JP2021054136A - Control apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

To suppress deterioration in fuel economy while maintaining the state of a driver being awake.SOLUTION: A control apparatus includes: an identification part 121 for identifying a degree of wakefulness of a driver; and a ventilation control part 123 for changing an air-conditioner 5 of a vehicle 100 to an outside air introduction mode for introducing outside air into a cabin under a condition where the degree of wakefulness identified by the identification part 121 becomes a threshold or lower while the air-conditioner 5 operates in an inner air circulation mode of circulating the air inside of the cabin. The control apparatus 1 further includes an obtainment part 122 for obtaining a carbon dioxide concentration within the cabin. Further, ventilation control part 123 may switch the air-conditioner 5 to the outside air introduction mode under a condition where the degree of wakefulness identified by the identification part 121 becomes the threshold or lower and the carbon dioxide concentration becoming a first reference value or higher, while the air-conditioner 5 operates in the inner air circulation mode of circulating the air inside of the cabin.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

The present invention relates to a control device that ventilates the inside of a vehicle.

_{It is known that when the concentration of CO 2} in the vehicle interior while driving is high, the driver feels tired and tired and tends to get sleepy. Patent Document 1 describes _{that when the CO 2} concentration in the vehicle interior is high, the CO ₂ concentration is reduced by ventilating the vehicle interior.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2000-71752

There are individual differences in the _{CO 2} concentration, which adversely affects the driver such as fatigue and fatigue. In the invention described in Patent Document 1, when the CO ₂ concentration in the vehicle interior is high, the vehicle interior is ventilated even when the driver is _{not affected by CO 2.} Therefore, there is a problem that the fuel efficiency is deteriorated due to the decrease in the efficiency of air conditioning due to the ventilation in the vehicle interior.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and provides a control device capable of suppressing deterioration of fuel efficiency while maintaining an awake state of the driver.

The control device according to the embodiment of the present invention is specified by the specific unit that specifies the degree of arousal of the driver and while the air conditioner of the vehicle is operating in the inside air circulation mode that circulates the air in the vehicle interior. The ventilation control unit is provided to switch the air conditioner to the outside air introduction mode for introducing the outside air into the vehicle interior on condition that the arousal degree is equal to or lower than the threshold value.

The control device further includes an acquisition unit for acquiring the carbon dioxide concentration in the vehicle interior, and the ventilation control unit is said to be said while the air conditioner is operating in the inside air circulation mode for circulating air in the vehicle interior. The air conditioner may be switched to the outside air introduction mode on condition that the arousal degree specified by the specific unit is equal to or lower than the threshold value and the carbon dioxide concentration is equal to or higher than the first reference value.

In the control device, the air released by the air conditioner operates on the condition that the alertness specified by the specific unit is equal to or lower than the threshold value and the carbon dioxide concentration is equal to or higher than the first reference value. An awakening processing unit that controls the direction of the wind of the air conditioner so as to face the person may be further provided.

The acquisition unit further acquires the temperature inside the vehicle interior, and the ventilation control unit further acquires the temperature when the temperature is less than a predetermined value while the air conditioner is operating in the inside air circulation mode. The air conditioner is switched to the outside air introduction mode on condition that the carbon dioxide concentration is equal to or higher than the first reference value, and when the temperature is equal to or higher than the predetermined value, the carbon dioxide concentration is the first reference value. The air conditioner may be switched to the outside air introduction mode on condition that the value is equal to or higher than the second reference value.

According to the present invention, there is an effect that deterioration of fuel efficiency can be suppressed while maintaining an awake state of the driver.

It is a figure which shows the outline of the control device mounted on a vehicle. It is a figure which shows the structure of a vehicle. It is a flowchart which shows the processing procedure which a control device controls ventilation.

[Overview of control device]
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an outline of a control device 1 mounted on a vehicle 100. The control device 1 is realized by, for example, an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) that electronically controls each part of the vehicle 100 by a computer. The control device 1 controls the air conditioner mounted on the vehicle 100.

FIG. 1A shows an example in which the air conditioner operates in the inside air circulation mode. FIG. 1B shows an example in which the air conditioner operates in the outside air introduction mode. The air conditioner circulates the air in the vehicle interior as shown by the arrow in FIG. 1A while operating in the inside air circulation mode. In the inside air circulation mode, the cooling efficiency is good because the air conditioner further cools the already cooled air. Therefore, the power consumption is relatively low and the fuel consumption is good. On the other hand, in the inside air circulation mode, since the outside air is not introduced, the CO ₂ concentration in the vehicle interior gradually increases. Therefore, if the driver does not ventilate for a long time, he / she may feel tired and tired, and may become sleepy.

While operating in the outside air introduction mode, the air conditioner introduces outside air into the vehicle interior as shown by the arrow in FIG. 1 (b). At this time, the air conditioner _{can reduce the CO 2} concentration in the vehicle interior. On the other hand, in the outside air introduction mode, the cooling efficiency is lower than that in the inside air circulation mode, so that the fuel consumption tends to deteriorate.

The control device 1 specifies an arousal level indicating the degree of arousal of the driver while the air conditioner is operating in the inside air circulation mode. The alertness shall be low enough to make the driver sleepy. The control device 1 switches the inside air circulation mode to the outside air introduction mode on condition that the driver's arousal level is equal to or less than the threshold value.

With such a configuration, the control device 1 can suppress adverse effects on the driver such as fatigue and fatigue caused by a high _{CO 2 concentration, and can prepare an environment in which the driver can drive comfortably.} In addition, the control device 1 can maintain the driver in an awake state. When the driver does not feel drowsy, the control device 1 does not switch from the inside air circulation mode to the outside air introduction mode, so that it is possible to suppress deterioration of fuel consumption due to the switch to the outside air introduction mode.

[Vehicle configuration]
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of the vehicle 100. The vehicle 100 includes a control device 1, an imaging unit 2, a thermometer 3, a CO ₂ concentration measuring device 4, and an air conditioner 5. The control device 1 includes a storage unit 11 and a control unit 12.

The imaging unit 2 images the driver while the vehicle 100 is traveling. The image pickup unit 2 captures, for example, the driver's face. The imaging unit 2 may image the upper body including the driver's face. The thermometer 3 measures the temperature of the air in the vehicle interior.

CO ₂ concentration measuring device 4 measures the CO ₂ concentration in the vehicle cabin. For example, CO ₂ concentration measuring device 4, a non-dispersive infrared (NDIR: Nondispersive Infrared) by spectroscopy, CO ₂ that CO ₂ measures the absorbed amount of absorbed infrared rays of a specific frequency, corresponding to the absorption Calculate the concentration.

The storage unit 11 has, for example, a storage medium such as a ROM (Read Only Memory) and a RAM (Random Access Memory). The storage unit 11 stores various programs and various data for operating the control unit 12. The control unit 12 functions as a specific unit 121, an acquisition unit 122, a ventilation control unit 123, and an awakening processing unit 124 by executing a program stored in the storage unit 11.

The identification unit 121 specifies the arousal level of the driver. First, the specific unit 121 controls the image pickup unit 2 to generate a captured image of the driver at predetermined intervals. The predetermined period is, for example, several tens of milliseconds. The specific unit 121 analyzes the generated plurality of captured images. For example, the identification unit 121 identifies the degree of opening of the driver's eyes in the generated plurality of captured images. The specific unit 121 specifies the arousal level corresponding to the degree of opening of the eyes. When the driver shows the same degree of eye opening as during awakening except for a very short time corresponding to blinking or the like, the specific unit 121 assigns a relatively high value as the driver's arousal degree. .. The specific unit 121 assigns a relatively low value as the driver's arousal level when the driver keeps his / her eyes almost closed for several seconds.

In addition, the identification unit 121 may specify the arousal level of the driver by determining whether or not the driver has performed an abnormal operation such as falling down. The specific unit 121 notifies the ventilation control unit 123 and the awakening processing unit 124 of the specified arousal level. Acquisition unit 122, the CO ₂ concentration measuring device 4 obtains the CO ₂ concentration in the vehicle cabin measured. The acquisition unit 122 acquires the temperature of the air in the vehicle interior measured by the hygrometer 3.

[Switch to outside air introduction mode]
The ventilation control unit 123 switches the air conditioner 5 to the outside air introduction mode under predetermined conditions while the air conditioner 5 is operating in the inside air circulation mode. The ventilation control unit 123 determines whether or not the arousal level specified by the specific unit 121 is equal to or lower than the threshold value while the air conditioner 5 of the vehicle 100 is operating in the inside air circulation mode. The threshold value is, for example, a value indicating that the driver feels drowsy.

Further, the ventilation control unit 123 _{determines whether or not the CO 2} concentration acquired by the acquisition unit 122 is equal to or higher than the first reference value. The first reference value is, for example, a value at which the driver feels tired or tired. In the ventilation control unit 123, for example, while the air conditioner 5 of the vehicle 100 is operating in the inside air circulation mode, (1) the driver's alertness is below the threshold value, and (2) the CO ₂ concentration is second. On condition that it is determined that the value is 1 or more, the air conditioner 5 is switched to the outside air introduction mode and operated. On the other hand, the ventilation control unit 123 does not switch to the outside air introduction mode when it is determined that the driver's alertness is higher than the threshold value or the CO _{2 concentration is less than the first reference value.} ..

When the driver does not feel drowsy or the CO ₂ concentration in the vehicle interior is low, the ventilation control unit 123 can increase the cooling efficiency by operating the air conditioner 5 in the inside air circulation mode. .. _{When the CO 2} concentration in the vehicle interior is high and the driver feels drowsy, the ventilation control unit 123 _{lowers the CO 2} concentration in the vehicle interior by operating the air conditioner 5 in the outside air introduction mode. be able to. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the driver from being adversely affected by fatigue, fatigue, etc. due to the high _{CO 2 concentration in the vehicle interior.}

[Change of ventilation timing depending on temperature]
When the temperature inside the vehicle interior is high, the ventilation control unit 123 may delay the timing of ventilation in order to give priority to cooling the vehicle interior. The ventilation control unit 123 determines whether or not the temperature acquired by the acquisition unit 122 is equal to or higher than a predetermined value. The predetermined value is, for example, a value specified in advance by the driver or a value determined based on the relationship with the outside air temperature.

When the temperature acquired by the acquisition unit 122 is less than a predetermined value, the ventilation control unit 123 determines that the arousal level is equal to or lower than the threshold value and the CO ₂ concentration is equal to or higher than the first reference value, as described above. As a condition, the air conditioner 5 is switched to the outside air introduction mode. On the other hand, when the temperature acquired by the acquisition unit 122 is equal to or higher than a predetermined value, the ventilation control unit 123 has a CO ₂ concentration of a second reference value or higher, which is higher than the first reference value, in addition to the above-mentioned arousal level condition. The air conditioner 5 may be switched to the outside air introduction mode on condition that the air conditioner 5 is set to the outside air introduction mode. The second reference value is, for example, a value several hundred ppm higher than the first reference value.

[Omission of determination of _{CO 2 concentration]
The ventilation control unit 123 may omit the determination of whether or not the CO 2} concentration acquired by the acquisition unit 122 is equal to or higher than the first reference value. That is, the ventilation control unit 123 may switch the air conditioner 5 to the outside air introduction mode and operate the air conditioner 5 when it is determined that the driver's arousal level is equal to or less than the threshold value. With such a configuration, the ventilation control unit 123 can easily maintain the awake state of the driver even in a vehicle or the like that is not equipped with the _{CO 2 concentration measuring device 4.}

[Promotion of driver awakening]
The awakening processing unit 124 may execute other processing for promoting the awakening of the driver at the timing when the ventilation control unit 123 switches from the inside air circulation mode to the outside air introduction mode. In other words, the awakening processing unit 124 may execute other processing for promoting the awakening of the driver, provided that the above-mentioned (1) and (2) are satisfied. For example, the awakening processing unit 124 controls the air conditioner 5 so as to blow air to the driver by controlling the direction of the wind of the air conditioner 5 so that the air released by the air conditioner 5 is directed toward the driver.

Other processes for encouraging the awakening of the driver are not limited to the example of encouraging the awakening of the driver by blowing cold air on the driver. For example, the awakening processing unit 124 may promote the driver's awakening by vibrating the steering wheel or outputting an alarm sound from the speaker. The awakening processing unit 124 may urge the driver to awaken by blowing a scent that stimulates nerves and awakens drowsiness to the driver or by blinking a warning light arranged on the instrument panel. ..

The awakening processing unit 124 may urge the driver to awaken a predetermined time after the ventilation control unit 123 switches from the inside air circulation mode to the outside air introduction mode. The predetermined time is, for example, a time during which the effect of switching to the outside air introduction mode can occur, and is several tens of seconds.

When the carbon dioxide concentration is lowered to a level close to that of the outside air in the outside air introduction mode, the effect of promoting the awakening of the driver can be expected. However, it may not be possible to sufficiently promote the awakening of the driver only by the treatment of reducing the concentration of carbon dioxide. Therefore, the awakening processing unit 124 may execute other processing for promoting the awakening of the driver, provided that the awakening degree of the driver is equal to or less than the threshold value even after switching to the outside air introduction mode. By operating the awakening processing unit 124 in this way, it is possible to prevent the driver from feeling uncomfortable because the process of promoting awakening is executed even though the driver is in an awake state.

The awakening processing unit 124 may promote the driver's awakening on condition that the driver's arousal level is equal to or less than the threshold value but the CO ₂ concentration is determined to be less than the first reference value. With such a configuration, the awakening processing unit 124 can promote the driver's awakening even when the driver feels drowsy due to a factor other than the _{CO 2 concentration.}

[Processing procedure in which the control device controls the air conditioner]
FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure in which the control device 1 controls ventilation. This processing procedure starts, for example, when the air conditioner 5 is operating in the inside air circulation mode. First, the acquisition unit 122 acquires the CO ₂ concentration in the vehicle interior (S101). The identification unit 121 generates an image captured by the driver by the image pickup unit 2 (S102). The identification unit 121 identifies the driver's arousal level by analyzing the captured image (S103).

The ventilation control unit 123 determines whether or not the driver's alertness is equal to or less than the threshold value (S104). When the ventilation control unit 123 determines that the driver's alertness is equal to or lower than the threshold value (YES in S104), the ventilation control unit 123 _{determines whether or not the CO 2} concentration is equal to or higher than the first reference value (S105). When the ventilation control unit 123 determines that the CO ₂ concentration is equal to or higher than the first reference value (YES in S105), the ventilation control unit 123 switches the air conditioner 5 to the outside air introduction mode to operate (S106), and ends the process.

When the ventilation control unit 123 determines that the driver's arousal level is higher than the threshold value in the determination of S104 (NO in S104), the ventilation control unit 123 returns to the process of S101. When the ventilation control unit 123 determines that the CO ₂ concentration is less than the first reference value in the determination of S105 (NO in S105), the ventilation control unit 123 returns to the processing of S101.

[Modification example]
The specific unit 121 is not limited to an example of identifying the driver's arousal level by analyzing the captured image. For example, the specific unit 121 acquires a time change of the steering amount of the steering wheel by the driver based on the measurement result of the steering angle sensor (not shown) attached to the steering shaft. In the specific unit 121, the degree of agreement between the characteristic information extracted from the acquired steering amount change over time and the feature information extracted from the time change of the steering amount when the driver is meandering is significantly high. In some cases, a relatively low value may be assigned as the driver's arousal level. On the other hand, in the specific unit 121, the degree of coincidence between the characteristic information extracted from the time change of the steering amount acquired and the feature information extracted from the time change of the steering amount when the driver is driving normally is the same. If it is significantly higher, a relatively high value may be assigned as the driver's arousal level.

Further, the identification unit 121 may specify the driver's arousal level based on the force with which the driver grips the steering wheel. The specific unit 121 acquires the magnitude of the force with which the driver grips the steering wheel based on the measurement result of the pressure sensor (not shown) built in the steering wheel. When the magnitude of the acquired force is smaller than the lower limit value assumed as the magnitude of the force of the driver who holds the steering wheel at the time of awakening, the specific unit 121 assigns a relatively low value as the arousal degree of the driver. May be good. The specific unit 121 assigns a relatively high value as the driver's arousal level when the acquired force is within the range assumed as the force of the driver who holds the steering wheel at the time of awakening. You may.

[Effect of the control device of this embodiment]
According to the present embodiment, the ventilation control unit 123 can _{suppress the adverse effect of CO 2} on the driver such as fatigue and fatigue, and can prepare an environment in which the driver can drive comfortably. In addition, the ventilation control unit 123 can maintain the driver in an awake state. When the driver does not feel drowsy, the ventilation control unit 123 does not switch from the inside air circulation mode to the outside air introduction mode, so that it is possible to suppress deterioration of fuel consumption due to the switch to the outside air introduction mode. ..

Although the present invention has been described above using the embodiments, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments, and various modifications and changes can be made within the scope of the gist thereof. is there. For example, all or a part of the device can be functionally or physically distributed / integrated in any unit. Also included in the embodiments of the present invention are new embodiments resulting from any combination of the plurality of embodiments. The effect of the new embodiment produced by the combination also has the effect of the original embodiment.

1 Control device 2 Imaging unit 3 Thermometer 4 Concentration measuring device 5 Air conditioner 11 Storage unit 12 Control unit 100 Vehicle 121 Specific unit 122 Acquisition unit 123 Ventilation control unit 124 Awakening processing unit

Claims (4)

A specific part that identifies the driver's alertness and
While the air conditioner of the vehicle is operating in the inside air circulation mode that circulates the air in the vehicle interior, the outside air is introduced into the vehicle interior on condition that the arousal level specified by the specific unit becomes equal to or less than the threshold value. Ventilation control unit that switches the air conditioner to the outside air introduction mode
A control device comprising. Further equipped with an acquisition unit for acquiring the carbon dioxide concentration in the vehicle interior,
While the air conditioner is operating in the inside air circulation mode that circulates the air in the vehicle interior, the ventilation control unit has the alertness specified by the specific unit below the threshold value and the carbon dioxide concentration. To switch the air conditioner to the outside air introduction mode, provided that is equal to or greater than the first reference value.
The control device according to claim 1. The air released by the air conditioner is directed toward the driver on condition that the alertness specified by the specific unit is equal to or lower than the threshold value and the carbon dioxide concentration is equal to or higher than the first reference value. An awakening processing unit that controls the direction of the wind of the air conditioner is further provided.
The control device according to claim 2. The acquisition unit further acquires the temperature inside the vehicle interior and obtains the temperature inside the vehicle interior.
The ventilation control unit is required to have the carbon dioxide concentration equal to or higher than the first reference value when the temperature is lower than a predetermined value while the air conditioner is operating in the internal air circulation mode. As a result, the air conditioner is switched to the outside air introduction mode, and when the temperature is equal to or higher than the predetermined value, the carbon dioxide concentration is equal to or higher than the second reference value higher than the first reference value. Switching the air conditioner to the outside air introduction mode,
The control device according to claim 2 or 3.

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