, and the presence or absence of traffic congestion. As described above, if the pedaling force information can be finely corrected under various conditions, automatic brake control more in accordance with the driver's preference can be performed.

  The driver may acquire the depression force information of the user of the other driver identification system 1 from the information center 3 and control the automatic brake according to the depression force information. If the treading force information of the user of the driver identification system 1 is stored in the information center 3, treading force information close to one's preference can be found from the information stored in the information center 3. The driver operates a display such as a car navigation device to access the information center 3. The driver can acquire pedaling force information from the information center 3. Here, all pedaling force information may be acquired, or only favorite ones may be acquired for each condition or for each pedaling force information. As described above, when the pedaling force information is acquired from the information center 3, it is possible to correct the pedaling force information close to one's preference without correcting all the pedaling force information by oneself. Also, for example, when a driver who has never run on a snowy road surface travels on a snowy road surface for the first time, it is possible to control an automatic brake close to his / her preference even when traveling under conditions where treading force information is not registered. become able to.

  The pedaling force information is accumulated in the information center 3, and the driver discriminating system 1 can be used by acquiring the pedaling force information from the information center 3 even when the driver buys the vehicle 2 or the first-time vehicle 2 such as a rental car. It is good. This improves the convenience of the driver.

  In addition, when the number of passengers can be determined from how to brake, the control of the in-vehicle device may be changed depending on the number of people. For example, when there are occupants up to the rear seat, the air conditioning equipment is controlled to keep the occupants of the rear seat comfortable, guidance is given to the occupants of the rear seat to tighten the seat belt, and there are no occupants. You may change control of vehicle equipment, such as turning off the display of a back seat. As described above, by controlling the on-vehicle device based on the pedaling force information, it is possible to improve the comfort of the occupant, improve the safety, and save energy.

Embodiment 1
The driver identification system according to the first embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the configuration of the driver identification system of the first embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the driver identification system 21 includes a treading force detecting unit 4 provided in the vehicle 2, a recording unit 8 for recording the driver information and the treading force information of the driver, and a processing unit 9 for identifying the driver from the treading force information. ,have.

  The driver identification system 21 can identify the driver from the treading force information, so that the driver can be identified without providing a member for identifying the driver. Therefore, the driver's preference can be reflected in the automatic brake. In addition to the automatic braking, the driver identification system 21 may be used for personal authentication in in-vehicle devices such as air conditioning and security of the vehicle 2.

Second Embodiment
The driver identification system according to the second embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the configuration of the driver identification system of the second embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the driver identification system 31 includes the pedaling force detecting means 4 provided in the vehicle 2, the display means 7 for displaying the pedaling force information, the driver information, the driver's preference and the like, the driver information and the driver's pedaling force information. And a processing means 9 for identifying the driver from the pedaling force information.

  The driver identification system 31 uses the processing means 9 to estimate the driver's preference from the pedaling force information. This makes it possible to control the automatic brake in accordance with the driver's preference when controlling the automatic brake, thereby improving the driver's comfort. Every time the driver's preference is estimated, the accuracy of estimating the driver's preference is improved, and the driver's comfort is further improved. Further, since the driver identification system 31 has the display means 7, the driver can easily authenticate and register the driver and correct the pedaling force information.

Third Embodiment
The driver identification system according to the second embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the configuration of the driver identification system of the second embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the driver identification system 41 includes a treading force detection unit 4 provided in the vehicle 2, a display unit 7 that displays treading force information, driver information, driver preference, etc., driver information and driver's treading force information. Recording means 8, recording means 8 for recording the driver, processing means 9 for identifying the driver from treading force information, outside air temperature detection means 10 for detecting the outside air temperature of the vehicle 2, humidity detection means 11 for detecting the humidity outside the vehicle 2, wiper A wiper operation detection unit 12 for detecting the operation of the vehicle, a steering operation detection unit 13 for detecting the operation of the steering, a camera 14 outside the vehicle room for photographing the situation outside the vehicle, a vehicle speed detection unit 15 for detecting the speed of the vehicle 2 ,have.

  The driver identification system 31 includes the outside air temperature detection means 10, the humidity detection means 11, the wiper operation detection means 12, the steering operation detection means 13, the exterior camera 14, and the vehicle speed detection means 15. The environment in which the vehicle 2 is traveling can be detected in detail. As a result, it is possible to acquire treading force information according to the presence or absence of a traffic jam, the traveling environment such as a general road and an expressway, a mountain road, the road surface environment such as freezing, wet, rain, fog, snow cover, etc. As described above, since the pedaling force information can be obtained for each traveling condition of the vehicle 2, the driver's preference under various conditions can be estimated. Thereby, the control of the automatic brake according to the preference of the driver can be realized at a high level.

Embodiment 4
The driver identification system according to the fourth embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the configuration of the driver identification system of the fourth embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the driver identification system 51 has a vehicle 2 and an information center 3. The vehicle 2 includes a pedaling force detecting means 4 for detecting a driver's pedaling force, a communication means 16 for communicating the driver information, driver's pedaling force information and driver's preference, communication unit 16 and driver's pedaling information, driver information, driver's preference etc. The display means 7 for displaying the information, the recording means 8 for recording the driver information and the depression force information of the driver, the processing means 9 for identifying the driver from the depression force information, the outside air temperature detection means 10 for detecting the outside air temperature of the vehicle 2, 2. Humidity detecting means 11 for detecting humidity outside 2; wiper operation detecting means 12 for detecting the operation of the wiper; steering operation detecting means 13 for detecting the operation of the steering wheel; And vehicle speed detection means 15 for detecting the speed of the vehicle 2. The information center 3 includes a communication unit 16 that communicates with the communication unit 6, a weather information acquisition unit 17 that acquires weather information around the vehicle 2, a recording unit that records the driver information, the treading force information of the driver, and the preference of the driver. 18 and an estimation unit 19 that estimates the preference of the user of the driver identification system 51.

  Since the driver identification system 51 has the information center 3, the driver information, the pedal effort information of the driver, and the preference of the driver may be recorded in the information center 3, and the driver identification system 1 may be used for the first riding vehicle 2 etc. it can. Therefore, the convenience of the driver is high. Further, by estimating the pedaling force information accumulated in the recording unit 18 by the estimation unit 19, the preference tendency of the driver driving the vehicle 2 can be estimated, and conditions such that the driver has never driven However, automatic brake control can be performed according to the driver's preference.

Fifth Embodiment
The driver identification system according to the fifth embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the configuration of the driver identification system of the fifth embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the driver identification system 61 has a vehicle 2 and an information center 3. The vehicle 2 displays the pedaling force detecting means 4 for detecting the pedaling force, the communication unit 16 and the communication means 6 for communicating the driver information, the driver's pedaling force information and the driver's preference, the pedaling force information, the driver information, the driver's preference, etc. It has display means 7, recording means 8 for recording driver information and treading force information of the driver, and processing means 9 for identifying the driver from the treading force information. The information center 3 includes a communication unit 16 communicating with the communication unit 6, a recording unit 18 recording the driver information, the driver's stepping power information, and the driver's preference, and an estimation unit for estimating the user's preference of the driver identification system 51 And 19).

  The user of the driver identification system 51 is a rental company that lends the vehicle 2 or a company that provides car sharing where members share the vehicle 2. The business operator records member information as a customer in the information center 3. The member registers the driver information, the driver's pedal effort information, and the driver's preference in the driver identification system 61 used by the business operator. The timing for registering these pieces of information may be when the vehicle 2 of the business operator is used for the first time, or the treading force detecting means 4 may be installed outside the vehicle 2, for example, in a store. When the member uses the driver identification system 61, the member can control the automatic brake according to his / her preference even if the new vehicle 2 is used when using the vehicle 2 provided by the business operator. If the member 2 registered in the driver identification system 61 can not start the vehicle 2 provided by the company, the theft of the vehicle 2 can be prevented.

Sixth Embodiment
The driver identification system according to the sixth embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 19 is a diagram showing the configuration of the driver identification system of the sixth embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 10, the driver identification system 71 includes the treading force detection means 4 provided in the vehicle 2, the communication unit 16 communicating with the communication unit 16, the driver information, the treading force information of the driver, and the preference of the driver. And display means 7 for displaying driver information and preferences of the driver, recording means 8 for recording the driver information and the depression force information of the driver, and processing means 9 for identifying the driver from the depression force information.

  The driver identification system 71 communicates with each other by the communication means 6 of the vehicle 2. Thereby, the driver driving the vehicle 2 can grasp the existence of the vehicle 2 using the driver identification system 71 traveling near. Thus, if the position of the vehicle 2 using the driver identification system 71 is displayed on the car navigation device, the vehicle 2 using the driver identification system 71 can be tracked. For example, when friends aim at the same destination with a plurality of vehicles 2, one vehicle 2 may follow the other vehicle 2. At this time, if you lose sight of the other vehicle 2, you will lose track, but if you travel while checking the position with the driver identification system 71, you will not lose sight of the other vehicle 2. Here, if the driver identification system 71 can track only the vehicles 2 registered with each other, the driver identification system 71 can be used safely because it is not tracked by an unidentified driver. can do.

  The driver identification system of the present invention can identify a driver simply by depressing the brake pedal, and is thus useful for control of an automatic brake or the like in accordance with the driver's preference.

1, 21, 31, 41, 51, 61, 71 Driver identification system 2 vehicle 3 information center 4 treading force detection means 5 position information acquisition means 6 communication means 7 display means 8 recording means 9 processing means 10 outside air temperature detection means 11 humidity detection Means 12 Wiper movement detection means 13 Steering operation detection means 14 Vehicle outside camera 15 Vehicle speed detection means 16 Communication unit 17 Weather information acquisition unit 18 Recording unit 19 Estimation unit

Claims (19)

Treading force detection means provided on a brake pedal of a vehicle for detecting a brake treading force from distortion produced in the brake pedal;
Processing means for identifying a driver from the pedal effort information acquired from the pedal effort detection means;
A driver identification system comprising: recording means for recording driver information and treading force information of the driver. The driver identification system according to claim 1, wherein the depression force information of the driver is information consisting of at least one of the weight of the driver's foot, the time until the driver steps on, and the method of stepping on the driver. The driver identification system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the processing means estimates the preference of the driver from the pedal effort information of the driver. The driver identification system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein driver authentication is performed when the driver identification system is activated. The display further includes driver information and driver's depression information.
The driver identification system according to claim 4, wherein the display means authenticates the driver. The driver identification system according to claim 4 or 5, wherein control is performed so that the vehicle can not be started when the driver can not be authenticated. The driver identification system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the vehicle further comprises position information acquisition means for acquiring position information of the vehicle. The driver identification system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the vehicle further includes an outside air temperature detection unit that detects an outside air temperature of the vehicle. The driver identification system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the vehicle further comprises humidity detection means for detecting humidity outside the vehicle. The driver identification system according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the vehicle further comprises wiper operation detection means for detecting an operation of a wiper of the vehicle. The driver identification system system according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the vehicle further comprises steering operation detection means for detecting an operation of steering. The driver identification system according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the vehicle further comprises an outdoor camera for capturing an external view of the vehicle. The driver identification system according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the vehicle further comprises vehicle speed detection means for detecting a traveling speed of the vehicle. The driver identification system according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the vehicle further comprises communication means for communicating at least driver information and treading force information of the driver. The driver identification system according to claim 14, wherein the processing means of the vehicle using the plurality of driver identification systems communicate with each other, and can mutually grasp the vehicles using the driver identification system. The communication system according to claim 14, further comprising: a communication unit communicating with the communication means, a recording unit recording at least the driver information and the treading force information of the driver, and an estimation unit estimating the preference of the driver from the treading force information of the driver. Driver identification system as described. The driver identification system according to claim 16, wherein the information center further comprises a weather information acquisition unit that acquires weather information on the periphery of the vehicle. The driver identification system according to any one of claims 1 to 17, wherein the pedal effort information of the driver is periodically updated. The driver identification system according to any one of claims 1 to 18, wherein a user of the driver identification system is a lender of a vehicle or a carrier that shares a owned vehicle among members.

Images