JP3104306B2 - Vehicle safety devices - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a vehicle safety device for controlling a vehicle to operate safely.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in order to perform safe operation of a vehicle, a drowsiness operation which detects a steering angle of a steering wheel and warns of a drowsiness operation by comparing a change in the steering angle with a predetermined steering angle according to a vehicle speed. An alarm device (Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. 56-73638) or an abnormal operation alarm device for detecting an abnormal driving by detecting the driving state of the vehicle and judging the abnormal operation (Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. 58-73638). No. 2676) has been proposed.

[0003]

However, these safety devices do not directly detect the physiological condition of the vehicle driver, and cannot be said to be sufficient in accuracy. Further, even when the steering angle of the steering wheel is detected, it is only necessary to grasp the decrease in the degree of awakening of the vehicle driver (drowsiness), not to grasp the tension state of the vehicle driver.

The present invention has been made based on the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to control the operation of a vehicle based on the physiological condition of the vehicle driver so that a dangerous state during the operation of the vehicle can be anticipated. It is an object of the present invention to provide a vehicle safety device that can prevent the vehicle safety device.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a skin potential detecting means for detecting a skin potential of a vehicle driver, and a rate of change of the skin potential detected by the skin potential detecting means. And a tension state determining means for determining an excessive tension state of the driver based on a state of a sudden potential change at which the rate of change is equal to or greater than a set value, and a skin potential detected by the skin potential detecting means. Based on the degree of decline
When the driver is in an excessively nervous state by the wakefulness-lowering state determining means for determining the driver's wakefulness-lowering state, and when the driver is in an excessively nervous state, the acceleration response of the vehicle is reduced.
Performs control to lower the answers of the when the driver's awareness decrease state determining means determines that the awareness decrease state, the control means controlling the speed so as to gradually decrease the vehicle speed The technical means is provided with.

[0006]

According to the vehicle safety device of the present invention having the above-described structure,
By detecting the skin potential of the vehicle driver, it is possible to determine whether the vehicle driver is in an excessively nervous state or in a state of reduced alertness. Then, when it is determined that the vehicle driver is in an excessively nervous state or in a state of reduced alertness, the control means controls the speed of the vehicle.

[0007] Specifically, when the vehicle driver is excessive tension may control is performed accelerated system Ru reduces the responsiveness. Further, when the vehicle operator is the awareness decrease state, system Ru gradually decrease the vehicle speed control is performed.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Next, an embodiment of a vehicle safety device according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an outline of a vehicle safety device.

The vehicle safety device 1 includes a skin potential detecting means 2 for detecting a skin potential (Skin Potential Level) of a driver (vehicle driver) and an excessive tension of the driver based on the detected skin potential of the driver. Determining means 3 for determining a state and a low alertness state; and a fuel injection control unit 4 (control means) for controlling the speed of the vehicle when the driver is determined to be in an excessively tensed state or a low alertness state. And a display unit 5 for displaying a message in accordance with the driver's excessively nervous state or a low alertness state in accordance with the speed control.

As shown in FIG. 2, the skin potential detecting means 2 comprises a first electrode 6 attached to the driver's finger and a second electrode 7 attached to the wrist, and the first electrode 6 and the second electrode 7 comprises a transmitting unit 8 for amplifying and transmitting the weak SPL signal measured by 7.

The determining means 3 comprises: a receiving unit 9 for wirelessly receiving the SPL signal transmitted from the transmitting unit 8;
And a microcomputer 10 for performing the following operations. The microcomputer 10 includes an SPR calculation circuit 10a for calculating an SPR (Skin Potential Response), which is a rapid change in skin potential, and an SPL reduction degree calculation circuit 10b for calculating the degree of skin potential reduction. Then, it is determined whether the driver is in an excessively nervous state or in a state of reduced alertness based on the degree of decrease in SPL.

The occurrence of SPR is determined by calculating a skin potential change rate V / t (see FIG. 3 and a diagram showing a rapid change in skin potential) and determining whether the change rate is equal to or greater than a preset value. I do. An excessively nervous state of the driver is defined as a case where the number of occurrences of SPRs occurring within a predetermined time exceeds a preset number of times. It is assumed that the value falls below the value (see FIG. 4, a graph showing the change over time in the skin potential).

The fuel injection control unit 4 controls the opening of a throttle valve (not shown) to limit the vehicle speed in response to a control signal output from the microcomputer 10 when the driver is in a state of excessive tension. However, when the driver is in a state of reduced alertness, control is performed so that the vehicle speed is gradually reduced. Note that the throttle bar
By controlling the opening of the lube below the specified opening, transient
In general, the acceleration of the vehicle is suppressed, and the throttle valve
Gradually increase to the vehicle speed corresponding to the opening of the vehicle.
And

The display unit 5 is, for example, in a state of excessive tension, "relax" (see FIG. 5).
"Stop driving" when the alertness is low
A display panel 5a for displaying a message such as (see FIG. 6);
And a speaker 5b for transmitting the message as voice.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of the microcomputer 10 shown in FIG.
First, initialization is performed (step S1), and the vehicle speed V0 and the throttle valve opening W are called (step S1).
2). Next, it is determined from the frequency of occurrence of SPR whether or not the driver is in an excessively nervous state (step S3). When it is determined that the driver is in an excessively nervous state (YES),
It is determined whether or not the throttle valve opening W is larger than a preset value X (step S4).

If the throttle valve opening W is smaller than the set value X (NO), the flow returns to step S2.
If the opening W of the throttle valve is larger than the set value X (YES), the opening of the throttle valve is controlled so that W = X (step S5). As a result, the vehicle speed V0 is limited, and the vehicle speed V0 is prevented from rising even when the accelerator pedal is depressed. The vehicle speed reaches V0
Vehicle acceleration before the vehicle is
Be lowered.

Simultaneously with the limitation of the vehicle speed V0, the display unit 5 displays a message "Please relax" and sounds (step S6) to warn the driver of excessive tension.

If it is determined in step S3 that the driver is not in an excessively nervous state (NO), it is determined whether or not the driver's arousal level is reduced (step S7). If it is determined in this determination that the driver's arousal level has not decreased (N0), initialization is performed (step S8), and the process returns to step S2. If the awakening degree of the driver is low (YES), control is performed so that the vehicle speed V0 is gradually reduced (step S).
9).

Simultaneously with the decrease of the vehicle speed V0, the display unit 5 displays "Stop driving" and sounds (step S10) to warn the driver that the awakening degree is decreasing.

As described above, the vehicle can be operated more safely by controlling the speed of the vehicle in a state where the driver is in an excessively nervous state and in a state where the arousal level is low.

In the present embodiment, the excessive tension of the driver is determined based on the frequency of occurrence of the SPR, but may be determined based on the amplitude or the time of occurrence of the SPR (see FIG. 3).
The driver's arousal level may be determined by detecting a stable state of the skin potential at a low level (see FIG. 4).

In a case where the driver is in an excessively tensed state, in addition to the example in which the opening degree of the throttle valve is limited, control is performed to reduce the acceleration response as compared with the vehicle response from a normal throttle sensor. May be. Further, the warning to the driver on the display unit 5 that is performed simultaneously with the speed control may be such that a message or a sound that can relax or awaken is played along with the display of the message.

[0023]

The vehicle safety device according to the present invention can accurately determine an excessively tensed state and an awakened state by detecting a skin potential which is a physiological state of a vehicle driver. By controlling the speed of the vehicle in both states, a dangerous state of the vehicle can be prevented.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an outline of a vehicle safety device.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a use state of a skin potential detection unit.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a rapid change in skin potential.

FIG. 4 is a graph showing changes over time in skin potential.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the display unit.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the display unit.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the operation of the present embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Vehicle safety device 2 Skin potential detection means 3 Judgment means (tension state judgment means, alertness reduction state judgment means) 4 Fuel injection control unit (control means)

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Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A skin potential detecting means for detecting a skin potential of a vehicle driver, and b) a change rate of a skin potential detected by the skin potential detecting means is obtained, and the change rate is equal to or more than a set value. Tension state determination means for determining an excessive tension state of the driver based on a state of a sudden potential change; c) the driver based on the degree of decrease in skin potential detected by the skin potential detection means And d) when the driver is determined to be in an excessively nervous state, the responsiveness of the vehicle is reduced.
Performs control to Do, the if the driver's awareness decrease state determining means determines that the awareness decrease state, and control means for controlling the speed so as to gradually decrease the vehicle speed Vehicle safety device.