JP5668202B2 - Car safety equipment and car - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an automobile safety device that prevents automobile doors such as passenger cars and trucks from colliding with objects approaching the automobile such as motorcycles and passers-by.

  Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H10-228707 discloses an obstacle that detects an obstacle behind or on the side of a traveling vehicle and reports the degree of danger to the driver according to the degree of approach. An arithmetic circuit that detects a vehicle or the like with a radar system using radio waves and calculates a distance to the detection target and a relative speed is disclosed. In particular, a vehicle in a range that is difficult for the driver to visually recognize is detected by a door mirror on the right rear side of the own vehicle.

  Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H10-228707 describes a method for ensuring safety when a vehicle is stopped on the road and a cargo handling operation is performed. When the ultrasonic sensor detects that a pedestrian or bicycle passes through the rear side of the vehicle when the door for loading and unloading the luggage at the rear of the vehicle is open, a warning device issues a warning.

JP 2000-338237 A

JP 7-266891 A

In recent years, with the increase in the number of elderly people, the number of elderly people traveling on a car is increasing. The elderly are less alert and often open the side doors without checking the safety behind them when getting out of the car.
Under such circumstances, there is an increased risk of collision between an object such as a two-wheeled vehicle and a side door that has been opened without confirmation of safety at the side rear, for example. This risk needs to be reduced.
The present invention has been made to solve this problem.

  In order to solve this problem, the present invention according to claim 1 includes a sensor for detecting an object located on the rear side of the vehicle, a stop detector for detecting that the vehicle is stopped, A door lock switch for bringing a side door into a locked state or an unlocked state, and detecting that the vehicle is stopped by the stop detector, and information on the object detected by the sensor The door lock switch of the side door on the object side is on the unlock side when the expected arrival time until the object reaches the automobile is less than a predetermined value Is moved to the lock side, and the door lock switch operated when the door lock switch is operated to the unlock side when the door lock switch of the side door on the object side is on the lock side. It is a safety device of a vehicle and performs control to return the pitch to the lock side.

  Moreover, the present invention according to claim 2 for solving this problem includes a sensor for detecting an object located on the rear side of the automobile, a stop detector for detecting that the automobile is stopped, A side door open / close detector for detecting an open / closed state of a side door of the automobile, a door lock switch for bringing the side door into a locked state or an unlocked state, and the vehicle stop by the stop detector. The object detected by the side door opening / closing detector is detected to be closed, and the object is predicted based on the information of the object detected by the sensor. When the predicted arrival time until reaching the position is equal to or less than a predetermined value, if the door lock switch of the side door on the object side is on the unlocking side, move to the lock side, When the door lock switch of the side door is on the lock side, when the door lock switch is operated to the unlock side, the door lock control mode for performing control to return the operated door lock switch to the lock side, and the stop detection The vehicle detects that the vehicle is stopped, the side door open / close detector detects that the side door is closed, and predicts based on the information on the object detected by the sensor. It is dangerous to open the side door on the object side for the passenger of the automobile when the estimated arrival time until the object reaches the automobile is less than a predetermined value. An alerting mode for alerting that the side door is open by the side door open / close detector during the door lock control mode. A motor vehicle safety, characterized in that the transition from the door lock control mode to the alert mode.

  In addition, the present invention according to claim 3 for solving this problem is characterized in that the alerting is not performed when the automobile starts running during the alerting mode. It is a safety device for automobiles.

  The present invention according to claim 4 for solving this problem is characterized in that the alert is not performed when the side door of the automobile is opened during the alert mode. 2. A safety device for an automobile according to 2.

  The present invention according to claim 5 for solving the problem includes a sensor for detecting an object located on the rear side of the own vehicle, a stop detector for detecting that the own vehicle is stopped, A door lock switch for bringing the side door of the host vehicle into a locked state or an unlocked state, and detecting that the host vehicle is stopped by the stop detector, and detecting the sensor The door lock switch of the side door on the object side is locked when the estimated arrival time until the object reaches the vehicle is less than a predetermined value that is predicted based on the object information. When it is on the unlocking side, it moves to the lock side, and when the door lock switch of the side door on the object side is on the lock side, the door lock switch that has been operated is moved to the unlock side when the door lock switch is operated to the unlocking side. It is a vehicle and performs control for returning to the click side.

  Moreover, this invention of Claim 6 for solving this subject is the sensor which detects the object located in the back side of the own vehicle, and the stop detector which detects that the said own vehicle is stopping. A side door open / close detector for detecting an open / closed state of the side door of the host vehicle, a door lock switch for bringing the side door into a locked state or an unlocked state, and the stop detector Is detected, the side door opening / closing detector detects that the side door is closed, and is predicted based on the information of the object detected by the sensor, When the estimated arrival time until the object reaches the host vehicle is equal to or less than a predetermined value, if the door lock switch of the side door on the object side is on the unlock side, move to the lock side, Side door on the object side When the door lock switch is on the lock side, when the door lock switch is operated to the unlock side, the door lock control mode for performing control to return the operated door lock switch to the lock side; It is detected that the vehicle is stopped, the side door opening / closing detector detects that the side door is closed, and is predicted based on the information of the object detected by the sensor, It is dangerous to open the side door on the object side for the passenger of the own vehicle when the estimated arrival time until the object reaches the own vehicle is equal to or less than a predetermined value. An alerting mode for alerting the door, and when the side door opening / closing detector detects that the side door is open during the door lock control mode, the door lock Is an automobile, characterized in that the transition from the control mode to the warning mode.

  When an object such as a two-wheeled vehicle or a person approaches the car from the rear side of the parked car, it is possible to prevent an accident that the side door on the object side of the car is opened and collides with the object. It becomes possible.

It is explanatory drawing which showed typically the positional relationship of a motor vehicle and an object. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of 1st embodiment of the safety device of the motor vehicle of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of 2nd embodiment of the safety device of the motor vehicle of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of 3rd embodiment of the motor vehicle safety device of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of 4th Embodiment of the safety device of the motor vehicle of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the process in 4th Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the process in 4th Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the process in 4th Embodiment.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below.
FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram (plan view) schematically showing the positional relationship between an automobile 101 on which the safety device of the automobile of the present invention is mounted and a passerby 102 and a two-wheeled vehicle 103 approaching the automobile 101 from the rear side. is there. The automobile 101 is stopped. A left object sensor 105 provided on the left door mirror 104 detects an object approaching from the left rear side of the automobile 101, here a passer-by 102, and a right object sensor 107 provided on the right door mirror 106 is provided on the automobile 101. An object approaching from the right rear side, here, the two-wheeled vehicle 103 is detected. In the figure, an arrow 108 indicates an object, that is, a traveling direction of the passerby 102 or the two-wheeled vehicle 103, and an area sandwiched between broken lines 109 indicates a spatial detection area of each of the object sensors 105 and 107.

  It is desirable to use object sensors 105 and 107 having high detection range directivity. This is because the higher the directivity is, the smaller the influence of noise is and the easier it is to detect an object at a distance from the automobile 101. Here, the noise is information obtained by detecting an object that is approaching the automobile 101 but is unlikely to collide. When using an object sensor with a low directivity in the detection range, in order to avoid detecting an object that is unlikely to collide, a detection distance compared to using an object sensor with a high directivity in the detection range Must be set smaller. The degree of directivity to be set depends on in which range an object such as a passerby 102 or a two-wheeled vehicle 103 is detected.

  As the object sensors 105 and 107, information on the relative distance to an object located at the rear side of the radio wave sensor such as a millimeter wave radar, an ultrasonic sensor, an optical sensor such as a laser radar or an infrared sensor, and the like What is necessary is just to use what can obtain the relative velocity information. In addition to the door mirrors 104 and 106, the object sensors 105 and 107 may be attached to any place where an object located basically on the rear side, such as the tail portion of the automobile 101, may be detected.

If it is assumed that an object such as a passerby 102 or a two-wheeled vehicle 103 is moving at a constant speed, an estimated arrival time TO until the vehicle 101 is reached is expressed by Expression (1-1).

Expected arrival time TO = Relative distance / Relative speed (1-1)

The relative distance is a relative distance between the object and the automobile 101, and is obtained based on information on the object detected by the object sensors 105 and 107. The distance between the object and the object sensors 105 and 107 may be defined, or the distance between the object and the rear doors 112 and 113 of the automobile 101 may be defined. The distance between the object and the tail portion of the automobile 101 may be defined.
The relative speed is a relative speed of the object with respect to the automobile 101 and is obtained based on information on the object detected by the object sensors 105 and 107.

  In the automobile safety device of the present invention, when the predicted arrival time TO becomes a value equal to or less than the predetermined time TS, when the side doors 110, 111, 112, 113 are opened, objects such as passers-by 102 and two-wheeled vehicles 103. It is judged that there is a high risk of collision. The predetermined time TS is, for example, a time that is considered necessary for the passerby 102 to stop without colliding with the rear door 112 after noticing that the rear door 112 of the automobile 101 has been opened. What is necessary is just to determine based on the time etc. which are considered necessary in order to stop, without colliding with the rear door 113, after noticing that the rear door 113 was opened.

  As Formula (1-1) shows, the estimated arrival time TO can be obtained from the relative distance and the relative speed. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 1, the detection areas of the object sensors 105 and 107 are divided into a plurality of areas, for example, an A area where the relative distance from the object sensors 105 and 107 is D0 to D1, an area D1 to D2, and an area D2 to D3. It may be replaced with obtaining the expected arrival time by monitoring the relative speed of the object in each region divided into three regions C region.

When the relative speed of the object is monitored instead of obtaining the estimated arrival time, a predetermined speed that replaces the predetermined time may be determined for each of the above-described areas. When an object is detected in the area A, if the relative speed is equal to or higher than the predetermined speed V1, for example, it is determined that there is a high risk of collision. Here, the predetermined speed V1 is a value that may be determined based on the predetermined time TS and the relative distance D0. The predetermined speed V1 may be determined based on the predetermined time TS and the relative distance D1, but the predetermined speed V1 is larger than that determined based on the predetermined time TS and the relative distance D0. In other words, it is necessary to keep in mind that the criteria judged to be dangerous will be relaxed.
Similarly, Table 1 summarizes the predetermined speeds that replace the predetermined time when the predetermined speeds when the object is detected in the B area and the C area are V2 and V3, respectively.

  In FIG. 1, an area A0 is an area having a relative distance D0 from the object sensors 105 and 107, and is an area where the side doors 110, 111, 112, and 113 are located. This area A0 is an area where a passenger who gets on and off the stopped automobile 101 is detected as an object, and it can be said that a passerby 102 and a two-wheeled vehicle 103 approaching the automobile 101 have already reached the automobile 101. When an object is detected in this area A0, for example, only “calling attention” described later may be performed regardless of the relative speed of the object. Alternatively, it may be ignored.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the expected arrival time changes as the relative distance changes from moment to moment. When an object such as a passerby 102 or a two-wheeled vehicle 103 is approaching at a speed that fluctuates instead of a constant speed, that is, if it is in an accelerating motion, the relative speed also changes from moment to moment. Apply and calculate the expected arrival time.
In the present invention, the method for obtaining the estimated arrival time is not limited to the method using the formula (1-1). When the object performs the acceleration motion described above, the estimated arrival time may be obtained on the assumption that the motion is an equal acceleration motion, for example. Moreover, you may obtain | require based on an empirical rule.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the first embodiment of the automobile safety device of the present invention. The first embodiment of FIG. 2 is an arrangement corresponding to an object on the right rear as an automobile safety device corresponding to an object on the left rear if the arrangement or configuration corresponding to the object on the left rear in the automobile 101 is used. If it is configured, it can be used as an automobile safety device corresponding to an object on the right rear side.
In addition, among large vehicles and light trucks, those with one side door on the left and right are common, but passenger cars such as 4-door sedan generally have two side doors on the left and right. Is. The first embodiment is not limited to a specific side door, and can be applied to any side door.

The object sensor 201 (105 or 107 in FIG. 1) detects an object such as a passerby 102 or a two-wheeled vehicle 103 behind the automobile 101. As described above, a radio wave sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, an optical sensor, or the like is used. That's fine. The body of the automobile 101 is provided at a position where an object behind the side can be detected.
The relative distance grasping unit 202 grasps the relative distance from the automobile 101 to the object based on the object information detected by the object sensor 201.
The relative speed grasping unit 203 grasps the relative speed of the object with respect to the automobile 101 based on the object information detected by the object sensor 201.

  In the “omnidirectional driving support system” already announced by an automobile manufacturer, for example, a sensor attached to the side of the automobile measures the distance and speed difference with the automobile running diagonally behind the lane to be moved. Aside from the performance, the sensors, distance measuring devices, and speed difference measuring devices used in such a system may be applied to the object sensor 201, the relative distance grasping unit 202, and the relative speed grasping unit 203, respectively. It will be possible.

The estimated object arrival time output unit 204 predicts the time until the object reaches the automobile 101 using the relative distance information grasped by the relative distance grasping unit 202 and the relative speed information grasped by the relative speed grasping unit 203. To do. This time is the time that is expected to be reached.
The predetermined time storage unit 205 stores the aforementioned predetermined time in advance.
The comparison unit 206 compares the time TO estimated by the object arrival time output unit 204 until the object reaches the automobile 101 and the predetermined time TS stored in the predetermined time storage unit 205.

  A stop detector 207 detects whether the automobile 101 is stopped or traveling. An existing speedometer that outputs a signal when the speed is zero (V = 0) may be used. The side door opening / closing detector 208 detects the open / closed state of the side doors 110, 112, etc., and an existing door opening / closing detector may be used.

  The alerting unit 209 alerts the passenger of the automobile 101, and a display light such as a light emitting diode or a miniature light bulb or a monitor capable of displaying characters may be used. These indicator lights and monitors are provided on the side doors 110, 112, etc. If they are provided in the vicinity of an inside handle (not shown), when the passenger tries to open the side doors 110, 112, etc. Inevitably, it is in the field of view and is effective. If it is provided above an inside handle (not shown), it is more effective without being behind a passenger's hand trying to grip an inside handle (not shown).

  The door lock switch 210 is a switch for the passenger to lock the side doors 110, 112, etc., or to release the doors. The existing door lock switch indicates that the door lock switch is in the released state. A type that outputs the indicated signal may be used. Here, the side doors 110, 112, etc. are in a locked state is a state where the side doors 110, 112, etc. are not opened even if the passenger pulls an inside handle (not shown).

The warning unit 211 issues a warning when the passenger performs an operation that leads to an accident, that is, an operation for opening the side doors 110, 112, etc., and a buzzer, a chime, a speaker, or the like may be used. When the warning is issued through the sight of the passenger, the above-described alerting unit 209 may be used as the warning unit 211 together.
Both the first gate 212 and the second gate 213 generate an output signal in response to an input signal, and an existing logic circuit IC (Integrated Circuit) or the like may be used.

  The operation of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 2 will be described. When the object sensor 201 detects an object such as a passerby 102 behind the automobile 101, information on the object is sent from the object sensor 201 to the relative distance grasping unit 202 and the relative speed grasping unit 203. The relative distance grasping unit 202 grasps the relative distance between the object such as the automobile 101 and the passerby 102 based on the object information. The information on the grasped relative distance is sent to the object arrival expected time output unit 204. The relative speed grasping unit 203 grasps the relative speed of an object such as the passerby 102 with respect to the automobile 101 based on the information on the object. The information of the grasped relative speed is sent to the object arrival expected time output unit 204.

  Based on the information on the relative distance sent from the relative distance grasping unit 202 and the information on the relative speed sent from the relative speed grasping unit 203, the object arrival expected time output unit 204 determines whether the object reaches the automobile 101. The time TO required for the time is predicted, and information on the predicted object arrival time TO is output to the comparison unit 206. The comparison unit 206 compares the information on the predicted object arrival time TO output from the predicted object arrival time output unit 204 with the predetermined time TS stored in the predetermined time storage unit 205, and the predicted object arrival time TO is the predetermined time. If it is smaller than or equal to TS, an active signal is sent to the first gate 212. This active signal is called an object approach signal.

  The information on the estimated object arrival time TO input to the comparison unit 206 may fluctuate irregularly according to the movement of the object. Therefore, the active signal indicates that the estimated object arrival time TO is smaller than the predetermined time TS1 or The comparison unit 206 may be configured to have a so-called hysteresis characteristic so that the output is finished when the equal object arrival time TO is longer than the predetermined time TS2 (TS1 <TS2). .

The first gate 212 includes an active signal output from the comparison unit 206, a stop signal indicating that the automobile 101 is stopped from the stop detector 207, and a side output from the side door opening / closing detector 208. When a door closing signal indicating that the front door is in a closed state is input, a warning signal is output to the warning part 209 and the second gate 213.
When the alert signal is input, the alerting unit 209 recognizes that it is dangerous for an occupant to open the side doors 110, 112, etc. when an object such as a passerby 102 is approaching the automobile 101. Therefore, for example, a light-emitting diode is blinked, or a character string such as “close to obstacle” is displayed on the monitor to alert the user.

  In the first gate 212, any one of the active signal output from the comparison unit 206, the stop signal output from the stop detector 207, and the door close signal output from the side door open / close detector 208 is used. When it is not input, the alert signal is not output. That is, the predicted object arrival time TO is large enough that the side doors 110, 112, etc. can be opened, or the automobile 101 starts running and the automobile 101 is not stopped. If either the door is closed or the side doors 110, 112, etc. are opened, no alert signal is output and no alert is issued.

  The second gate 213 outputs a warning signal to the warning unit 211 when both the alert signal output from the first gate 212 and the door lock release signal output from the door lock switch 210 are input. When a warning signal is input, the warning unit 211 issues a warning to the passenger with a warning sound such as a chime or buzzer. That is, when the door lock switch 210 is operated to the unlocking side by the passenger in the alert state where the alert signal is output, a warning signal is output from the second gate 213 to the alert unit 211, The passenger receives a warning from the warning unit 211, and is discouraged from trying to open the side doors 110, 112 and the like.

  As described above, in the first embodiment, work for notifying the passenger of the automobile 101 of the danger is performed by alerting or warning. The part that performs this operation is called the danger avoidance operation unit in the automobile safety device of the present invention. In the first embodiment, the danger avoidance work unit includes the first gate 212, the stop detector 207, the side door opening / closing detector 208, the alerting unit 209, the door lock switch 210, the second gate 213, and the warning unit 211. have.

In the first embodiment, a warning is given while alerting, but the automobile safety device of the present invention is not limited to this configuration. It is good also as a structure which does not alert but only warns.
Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the stop detector 207 detects that the automobile 101 is stopped, and alerts or warns when it is stopped. Alerts and warnings notifying the danger of opening the side doors 110, 112, etc., disperse the attention of the driver while driving. If the risk of an accident due to the driver's attention being removed is greater than the risk of the passenger opening the side doors 110, 112, etc. while driving, alert and warn It is better not to do it while driving. In the first embodiment, a warning or warning is given when the vehicle is stopped, but not during driving.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the second embodiment of the automobile safety device of the present invention. The second embodiment is a form in which each configuration for one side door is added to the first embodiment. The two side doors are a side front door and a side rear door. If it is a left side door, they are a left side front door and a left side rear door.
The second embodiment includes an object sensor 301, a relative distance grasping unit 302, a relative speed grasping unit 303, an object arrival expected time output unit 304, a predetermined time storage unit 305, a comparison unit 306, and a stop detector 307. These are equivalent to the corresponding parts in the first embodiment.

  The side front door open / close detector 308 detects the open / close state of the side front door 110 and the like, and an existing door open / close detector may be used. The side front door alerting unit 309 alerts the passenger of the automobile 101, and a display lamp such as a light emitting diode or a miniature light bulb or a monitor capable of displaying characters may be used. The side front door lock switch 310 is a switch for the passenger to lock the side door 110 or the like and to release it, and is an existing door lock switch, and the door lock switch is in the released state. What is necessary is just to use the thing of the type which outputs the signal which shows this.

  The side rear door opening / closing detector 314 detects the opening / closing state of the side rear door 112 and the like, and an existing door opening / closing detector may be used. The side rear door alerting unit 315 alerts the passenger of the automobile 101, and a display lamp such as a light emitting diode or a miniature light bulb or a monitor capable of displaying characters may be used. The side rear door lock switch 316 is a switch for the passenger to lock the side rear door 112 or the like, or to release it, and is an existing door lock switch, and the door lock switch is in the released state. What is necessary is just to use the thing of the type which outputs the signal which shows this.

The warning unit 311 issues a warning when an operation that causes the passenger to cause an accident, that is, an operation for opening the side front door 110 or the like or the side rear door 112 or the like, is performed. Etc. can be used.
Both the first gate 312 and the second gate 313 generate an output signal according to an input signal, and an existing logic circuit IC or the like may be used.

  The operation of the second embodiment of FIG. 3 will be described. The operations of the object sensor 301, the relative distance grasping unit 302, the relative speed grasping unit 303, the object arrival predicted time output unit 304, the predetermined time storage unit 305, the comparison unit 306, and the stop detector 307 are the same as those in the first embodiment. Since this is equivalent to the operation of each corresponding part in FIG.

  The first gate 312 outputs an active signal output from the comparison unit 306, a stop signal output from the stop detector 307, indicating that the automobile 101 is stopped, and an output from the side front door opening / closing detector 308. The closed door signal indicating that the side front door 110 and the like are closed, and the side rear door 112 and the like output from the side rear door opening / closing detector 314 are closed. When the signal is input, a warning signal is output to the side front door warning part 309, the side rear door warning part 315, and the second gate 313.

  When the warning signal is input, the side front door warning unit 309 is dangerous if an object such as a passerby 102 is approaching the vehicle 101 and the side front door 110 is opened. To be aware of this, for example, a light-emitting diode is blinked, or a character string such as “approaching obstacle” is displayed on the monitor to alert the user. Similarly, when a warning signal is input to the side rear door warning unit 315, an object such as a passerby 102 is approaching the automobile 101 and the side rear door 112 is opened. Call attention to be aware of the danger.

  In the first gate 312, the active signal output from the comparison unit 306, the stop signal output from the stop detector 307, the door close signal output from the side front door opening / closing detector 308, and the side rear portion If any one of the door closing signals output from the door opening / closing detector 314 is not input, the warning signal is not output. In other words, the estimated object arrival time TO is large enough that the side front door 110 or the like or the side rear door 112 or the like can be opened. If either 101 is no longer stopped or the side front door 110 or the like, the side rear door 112 or the like is opened, no alert signal is output and no alert is issued.

  The second gate 313 is either a door lock release signal output from the side front door lock switch 310 or a side rear signal when the alert signal output from the first gate 312 is input to the EN (Enable) input. When the door lock release signal output from the door lock switch 316 is input, a warning signal is output to the warning unit 311. When a warning signal is input, the warning unit 311 issues a warning to the passenger with a warning sound such as a chime or buzzer. In other words, when the side front door lock switch 310 or the side rear door lock switch 316 is operated to the unlocking side by the occupant in the alert state where the alert signal is output, the second gate A warning signal is output from the warning unit 311 to the warning unit 211, and the passenger receives a warning from the warning unit 311.

  In a car with two side doors, at least one of the left and right sides, a front door and a rear door, such as a four-door sedan, one door is closed while the vehicle is stopped, but the other door is opened. There is often a state of being. This is a case where only one of the front seat and the rear seat gets on and off. In such a situation, even if a warning display is given to the side door that is open, there is little possibility that the passenger getting on and off will see the display while the side door is open However, if you notice the display, you can expect to take action to avoid danger.

  Passers and motorcycles approaching from the rear side of the vehicle collide with the side door in most cases when the side door is judged to be able to pass beside it because it is closed. Suddenly, when you are trying to pass by that side, if the side door is opened suddenly, you will inevitably collide. If one of the side doors on one side is open, passers and motorcycles approaching from behind will recognize it and avoid danger, that is, stop or open the passage. Or wait until the side doors are closed. Therefore, if even one of the plurality of side doors is opened on one side, it is considered unlikely that a passerby will collide even if the closed side door is opened. . However, even in this case, it is expected that the safety is further improved if a warning display is displayed on the side door that is closed.

  In 2nd Embodiment, it is set as the structure which a warning display is not output if either one side door is opened among the two side doors in one side. In the second embodiment, the fact that the two front and rear side doors are closed is one of the conditions for the warning display. This gives priority to the effect of saving power over the effect obtained by displaying a warning when at least one of the two side doors is open. Because.

  In addition, when the object sensor is in front of the side door, for example, when it is attached to a door mirror, the detection area of the object sensor is blocked by the side door when the side door is opened. The object sensor cannot detect the object. In this case, the alert display cannot be performed. Therefore, in this case as well, it is desirable to save power consumption by adopting a configuration in which a warning display is not issued if any one of the two side doors is open.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the third embodiment of the automobile safety device of the present invention. 4 is configured as a safety device for an object on the left rear side. Right-hand drive vehicles are used in Japan. Therefore, passengers other than the driver often get on and off the automobile from the left side door. Therefore, the danger avoidance effect is great only by providing a safety device for the object behind the left side of the automobile. Similarly, in the case of a left-hand drive vehicle, even if a safety device for the right rear object is provided, the risk avoidance effect is great.
In addition, the third embodiment is not limited to a specific left side door, and can be applied to any left side door.

In FIG. 4, a left object sensor 401 (105 in FIG. 1) detects an object such as a passerby 102 on the left rear side of the automobile 101. As described above, a radio wave sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, an optical sensor, or the like is used. That's fine. The vehicle is mounted on the left door mirror 104 of the automobile 101 so that an object located on the rear left side of the automobile can be detected.
The left relative distance grasping unit 402 grasps the relative distance from the automobile 101 to the object based on the object information detected by the left object sensor 401.
The left relative speed grasping unit 403 grasps the relative speed of the object with respect to the automobile 101 based on the object information detected by the left object sensor 401.

The expected left object arrival time output unit 404 uses the relative distance information grasped by the left relative distance grasping unit 402 and the relative speed information grasped by the left relative speed grasping unit 403 until the object reaches the automobile 101. Time is expected. This time is the time that is expected to be reached.
The predetermined time storage unit 405 stores the aforementioned predetermined time in advance.
The comparison unit 406 compares the time TL predicted by the left object arrival expected time output unit 404 until the object reaches the automobile 101 and the predetermined time TS stored in the predetermined time storage unit 405.

The stop detector 407 detects that the automobile 101 is stopped, and an existing speedometer that outputs a signal when the speed is zero (V = 0) may be used. The left side door open / close detector 408 detects the open / closed state of the left side door 110 and the like, and an existing door open / close detector may be used.
The left alert calling unit 409 alerts the passenger of the automobile 101, and a display lamp such as a light emitting diode or a miniature light bulb or a monitor capable of displaying characters may be used.

The warning unit 411 issues a warning when the passenger performs an operation that leads to an accident, that is, an operation for opening the left side door 110 or the like, and a buzzer, a chime, a speaker, or the like may be used.
The first gate 412, the second gate 413, and the third gate 414 generate output signals according to the input signal, respectively. The first gate 412 and the second gate 413 are AND gates, and the third gate 414 is an OR gate. Yes, an existing logic circuit IC or the like may be used.
The delay unit 420 delays the input signal for a predetermined time and outputs it, and an existing delay circuit IC or the like may be used.

The left side door lock switch 410 is a switch for a passenger to lock the left side door 110 or the like or release it. An existing door lock switch that can be switched between “lock” and “unlock” by an actuator and that outputs a signal indicating that the door lock switch is unlocked may be used.
The left-side door lock switch actuator 415 is an actuator that puts the left-side door lock switch 410 into a locked state or a unlocked state. For example, an existing electromagnetic type can be used.

The central door lock switch 416 is provided in the vicinity of the driver's seat, locks or unlocks the door of the driver's seat of the automobile 101, and locks the door lock switches of a plurality of doors collectively. It is a switch for turning on and off.
In the third embodiment, the central door lock switch 416 may be a dedicated type for the central door lock switch or a type that also serves as a driver's seat door lock switch.
An existing central door lock switch can be switched to “lock” by an actuator, and a type that outputs a signal indicating whether the central door lock switch is in a locked state or an unlocked state may be used.
The central door lock switch actuator 417 is an actuator that locks the central door lock switch 416. For example, an existing electromagnetic type can be used.

The door lock control switch 421 is a switch for selecting whether or not to perform door lock control described later, and is provided in the vicinity of the driver's seat.
The door mirror opening / closing switch 419 is a switch for opening and closing the door mirrors 104 and 106, and also serves as a power supply switch to the automobile safety device of the third embodiment, and is provided in the vicinity of the driver's seat. The automobile power source 418 is an existing automobile battery such as a lead storage battery or a lithium ion battery.

The operation of the third embodiment of FIG. 4 will be described.
In the third embodiment, the left object sensor 401 is attached to the left door mirror 104. When the left door mirror 104 is opened, that is, when the left door mirror 104 is used, the left object sensor 401 (105 in FIG. 1) is arranged at a position where an object on the left rear side can be detected. Therefore, the third embodiment does not work when the left door mirror 104 is closed, that is, in the retracted state. In other words, the third embodiment operates when the left door mirror 104 is open, that is, in a state where it is used. Therefore, if power is supplied to the vehicle safety device main body 400 of the third embodiment via the door mirror opening / closing switch 419, power is supplied to the vehicle safety device, but the door mirror is in an open state. Therefore, it is possible to avoid the situation that the object sensor cannot be used. Therefore, when the door mirror opening / closing switch 419 is open, power is supplied from the vehicle power source 418 to the body 400 of the vehicle safety device.

However, the automobile safety device of the present invention is not limited to the one in which the left object sensor 401 is attached to the left door mirror 104. In the third embodiment, when the left object sensor 401 is attached to the tail portion of the automobile 101, for example, instead of the left door mirror 104, the power supply is not performed via the door mirror opening / closing switch 419. The power can be supplied at
Immediately after supplying power to the vehicle safety device 400, the vehicle safety device 400 is initialized as necessary using a method such as power-on reset.
In FIG. 4, thick arrows indicate the flow of power supply, thin arrows indicate the flow of information and signals between the components, and hollow arrows indicate the driving force exerted by the door lock switch actuator on the door lock switch.

  When the left object sensor 401 detects an object such as a passerby 102 behind the left side of the automobile 101, information on the object is sent from the left object sensor 401 to the left relative distance grasping unit 402 and the left relative speed grasping unit 403. The left relative distance grasping unit 402 grasps the relative distance between the automobile 101 and the object based on the object information. The information of the grasped relative distance is sent to the left object arrival expected time output unit 404. The left relative speed grasping unit 403 grasps the relative speed of the object with respect to the automobile 101 based on the information on the object. The information on the grasped relative speed is sent to the left object arrival expected time output unit 404.

  Based on the information on the relative distance sent from the left relative distance grasping unit 402 and the information on the relative speed sent from the left relative speed grasping unit 403, the expected left object arrival time output unit 404 sends the object to the automobile 101. A time TL required for reaching the vehicle is predicted, and information on the predicted left object arrival predicted time TL is output to the comparison unit 406. The comparison unit 406 compares the information on the expected left object arrival time TL output from the expected left object arrival time output unit 404 with the predetermined time TS stored in the predetermined time storage unit 405, and compares the expected left object arrival time TL. Is less than or equal to the predetermined time TS, an active signal is sent to the first gate 412. This active signal is called an object approach signal.

The signal exchange performed in the third embodiment is based on negative logic (active low). In FIG. 4, for example, the underline of V = 0 at the output of the stop detector 407 indicates that it is active when it is at a low level. Further, the downward arrows on the respective input sections of the warning section 411, the left side door lock switch actuator 415, and the centralized door lock switch actuator 417 indicate that each input section detects the falling edge of the signal.

The first gate 412 is an AND gate having three inputs and one output, and indicates that the active signal ( TL <TS ) output from the comparison unit 406 and the automobile 101 output from the stop detector 407 are stopped. When a stop signal ( V = 0 ) and a door closing signal ( door closing ) indicating that the left side door 110 or the like output from the left side door opening / closing detector 408 is in a closed state are input, the left attention calling unit 409 A warning signal ( calling ) is output to the second gate 413.
When the warning signal is input to the left warning part 409, an object such as a passerby 102 is approaching the automobile 101, and the passenger is aware that it is dangerous to open the left door 110 or the like. For example, a light-emitting diode blinks, or a character string such as “Obstacle is approaching” is displayed on the monitor to alert the user.

In the first gate 412, the active signal ( TL <TS ) output from the comparison unit 406, the stop signal ( V = 0 ) output from the stop detector 407, and the left door open / close detector 408 If any one of the door closing signals ( door closing ) is not input, the warning signal is not output. In other words, the expected left object arrival time TL is large enough that the left door 110 or the like can be opened, or the automobile 101 starts running and the automobile 101 is not stopped. If the left door 110 or the like has been opened, no alert signal is output and no alert is issued.

If the left door lock switch 410 is in the unlocked state, a release signal ( release ) is output and input to the third gate 414. If the central door lock switch 416 is unlocked, a release signal ( release ) is output and input to the third gate 414.
The third gate 414 is a two-input one-output OR gate, and a release signal is output when the release signal of the left side door lock switch 410 and / or the release signal of the central door lock switch 416 are input.

The second gate 413 is a three-input one-output AND gate, and the first gate 412 warning signal ( calling ), the third gate 414 release signal ( release ), and the door lock control switch 421 control signal ( control ). When input, a warning signal (warning ↓) is output. When the warning unit 411 detects the falling of the warning signal (warning ↓) output from the second gate 413 from the high level to the low level, the warning unit 411 issues a warning by sounding a chime or the like. For example, when the door lock control switch 421 is in an “ON” state where a control signal ( control ) is output, an object approaches from the left rear side of the automobile 101 and a warning signal is output from the first gate 412 If the left door lock switch 410 is unlocked or the central door lock switch 416 is unlocked, the warning unit 411 gives a warning.

If both the left door lock switch 410 and the central door lock switch 416 are in the locked state, the release signal ( release ) is not output from the third gate 414, and the output of the third gate 414 remains at the high level. In the second gate 413, even if a control signal ( control ) is input to one of the three inputs and a warning signal ( call ) is input to the other input, the other input has a release signal ( (Release ) is not input, so no warning signal (Warning ↓) is output. Therefore, the warning in the warning unit 411 is not performed. At this time, when one or both of the left door lock switch 410 and the central door lock switch 416 are operated by the passenger to the unlocking side, a release signal ( release ) is output from the third gate 414, A warning signal (warning ↓) is output from the second gate 413, and a warning is issued by the warning unit 411.

The warning signal (warning ↓) output from the second gate 413 is sent to the lock a input of the left door lock switch actuator 415 and the lock input of the central door lock switch actuator 417 via the delay unit 420.
When the left door lock switch actuator 415 receives a warning signal (warning ↓) at the lock a input, that is, when the falling of the warning signal (warning ↓) is detected, the left door lock switch actuator 415 tries to move the left door lock switch 410 to the lock side. The driving force is applied to the left side door lock switch 410. The left side door lock switch 410 is operated to the lock side by the left side door lock switch actuator 415, and the release signal ( release ) is not output. If the left door lock switch 410 is originally locked, a state in which no release signal ( release ) is output is maintained.

When the central door lock switch actuator 417 receives a warning signal (warning ↓) as the lock input, that is, when the falling of the warning signal (warning ↓) is detected, the central door lock switch 416 attempts to move the central door lock switch 416 to the lock side. A driving force is applied to the lock switch 416. The central door lock switch 416 is operated to the lock side by the central door lock switch actuator 417, and the release signal ( release ) is not output. If the central door lock switch 416 is originally locked, a state in which no release signal ( release ) is output is maintained.

When the central door lock switch 416 is operated to the lock side by the central door lock switch actuator 417, a lock signal ( lock ) is output. Left side door lock switch actuator 415 when the lock b input to the lock signal falling is detected in the lock signal (Lock) (Lock) is input, attempts to transfer the left side door lock switch 410 to lock side As a result, a driving force is applied to the left door lock switch 410. At this time, if the left side door lock switch 410 is already in the locked state, the applied driving force does not change the state of the left side door lock switch 410.

For example, the left door lock switch 410 and the central door lock switch 416 are both in a locked state, the door lock control switch 421 is in an “ON” state in which a control signal ( control ) is output, and a warning signal from the first gate 412. When the left door lock switch 410 that is in the locked state is operated to be unlocked by the passenger in the alert state that is output, the release signal ( release ) is issued from the left door lock switch 410. Then, a release signal ( release ) is output from the third gate 414, and a warning signal (warning ↓) is output from the second gate 413. The warning signal (warning ↓) is input to the lock b input of the left door lock switch actuator 415 and the lock input of the central door lock switch actuator 417 via the delay unit 420, and the driving force of the left door lock switch actuator 415 is exercised. Then, the left door lock switch 410 is returned to the locked state.

For example, the left door lock switch 410 and the central door lock switch 416 are both in a locked state, the door lock control switch 421 is in an “ON” state in which a control signal ( control ) is output, and a warning signal from the first gate 412. When the concentrated door lock switch 416 in the locked state is operated to be unlocked by the driver in the alert state in which is output, a release signal ( release ) is output from the central door lock switch 416. Then, a release signal ( release ) is output from the third gate 414, and a warning signal (warning ↓) is output from the second gate 413. The warning signal (warning ↓) is input to the lock b input of the left side door lock switch actuator 415 and the lock input of the central door lock switch actuator 417 via the delay unit 420, and the driving force of the central door lock switch actuator 417 is exercised. The central door lock switch 416 is returned to the locked state.

Here, the control for returning the left side door lock switch 410 or the central door lock switch 416 operated to the unlocking side by the passenger in the alert state as described above is called door lock control. The door lock control switch 421 selects whether or not to perform the door lock control. When an emergency situation occurs and the passenger wants to escape from the car, the door lock control switch 421 is operated to the “OFF” side to control the control signal ( control ). Should be prevented from being output. Further, when the door lock control switch 421 is also provided on the left side door 110 or the like, it is expected to be more effective when an occupant escapes in an emergency.

  The time for delaying the warning signal (warning ↓) by the delay unit 420 is a state in which the driver operates the left side door lock switch 410 to the unlocked state or the driver unlocks the central door lock switch 416. It may be determined with reference to the time from when the finger is operated until the force of the operated finger is released. When the operated finger is still pressing the left side door lock switch 410 or the central door lock switch 416, a force is exerted to return the left side door lock switch 410 or the central door lock switch 416 to the original state. This is because passengers and drivers may feel uncomfortable.

In the third embodiment, in this way, when the predicted arrival time is equal to or less than a predetermined value, when the door lock switch of the side door on the object side of the automobile is operated to the unlocking side, The door lock control for returning the door lock switch to the lock side is performed.
Also, if the central door lock switch provided near the driver's seat of the car is operated to the unlock side when the estimated arrival time is less than a predetermined value, the operated central door lock switch Perform door lock control to return to the lock side.
In addition, when the door lock switch of the side door on the object side of the automobile is on the unlock side, if the estimated arrival time is less than a predetermined value, the door lock switch on the unlock side is moved to the lock side. Perform door lock control.

  As described above, in the third embodiment, work for alerting the passenger of the automobile 101 by performing warning or warning, or performing control to return the operated door lock switch to the lock side, is performed. Is going. The part that performs this operation is called the danger avoidance operation unit in the automobile safety device of the present invention. In the third embodiment, the danger avoidance work unit is the first gate 412, the stop detector 407, the left side door opening / closing detector 408, the left attention calling unit 409, the left side door lock switch 410, and the left side door lock switch. An actuator 415, a second gate 413, a third gate 414, a warning unit 411, a delay unit 420, a central door lock switch 416, a central door lock switch actuator 417, and a door lock control switch 421 are provided.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the fourth embodiment of the automobile safety device of the present invention. In the fourth embodiment, the present invention includes a control unit 528 having a CPU (Central Processing Unit) therein, and other units that exchange information and signals with the control unit 528 or are controlled by the control unit 528. This constitutes a safety device for automobiles.
The fourth embodiment is an automobile having a front door and a rear door on both the left and right sides like a four-door sedan car, and a right-hand drive car when the automobile safety device of the present invention is mounted. It is a form.
In FIG. 5, thin arrows indicate the flow of information and signals, and hollow arrows indicate the driving force exerted by the actuator on the door lock switch.

  A left object sensor 501 (105 in FIG. 1) detects an object approaching from the left rear of the automobile 101, for example, a passerby 102, and sends information of the detected object to the left object arrival expected time output unit 504. The left object sensor 501 is installed at a place where an object behind the left side of the automobile 101 can be detected, such as the left door mirror 104 of the automobile 101. Based on the information on the object detected by the left object sensor 501, the expected left object arrival time output unit 504 outputs the expected time until the object reaches the automobile 101, and outputs the predicted time information to the control unit 530. To send.

  The right object sensor 522 (107 in FIG. 1) detects an object approaching from the right rear side of the automobile 101, for example, the two-wheeled vehicle 103, and sends information on the detected object to the right object arrival expected time output unit 523. The right object sensor 522 is installed in a place where an object behind the right side of the automobile 101 can be detected, such as the right door mirror 106 of the automobile 101. The expected right object arrival time output unit 523 outputs the expected time until the object reaches the automobile 101 based on the information of the object detected by the right object sensor 522, and outputs the expected time information to the control unit 530. To send.

  It should be noted that the predicted left object arrival time output unit 504 and the expected right object arrival time output unit 523 are both configured and functioned as the expected object arrival time output units 204 and 304 in the first embodiment and the second embodiment. It has both the configuration and function of the relative distance grasping units 202 and 302 and the configuration and function of the relative speed grasping units 203 and 303.

  The left side door open / close detector 508 detects the open / closed state of the left front door 110 and the left rear door 112, and an existing door open / close detector may be used. The left alerting unit 509 alerts the passenger of the automobile 101 and may use a display light such as a light emitting diode or a miniature light bulb or a monitor capable of displaying characters.

The left front door lock switch 510 is a switch operated by a passenger to lock the left front door 110 or release it. An existing door lock switch can be used to switch between “lock” and “unlock” by an actuator, and a type that outputs a signal indicating whether it is in the locked state or the unlocked state may be used.
The left front door lock switch actuator 515 is an actuator that puts the left front door lock switch 510 into a locked state or a unlocked state. For example, an existing electromagnetic type can be used.

The left rear door lock switch 524 is a switch operated by a passenger to lock the left rear door 112 or release it. The existing door lock switch is used to lock and unlock the actuator. A switch that can be switched and that outputs a signal indicating whether it is in the locked state or in the unlocked state may be used.
The left rear door lock switch actuator 525 is an actuator that puts the left rear door lock switch 524 into a locked state or a unlocked state. For example, an existing electromagnetic type can be used.

  The right side door open / close detector 527 detects the open / closed state of the right front door, that is, the driver's seat door 111 and the right rear door 113, and an existing door open / close detector may be used. The right alerting unit 526 alerts the passenger of the automobile 101 and may use an indicator such as a light emitting diode or a miniature bulb or a monitor that can display characters.

The right rear door lock switch 528 is a switch operated by the passenger to lock or release the right rear door 113, and the existing door lock switch is used to lock and unlock the actuator. A switch that can be switched and that outputs a signal indicating whether it is in the locked state or in the unlocked state may be used.
The right rear door lock switch actuator 529 is an actuator for bringing the right rear door lock switch 528 into a locked state or a unlocked state. For example, an existing electromagnetic type can be used.

  The central door lock switch 516 is provided in the vicinity of the driver's seat and is operated by the driver to lock or release the driver's seat door 111 of the automobile 101, and the left front door lock switch. The left front door lock switch 510 via the actuator 515, the left rear door lock switch 524 via the left rear door lock switch actuator 525, and the right rear door lock switch 528 via the right rear door lock switch actuator 529 at once. Then, the switch is operated to enter the locked state or the unlocked state. In the fourth embodiment, the central door lock switch 516 is not a type dedicated to the central door lock switch but a type that also serves as a right front door lock switch. Centralized door lock switch 516 is an existing door lock switch that can be switched between “locked” and “unlocked” by an actuator, and uses a type that outputs a signal indicating whether it is locked or unlocked. do it.

The central door lock switch actuator 517 is an actuator that locks the central door lock switch 516. For example, an existing electromagnetic type can be used.
The door lock control switch 521 is a switch for selecting whether or not to perform door lock control described later, and is provided in the vicinity of the driver's seat.

A stop detector 507 detects that the automobile 101 is stopped, and a stop signal indicating whether the speed is zero, that is, the vehicle is stopped, or the speed is not zero, that is, the vehicle is running with the existing speedometer. A type that outputs can be used.
The warning unit 511 issues a warning when the passenger performs an action that leads to an accident, and a buzzer, chime, speaker, or the like may be used.

  6, 7, and 8 are flowcharts illustrating the flow of processing performed by the control unit 530 according to the fourth embodiment. The processing performed by the control unit 530 is roughly divided into two modes, a warning mode and a door lock control mode. It moves from the alert mode shown in FIG. 6 to the door lock control mode shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 and returns to the alert mode when the door lock control mode ends.

In FIG. 6, when the process is started, in the process 601 “Is the car stopped?”, The stop signal output by the stop detector 507 is confirmed, and if it is stopped, the process proceeds to process 602. If the vehicle is not stopped, the process proceeds to process 610.
In the process 610 “Left side door alert release, right side door alert release”, if an alert display has already been issued in the left alert section 509, it is stopped, and an alert display is already displayed in the right alert section 526. If has been issued, stop it. If it has not been issued, the state where it is not output is continued. Then, the process returns to the process 601.

In the process 602 “whether the left side door is closed”, the open / close signals of the left front door 110 and the left rear door 112 output from the left side door open / close detector 508 are confirmed, and the left front door 110 and the left rear door are checked. If both doors 112 are closed, the process proceeds to step 603. If either one of the doors is open, the process proceeds to step 604.
In the process 603 “Is the estimated arrival time TL of the left object to the car equal to or less than the predetermined value TS?”, The left object estimated arrival time output unit 504 outputs based on the information of the object detected by the left object sensor 501. The time TL expected to be required for the left object such as the person 102 to reach the automobile 101 is compared with a predetermined value TS stored in a memory (not shown) in the control unit 530, and TL is equal to or less than TS. If so, the process proceeds to process 605. If TL is not less than or equal to TS, the processing proceeds to step 604.

In the process 604 “Left side door warning cancellation”, if the warning display has already been issued in the left warning section 509, it is stopped. Then, the process proceeds to process 606.
In “Left side door warning” in the process 605, if the warning display has already been issued in the left warning section 509, it is continued, and if it has not been issued, the warning display is displayed. Then, the process proceeds to process 606.

In process 606 “whether the right side door is closed”, the opening / closing signals of the right front door 111 and the right rear door 113 output from the right side door opening / closing detector 527 are confirmed, and the right front door 111 and the right rear door are checked. If both doors 113 are closed, the process proceeds to process 607. If either one of the doors is open, the process proceeds to step 608.
In the process 607 “whether the expected arrival time TR of the right object to the car is equal to or less than a predetermined value TS”, the two-wheeled vehicle output by the expected arrival time of right object output unit 523 based on the information of the object detected by the right object sensor 522 The time TR expected to be required for the right object such as 103 to reach the automobile 101 is compared with a predetermined value TS stored in a memory (not shown) in the control unit 530, and TR is less than TS. If there is, processing proceeds to processing 609. If TR is not equal to or less than TS, the process proceeds to process 608.

In the “right side door alert release” of the process 608, if the alert display has already been issued in the right alert section 526, it is stopped, and if it has not been issued, the state where it is not issued is continued. Then, the process proceeds to process 611.
In “right side door warning” of the process 609, if the warning display has already been given to the right warning part 526, it is continued, and if not, the warning display is given. Then, the process proceeds to process 611.

  In the processing 611 “whether the left side door and the right side door are all closed”, the left and right front door 110 and left rear door 112 open / close signals output from the left side door open / close detector 508, and the right side door open / closed detection are detected. The opening / closing signals of the right front door 111 and the right rear door 113 output by the device 527 are confirmed. If all the side doors are closed, the process proceeds to step 612. If even one side door is opened, the process returns to step 601.

  In process 612, “All door lock switches are on the lock side”, the left front door lock switch 510, the left rear door lock switch 524, the central door lock switch 517, and the right rear door lock switch 528 are all locked. If all are on the lock side, that is, if all the lock switches are “ON”, the process proceeds to step 613. If any one of the lock switches is not on the lock side, the process returns to step 601.

In “whether the door lock control switch is“ ON ”” in the process 613, it is confirmed whether the door lock control switch 521 is “ON”. If it is not “ON”, the process returns to the process 601.
In a process 614 “announcement of the start of door lock control”, a sound for notifying the passenger that the door lock control is started is played via a speaker or the like (not shown). It is good also as a structure which notifies a passenger through vision. Then, the process proceeds to the door lock control mode process shown in FIG.

  In the alert mode processing of FIG. 6, all of the results of the processing 611, the processing 612, and the processing 613 must be “Y” in order to shift to the door lock control mode processing illustrated in FIG. 7. That is, in the fourth embodiment, the conditions for starting the door lock control are that all the side doors are closed, the door lock switches of all the side doors are on the lock side, It is assumed that the control switch is “ON”. However, in the automobile safety device of the present invention, the conditions for starting the door lock control are not limited to these conditions. The condition that the door lock switches of all side doors are on the lock side may be removed. Further, the condition that the door lock control switch is “ON” may be removed, that is, the door lock control switch may not be provided.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a process flow of a door lock control mode for controlling the door lock of the left side door.
In FIG. 7, when the process is started, in the process 701 “whether the expected arrival time TL of the left object to the car is equal to or less than a predetermined value TS”, the left object is detected based on the object information detected by the left object sensor 501. Estimated arrival time output unit 504 outputs a time TL that is necessary for a left object such as a passerby 102 to reach the automobile 101, and a predetermined memory stored in a memory (not shown) in the control unit 530. The value TS is compared, and if TL is equal to or less than TS, the processing proceeds to processing 704. If TL is not equal to or less than TS, the processing proceeds to step 702.

In “Left side door alert release” of the process 702, if the alert display has already been given to the left alert portion 509, it is stopped, and if it has not been issued, the state where it is not issued is continued. Then, the process proceeds to process 703.
In the process 703 “Is the left door open?”, The open / close signals of the left front door 110 and the left rear door 112 output from the left door open / close detector 508 are checked, and the left front door 110 and the left rear door are checked. If both 112 are closed, the process proceeds to process 711. If either one of the doors is open, the process proceeds to step 713.

In “left door warning” in the process 704, if the warning display has already been given to the left warning part 509, it is continued, and if it has not been issued, the warning display is given. Then, the process proceeds to process 705.
In the process 705 “whether the door lock switch of the left door is on the lock side”, it is confirmed whether the left front door lock switch 510 and the left rear door lock switch 524 are on the lock side. If there is, that is, if both are “ON”, the process proceeds to step 711. If either one of the lock switches is not on the lock side, the process proceeds to step 706.

In process 706 “Left Warning”, a chime sound is emitted from the warning unit 511, a buzzer sound is heard, or a sound such as “Dangerous. Alert the person. Then, the process proceeds to process 707.
In the process 707 “transfer the door lock switch of the left door to the lock side”, the left front door lock switch 510 is driven by the left front door lock switch actuator 515, and the left front door lock switch 510 is locked. Move to. Similarly, the left rear door lock switch 524 is driven by the left rear door lock switch actuator 525, and the left rear door lock switch 524 is moved to the lock side. Here, it goes without saying that the left front door lock switch 510 and the left rear door lock switch 524 that have been on the lock side before being driven are still on the lock side after being driven. Then, the process proceeds to process 711.

In processing 711 “whether the door lock control switch is“ ON ””, it is confirmed whether the door lock control switch 521 is “ON”. If “ON”, the processing proceeds to processing 712. If it is not “ON”, the process proceeds to step 713. In process 711, it is confirmed whether or not the driver or the like is about to end the door lock control by setting the door lock control switch 521 to “OFF”.
In the process 712 “Is the car stopped?”, The stop signal output from the stop detector 507 is confirmed. If the car is stopped, the door lock control mode for controlling the door lock of the right side door shown in FIG. Move on to processing. If the vehicle is not stopped, the process proceeds to process 713.
In the processing 713 “announcement of the end of the door lock control”, a sound for notifying the passenger that the door lock control is ended is played through a speaker or the like (not shown). It is good also as a structure which notifies a passenger through vision. Then, the process returns to the alert mode processing shown in FIG.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a process flow of a door lock control mode for controlling the door lock of the right side door.
In FIG. 8, when the process is started, in the process 801 “whether the expected arrival time TR of the right object to the car is equal to or less than a predetermined value TS”, the right object is detected based on the object information detected by the right object sensor 522. The estimated time TR output from the estimated arrival time output unit 523, which is expected to be necessary for the right object such as the two-wheeled vehicle 103 to reach the automobile 101, and a predetermined value stored in a memory (not shown) in the control unit 530 Compare with TS. If TR is equal to or less than TS, the process proceeds to process 804. If TR is not equal to or less than TS, the process proceeds to step 802.

In the “right side door alert release” of the process 802, if the alert display has already been issued in the right alert section 526, it is stopped. Then, the process proceeds to process 803.
In the process 803 “whether the right side door is open”, the opening / closing signals of the right front door 111 and the right rear door 113 output from the right side door opening / closing detector 527 are confirmed, and the right front door 111 and the right rear door are checked. If both 113 are closed, the process proceeds to process 811. If either one of the doors is open, the process advances to step 813.

In “right door warning” in the process 804, if the warning display has already been given to the right warning part 526, it is continued. If it has not been issued, the warning display is given. Then, the process proceeds to process 805.
In the processing 805 “whether the right rear door lock switch is on the lock side”, it is confirmed whether the right rear door lock switch 528 is on the lock side. Proceed to step 808. If it is not on the lock side, the processing proceeds to step 806.

In the “right warning” of process 806, a chime sound is emitted from the warning unit 511, a buzzer sound is heard, or a sound such as “Dangerous. Alert the person. Then, the process proceeds to process 807.
In the process 807 “move the door lock switch of the right rear door to the lock side”, the right rear door lock switch 528 is driven by the right rear door lock switch actuator 529, and the right rear door lock switch 528 is moved to the lock side. Then, the process proceeds to process 808.

In the processing 808 “whether the central door lock switch near the driver's seat is on the lock side”, it is confirmed whether the central door lock switch 516 is on the lock side. If so, the process proceeds to process 811. If it is not on the lock side, the processing proceeds to step 809.
In “right warning” in process 809, a chime sound is emitted from the warning unit 511, a buzzer sound is heard, or a sound such as “Dangerous. A warning is issued. Then, the process proceeds to process 810.
In process 810 “move the central door lock switch to the lock side”, the central door lock switch 516 is driven by the central door lock switch actuator 517 to move the central door lock switch 516 to the lock side. At this time, the other door lock switches that are not on the lock side are moved to the lock side by the driving force of the door lock switch actuator. Then, the process proceeds to process 811.

In the process 811 “whether the door lock control switch is“ ON ””, it is checked whether the door lock control switch 521 is “ON”. If it is not “ON”, the process proceeds to step 813. In process 811, it is confirmed whether or not the driver or the like is about to end the door lock control by turning the door lock control switch 521 to “OFF”.
In process 812 “Is the car stopped?”, The stop signal output from the stop detector 507 is confirmed. If the car is stopped, the door lock control mode for controlling the door lock of the left side door shown in FIG. Return to processing. If the vehicle is not stopped, the process proceeds to process 813.
In process 813 “announcement of door lock control end”, a sound is sent through a speaker (not shown) to inform the passenger that the door lock control is ended. It is good also as a structure which notifies a passenger through vision. Then, the process returns to the alert mode processing shown in FIG.

  The automobile safety device of the present invention is mounted on an automobile such as a passenger car or a truck whose side doors can be opened outward. There is a possibility that it will be installed in passenger cars that are often used by elderly people and children with weak attention, and taxis that are responsible for passenger safety. In addition, there are many roads without sidewalks, and there is a possibility that they will be installed in automobiles that travel in areas where the roads are crowded with passers-by, bicycles, motorcycles, passenger cars and the like.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 101 Automobile 102 Passer 103 Two-wheeled vehicle 104 Left door mirror 105 Left object sensor 106 Right door mirror 107 Right object sensor 108 Arrow indicating the traveling direction 109 Broken line indicating a detection area 110 Left front door 111 Right front door 112 Left rear door 113 Right rear Door 201 Object sensor 202 Relative distance grasping unit 203 Relative speed grasping unit 204 Object arrival predicted time output unit 205 Predetermined time storage unit 206 Comparison unit 207 Stop detector 208 Side door open / close detector 209 Warning unit 210 Door lock switch 211 Warning Part 212 first gate 213 second gate 301 object sensor 302 relative distance grasping part 303 relative speed grasping part 304 object arrival expected time output part 305 predetermined time storage part 306 comparison part 307 stop detector 308 side front door open / close detector 309 Side front A warning part 310 side front door lock switch 311 warning part 312 first gate 313 second gate 314 side rear door opening / closing detector 315 side rear door warning part 316 side rear door lock switch 400 Device body 401 Left object sensor 402 Left relative distance grasping unit 403 Left relative speed grasping unit 404 Left object arrival expected time output unit 405 Predetermined time storage unit 406 Comparison unit 407 Stop detector 408 Left side door open / close detector 409 Left alert Unit 410 left side door lock switch 411 warning unit 412 first gate 413 second gate 414 third gate 415 left side door lock switch actuator 416 central door lock switch 417 central door lock switch actuator 420 delay unit 501 left object sensor 504 left object Expected arrival time Force part 507 Stop detector 508 Left side door open / close detector 509 Left warning part 510 Left front door lock switch 511 Warning part 515 Left front door lock switch actuator 516 Central door lock switch 517 Central door lock switch actuator 521 Door lock Control switch 522 Right object sensor 523 Right object arrival time output unit 524 Left rear door lock switch 525 Left rear door lock switch actuator 526 Right alert section 527 Right door open / close detector 528 Right door lock switch 529 Right door lock Switch actuator 530 Control unit 601, 712, 812 Process “Is the car stopped?”
602 Process “Is the left door closed?”
603, 701 Process “Is the estimated time TL for the left object reaching the car less than or equal to a predetermined value TS?”
604,702 Process “Left door warning cancellation”
605,704 Process “Left door warning”
606 Process "Is right door closed?"
607, 801 Process “Is the expected arrival time TR of the right object to the car shorter than a predetermined value TS?”
608, 802 Process “Right door alert release”
609,804 Processing “Right door warning”
610 Process “Left Side Door Alert Release, Right Side Door Alert Release”
611 Process "Is the left and right doors all closed?"
612 Process “Is the lock switch of all doors on the lock side?”
613, 711, 811 Process “Door lock control switch is“ ON ”?”
614 Process “Door Lock Control Start Announcement”
703 Process "Is the left door open?"
705 Process "Is the door lock switch of the left door on the lock side?"
706 Process “Left Warning”
707 Process “move door lock switch of left door to lock side”
713, 813 Process “Door Lock Control End Announcement”
803 Process "Is the right door open?"
805 Process "Is the door lock switch of the right rear door on the lock side?"
806, 809 Process “right warning”
807 process “move the door lock switch of the right rear door to the lock side”
808 Process "Is the central door lock switch near the driver's seat on the lock side?"
810 Process “Move centralized door lock switch to lock”

Claims (2)

A sensor for detecting an object located on the rear side of the vehicle;
A stop detector that detects that the vehicle is stopped;
A door lock switch for locking or unlocking the side door of the automobile,
The vehicle stop is detected by the stop detector, and the expected arrival time until the object reaches the vehicle is predicted based on the information of the object detected by the sensor. If the door lock switch of the object side door is on the unlock side when the predetermined value is less than or equal to the predetermined value, the door lock switch of the object side door is on the lock side. In this case, when the door lock switch is operated to the unlocking side, control is performed to return the operated door lock switch to the lock side. A sensor for detecting an object located on the rear side of the vehicle;
A stop detector that detects that the vehicle is stopped;
A door lock switch for bringing the side door of the host vehicle into a locked state or an unlocked state;
It is detected that the host vehicle is stopped by the stop detector, and an estimated arrival time until the object reaches the host vehicle is predicted based on information on the object detected by the sensor. If the door lock switch of the side door on the object side is on the unlocking side and the door lock switch of the side door on the object side is on the lock side If the door lock switch is operated to the unlocking side, control is performed to return the operated door lock switch to the lock side.