JP3886550B2 - Crew monitoring device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
[Industrial application fields]
The present invention relates to an occupant monitoring apparatus that collects information on the occupant arrangement and attitude of a host vehicle and provides an optimal environment for each occupant by controlling a control device in accordance with the information.
[0002]
[Prior art]
30 and 31 are a perspective view and a block configuration diagram showing a conventional airbag activation device with an occupant monitoring device disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2-60858. In FIG. 30, 101 is a passenger seat side seat, 102 is an occupant, 103 is an instrument panel (hereinafter referred to as instrument panel), 104 is an airbag that protects the occupant 102 from impact caused by a collision, 105 is a handle, 106 is a seat switch that detects that the occupant 102 is seated, Reference numeral 107 denotes a proximity sensor that uses infrared rays to detect the presence of an object within a predetermined distance from the instrument panel 103. In FIG. 31, reference numeral 108 denotes a collision sensor for detecting a vehicle collision, 109 denotes a control means for controlling the airbag 104 based on signals from the seat switch 106, the proximity sensor 107 and the collision sensor 108, and 110 denotes a control means 109. A gas generator 111 that operates according to the above signal and supplies gas to the airbag 104 and 111 is a valve whose opening degree is controlled by a signal from the control means 109 to release the gas from the airbag 104 and control the deployment speed.
[0003]
Next, the operation will be described. In the conventional occupant monitoring device, the occupant monitoring is performed by the seat switch 106 and the proximity sensor 107, and the occupant monitoring determination is performed by the control means 109. For example, when a child stands in front of the passenger seat next to the driver's seat (hereinafter referred to as a standing child), or when the occupant 102 is seated on the passenger seat 101 with luggage, The proximity sensor 107 installed in the instrument panel 103 is turned on, and even if the collision sensor 108 detects the collision of the vehicle and activates the gas generator 110, the airbag 104 is prevented from suddenly deploying from within the airbag 104. The control means 109 operates to control the amount of outgas to the outside by the valve 111 and to deploy the airbag 104 in a relatively soft state. As a result, the child or luggage caused by the rapid inflation of the airbag 104 is prevented from being splashed off.
[0004]
On the other hand, when the occupant 102 is seated in the passenger seat side seat 101 but the occupant 102 does not have a load, the seat switch 106 is in the on state, but the proximity sensor 107 is in the off state. At this time, when a collision of the vehicle is detected by the collision sensor 108, the control means 109 operates so that the airbag 104 is rapidly deployed.
[0005]
On the other hand, when there is no passenger 102 in the passenger seat 101, both the seat switch 106 and the proximity sensor 107 are turned off, and the control means 109 works to prevent unnecessary deployment of the airbag 104.
[0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
Since the conventional airbag activation device with an occupant monitoring device is configured as described above, the presence or absence of the occupant 102 must be detected by the seat switch 106. For example, the occupant 102 can detect the passenger seat side seat 101. When the child sits shallowly or sits down with a light weight, the presence or absence of the occupant 102 cannot be detected reliably.
[0007]
In addition, a proximity sensor 107 using infrared rays is installed in the instrument panel 103 to detect standing children, luggage, and the like. However, at the installation position of the proximity sensor 107, erroneous detection is likely to occur due to disturbances such as the sun. There was also a problem that it was easy.
[0008]
The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and an object thereof is to obtain an occupant monitoring apparatus that can reliably determine the presence or absence of an object and control it according to the presence or absence of the object. .
Another object of the present invention is to provide an occupant monitoring device that can reliably determine the presence / absence of an occupant on a seat, the presence / absence of an occupant on the floor, and the posture of the occupant and can control the presence / absence and posture of the occupant. And
Furthermore, an object of the present invention is to provide an occupant monitoring device that can make detection by the distance measuring means less susceptible to disturbance light.
Furthermore, an object of the present invention is to obtain an occupant monitoring apparatus that can reliably determine the presence or absence of a plurality of objects and can control in accordance with the presence or absence of the plurality of objects.
[ 0009 ]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
Claim 1 The occupant monitoring device according to the invention determines the presence or absence of an occupant on the seat based on a comparison between the measured distance value in the seat direction of the first distance measuring means and the set distance value stored in the first storage means. At the same time, based on a comparison between the distance measured in the vicinity of the instrument panel of the second distance measuring means and the set distance value stored in the second storage means, the presence or absence of an occupant on the floor is determined and a control signal is output. This comprises first, second and third comparison means.
[ 0010 ]
Claim 2 The occupant monitoring apparatus according to the invention is an apparatus in which the distance measuring means and the room light are integrated.
[ 0011 ]
Claim 3 In the occupant monitoring device according to the invention, a distance measuring means is provided above the seat back, and the distance in the floor direction corresponding to the seat is measured from the installation location, and the measured value measured by the distance measuring means The presence / absence of an occupant on the seat is determined based on the comparison with the first set distance value stored in the first storage means, and the measured value measured by the distance measurement means and the second storage means stored in the second storage means. The first, second and third comparing means for determining the presence or absence of an occupant on the floor based on the comparison with the set distance value of 2 and outputting a control signal are provided.
[ 0012 ]
Claim 4 The occupant monitoring device according to the invention controls the airbag device, the sound device, or the air conditioner based on the control signal.
[ 0013 ]
Claim 5 The occupant monitoring device according to the invention includes a deployment speed control means for controlling the deployment speed of the airbag device based on the control signal.
[ 0014 ]
[Action]
Claim 1 In the occupant monitoring apparatus according to the invention, the first comparison means compares the measured value of the distance in the seat direction measured by the first distance measurement means with the set distance value stored in advance in the first storage means. Based on the above, the presence or absence of a passenger on the seat is determined. Further, in the second comparison means, based on the comparison between the measured value of the distance in the vicinity of the instrument panel measured by the second distance measurement means and the set distance value stored in advance in the second storage means, Determine if there are any passengers on the floor. Further, the third comparison means outputs a control signal based on the judgment by the first and second comparison means. Therefore, it is possible to output a control signal according to the case where there is no occupant on the seat and the floor, the occupant is only on the seat, and the occupant is on the floor.
[ 0015 ]
Claim 2 The distance measuring means in the invention of the present invention is integrated with the room lamp, thereby facilitating the mounting and reducing the mounting space.
[ 0016 ]
Claim 3 In the occupant monitoring apparatus according to the invention, the first comparison means compares the measured value of the distance in the floor direction measured by the distance measurement means with the first set distance value stored in advance in the first storage means. Based on the above, the presence or absence of a passenger on the seat is determined. Further, in the second comparison means, on the floor based on the comparison between the distance measurement value in the floor direction measured by the distance measurement means and the second set distance value stored in advance in the second storage means. Determine if there are passengers. Further, the third comparison means outputs a control signal based on the judgment by the first and second comparison means. Therefore, it is possible to output a control signal according to the case where there is no occupant on the seat and the floor, the occupant is only on the seat, and the occupant is on the floor. Further, the presence / absence of passengers on the seat and floor can be measured by one distance measuring means.
[ 0017 ]
Claim 4 The occupant monitoring device in the invention controls the airbag device, the sound device, or the air conditioner based on the control signal output from the comparison means. Therefore, it is possible to control the airbag device, the sound device, or the air conditioner according to the presence / absence of the occupant and the posture.
[ 0018 ]
Claim 5 The deployment speed control means in the invention controls the deployment speed of the airbag apparatus based on the control signal output from the comparison means. Therefore, it is possible to classify the case where there is no occupant on the seat and the floor, only the seat is occupant, and there is an occupant on the floor, or the deployment speed of the airbag device can be controlled according to the posture of the occupant on the seat.
[ 0019 ]
【Example】
Example 1.
An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing an airbag apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. In FIG. 1, 10 is a vehicle, 11 is a seat, 12 is an occupant (object), 13 is a handle, and 14 is a collision of the vehicle 10. The airbag is built in a handle 13 that is deployed to protect the occupant 12 from an impact at the time of a collision, and the figure shows the airbag during deployment. Reference numeral 15 denotes a distance sensor (distance measuring means) that measures the distance to the occupant 12.
[ 0020 ]
FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing the airbag apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. In FIG. 2, 20 is an optical unit configured in the distance sensor 15, and 21 is a distance measured from the output of the optical unit 20. The distance measuring circuit and the optical unit 20 are composed of a light emitting element 20A that emits light toward an object and a light receiving element 20B that receives reflected light from the object. 23 is an acceleration sensor that detects the acceleration of the vehicle 10, 24A is a collision determination unit that detects a collision by an ordinary method based on the output of the acceleration sensor 23, and 24C is reference distance data for comparison with the output of the distance sensor 15. A distance memory (storage means) 24B stores the occupant determination unit (first to first) that controls the distance sensor 15 or determines the presence or absence of the occupant 12 or the sitting posture based on the output of the distance sensor 15 and the content of the distance memory 24C. 3D, 24D is an output selection unit (deployment speed control unit) that controls the deployment of the airbag 14 based on the outputs of the collision determination unit 24A and the occupant determination unit 24B, and thus the collision determination unit 24A and the occupant determination unit. 24B, the distance memory 24C, and the output selection unit 24D will be described as being processed by the microcomputer 24 (hereinafter referred to as a microcomputer). 25A and 25B are switching ignition circuits controlled by the output of the output selection unit 24D, and the squibs A, B14A and 14B of the airbag 14 are connected in series with the ignition circuits 25A and 25B. A current power source 26 is connected to the squibs A, B14A, 14B.
[ 0021 ]
In FIG. 2, when a collision of the vehicle 10 is detected from the output of the acceleration sensor 23 by the collision determination unit 24A, reference distance data stored in advance in the distance memory 24C is selected. Next, the occupant determination unit 24B compares the reference distance data with the relative distance from the output of the distance sensor 15 to the object (seat 11 or occupant 12), and when seating of the occupant 12 is detected, the output selection unit 24D. The start signal is output to. Next, the output selection unit 24D drives the ignition circuits 25A and 25B based on the activation signal to deploy the airbag 14.
[ 0022 ]
3 is a detailed configuration diagram of the distance sensor 15. In FIG. 3, the optical unit 20 includes a light emitting element 20A, a light receiving element 20B, a lens 20C, and a housing 20D, and 20X indicates an occupant 12 or a seat 11. This is a target to be measured by the distance sensor 15. The light emitting element 20A emits light 8 (thick line) toward the target 20X through the lens 20C, the light receiving element 20B receives reflected light (thin line) from the target 20X through the lens 20C, and the distance measuring circuit 21 includes the light emitting element 20A and the light receiving element. Since the operation control of 20B is performed, a distance signal corresponding to the position of the reflected light received by the light receiving element 20B is output.
[ 0023 ]
Next, the operation will be described. This operation will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 4. In step ST5, a current is supplied to the light emitting element 20A such as an infrared LED to emit light, and in step ST6, the output from the light receiving element 20B is received and converted into distance data. For example, when the light receiving element 20B is a PSD (Position Sensitive Device), the distance to the object appears as a current value based on the principle of triangulation, and therefore the distance can be measured by measuring the current value. In step ST7, the light emission of the light emitting element 20A is stopped.
[ 0024 ]
FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a method for measuring the distance from the distance sensor 15 to the seat 11 or the occupant 12. In FIG. 5, the distance from the distance sensor 15 to the occupant 12 (hereinafter referred to as the occupant distance) is Lman. The distance to the surface (background distance) is Lback1, and reference distance data, which is a threshold value for determining the presence or absence of an occupant stored in the distance memory 24C, is represented using a symbol Lmemo1. The reference distance data Lmemo1 is a value obtained by subtracting a margin value α1 for preventing malfunction due to errors and variations from the background distance Lback1. In addition, in order to determine the position of an occupant who is not seated reliably such as a standing child, the same effect can be obtained by setting the predetermined position Lmemo2 of the second threshold value in advance.
[ 0025 ]
The processing of the functional block diagram shown in FIG. 2 will be described using the flowchart of FIG. In FIG. 6, when the ignition is turned on in step ST10, the process proceeds to the passenger monitoring subroutine 1 shown in FIG. 7 in step ST11. In step ST20, the reference distance data Lmemo1 is read from the distance memory 24C, and the occupant distance Lman is measured by the distance sensor 15 in processing step ST21. If the value obtained by subtracting the occupant distance Lman from the reference distance data Lmemo1 in step ST22 is greater than 0, the process proceeds to step ST23 in the Y direction and it is determined that the occupant 12 is on the seat. When the subtraction value is 0 or less in step ST22, the process proceeds to step ST24 in the N direction and it is determined that the occupant 12 is not on the seat. The occupant monitoring subroutine 1 is completed by the above processing, and the processing returns to the main routine shown in FIG.
[ 0026 ]
If it is determined in step ST12 of FIG. 6 that the occupant 12 is present in the occupant monitoring subroutine 1, the process proceeds to step ST13 to perform a collision determination process. The collision determination process is a process of performing an integration process based on the output signal of the acceleration sensor 23 and determining a collision that requires activation and a collision that does not require activation. The collision determination process will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 8. In step ST1, the output value g of the acceleration sensor 23 is fetched. In step ST2, the output value g is time-integrated to v, and a threshold value set in advance in step ST3. If compared with Vth and if it is equal to or greater than the threshold value Vth, it is determined that a collision has been detected in step ST4. Thus, when a collision is detected in the collision determination processing routine, the main routine proceeds to step ST15 in the Y direction, drives the ignition circuits 25A and 25B, and the airbag 14 is deployed. If it is determined in step ST12 that no occupant 12 is present and if no collision is detected in step ST14, the process returns to step ST11 and the above process is repeated. This completes the entire processing of the functional block diagram shown in FIG.
[ 0027 ]
In this embodiment, whether or not the airbag 14 is deployed can be controlled according to the presence or absence of the occupant 12 on the seat, and unnecessary deployment of the airbag 14 can be prevented.
The seat on which the occupant 12 is measured may be any of a driver seat, a passenger seat, and a rear seat.
[ 0028 ]
Example 2
Although the operation of whether or not to deploy the airbag 14 depending on the presence or absence of the occupant 12 has been described in the flowchart of FIG. 6, FIG. 9 is a flowchart for explaining the operation in the case of an occupant who is not seated securely. Since the operation from ST30 to ST34 is the same as the operation from Step ST10 to Step ST14 shown in FIG. In step ST35 of FIG. 9, if the occupant distance Lman measured by the distance sensor 15 is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold Lmemo2, the process proceeds to step ST36 in the Y direction and both the ignition circuits 25A and 25B are driven. If the occupant distance Lman is smaller than the predetermined threshold value Lmemo2 in step ST35, it is considered that the occupant 12 is seated before the predetermined position, the process proceeds to step ST37 in the N direction, and only the ignition circuit 25A is driven. Is expanded. Therefore, when only the ignition circuit 25A is driven, the inflation force of the airbag 14 is weakened compared to the case where both of the ignition circuits 25A and 25B are driven, and the occupant 12 collides with the airbag 14 in the optimum inflated state. A buffer is obtained.
[ 0029 ]
In this embodiment, the deployment speed of the airbag 14 can be controlled in accordance with the posture of the occupant 12 on the seat, the airbag 14 can be inflated at an optimum inflation speed, and a highly safe airbag device is obtained. It is done.
The seat on which the occupant 12 is measured may be any of a driver seat, a passenger seat, and a rear seat.
[ 0030 ]
Example 3
FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing an airbag apparatus according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention. In FIG. 10, 10 is a vehicle, 11b is a passenger seat (seat), 102a is a passenger seat passenger (occupant), and 102b is a standing child. Occupant), 103 is an instrument panel, 104 is an airbag, 15a is a distance sensor 1 (first distance measuring means) for monitoring the passenger seat 11b, and 15b is a distance sensor 2 (second distance measuring means) for monitoring the vicinity of the instrument panel 103. ). In FIG. 10, the distance sensors 15a and 15b are installed on the vehicle ceiling, but the present invention is not limited to this, and an optimal position is selected according to the object to be monitored. FIG. 11 is a functional block diagram showing an airbag apparatus according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention. In FIG. 11, the configuration is the same as that of FIG. 2 except that there are two distance sensors 15a and 15b. Description is omitted.
[ 0031 ]
The distance between the distance sensor 15a and the passenger seat 11b or the passenger seat occupant 102a is the same as that in FIG. 5 and will not be described. The distance between the distance sensor 15b and the standing child 102b will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 12, the distance from the distance sensor 15b to the standing child 102b (hereinafter referred to as the occupant distance) is Lman, the distance to the floor surface (background distance) is Lback2, and the presence / absence of the occupant stored in the distance memory 24C. The reference distance data, which is a threshold value for determining “”, is expressed using the symbol Lmemo3. The reference distance data Lmemo3 is a value obtained by subtracting a margin value α2 for preventing malfunction due to errors and variations from the background distance Lback2.
[ 0032 ]
Next, the operation will be described. The processing of the third embodiment shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 will be described using the flowchart of FIG. In FIG. 13, when the ignition is turned on in step ST40, the occupant determination unit 24B selects the distance sensor 15a in step ST41. Next, in step ST42, the processing moves to the passenger monitoring subroutine 1 shown in FIG. Since the processing in FIG. 7 has already been described in the first embodiment, a description thereof will be omitted. Next, in step ST43 of FIG. 13, when it is determined in the passenger monitoring subroutine 1 that the passenger seat occupant 102a is present, the process proceeds to step ST44 where 1 is set in the flag A, and there is no passenger seat occupant 102a in the passenger monitoring subroutine 1. If it is determined, the process proceeds to step ST45 and 0 is set in the flag A. Next, in step ST46, the occupant determination unit 24B selects the distance sensor 15b, and the process moves to the occupant monitoring subroutine 2 shown in FIG. 14 in step ST47. The processing of the occupant monitoring subroutine 2 in FIG. 14 is almost the same as the processing of the occupant monitoring subroutine 1 in FIG. 7, and the comparison between Lman and Lmemo3 shown in FIG. 12 is performed.
[ 0033 ]
Next, in step ST48 of FIG. 13, if it is determined in the occupant monitoring subroutine 1 that the standing child 102b is present, the process proceeds to step ST50, and if it is determined in the occupant monitoring subroutine 1 that the standing child 102b is not present, the step Proceeding to ST49, when the flag A is viewed as 0, that is, there is no passenger seat occupant 102a, the air bag 14 does not need to be ignited, and the process returns to step ST41, and if the flag A is not 0, the process proceeds to step ST50. Step ST50 is the same as the collision determination process of FIG. Next, in step ST51, if no collision is detected in the collision determination process, the process proceeds in the N direction and returns to step ST41. However, if a collision is detected, the process proceeds to step ST52 in the Y direction, and the flag A Is 1, that is, when there is a passenger 102a in the passenger seat, both ignition circuits 25A and 25B are driven, and the airbag 14 is deployed in step ST55. If the flag A is 0 in step ST52, that is, only the standing child 102b, the process proceeds to step ST54, and only the ignition circuit 25A is driven. Then, the airbag 14 is deployed. Therefore, when only the ignition circuit 25A is driven, the inflation force of the airbag 14 is weakened and the standing child 102b is not splashed as compared with the case where both the ignition circuits 25A and 25B are driven. This completes the entire processing of the functional block diagram shown in FIG.
[ 0034 ]
In this embodiment, whether or not the airbag 14 is deployed can be controlled according to the presence or absence of the passenger occupant 102a and the presence of the standing child 102b, the deployment speed can be controlled, and unnecessary deployment of the airbag 14 can be performed. In addition to being able to prevent, the airbag 14 can be inflated at an optimum inflation speed, and a highly safe airbag device can be obtained.
The seat on which the occupant is measured may be any of a driver seat, a passenger seat, and a rear seat.
[ 0035 ]
Example 4
FIG. 15 is a block diagram showing a distance sensor installed downward according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention. In FIG. 15A, reference numeral 10A denotes a vehicle provided with a distance sensor 15 provided downward from the horizontal, 10B. Is a vehicle such as a bus or a truck, where the vehicle 10B with a high headlight position traveling behind the vehicle 10A illuminates the distance sensor 15 and disturbs, and there is an asahi or sunset behind the vehicle 10A. The state in which sunlight becomes a disturbance to the distance sensor 15 is shown. Further, in FIG. 15B, the distance sensor 15 is set at an angle θe below the horizontal, so that no disturbance light from sunlight directly enters the distance sensor 15 during the day, and the vehicle 10B at night. The headlight light is prevented from directly entering the vehicle 10A. Thus, by setting the installation of the distance sensor 15 downward from the horizontal, it is possible to eliminate the influence of disturbance light such as sunlight and headlight light and perform accurate distance measurement.
[ 0036 ]
FIG. 16 is a configuration diagram showing a distance sensor installed at an angle at which disturbance light is further reduced. In FIG. 16, 270 is a front portion where an engine called a front nose of the vehicle 10A is installed, and 271 is a back side. It is a rear portion where a trunk room called a nose is installed, and the distance sensor 15 is below the front nose 270 or the back nose 271 by setting the distance sensor 15 downward from an angle θfront connecting the front nose 270 or an angle θback connecting the back nose 271. The disturbance light that enters the distance sensor 15 from the side can be blocked together with the disturbance.
[ 0037 ]
17 is a timing chart showing the influence of disturbance light. In FIG. 17, (a) is a light emission pattern emitted by the light emitting element 20A, (b) is an output of the light receiving element 20B when there is no disturbance, and (c). Indicates the output of the light receiving element 20B when there is a disturbance. When light is emitted from the light emitting element 20A according to the light emission pattern shown in (a), when there is no disturbance such as sunlight, the output of the light receiving element 20B is as shown in (b), and when there is a disturbance (c) As shown in FIG. 5, the output level increases by the disturbance component ΔV, the S / N ratio deteriorates, and the distance measuring circuit 21 outputs different from the actual distance.
[ 0038 ]
In this embodiment, disturbance light entering the distance sensor 15 can be blocked, and accurate distance measurement can be performed.
[ 0039 ]
Example 5 FIG.
18 is a block diagram showing an airbag apparatus according to Embodiment 5 of the present invention. In FIG. 18, 11a shows a driver's seat (seat), 11b shows a passenger seat (seat), 11c shows a rear seat (seat), 12A to 12E are five occupants (objects), and the distance sensor 15 attached to the front of the vehicle body is moved by a stepping motor (driving means) 30 to detect the presence or absence of each of them toward the five occupant positions To do. 14a to 14e are airbags, and 16 is a center console.
[ 0040 ]
FIG. 19 is a functional block diagram showing an airbag apparatus according to Embodiment 5 of the present invention. In FIG. 19, 30 is a stepping motor for changing the direction of the distance sensor 15, and 14A to 14E are the airbag 14 of each seat. The squibs 25A to 25E are ignition circuits connected to the squibs and controlled by the microcomputer 24. Other configurations are denoted by the same reference numerals as those in FIG.
[ 0041 ]
Next, the operation will be described. This operation will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 20. The ignition is turned on in step ST70, the stepping motor 30 is driven in step ST71, the distance sensor 15 is directed to the occupant 12A, and the processing of the occupant monitoring subroutine 1 shown in FIG. The occupant 12A is monitored. Similarly, the distance sensor 15 is directed to the occupant 12B in step ST72, the distance sensor 15 is directed to the occupant 12C in step ST73, the distance sensor 15 is monitored to the occupant D in step ST74, and the occupant E is monitored in step ST75. The distance sensor 15 is directed toward the monitor. In step ST76, the ignition circuits 25A to 25E are controlled and driven according to the presence or absence of the passengers 12A to 12E. For example, when the airbags 14a to 14e (not shown) are provided for each seat, it is possible to perform control such as deploying only the airbags where the occupants are necessary.
[ 0042 ]
In the fifth embodiment, the distance sensor 15 determines only the presence / absence of an occupant in each seat. However, the occupant's posture and the presence / absence of a standing child may be determined.
[ 0043 ]
Example 6
In the above embodiments, only the occupant monitoring device applied to the airbag device has been described, but the occupant monitoring device may be applied to other devices. 21 is a functional block diagram showing an audio apparatus according to Embodiment 6 of the present invention. In FIG. 21, reference numeral 220 denotes audio having functions such as a cassette and a CD, and 221A and 221B denote output signals of the audio 220 as sound. The same components as those in FIG. 2 are denoted by the same reference numerals and redundant description is omitted. In this embodiment, the occupant determination unit 24B in FIG. 15 determines the presence / absence of a driver's seat or a passenger other than the driver's seat and the sitting posture, and the output selection unit 24D outputs the sound field correction circuit 220A from the output of the occupant determination unit 24B. Sound volume correction adapted to the occupant arrangement is performed by controlling the volume, phase, and sound quality of the speakers 221A and 221B installed in the passenger compartment.
[ 0044 ]
Next, the operation will be described. This operation will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 22. Steps ST80 to ST85 are the same as those in FIG. Therefore, based on the determination information from step ST80 to step ST85, in step ST86, the sound field is determined and set according to the presence / absence of the occupant 12A to 12E and the sitting posture, and the sound field correction circuit 220A corrects the sound field. . This is returned to step ST80 and the same processing is repeated.
[ 0045 ]
FIG. 23 is a functional block diagram showing an air conditioner according to Embodiment 6 of the present invention. In FIG. 23, reference numeral 231 denotes a temperature sensor for measuring the temperature in the passenger compartment, and reference numeral 24F denotes the temperature in the passenger compartment from the output of the temperature sensor 231. 2 is an air conditioner, and includes a compressor 232B and a fan 232C, and an air conditioning circuit 232A for controlling the compressor 232B and the fan 232C. The same symbols are attached and repeated explanation is omitted. In this embodiment, the output selection unit 24D controls the air conditioning circuit 232A from the output of the appropriate temperature determination unit 24F and the output of the occupant determination unit 24B so that the air blowing direction, the air volume, and the temperature become a comfortable environment according to each occupant. Then, the compressor 232B and the fan 232C are adjusted.
[ 0046 ]
This operation will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 24. Steps ST90 to ST95 are the same as those in FIG. Therefore, based on the determination information from step ST90 to step ST95, in step ST86, air conditioning (temperature, air volume, wind direction, etc.) is set according to the presence / absence of the occupant 12A to 12E and the seating posture, and the air conditioning circuit 232A corrects the air conditioning. do. This is returned to step ST90 and the same processing is repeated.
[ 0047 ]
In this embodiment, by applying the occupant monitoring device to the audio device and the air conditioner, there is an effect that the interior of the vehicle can be made more comfortable.
[ 0048 ]
Example 7
25 is a block diagram showing an airbag apparatus according to Embodiment 7 of the present invention. In FIG. 25, reference numeral 15 denotes a distance sensor attached under the headrest of the passenger seat 11b, and Lback3 is connected to the instrument panel 103 from the distance sensor 15. The downward distance, Lman, is the distance to the object measured by the distance sensor 15, and is Lman1 when the object is the standing child 102b, and Lman2 when the object is the passenger occupant 102a. Other configurations are the same as those in FIG.
[ 0049 ]
In this embodiment, since only one distance sensor 15 is provided, the functional block diagram is the same as in FIG. 2 and is omitted. However, the distance memory 24C in FIG. Reference distance data Lmemo4 and Lmemo5, which are threshold values for determining the presence or absence of the passenger occupant 102a, are stored. The reference distance data Lmemo4 and Lmemo5 are values obtained by subtracting the margin values α3 and α4 for preventing malfunction due to errors and variations from the background distance Lback3, and Lback3>Lmemo4>Lman1>Lmemo5> Lman2.
[ 0050 ]
Next, the operation will be described. This operation will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 26. When the ignition is turned on in step ST100, the process proceeds to the passenger monitoring subroutine 3 shown in FIG. 27 in step ST101. In the occupant monitoring subroutine 3, the reference distance data Lmemo4 and Lmemo5 are read from the distance memory 24C in step ST110, and the occupant distance Lman is measured by the distance sensor 15 in step ST111. If the occupant distance Lman is greater than or equal to the reference distance data Lmemo4 in step ST112, the process proceeds to step ST116 in the N direction, and it is determined that the standing child 102b and the passenger seat occupant 102a are absent, but the occupant distance Lman is smaller than the reference distance data Lmemo4. If so, the process proceeds to step ST113 in the Y direction. If the occupant distance Lman is larger than the reference distance data Lmemo5 in step ST113, the process proceeds to step ST114 in the Y direction, and it is determined that the standing child 102b is present. If the occupant distance Lman is less than the reference distance data Lmemo5, the process proceeds to step ST115 in the N direction. The passenger occupant 102a is determined to be on the seat. The occupant monitoring subroutine 3 is completed by the above processing, and the processing returns to the main routine shown in FIG.
[ 0051 ]
In step ST102 of FIG. 26, if it is determined in the occupant monitoring subroutine 3 that the standing child 102b and the passenger occupant 102a are absent, the process returns to step ST101, but if not, the process moves to step ST103. Step ST103 is the same as the collision determination process of FIG. Next, in step ST104, if no collision is detected in the collision determination process, the process proceeds in the N direction and returns to step ST101. However, if a collision is detected, the process proceeds to the Y direction, that is, in step ST105. If it is determined in step 3 that the passenger occupant 102a is present, both the ignition circuits 25A and 25B are driven in step ST106, and the airbag 14 is deployed. If it is determined in step ST105 that there is no passenger occupant 102a in the occupant monitoring subroutine 3, that is, only the standing child 102b is present, the process proceeds to step ST107 and only the ignition circuit 25A is driven to deploy the airbag 14. . Therefore, when only the ignition circuit 25A is driven, the inflation force of the airbag 14 is weakened and the standing child 102b is not splashed as compared with the case where both the ignition circuits 25A and 25B are driven. This completes the entire processing of the flowchart shown in FIG.
[ 0052 ]
In this embodiment, whether or not the airbag 14 is deployed can be controlled according to the presence or absence of the passenger occupant 102a and the presence of the standing child 102b, the deployment speed can be controlled, and unnecessary deployment of the airbag 14 can be performed. In addition to being able to prevent, the airbag 14 can be inflated at an optimum inflation speed, and a highly safe airbag device can be obtained. Further, the measurement can be performed by one distance sensor 15, and the configuration can be simplified.
The seat on which the occupant is measured may be any of a driver seat, a passenger seat, and a rear seat.
[ 0053 ]
Example 8 FIG.
FIG. 28 is a block diagram showing a distance sensor according to Embodiment 8 of the present invention. In FIG. 28, 15 is a distance sensor attached to the ceiling of the vehicle 10, and monitors the front seat occupant 12A and the rear seat occupant 12C. ing. As shown in FIG. 29, the distance sensor 15 is housed in an integrated case 41 together with a room lamp (indoor light) 40 of the optical device, sharing optical components such as an outer peripheral transparent cover and a mounting structure. It saves installation space and facilitates installation.
[ 0054 ]
【The invention's effect】
As above Claim 1 According to the invention, the presence / absence of an occupant on the seat is determined based on the comparison between the measured value of the distance in the seat direction of the first distance measuring means and the set distance value stored in the first storage means. The configuration is such that the presence / absence of an occupant on the floor is determined based on a comparison between the measured distance value in the vicinity of the instrument panel and the set distance value stored in the second storage means, and a control signal is output. Therefore, there is an effect of obtaining an occupant monitoring device that can be controlled separately depending on whether there is no occupant on the seat and the floor, only the seat is occupant, and there is an occupant on the floor.
In addition, since the distance measuring means is configured to measure the distance by the output of the optical unit and to be installed downward from the horizontal, occupant monitoring that can reduce the incidence of disturbance light and increase the measurement accuracy There is an effect that a device can be obtained.
[ 0055 ]
Claim 2 According to the invention, since the distance measuring means and the room lamp are configured to be integrated, an occupant monitoring device that can facilitate the attachment of the distance measuring means and reduce the installation space is obtained. There is an effect.
[ 0056 ]
Claim 3 According to the invention, the distance measuring means is provided above the seat back portion, the distance in the floor direction corresponding to the seat is measured from the installation location, and the measured value and the first memory measured by the distance measuring means are measured. The presence / absence of an occupant on the seat is determined based on the comparison with the first set distance value stored in the means, and the measured value measured by the distance measuring means and the second setting stored in the second storage means Based on the comparison with the distance value, the presence or absence of passengers on the floor is judged and a control signal is output.Therefore, there are no passengers on the seat and floor, only passengers on the seat, and passengers on the floor. Can be controlled. Furthermore, there is an effect that an occupant monitoring device capable of measuring the presence or absence of an occupant on the seat and the floor with a single distance measuring means is obtained.
In addition, since the distance measuring means is configured to measure the distance by the output of the optical unit and to be installed downward from the horizontal, occupant monitoring that can reduce the incidence of disturbance light and increase the measurement accuracy There is an effect that a device can be obtained.
[ 0057 ]
Claim 4 According to the invention, since the airbag device, the sound device, or the air conditioner is controlled based on the control signal, the airbag device, the sound device, or the air conditioner can be controlled according to the presence or absence of the passenger and the posture. There is an effect that an occupant monitoring device can be obtained.
[ 0058 ]
Claim 5 According to the invention, because it is configured to control the deployment speed of the airbag device based on the control signal, there is no occupant on the seat and the floor, there is an occupant only on the seat, there is an occupant on the floor, The deployment speed of the airbag device can be controlled in accordance with the posture of the occupant on the seat, and there is an effect that an occupant monitoring device with high safety can be obtained without unnecessary operation.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing an airbag apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing an airbag apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing details of a distance sensor according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the distance sensor according to the first embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a distance measuring method and a distance measuring method to a seat or an occupant according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the operation of the airbag apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.
FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an occupant monitoring subroutine 1 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.
FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a collision determination process according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.
FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the operation of the airbag apparatus according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention.
FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing an airbag apparatus according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention.
FIG. 11 is a functional block diagram showing an airbag apparatus according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention.
FIG. 12 is an explanatory view showing a distance sensor and a method for measuring a distance to an occupant according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention.
FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing the operation of the airbag apparatus according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention.
FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing an occupant monitoring subroutine 2 according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention.
FIG. 15 is a configuration diagram showing a distance sensor installed downward according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention;
FIG. 16 is a configuration diagram showing a distance sensor installed at an angle at which disturbance light is further reduced according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention.
FIG. 17 is a timing chart showing the influence of disturbance light according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention.
FIG. 18 is a block diagram showing an airbag apparatus according to Embodiment 5 of the present invention.
FIG. 19 is a functional block diagram showing an airbag apparatus according to Embodiment 5 of the present invention.
FIG. 20 is a flowchart showing the operation of the airbag apparatus according to Embodiment 5 of the present invention.
FIG. 21 is a functional block diagram showing an audio apparatus according to Embodiment 6 of the present invention.
FIG. 22 is a flowchart showing an operation of the audio apparatus according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 23 is a functional block diagram showing an air conditioner according to Embodiment 6 of the present invention.
FIG. 24 is a flowchart showing the operation of the air conditioner according to Embodiment 6 of the present invention.
FIG. 25 is a block diagram showing an airbag apparatus according to Embodiment 7 of the present invention.
FIG. 26 is a flowchart showing the operation of the airbag apparatus according to Embodiment 7 of the present invention.
FIG. 27 is a flowchart showing the operation of an occupant monitoring subroutine 3 according to Embodiment 7 of the present invention.
FIG. 28 is a block diagram showing a distance sensor according to an eighth embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 29 is a block diagram showing details of a distance sensor according to Embodiment 8 of the present invention.
FIG. 30 is a perspective view showing a conventional airbag device.
FIG. 31 is a functional block diagram showing a conventional airbag device.
[Explanation of symbols]
10, 10A Vehicle, 11 seats, 11a Driver's seat (seat), 11b Passenger seat (seat), 11c Rear seat (seat), 12, 12A-12E Crew (object), 15 Distance sensor (distance measuring means), 15a Distance Sensor 1 (first distance measuring means), 15b Distance sensor 2 (second distance measuring means), 24B Passenger determination unit (comparing means, first comparing means, second comparing means, third comparing means) 24C Distance memory (storage means, first storage means, second storage means), 24D output selection unit (deployment speed control means), 30 stepping motor (drive means), 40 room lamp (indoor light), 102a Seat occupant (occupant), 102b Standing child (occupant).

Claims (5)

  A first distance measuring means that is installed at a predetermined location in the vehicle and measures a predetermined seat direction from the installation location, and an output of an optical unit that is installed on the ceiling in the vehicle and provided downward from the horizontal. The second distance measuring means for measuring the distance in the vicinity of the instrument panel from the ceiling, the first storage means for preliminarily storing the set distance value in the seat direction from the installation location, and the ceiling For comparison between the second storage means that stores in advance the set distance value in the vicinity of the instrument panel, the measured value measured by the first distance measuring means, and the set distance value stored in the first storage means. Based on the comparison between the first comparison means for determining the presence or absence of an occupant on the seat and the measured value measured by the second distance measurement means and the set distance value stored in the second storage means Passenger monitoring device including a second comparator means for determining whether the occupant, and a third comparing means for outputting a control signal in response to a determination of the first and second comparison means. Distance measuring means and the occupant monitoring system of claim 1 Symbol mounting, characterized in that integrating the interior light.   Distance measuring means installed above the back portion of the seat provided in the vehicle and measuring the distance in the floor direction corresponding to the seat from the installation location by the output of the optical unit provided downward from the horizontal; First storage means storing in advance the first set distance value in the floor direction from the installation location, and second storage means storing in advance a second set distance value in the floor direction from the installation location And first comparing means for determining the presence or absence of an occupant on the seat based on a comparison between the measured value measured by the distance measuring means and the first set distance value stored in the first storage means, Second comparing means for determining the presence or absence of an occupant on the floor based on a comparison between the measured value measured by the distance measuring means and the second set distance value stored in the second storing means; Depending on the judgment of the second comparison means Passenger monitoring device that includes a third comparison means for outputting a signal. The occupant monitoring apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein the airbag apparatus, the sound apparatus, or the air conditioner is controlled based on a control signal output from the comparison means. The occupant monitoring device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , further comprising a deployment speed control unit that controls a deployment speed of the airbag device based on a control signal output from the comparison unit. .

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