JP2021123978A - Seat control system - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a seat control system that prevents the use of an automated vehicle by a person who is not registered to use such a vehicle.SOLUTION: An aspect of the present disclosure is directed to a seat control system used in a vehicle equipped with at least one seat in which a user is seated and an automatic driving device. The seat control system includes a determination unit configured to determine whether or not a person who has boarded the vehicle is registered to use the vehicle, and a control unit configured to execute a seat locking process to move the at least one seat to a non-use state in which the person cannot be seated or to maintain the seat in the non-use state when the person is not registered to use the vehicle.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present disclosure relates to a seat control system.

An electronic key system for preventing the use of a person who has not registered for use in a vehicle used by an unspecified number of people in the form of car sharing or ride sharing is known (see Patent Document 1).

In the electronic key system, the vehicle is unlocked by identifying the person (that is, the user) who has registered for use.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2004-190233

In the above-mentioned electronic key system, when an unmanned vehicle is unlocked by one user, a person who has not registered for use may intentionally or accidentally get into the vehicle. As a result, others can use the vehicle on behalf of the registered user.

One aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a seat control system that prevents a person who has not registered for use from using an autonomous vehicle.

One aspect of the present disclosure is a seat control system (1) used in a vehicle (100) including at least one seat (102) in which a user is seated and an automatic driving device (103). The seat control system (1) has a determination unit (2) configured to determine whether or not a person who has boarded the vehicle (100) has registered to use the vehicle (100), and when there is no user registration for the person. A control unit (3) configured to perform a seat lock process for moving at least one seat (102) into an unused state in which a person cannot be seated or maintaining the unused state is provided.

According to such a configuration, when a person who has not registered for use (hereinafter, also referred to as "non-user") accidentally gets on the vehicle (100), the seat (102) cannot be seated. Transition to a state or maintain an unused state. This makes it possible to encourage non-users to get off. As a result, it is possible to prevent non-users from using self-driving cars.

In one aspect of the present disclosure, the control unit (3) is configured to execute a warning process that generates a warning in the vehicle (100) before executing the seat lock process when there is no user registration for the person. May be good. According to such a configuration, it is possible to give a warning to the non-user in two steps in addition to the non-use state of the seat (102). Therefore, it is possible to more accurately prevent the use of non-users' self-driving cars.

In one aspect of the present disclosure, the control unit (3) takes at least one seat (102) in an unused state after there is no unregistered person in the vehicle (100) after the seat lock process. It may be configured to perform an unlocking process that causes the user to be seated and available. According to such a configuration, the user who boarded the vehicle (100) later than the non-user can be seated in the seat (102).

In one aspect of the present disclosure, the control unit (3) confirms whether at least one seat (102) is available for the user to be seated before the registered user starts using the vehicle (100). Then, when at least one sheet (102) is not in the available state, the initial process of moving the at least one sheet (102) to the available state is executed, and in the sheet lock process, when there is no user registration of the person. , At least one sheet (102) may be configured to move to an unused state. According to such a configuration, since the seat (102) is available when the user boarded, the user who has registered for use can quickly take a seat. Therefore, the convenience of the user is improved.

The reference numerals in the parentheses are examples showing the correspondence with the specific configurations and the like described in the embodiments described later, and the present disclosure is limited to the specific configurations and the like shown in the symbols in the parentheses. It's not something.

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a vehicle according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of the seat control system of FIG. FIG. 3A is a schematic view showing a sheet in an available state, and FIGS. 3B, 3C, 3D, 3E, and 3F are schematic views showing a sheet in a non-use state, respectively. FIG. 4 is a flow chart schematically showing a process executed by the control unit of FIG.

Hereinafter, embodiments to which the present disclosure has been applied will be described with reference to the drawings.
[1. First Embodiment]
[1-1. composition]
The vehicle 100 shown in FIG. 1 is used for car sharing in which an unspecified number of users share one vehicle, or for ride sharing in which an unspecified number of users synergize with one vehicle. In ride sharing, the boarding points and disembarking points of multiple users do not have to match.

The vehicle 100 includes a vehicle body 101, a plurality of seats 102, an automatic driving device 103, an authentication device 104, an alarm device 105, and a seat control system 1. The vehicle 100 is designed so that the user is seated in the seat 102.

The vehicle 100 travels on the ground by automatic driving by the automatic driving device 103. That is, the driver does not board the vehicle 100. Further, the vehicle 100 is designed so that all users travel while seated in the seat 102. The vehicle 100 includes a bus in addition to an ordinary automobile.

A user who intends to use the vehicle 100 registers the usage time, boarding point, getting-off point, and passenger of the vehicle 100 in advance in the registration server 200 using, for example, a mobile terminal. After registration of use, the user boarded the vehicle 100 to be dispatched to the boarding point registered at the registered time.

<Vehicle body>
The vehicle body 101 includes a vehicle body that constitutes an internal space on which the user rides, and a power unit that causes the vehicle body to travel by an engine or a motor. The vehicle body has a door that opens and closes when the user is on board.

<Sheet>
The seat 102 is arranged in the internal space of the vehicle body 101. A user who moves to the destination by the vehicle 100 is seated on the seat 102 during the movement.

The seat 102 has a moving mechanism such as an electric reclining device, a tilt device, a lift device, and a slide device. The user can change the posture of the seat 102 by using the moving mechanism.

<Automatic operation device>
The automatic driving device 103 is configured to drive the vehicle 100 at the boarding point of the user and the disembarking point of the user.

When a plurality of users board the vehicle 100 at the same time, the automatic driving device 103 patrols the vehicle 100 so as to pass through the plurality of boarding points. Further, when a plurality of users disembark at different points, the vehicle 100 is patrolled so as to pass through the plurality of disembarkation points. The automatic driving device 103 acquires the boarding point and the getting-off point registered by the user from the registration server 200 via a network 300 such as the Internet.

The automatic driving device 103 may be configured to travel after detecting that all the users boarding the vehicle 100 are seated in the seat 102. That is, the automatic driving device 103 may be configured to lock the running of the vehicle 100 when a user who is not seated in the seat 102 exists in the vehicle 100.

<Authentication device>
The authentication device 104 is configured to authenticate a person who intends to board the vehicle 100. The authentication device 104 authenticates using biometric information such as a face, a glow, and a fingerprint, for example.

When a person approaches the vehicle 100, the authentication device 104 authenticates the person outside the vehicle 100. After the person is authenticated, the authentication device 104 verifies whether the authenticated person is the user who has registered the use of the vehicle 100 or the passenger registered by the user.

When the authenticated person is a registered user or a passenger (hereinafter, collectively referred to as a "registrant"), the authentication device 104 opens the door of the vehicle body 101 for a certain period of time. The authentication device 104 closes the door of the vehicle body 101 after the user has boarded the vehicle 100. The authentication device 104 acquires the user registrant of the vehicle 100 from the registration server 200 via the network 300.

<Alarm device>
The alarm device 105 generates a warning sound for a person other than the registrant who has boarded the vehicle 100.

The alarm device 105 is arranged in the internal space of the vehicle body 101. The alarm device 105 may be attached to the seat 102. The alarm device 105 may give a warning by light in addition to the warning sound. Further, the warning sound may include a voice.

<Seat control system>
The seat control system 1 is configured to control the seat 102. As shown in FIG. 2, the seat control system 1 includes a determination unit 2 and a control unit 3.

The determination unit 2 is configured to determine whether or not a person who has boarded the vehicle 100 has registered to use the vehicle 100. Specifically, the determination unit 2 determines whether or not this person is a registrant based on the authentication information of the person in the authentication device 104. The determination unit 2 may be composed of a part of the authentication device 104.

The control unit 3 is configured to execute an initial process, a warning process, a seat lock process, and an unlock process.

In the initial process, the control unit 3 confirms whether the seat 102 is in the available state before the registered user starts using the vehicle 100, and if the seat 102 is not in the available state, the seat 102 can be used. Move to the state. The available state means a state in which the user can be seated in the seat 102 as shown in FIG. 3A.

Further, the period before the start of use of the vehicle 100 is an arbitrary timing before the first user gets on the vehicle 100 (that is, before the door of the vehicle body 101 opens). When all the seats 102 of the vehicle 100 are available, the control unit 3 does not move the seats 102 in the initial process.

In the warning process, the control unit 3 generates a warning in the vehicle 100 before executing the seat lock process, which will be described later, when there is no registration of use of the person determined by the determination unit 2. Specifically, the control unit 3 generates an alarm sound in the vehicle body 101 by the alarm device 105. The warning is generated when a person who has not been registered for use (hereinafter, also referred to as "non-user") gets on the vehicle 100 or when the non-user is seated.

In the sheet lock process, the control unit 3 moves the sheet 102 to the non-use state when there is no usage registration of the person determined by the determination unit 2. The non-use state means a state in which a non-user cannot sit on the seat 102, as shown in FIG. 3B.

In FIG. 3B, the control unit 3 reduces the seating space on the seat cushion 102A by moving the seat 102 so as to be close to the structure 101A. The structure 101A is a part of the vehicle body 101 (for example, an instrument panel, a wall, etc.) or another component (for example, another seat, etc.) arranged in the internal space.

Further, the control unit 3 may fold the sheet 102 as shown in FIGS. 3C, 3D, and 3E. In FIG. 3C, the seat back 102B is superposed on the seat cushion 102A from above. The back surface of the seat back 102B (that is, the surface opposite to the seating surface) is a hard surface unsuitable for seating.

In FIG. 3D, from the state of FIG. 3C, the seat back 102B is further rotated so as to stand while the seat back 102B is overlapped. In FIG. 3E, the seat cushion 102A is overlapped with the seat back 102B from the front.

Further, the control unit 3 may fold the seat 102 so as to move in the seat width direction as shown in FIG. 3F. In FIG. 3F, the sheet 102 is housed between the upper and lower structures 101A. Further, the control unit 3 may store the seat 102 under the floor, the ceiling, or the like of the vehicle body 101.

The movement of the seat 102 described above is realized by driving the moving mechanism included in the seat 102 by the control unit 3.

At the time of the seat lock process, the control unit 3 puts the seat 102 in the unused state except for the seat 102 in which the registrant is already seated. That is, if there is no seat 102 in which the registrant is seated, all the seats 102 are in a non-use state. The transition to the non-use state of the seat 102 is performed when the non-user gets on the vehicle 100 or when the non-user is seated.

In the unlock process, the control unit 3 moves the unused seat 102 to the available state after the non-user does not exist in the vehicle 100 after the seat lock process. "The non-user does not exist in the vehicle 100" means that the non-user gets out of the vehicle 100 or the non-user registers for use in the vehicle 100 and becomes a user. The getting on and off of a person is detected by a detection device such as a camera provided on the vehicle body 101.

[1-2. process]
Hereinafter, an example of the processing executed by the control unit 3 of the seat control system 1 will be described with reference to the flow chart of FIG.

In this process, first, the control unit 3 executes the initial process to make all the sheets 102 available (step S100). The initial process is executed until the vehicle 100 reaches the boarding point of the first user, or while waiting for the user to board at the boarding point.

Next, the control unit 3 acquires the determination result of whether or not the person who boarded at the boarding point has been registered for use from the determination unit 2 (step S110). Based on this determination result, the control unit 3 determines whether or not all the passengers on board are registered for use (step S120). When there is a person (that is, a non-user) who has not been registered for use (S120: NO), the control unit 3 executes a warning process to warn the non-user in the vehicle 100 (step S130).

In addition, as the case where the non-user gets in the vehicle 100, the case where the non-user boarded intentionally or by mistake before the user, and the case where the user boarded and waited for the passenger (that is, another registrant). In the meantime, there are cases where a non-user boarded intentionally or by mistake, a case where a non-user who was waiting for another vehicle at the same place as the user boarded a vehicle registered for use and a vehicle 100 which was not mistakenly registered for use, etc. Can be mentioned.

After the warning process, the control unit 3 determines whether or not a non-user is on the vehicle 100 (step S140). When the non-user is still in the vehicle 100 (S140: YES), the control unit 3 executes the seat lock process to put the seat 102 in which the user is not seated into the unused state (step S150).

Even when the non-user is seated on the seat 102, the control unit 3 moves the seat 102 seated by the non-user to the non-use state. The non-user is forced to leave the seat in the middle of the movement of the seat 102. Whether the seated person is a user or a non-user is determined by, for example, a detection device such as a camera provided on the vehicle body 101.

After the seat lock process, the control unit 3 again determines whether or not the non-user is in the vehicle 100 (step S160). When the non-user is still in the vehicle 100 (S160: YES), the control unit 3 waits until the non-user no longer exists in the vehicle 100.

On the other hand, when the non-user is not in the vehicle 100 (S160: NO), the control unit 3 executes the unlocking process and returns the seat 102 in which the user is not seated to the available state (step S170). ..

After the unlocking process, the control unit 3 determines whether or not the next user (that is, the next boarding point) is registered (step S180). When the next user is registered (S180: YES), the control unit 3 repeats the process from step S110 after the vehicle 100 moves to the next boarding point. If the next user is not registered (S180: NO), the control unit 3 ends the process.

In step S120, if all the passengers on board are registered for use (S120: YES), steps S120 to S170 are not executed, and the process proceeds to step S180.

Further, in step S140, when the non-user is not in the vehicle 100 (S140: NO), steps S150 to S170 are not executed, and the process proceeds to step S180. When the non-user is not in the vehicle 100, the case where the non-user gets out of the vehicle 100 and the case where the non-user registers for use in the vehicle 100 are also included.

[1-3. effect]
According to the embodiment described in detail above, the following effects can be obtained.
(1a) When a non-user who has not registered for use mistakenly boarded the vehicle 100, the seat 102 transitions to a non-use state in which the seat 102 cannot be seated. This makes it possible to encourage non-users to get off. As a result, it is possible to prevent non-users from using self-driving cars.

(1b) By the warning process, it is possible to give a warning to the non-user in two steps in addition to the non-use state of the sheet 102. Therefore, it is possible to more accurately prevent the use of non-users' self-driving cars.

(1c) By the unlocking process, the user who boarded the vehicle 100 later than the non-user can be seated in the seat 102.

(1d) Since the seat 102 is available when the user boarded by the initial process, the user who has registered for use can quickly take a seat. Therefore, the convenience of the user is improved.

[2. Other embodiments]
Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, it goes without saying that the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments and can take various forms.

(2a) In the seat control system 1 of the above embodiment, the control unit 3 does not necessarily have to execute the warning process. That is, the control unit 3 may execute the seat lock process without generating a warning sound in advance.

(2b) In the seat control system 1 of the above embodiment, the control unit 3 may execute an initial process of moving all the seats 102 into an unused state. In this case, the control unit 3 executes a seat lock process for maintaining the seat 102 in the non-use state when there is no registration of use of the person on board.

(2c) In the seat control system 1 of the above embodiment, the number of seats 102 to be controlled may be one. That is, the vehicle 100 does not necessarily have to include a plurality of seats 102.

(2d) The functions of one component in the above embodiment may be dispersed as a plurality of components, or the functions of the plurality of components may be integrated into one component. Further, a part of the configuration of the above embodiment may be omitted. Further, at least a part of the configuration of the above embodiment may be added or replaced with the configuration of the other embodiment. It should be noted that all aspects included in the technical idea specified from the wording described in the claims are embodiments of the present disclosure.

1 ... Seat control system, 2 ... Judgment unit, 3 ... Control unit, 100 ... Vehicle,
101 ... vehicle body, 101A ... structure, 102 ... seat,
102A ... Seat cushion, 102B ... Seat back, 103 ... Automatic driving device,
104 ... authentication device, 105 ... alarm device, 200 ... registration server, 300 ... network.

Claims (4)

A seat control system used in a vehicle comprising at least one seat in which a user is seated and an automatic driving device.
A determination unit configured to determine whether or not a person who has boarded the vehicle has registered for use of the vehicle, and a determination unit.
A control unit configured to move the at least one seat to an unused state in which the person cannot be seated or to execute a seat lock process for maintaining the non-used state when the person is not registered for use. When,
A seat control system. The seat control system according to claim 1.
The control unit is a seat control system configured to execute a warning process for generating a warning in the vehicle before executing the seat lock process when the person is not registered for use. The seat control system according to claim 1 or 2.
The control unit puts the at least one seat in the unused state into an available state in which the user can be seated after the person who has not been registered for use disappears in the vehicle after the seat lock process. A seat control system configured to perform a moving unlock process. The seat control system according to any one of claims 1 to 3.
The control unit
Before the user who has been registered for use starts using the vehicle, it is confirmed whether the at least one seat is in an available state in which the user can be seated, and when the at least one seat is not in the available state. While executing the initial process of moving the at least one sheet to the available state,
A seat control system configured to move at least one of the seats to the non-use state in the seat lock process when the person is not registered for use.

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