JP5262570B2 - Vehicle device control device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle device control apparatus for ensuring an appropriate space for opening an airbag in the event of a vehicle collision.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, devices for securing a space for deploying an airbag at the time of a vehicle collision (hereinafter referred to as an airbag deployment space) have been proposed (Patent Documents 1 to 4, etc.).

  Paragraph 17 of Patent Literature 1 includes a safety characteristic curve that is created in conformity with the safety deployment space of an airbag and includes a relationship between a seat slide position and a steering position, and secures a safety deployment space of the airbag. A position adjustment device is disclosed.

  Patent Document 2 discloses a vehicle device control that detects the distance between an airbag and a head and the weight of an occupant by a camera, a seat back angle, a seat position, and a load sensor, and changes airbag deployment control and seat belt control. An apparatus is disclosed.

  Patent Document 3 discloses a method for detecting the head position by an array of thermal imaging detectors and controlling the amount of airbag deployment.

Patent Document 4 discloses a method of obtaining the current position of the head at the time of a vehicle collision using a camera that captures images from the side of the driver's seat.
JP 2002-96700 A JP 2004-338517 A JP-T-2005-517162 JP 2006-511826 A

  However, Patent Document 1 does not disclose securing an airbag deployment space immediately before an important collision. Therefore, it is not always possible to secure this space immediately before the collision.

  Further, Patent Documents 1 to 4 do not disclose which configuration is preferentially used to secure the airbag deployment space and control the deployment of the airbag. Therefore, it is not always possible to effectively secure the airbag deployment space and control the deployment of the airbag during a collision.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle device control apparatus that can properly deploy an airbag and ensure an appropriate space for opening the airbag in the event of a vehicle collision.

  In order to achieve the above object, the following configuration can be provided.

(1) The present invention
In a vehicle device control apparatus for controlling a space where an airbag is deployed at the time of a vehicle collision,
Distance calculating means for calculating the distance between the airbag and the driver's face;
Collision determination means for determining whether the vehicle collision cannot be avoided;
Control means for moving the position of the driver's seat and / or the position of the steering wheel based on the distance between the steering wheel and the driver's face when the collision determination means determines that the collision cannot be avoided. This is a vehicle device control device.

  The vehicle device control device having this configuration moves the position of the driver's seat and / or the position of the steering. This control is performed based on the distance between the steering wheel and the driver's face when the collision determination means determines that the collision cannot be avoided, so the airbag deployment amount can be controlled more reliably during a collision. It is possible to secure a proper space for opening the airbag more reliably.

(2) The vehicle device control apparatus includes face recognition means for detecting a driver's face imaged by the imaging means,
The distance calculation means may calculate the distance between the steering wheel and the driver's face based on the position and / or size of the face detected by the face recognition means.

  In this configuration, the face recognition means calculates the position and / or size of the face, so that the distance between the airbag and the face can be calculated.

  (3) The distance calculation means calculates a distance between the steering and the headrest, and based on the calculated distance between the steering and the headrest and the position of the face detected by the face recognition means. The distance between the steering wheel and the driver's face may be calculated.

  In this configuration, the face recognition means also calculates the distance in the calculation of the distance or the positional relationship, so that the distance can be obtained more accurately.

  (4) The distance calculation means includes a steering position detection sensor, a seat slide position detection sensor, a backrest position detection sensor, and a headrest position detection sensor that detects the position of the headrest relative to the backrest. You may make it calculate the distance between.

  In this configuration, the distance calculation means uses outputs of the steering position detection sensor, the seat slide position detection sensor, the backrest position detection sensor, and the headrest position detection sensor that detects the position of the headrest relative to the backrest. The distance or positional relationship with the headrest can be calculated.

(5) The distance calculation means includes registration means for registering the size of the driver's face with the head in contact with the headrest.
The distance calculation means calculates the distance between the headrest and the driver's head by comparing the face size registered by the registration means with the face size detected by the face recognition means. You may do it.

  There are individual differences in the size of the face. However, when the head comes into contact with the headrest, the positional relationship between the steering position and the face can be calculated from the relationship between the steering position and the headrest position. It can be calculated regardless of individual differences. In this configuration, the registration unit registers the size of the face with the head in contact with the headrest, and the distance calculation unit calculates the registered face size and the face calculated by the face recognition unit. The distance between the steering and the driver's head is calculated on the basis of the size of the vehicle. Therefore, the distance calculation means can calculate the distance between the driver's head and the airbag more accurately regardless of whether the face is different or the face is away from the headrest.

  (6) The control means includes an airbag deployment control means for controlling the deployment amount of the airbag based on a distance between the steering and the driver's face, and only by controlling the deployment amount of the airbag. When a sufficient deployment space is not ensured, the driver's seat position and / or the steering position may be moved.

  In this configuration, when a collision is unavoidable, the driver's seat position and / or steering position is moved when sufficient deployment space cannot be secured by controlling the deployment amount of the airbag. And an appropriate space for opening the airbag can be secured.

(7) A rear seat determination means for determining whether a person is sitting in the rear seat is provided.
When the collision determination unit determines that the collision cannot be avoided and it is determined that a person is sitting on the rear seat, the control unit does not move the position of the driver seat. Also good.

  In this configuration, when the rear seat determination means determines that a person is sitting, the position of the driver's seat is not moved, so that the space for the person in the rear seat can be secured.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to more reliably secure a space for deploying an airbag in the event of a vehicle collision.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of a vehicle device control apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a seat of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention, and mainly shows a configuration of a specific example of a control target of a device control apparatus of the present invention. The vehicle 1 includes a camera 2, a steering 3, a steering column 31, and a seat 4 (driver's seat) around the seat. The camera 2 is provided on the steering column 31 so as to face the face 102, and images the driver's face 102 almost from the front. An angle of view 28 of the camera 2 indicates an imaging range of the camera 2 in angle.

  The steering 3 stores an unillustrated airbag device (corresponding to 36 in FIG. 2). The steering column 31 is adjusted with respect to a tilt position (tilt in the vertical and horizontal directions) and a telescopic position (position in the forward / backward direction) by a lever (not shown). The steering column 31 includes a position detection sensor 32 for the steering 3 and detects a tilt position and a telescopic position of the steering column 31.

  The seat 4 includes a seat position detection sensor 41, a backrest position detection sensor 42, a headrest 44, and a headrest position detection sensor 45. The entire seat 4 moves in the direction of the seat slide front and rear 411 (steering 3 side, rear seat side) by electric (or manual). The seat position detection sensor 41 detects the positions of the seat slide front and rear 411. In the seat 4, the backrest portion rotates in the direction of the reclining 421. The backrest position detection sensor 42 detects the angle of the reclining 421. The headrest 44 supports the head 101. The headrest 44 moves in the direction of the headrest up and down 451 by electric (or manual). The headrest position detection sensor 45 detects the height.

  A distance 5 is a distance between the steering wheel 3 and the face 102. The distance 5 is calculated based on the positions of the position detection sensor 32 of the steering wheel 3, the position detection sensor 41 of the seat, the backrest position detection sensor 42, and the headrest position detection sensor 45. The distance 5 needs to be properly secured to ensure the safety of the driver 100 when the airbag is opened. Therefore, the vehicle 1 monitors the distance 5 based on the values of these sensors. The distance 5 may be calculated based on the position and size of the face imaged by the camera 2 (details will be described later).

  FIG. 2 shows the configuration of the vehicle 1 that detects the inevitable collision of the vehicle 1 and prepares for the collision. As this configuration, the vehicle 1 includes a vehicle device control device 10 (hereinafter abbreviated as the control device 10), a control target 11 of the control device 10, sensors, and CAN8 (in-vehicle LAN).

  The configuration of the control device 10 will be described. The control device 10 includes a driver support ECU 6, a driver monitor ECU 25, an airbag ECU 35, and a seat ECU 47.

  The driver support ECU 6 is a central part in the control device 10 of the present embodiment. The driver support ECU 6 determines whether a collision is inevitable based on the radar sensor 7. When determining that the collision is inevitable, the driver support ECU 6 determines the deployment space of the airbag device 36 based on the distance 5 measured by the driver monitor ECU 25. The driver monitor ECU 25 instructs each of the above parts (driver monitor ECU 25, airbag ECU 35, seat ECU 47) based on the determination result of the deployment space.

  The driver monitor ECU 25 recognizes the face 102 based on the image of the face 102 captured by the camera 2. Face recognition can be performed, for example, by binarizing an image captured by the camera 2 and extracting a convex contour. Face recognition can also be performed by recognizing a face contour by extracting a convex contour including nose and eye features. Based on the recognition result of the face 102, the driver monitor ECU 25 performs the driver's face orientation and eye opening. Further, a distance measurement process 29 is performed to calculate the distance between the steering wheel and the face 102. The driver monitor ECU 25 outputs these processing results to the driver support ECU 6.

  In the distance measurement process 29, the driver monitor ECU 25 calculates the distance 5 between the steering wheel 3 and the face 102 based on the position detection sensor 32 of the steering wheel 3 and the seat sensors 40. However, since the driver's face 102 is not necessarily located at a fixed position of the headrest (the relative position of the head with respect to the headrest changes depending on the driver's sitting height and the driver's posture), the distance measurement processing 29 The distance 5 between the steering wheel 3 and the face 102 may be calculated more accurately based on the position and size of the face 102 in the image captured by the camera 2. When calculating the distance between the steering wheel 3 and the face 102 based on the size of the face 102 in the image captured by the camera 2, first, the camera 2 captures the image with the head attached to the headrest. The size of the face 102 in the captured image and the distance from the steering at that time to the face 102 are calculated and registered as a reference value in the storage device, and then the driver monitor ECU 25 selects the face 102 in the image captured by the camera 2. The size may be compared with the registered face size, and the distance between the steering wheel 3 and the face 102 may be calculated from the comparison result and the registered distance.

  The airbag ECU 35 controls the deployment timing and the deployment amount of the airbag device 36. The seat ECU 47 controls the seat slide front and rear 411 and the reclining 421 of the seat 4. The tilt & telescopic ECU 310 controls the tilt position and telescopic position of the steering column 31 according to the request of the driver support ECU 6 as well as the driver's instruction.

  The configuration of the control target 11 will be described. The control target 11 mainly includes a steering column 31, a seat 4, and an airbag device 36. The steering column 31 drives an internal motor to move the tilt position and telescopic position of the steering column 31. The seat 4 is moved in the direction of the seat slide front and rear 411 and the direction of the reclining 421 by a motor inside the seat 4. The airbag device 36 ignites gunpowder and deploys the airbag.

  The sensors inside the vehicle 1 will be described. The vehicle 1 includes, as sensors, the camera 2, the position detection sensor 32 of the steering 3, the seat sensors 40 (configurations 41 to 43 in FIG. 1), an occupant detection ECU 48, an occupant detection sensor 49, a radar. A sensor 7 is provided. Since the camera 2, the seat sensors 40, and the position detection sensor 32 of the steering 3 have already been described, description thereof is omitted here.

  The radar sensor 7 detects an obstacle by transmitting radio waves, light or the like forward. The driver support ECU 6 determines whether or not a collision is inevitable based on the object detection of the radar sensor 7. The occupant detection sensor 49 is provided at each seat and detects the occupant by detecting pressure, light, and the like. The occupant detection ECU 48 transmits a signal from the occupant detection sensor 49 to the driver support ECU 6.

  Next, the distance measurement process 29 will be described with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a method for measuring a distance by the camera 2 as an example of the distance measurement process 29. FIG. 3A is an example of a captured image 20 captured by the camera 2. The captured image 20 is an image of the face 102 of the driver 100 seated on the seat 4. The position of the face range 200 is calculated by face recognition of the driver monitor ECU 25. As another element for calculating the distance 5 between the steering wheel 3 and the face 102, the distance measurement process 29 may obtain the size of the face 102 in the captured image 20.

  FIG. 3B corresponds to the steering column 31 of FIG. 1 and shows the relationship between the tilt angle 33 of the steering column 31 and the distance 5 of the face 102. As shown in FIG. 3B, the distance 51 is when the tilt angle 33 is low (when the driver's seat height is low), and the distance 52 is when the tilt angle 33 is high (when the driver's seat height is high). . When the tilt angle 33 is high, the distance 52 is longer than the distance 51 and the face is captured with a small size. Therefore, the driver monitor ECU 25 can calculate the distances 51 and 52 based on the size of the face 102.

  The distance 5 can also be calculated depending on the position of the face 102 in the captured image 20. The driver monitor ECU 25 can also calculate the height of the face 102 based on the position of the face 102 occupying the angle of view 28 and the relative positional relationship of the face 102 with respect to the headrest 44. The driver monitor ECU 25 can calculate the distance 5 by matching the height of the face 102 and the positional relationship between the steering wheel 3 and the headrest 44. Since the driver monitor ECU 25 can detect the position of the face more clearly than the change in the size of the face, the calculation of the distance 5 calculates not only the size of the face 102 but also the position of the face 102. Is desirable.

  FIG. 3C shows the positional relationship between the camera 2 and the driver 100 as viewed from above the vehicle 1 interior. As shown in FIG. 3C, the face angle of view 201 occupying the angle of view 28 of the camera 2 is smaller as the face 102 is the same, as the face 102 is the same. The driver monitor ECU 25 can calculate the distance 5 from the relationship between the angle of view 28 and the angle of view 201 of the face.

  FIG. 4 shows a state where the head 101 shown in FIG. 1 is in contact with the headrest 44. Since the size of the head varies from individual to individual, the driver monitor ECU 25 registers in advance the distance 50 in the state where the head 101 is in contact with the headrest 44 and the size of the face 102, and this distance 50 is used as a reference. It is desirable to correct the distance 5 based on the change in the size of the face 102. Here, the driver monitor ECU 25 can calculate the distance 50 from the positional relationship between the steering 3 and the headrest 44. Even when the distance 50 is registered in this way, the driver monitor ECU 25 calculates the distance 5 using the position information of the face 102 in the captured image 20 as shown in FIG. It is desirable.

  The calculation of the distance 50 may be performed by any part of the vehicle 1 as an embodiment of the invention, for example, by the driver support ECU 6. Further, the driver monitor ECU 25 may input the distance 50 from the driver support ECU 6. The distance 50 is calculated by a main body ECU (not shown) that registers and reproduces the positions of the steering column 31 and the seat 4 (moves the steering column 31 and the seat 4 to the registered positions). May be.

  FIG. 5 shows an example of the flow of the distance measurement process 29 described with reference to FIGS.

  In ST1, the driver support ECU 6 calculates the distance from the steering wheel 3 to the face 102. As described above, the positional relationship between the steering 3 and the seat 4 is determined by the position detection sensor 32 of the steering wheel 3, the position detection sensor 41 of the seat, and the backrest position detection sensor 42. Therefore, the driver support ECU 6 outputs the positional relationship between the steering wheel 3 and the seat 4 to the driver monitor ECU 25.

  In ST2, the driver monitor ECU 25 starts recognition of the face 102 and extracts the contour of the face 102. The driver monitor ECU 25 calculates the position of the face 102 in the captured image 20. The driver monitor ECU 25 calculates the reference distance 50 by adding the positional relationship of the face 102 to the positional relationship of the steering wheel 3 and the seat 4 input from the driver support ECU 6 and subtracting the general size of the head 101.

  In ST3, the driver monitor ECU 25 accepts registration of the size of the face 102 from the driver while the face 102 is attached to the headrest 44.

  In ST4, the driver monitor ECU 25 always follows the face 102 and monitors the change in the size of the face 102.

  In ST5, the driver monitor ECU 25 monitors the direction of the face from the size of the eyes of both eyes, the position of the nose, etc., and corrects the size of the face.

  In ST6, the driver monitor ECU 25 corrects the distance 50 based on the face size calculated in ST5, and calculates the distance 5 between the steering wheel 3 and the face 102. The driver monitor ECU 25 outputs the calculated distance 5 to the driver support ECU 6. The driver monitor ECU 25 repeats ST4 to ST6 during operation.

  In the flow of FIG. 5, the driver monitor ECU 25 may calculate the positional relationship instead of the distance between the steering wheel 3 and the face 102.

  Next, the collision process 60 will be described with reference to FIGS.

  FIGS. 6 and 7 show the priority order of the control target 11 that is controlled by the control device 10 when the driver support ECU 6 determines that the collision of the vehicle 1 is inevitable.

  6 and 7 show the airbag device 36, the steering column 31, and the seat 4 as the control object 11. The driver support ECU 6 has a position in the telescopic direction 34 of the steering column 31 input from the tilt & telescopic ECU 310 and the seat ECU 47 (here, abbreviated as the position of the steering wheel 3) at the back (meter side), middle (center), Classify in front (seat 4 (driver's seat) side). In FIGS. 6 and 7, the positions of the front and rear seat slides 411 of the input seat 4 are classified as front (meter side), middle (center), and front (rear seat side). Further, the driver support ECU 6 classifies the distances calculated by the driver monitor ECU 25 by the distance measurement processing 29 into short, medium, and long.

  The NO1 to 27 shown in FIG. 6 and the NO28 to 54 shown in FIG. 7 are classified in this way (the position of the steering wheel 3, the position of the seat, and the distance 5 between the steering wheel 3 and the face 102). The priority order of the control target 11 in the case of presence / absence of is indicated by one of 1, 2, and 3. FIG. 6 shows a case where a person gets on the back seat and is present, and FIG. 7 shows a case where no person is on the back seat among the priorities.

  For example, in the case of NO1 in FIG. 6, the combination of (the position of the steering wheel 3, the position of the seat, the distance 5 between the steering wheel 3 and the face 102) is (back, front, short), and the rear seat ride is “Yes” ”Indicates that the first priority of control is the airbag device 36, the second priority is the steering 3, and the third priority is the seat 4. The same applies to NO2 and below.

  The driver support ECU 6 stores priorities as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 in correspondence with the conditions.

  Here, the priority order is defined. The priority order represents which one of the control object 11 that can be controlled by the control device 10 is to be preferentially controlled, such as the airbag deployment amount, the seat position control, or the steering 3 position control. It can be. That is, when it is assumed that it is preferable for the driver support ECU 6 to use the second priority control in combination with the first priority control, it is assumed that the driver support ECU 6 has the second priority control. Use control together. If it is assumed that it is safer to use the control of the third priority than the control of the first and second priority, the driver support ECU 6 uses the control of the third priority together. To do. It should be noted that another embodiment is possible depending on the priority order, and an embodiment in which control is performed according to the above definition is referred to as Embodiment 1.

  In the design of the priority order of the control, it is basically preferable to give priority to the control object 11 in order from the fastest response, and set the priority order in the driver support ECU 6. However, as shown in FIG. 6, when there is a person on the back, it is necessary to secure the space of the person.

  The case of NO1 to NO27 shown in FIG. 6 will be described. When the rear seat boarding is “present”, the driver support ECU 6 sets the movement control of the seat 4 to be prohibited or has the lowest priority. That is, the driver support ECU 6 stores this operation prohibition or priority setting. ). When the position of the steering wheel 3 is at the back, the distance 5 has already been secured as much as possible, so that the priority for controlling the injection amount of the airbag device 36 is increased. When the position of the steering wheel 3 is in the middle or near side, the distance 5 is insufficient. Therefore, the driver support ECU 6 gives priority to the control of the position of the steering wheel 3 over the control of the injection amount of the airbag device 36.

  The case of NO28 to NO54 shown in FIG. 7 will be described. The driver support ECU 6 is set so as to allow movement of the seat 4 when the rear seat boarding is “none”.

  NO28 to NO36 will be described. When the position of the steering wheel 3 is at the back (NO 28 to 36), there is almost no need to move the steering wheel 3 any further. Therefore, the driver support ECU 6 gives priority to the control of moving the seat 4 and the control of the injection amount of the airbag device 36. When the seat 4 is in the front or middle position (NO28 to NO33), it is highly necessary to secure the space of the seat 4 for the driver 100, so the driver support ECU 6 controls the seat 4 rather than the control of the airbag device 36. Prioritize the control of movement. When the seat 4 is behind (NO34 to NO36), it is not necessary to move the seat 4 almost. Therefore, the driver support ECU 6 gives priority to the control of moving the seat 4 over the control of the injection amount of the airbag device 36 (NO34 to NO36).

  NO37 to NO54 will be described. In this case, the position of the steering wheel 3 is in the middle or in front. When the seat 4 is behind (NO43 to NO45, NO52 to NO54), it is not necessary to move the seat 4 almost, so the priority is set to 3 which is the lowest. When the seat 4 is not later (NO37 to NO42, NO46 to NO51), it is highly necessary to secure the space of the seat 4 of the driver 100 by moving the position of the steering wheel 3 and the seat 4, so the driver support ECU 6 The control of the movement of the position of the steering wheel 3 and the control of the movement of the seat 4 are prioritized over the control of the airbag device 36. Furthermore, when the position of the steering wheel 3 is in front, it is preferable to move the position of the steering wheel 3 in order to secure the airbag deployment space quickly, so the driver support ECU 6 controls the movement of the steering wheel 3 position. Prioritize (NO46-NO53). When the position of the steering wheel 3 is in the middle (NO37 to NO42), it is preferable to move the seat 4 in order to secure the space quickly, so the driver support ECU 6 gives priority to the control of the movement of the steering wheel 3 position.

  In the first embodiment, another embodiment is possible by changing the definition of the priority order. As a second embodiment different from the first embodiment, the control object 11 is controlled at the same time, and the priority order shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 is set according to the deployment amount of the airbag device 36 and the seat slide front and rear 411 of the seat 4. The collision process 60 may be designed to indicate which adjustment amount of the position or the position of the steering wheel 3 is to be preferentially increased. Furthermore, as Example 3, Example 1 and Example 2 can be used in combination. That is, in the third embodiment, when the second priority control is used together in the first embodiment (the first embodiment in which the second priority control is used for the first time when it is preferable to perform the second priority control). In addition, the amount of adjustment may be changed according to the priority order as in the second embodiment.

  Next, the collision process 60 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  In ST11, the driver support ECU 6 determines whether or not a collision is unavoidable based on the distance from the obstacle and the relative speed received from the radar sensor 7. Note that various known methods can be used to determine whether or not a collision is inevitable. If the driver support ECU 6 determines that a collision is inevitable (YES in ST11), the flow proceeds to ST12.

  In ST12, the driver support ECU 6 receives information from the tilt & telescopic ECU 310 and the seat ECU 47, and the position of the steering wheel 3 (in the back, the middle, or the front) shown in FIGS. Determine the position (front, middle, or back).

  In ST13, information on the presence of the rear seat is received from the occupant detection ECU 48. Then, it is determined whether a person is present in the rear seat. If this determination is affirmative (YES in ST13), the movement of the seat is prohibited during a collision (ST14). If this determination is negative (NO in ST13), the process in ST14 is not performed.

  In ST15, the driver support ECU 6 reads data representing the priority order stored in the driver support ECU 6 as shown in FIGS.

  In ST16, based on the data representing the position of the steering wheel 3 determined in ST12, the position of the seat 4, whether or not the user is seated in the rear seat of ST14, and the priority order read in ST15, the control object 11 is controlled. The priority and the control amount of each part of the control target 11 are determined.

  In ST17, based on the control amount determined in ST16, the driver support ECU 6 controls the movement of the airbag device 36, the seat 4, and the movement of the steering column 31.

  ST13 to ST17 correspond to the control means of the present invention.

  In ST14, the movement of the seat 4 is prohibited, but this prohibition may be performed based on the priority order data read in ST15. That is, the prohibition of the movement of the seat 4 may be described in the priority order data in the driver support ECU 6, and the movement of the seat 4 may be prohibited based on the priority order data. Further, instead of prohibiting the movement of the seat, 3 having the lowest priority may be set in the driver support ECU 6.

  Supplementary explanation will be given below for the above embodiment.

  In the description of FIG. 2 described above, the blocks have been separated for each function. However, in terms of mounting, any one of these functions may be configured as a single unit, or a single block may be composed of a plurality of blocks. You may comprise separately. For example, the control device 10 may be configured as an integrated computing device. In addition, various sensors (position detection sensor 32 of steering wheel 3, radar sensor 7, seat sensors 40, occupant detection sensor 49, etc.) are not limited to the configuration shown in FIG. It may be connected by either.

  The position of the camera 2 only needs to face the face 102 almost from the front, and may not be on the steering column 31 but may be, for example, a ceiling or a meter portion. As an alternative to the radar sensor 7, the vehicle 1 may detect an obstacle outside the vehicle 1 based on sound waves and camera information.

  In addition, as long as the flows of FIGS. 5 and 8 can be performed, the processing may be performed before and after, or the processing may be performed simultaneously. For example, ST1 and ST2 may be before and after, or simultaneously. ST4 and ST may be before and after, or simultaneously.

  As an alternative to the distance measurement process 29, the vehicle 1 may measure the distance using two cameras picked up from different directions, or perform distance measurement using laser interference or focal length. Also good. Furthermore, as a premise of the control shown in FIGS. 6 to 8, it is not essential to measure the distance according to the size of the face 102, the position of the face 102, and the positional relationship of the sheets as shown in the distance measurement process 29. .

  The present invention can be applied to, for example, control of airbag deployment at the time of a vehicle collision and securing of the deployment space thereof.

Driver's seat of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention Vehicle device control apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention The figure showing the method of measuring distance with the camera which concerns on embodiment of this invention. The figure showing the method of measuring distance with the camera which concerns on embodiment of this invention. Example of a flow of processing for measuring distance by a camera according to an embodiment of the present invention Priorities of control targets controlled by the vehicle control device according to the embodiment of the present invention at the time of a collision (when the rear seat is present) Priorities of drive control at the time of collision according to the embodiment of the present invention (when the rear seat is not present) Flow of collision processing according to an embodiment of the present invention

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Vehicle 10 ... Control apparatus (vehicle device control apparatus)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 ... Control object 2 ... Camera 20 ... Captured image 200 ... Face range 201 ... Angle of view of face 25 ... Driver monitor ECU
28 ... Angle of view 29 ... Distance measurement processing 3 ... Steering 31 ... Steering column 310 ... Tilt and telescopic ECU
32 ... Position detection sensor 33 ... Tilt angle 35 ... Airbag ECU
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 36 ... Airbag apparatus 4 ... Seat 40 ... Seat sensor 41 ... Seat position detection sensor 411 ... Seat slide back and forth 42 ... Backrest position detection sensor 421 ... Reclining 44 ... Headrest 45 ... Headrest position detection sensor 451 ... Headrest up-down 47 ... Seat ECU
48 ... Occupant detection ECU
49 ... Occupant detection sensor 5 ... Distance 6 ... Driver support ECU
60 ... Collision processing 7 ... Radar sensor 8 ... CAN
100 ... Driver 101 ... Head 102 ... Face

Claims (4)

In a vehicle device control apparatus for controlling a space where an airbag is deployed at the time of a vehicle collision,
Face recognition means for detecting a driver's face from an image taken by the imaging means;
Distance calculating means for calculating the distance between the steering wheel and the driver's face based on the position and / or size of the face detected by the face recognition means;
A rear seat judging means for judging whether or not a person is sitting on the rear seat;
Collision determination means for determining whether the vehicle collision cannot be avoided;
When the collision determination unit determines that the collision cannot be avoided , the airbag deployment amount, the front / rear slide position of the driver's seat , and the steering position are controlled based on the distance between the steering wheel and the driver's face. and control means for,
When it is determined that no person is seated in the rear seat and that an appropriate space for opening the airbag is not secured only by controlling the deployment amount of the airbag, the control means A vehicle device control apparatus characterized by moving a front / rear slide position and a steering position .   The distance calculation means calculates a distance between the steering and the headrest, and based on the calculated distance between the steering and the headrest and the position of the face detected by the face recognition means, The vehicle device control device according to claim 1, wherein a distance from the driver's face is calculated.   The distance calculation means is based on outputs of a steering position detection sensor, a seat slide position detection sensor, a backrest position detection sensor for detecting the position of the backrest, and a headrest position detection sensor for detecting the position of the headrest with respect to the backrest. The vehicle device control apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a distance between the headrest and the headrest is calculated. The distance calculation means includes a registration means for registering the size of the driver's face with the head in contact with the headrest.
The distance calculation means calculates the distance between the headrest and the driver's head by comparing the face size registered by the registration means with the face size detected by the face recognition means. The vehicle device control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

Images