JPS6015230A - Alarming device for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To make operation of an alarming device safe by facilitating the same, by a method wherein a steering variation is monitored by detected values of a car speed and a steering angle, and warning is given when it is decided that the pattern of a reference steering variation is exceeded by the pattern of said steering variation. CONSTITUTION:A detected value 100 of a steering angle from a steering angle detector 14, a detected value 102 of a car speed from a car speed detector 16, a detected signal 104 of a shift lever operation from a shift lever operation detector 18 and a detected signal 106 of a brake operating from a brake pedal operating detector 20 are applied respectively to a microcomputer 12. An alarming device 10 is operated when a matter that the stored pattern of a reference steering variation is exceeded by the pattern of a steering variation by monitoring the steering variation by the microcomputer by receiving these signals.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention [Field of Application of the Invention] The present invention provides a device for a vehicle that detects when the driver is not awake, such as when the driver is falling asleep, and issues a warning to the driver.
This is related to iJ Hosobo.

[Background Art] In conventional installations of this type, the responsiveness and accuracy of the driver's reactions are tested before driving, or measurement electrodes are connected to the driver or a measuring device is attached to the driver. The driver's biological phenomena were measured using the old A111, and a warning was issued to the driver based on the results.

However, in this way, the test must be conducted at the start of operation, or the driver must connect the measurement 'rff pole or wear a measuring device, so the driver can start operation in a hurry. If it is necessary to use the device, it is inconvenient to use the device, and some drivers may feel uncomfortable using the device.

[Object of the Invention] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and one object thereof is to provide a vehicle warning device that can be easily used by a driver.

[Summary of the Invention] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention includes a vehicle speed detector that detects the vehicle speed, a steering angle detector that detects the steering angle, and a vehicle speed detector (+fi and steering angle detection value that monitors steering changes). a control circuit that outputs an alarm control signal when it is determined that the steering change pattern and a reference steering change pattern do not match; and an alarm that issues a wake-up alarm to the driver using the alarm control signal. , is characterized by hearing.

[Embodiments of the Invention] Hereinafter, embodiments of the morning light device for cars 1 and q according to the present invention will be described based on the drawings.

In Figure 1, the alarm to wake up the driver is alarm 1.
0, and the alarm device 10 is controlled by a control circuit 12 mainly composed of a microcomputer. The control circuit 12 controls the alarm 10 according to various input signals, and the detected steering angle value 100 from the steering angle detector 14 is inputted to the vehicle speed detector 16 as the input signals.
The detected vehicle speed value 102 is detected by the shift lever operation detector 18.
A shift lever operation detection signal 104 is supplied from the brake pedal operation detector 20, and a brake pedal operation detection signal 106 is supplied from the brake pedal operation detector 20.

FIG. 2 shows the configuration of the steering angle detector 14, and FIG. 3 shows its circuit configuration.

In FIG. 2, the steering shaft 22 has a gear 24.
A gear 26 is driven by the gear 24. This gear 26 is attached to the detection shaft of the detector main body 28, and therefore, the detection shaft is driven by steering operation.

In FIG. 3, a variable resistor 30 is operated by driving the detection axis, and a battery power source 32 and a voltmeter 34 are connected to the variable resistor 30. The voltmeter 34 can output a detected steering angle value 100 according to the resistance value of the variable resistor 30, and therefore the steering angle detector 14 outputs a detected steering angle value 100 according to the steering angle to the control circuit 1.
It can be output to 2.

Further, the vehicle speed detector 16 in FIG. 1 can detect the vehicle speed and output a vehicle speed detection value 102 corresponding to the vehicle speed, and the shift lever operation detector 18 can output a shift lever operation detection signal 104 when the shift lever is operated. The brake pedal operation detector 20 can output the brake pedal operation detection signal 106 when the brake pedal is operated.

The vehicle alarm device according to the present invention has the above configuration, and its operation will be explained below with reference to the flowchart.

(FIG. 4): When it is confirmed that the engine has been started (step 20o), it is determined whether the memory circuit in the f control circuit 12 has been cleared (step 202).

At this time, if it is determined that this memory circuit is cleared, each circuit of this device is made operable (step 2).
04), and if it is determined that the memory circuit has not been cleared, the memory circuit is cleared (step 206).
Each circuit of this device is enabled to operate (step 204)
.

When the apparatus starts operating in this manner, the timer in the control circuit 12 is first started in FIG. 5 (step 208).

and a steering angle detector 14. The steering angle and vehicle speed are measured by the vehicle speed detector 16 (steps 210 and 212).
, the steering angle detection value 100 and the vehicle speed detection value 102 obtained by the steering angle detector 14 and the vehicle speed detector 16 are read into the control circuit 12 (steps 214 and 216).

Furthermore, those steering angle detection (+rt 100, vehicle speed detection value 1
02 are the first ones read (steps 218, 220), and if it is determined that they are the first ones, they are stored in the storage circuit and the process returns to the steps 210, 212 (steps 218, 220). Step 222
．． 224).

Further, when it is determined that these are not read for the first time (steps 218 and 220), the steering angle detection value 100 and the vehicle speed detection value 102 stored in the storage circuit are
The detected steering angle value 100 and the detected vehicle speed value 102 read in steps 214 and 216 are respectively compared (steps 226 and 228).

Next, by comparing them, it is determined whether or not there has been a change in the steering angle and whether or not there has been a change in the vehicle speed (steps 230, 232).

When it is determined in step 232 that there is no change in the vehicle speed, it is determined whether the change U in the steering angle is greater than a preset value for speed (step 234).

When it is determined that the steering angle change V is not larger than the set value, and when it is determined in step 230 that there is no change in the steering angle, it is determined whether or not the brake pedal is pressed (step 236). Note that the brake pedal operation detection value (3106) is used for this determination.

Furthermore, it was determined that there was no operation of the brake pedal, and it was found that there was no operation of the shift bar! (step 238), and now the shift lever is operated '1'.
If it is determined that there is no time, it is determined whether the timer started in step 208 has timed up (step 24o). When it is determined in step 240 that the timer has not timed up, one day the step 2
Return to 10.212.

When the vehicle starts driving as described in -1- below, the detected steering angle value 100 and the detected vehicle speed value 102 read into the control circuit 12 are stored in a memory circuit provided in the control circuit 12. Ru.

In addition, the steering angle detection value 10 read into the control circuit 12
0, if the vehicle speed detection value 102 is not the first one, and there is no change in the steering angle or vehicle speed, and there is no operation of the brake pedal or shift lever, the I
J, the following process-1- is repeated.

As a result, only the detected steering angle value 100 and the detected vehicle speed value 102, which were read at the beginning of the test, are stored in the control circuit 12 in correspondence with the storage circuit within the control circuit 12.

When it is determined in step 232 that there is a change in vehicle speed, the steering angle detection value 100 and vehicle speed detection value 102 newly read in steps 214 and 216 are stored in the storage circuit (step 242).

Therefore, after the initial steering angle detection value]00 and the vehicle speed detection value 102 are stored in the memory circuit, the steering angle detection value (if+100
, vehicle speed detection value 102 is stored in correspondence with the storage circuit.

As a result, a correspondence table in which the vehicle speed and the steering angle correspond is formed in the memory circuit 2.

Note that the value J set for each vehicle speed in step 234:
When it is determined that the amount of change in the resteering steering angle is large, when it is determined in step 236 that the brake pedal has been operated, and when it is determined that the shift lever has been operated in step 238, step 2
The operation of the timer started in step 08 is stopped (step 2
44), then its timer is cleared (step 2
46) Return to step 208.

Thereafter, when it is determined in step 240 that the timer has timed up, the average change in the detected steering angle value 100 for each vehicle speed is determined in FIG. The amount of change is stored in the storage circuit as initial data in correspondence with each other (step 250).

In step 248, the peak frequency of the steering angle is detected, the time integral value of the steering angle is determined, or the fact that the steering angle exceeds an initial setting value is detected in real time to estimate the number of detections. , the peak frequency, the time integral value, or the number of detections of l' are taken as the average amount of change.

As a result, a standard steering change pattern consisting of a correspondence table in which each vehicle speed corresponds to the average steering angle change for each vehicle speed is formed in the memory circuit.

Note that this reference steering change pattern is stored in the control circuit 12 as RO
Although it is possible to prepare and keep a standard one for M in advance, in this example, it is always stable regardless of individual differences between drivers and changes in their mental and physical condition! Initial steering angle detection value 1 when driving is started in order to give a whip to the driver
00. A reference steering change pattern is determined from the detected vehicle speed value 102.

Since this reference steering change pattern is determined as described above, it is very similar to the pattern when the vehicle is driven monotonously, such as when the vehicle starts on a highway.

Further, in this embodiment, the timer times out in about 1 minute, so the steering change pattern is based on the steering angle detection value 10 obtained from the time when the vehicle starts until about 1 minute has elapsed.
0, determined from the vehicle speed detection value 102.

In this embodiment, the reference steering change pattern is used to determine whether the driver is awake or not in the following manner.

In FIG. 7, the timer provided in the control circuit 12 is 9
/1 is moved (step 252). Then, the steering angle and vehicle speed are measured (steps 254 and 25).
6) The detected steering angle value 100 and the detected vehicle speed value 102 are read into the control circuit 12 (steps 258 and 260).

Furthermore, the average value of the amount of change in steering angle within a predetermined time is determined from the detected steering angle value 100 (step 262), and the average amount of change in steering angle determined in step 248 and corresponding to the vehicle speed at that time is calculated. The amount is compared (step 264). In step 262, the same process as in step 248 is performed. Based on the comparison result, it is determined whether or not the two average steering angle changes are equal (step 26B). Average steering angle change h due to detected value 106
When it is determined that 1- is larger, the control circuit 12
An alarm control signal is supplied from the alarm lO to the alarm lO.
A wake-up warning is given to the driver (step 268).

When the brake pedal is operated when this alarm occurs (step 270), when the steering wheel is operated (step 272), and the set value for the vehicle speed at that time (a value considerably larger than the value used in step 266) ) when the amount of change in steering angle is greater than (step 274
), after it is confirmed in FIG. 8 that the vehicle is not stopped (step 276), the timer operation is stopped and cleared, and the process returns to step 252 (steps 278 and 280). ). Incidentally, if a lane change or the like is performed in step 274, the warning is stopped.

As a result, the alarm issued in step 268 is stopped when there is an operation of the brake pedal, an operation of the steering wheel, or a large change in the steering angle. That is, in this embodiment, in these cases, it is determined that the driver has returned to an awake state or is in an awake state.

Further, when it is determined in step 266 that the reference steering change pattern and the steering change pattern are equal and the average steering angle change amount based on the detected steering angle value 100 is smaller, and the brake pedal is operated or the steering wheel is operated ( Steps 282 and 284), the process of FIG. 8 is performed, and when the brake pedal is not operated and the steering wheel is not operated (Steps 282, 284), the timer is stopped (Step 286), and the timer is cleared ( Step 288) Return to step 2522 above.

Furthermore, when it is determined in step 276 of FIG. 8 that the vehicle has stopped, it is first determined in FIG. 9 whether or not the engine has stopped (step 290).

At this time, if it is determined that the engine has not stopped, the operation of the timer is stopped (step 292), the timer is cleared (step 294), and the timer is cleared (step 294).
Return to

At this time, when it is determined that the engine has stopped, the operation of the timer is stopped (step 296), the timer is cleared (step 298), and the memory circuit is cleared (step 300).

As explained above, according to this embodiment, there is no need for the driver to test whether or not he is awake before driving the vehicle, or to connect measurement electrodes to his body or wear a measurement device. The device is extremely easy to use, since the vehicle can be started immediately and the device then automatically provides a warning to the driver when he is not awake. This promotes the use of the device and effectively prevents accidents caused by drowsy driving.

Furthermore, according to this embodiment, a new reference steering change pattern is generated each time the vehicle is driven, so that a constant and stable warning can be sent to the driver regardless of individual differences in wheel rotation and mental and physical conditions. It is possible to obtain against.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a K i& with extremely excellent operability, thereby encouraging drivers to use the device and effectively preventing vehicle accidents caused by drowsy driving. becomes possible.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of an embodiment of a vehicle alarm system according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the configuration of steering angle detector +4 in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a diagram of the steering angle detector +4 in FIG. 2. 140 circuit configuration explanatory diagrams, Fig. 4, Fig. 5, Fig. 6, Fig. 7, Fig. 8
9 is a flowchart 1 diagram explaining the operation of the control circuit 12 in FIG. 1. 5 10...V-driver 12・War-control circuit 14...Steering angle detector 16...Vehicle speed detector 18...-Shift/bar operation detector 20--Brake pedal operation detector 22 --- Steering shaft agent JF Riju Nakajima Jun 6

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) A vehicle speed detector detects the vehicle speed, a steering angle detector detects the steering angle, and the steering change is monitored using the vehicle speed detection value and the steering angle detection value, and the pattern of the steering change is determined to be a standard steering change pattern. A 91 alarm system for a vehicle, comprising: a control circuit that outputs an alarm control signal when it is determined that the vehicle exceeds the limit; and an alarm that issues a wake-up alarm to a driver using the alarm control signal.