JP3823652B2 - Rearview mirror device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
[Technical field to which the invention belongs]
The present invention relates to a rearview mirror device, and more particularly to a rearview mirror device that controls the angle of a rearview mirror when the vehicle turns to prevent an accident involving a connected vehicle including a tractor and a trailer.
[0002]
[Prior art]
As such a rearview mirror device, the following conventional examples have already been proposed.
(1) JP-A-57-66040, JP-A-62-181943, JP-A-60-105247 These all convert the bending angle of the generated tractor and trailer into the amount of movement of the cable, and rearview mirrors (side mirrors) ), And it is necessary to correct that the mirror angle is out of order due to the cable extending over time.
[0003]
(2) Japanese Utility Model Nos. 64-42949 and 57-175102 In order to detect the bending angle of the tractor and trailer, the displacement between the tractor and trailer is detected by a sensor and converted into an electrical signal. Although the direction of the mirror is controlled based on the signal, the tractor and trailer are mechanically connected. Therefore, when replacing the trailer, the trailer must be removed and the trailer replacement work is It becomes complicated. In addition, there is a problem that the mounting position of the bending angle sensor is also easily restricted.
[0004]
(3) Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 60-161232 In this device, a tractor-side coupler is provided with a plurality of recesses, a conductive member is provided inside the recess, and the trailer-side king pin is attached to be freely retractable by a spring. A conductive lock ball is installed, and the mirror is rotated by electrically detecting the bending angle by the contact between the lock ball and the recess, so that the mechanical contact of the detection unit causes friction with time. There is a problem that it is easy to occur and has a problem in durability, and at the same time, it cannot be used with an ordinary trailer in which nothing is crafted on the kingpin.
[0005]
(4) Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-81174 Installed six high-frequency oscillators and proximity detection sensors on the tractor side, and provided one metal projection on the trailer side. The bending angle is detected based on whether the proximity sensor detects it, and the mirror angle is controlled based on the detected angle.
[0006]
This device requires a large number of proximity sensors and is expensive, cannot be used with trailers that are not equipped with metal protrusions, and the distance between the proximity sensor and the metal protrusions must be considerably small. There is a drawback that it is easily damaged by vibration and displacement.
[0007]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
As described above, the conventional rearview mirror device has a problem in that the replacement of the trailer becomes complicated because it is necessary to attach components to the trailer side when detecting the bending angle of the tractor and the trailer. .
[0008]
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to automatically control the angle of a rearview mirror without attaching components to the trailer in a rearview mirror device for a connected vehicle including a tractor and a trailer.
[0009]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above problems, a rearview mirror device according to the present invention includes a beam radar fixed to a tractor so as to monitor a predetermined angle range on the rear side of a vehicle, a rotatable rearview mirror, and the beam. radar rotates to only the outer of a vehicle a predetermined angle only the mirror when detecting the rear end of the trailer, when not detecting the rear end of the trailer and a control unit to return to the standard position the mirror .
[0010]
That is, in the present invention, a predetermined angle (radar monitoring) range on the rear side of the vehicle is constantly monitored by a beam radar fixed to the tractor, and the control unit always inputs an output signal of this beam radar, and the radar When the rear end of the trailer is detected, the rearview mirror is rotated outward by a predetermined angle. Thereby, the angle of a rearview mirror when a vehicle turns can be changed automatically, and a blind spot can be reduced.
[0011]
When the trailing end of the trailer is no longer detected, the control unit controls the mirror to return to the standard position, that is, the original position.
In this way, since the trailer does not need to be attached with any special parts, the replacement work is facilitated.
[0012]
In the above case , a plurality of the beam radars are provided , and the radars have different predetermined angular ranges, so that the control unit is at least two of the plurality of radars closest to the vehicle. When two radars continuously detect the trailing end of the trailer, the mirror can be rotated by a predetermined angle, and when the trailing end of the trailer is no longer detected, the mirror can be returned.
[0013]
In this way, it is possible to eliminate erroneous recognition of noise objects by at least the radar closest to the vehicle.
Furthermore, in the present invention, when a plurality of beam radars are provided as described above, the control unit sequentially detects the trailing end of the trailer from the radar whose predetermined angle range is close to the vehicle, and moves the mirror at the predetermined angle. It can be rotated.
[0014]
In this way, when the radar that detects the predetermined angle range on the side close to the vehicle detects the rear end of the trailer, the mirror is rotated outward by a predetermined angle, and when the next radar detects further the mirror Is rotated by a predetermined angle.
[0015]
Accordingly, it is possible to avoid misrecognition of a noise object in the same manner as described above while finely controlling the rotation of the mirror, to realize a wide range of monitoring, and to monitor the rear side of the vehicle more safely. .
Note that, when the trailing end of the trailer is detected as described above, the control unit can determine that the trailing end of the trailer has been detected only when the detection distance by the radar is within a predetermined range.
[0016]
By doing so, it becomes possible to eliminate noise objects on the side surface of the trailer.
[0017]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
FIG. 1 shows an embodiment when the rearview mirror device according to the present invention is mounted on a vehicle. This vehicle is a connected vehicle composed of a tractor 1 and a trailer 2, and a rotatable side mirror 3 is installed on the left side of the driver's seat of the tractor 1, and a housing such as a housing or a stay of the mirror 3 is rotated. A laser radar 4 as a fixed beam laser for monitoring the rear side of the vehicle is installed at a place that does not move.
[0018]
Accordingly, the viewing range MA (about 18 °) of the side mirror 3 changes with the rotation of the mirror 3, but the radar 4 always monitors a certain angular range (radar monitoring range) RA with respect to the tractor 1 as shown in the figure. is doing.
FIG. 2 shows an example of an electrical circuit configuration of the rearview mirror device. The radar 4 is connected to an arithmetic control circuit 6 via an interface unit (I / O) 5, and the arithmetic control circuit is driven by a motor. It is connected to the motor 8 via the circuit 7. By controlling the motor 8, the angle of the mirror 3 can be changed in the left-right direction. The arithmetic control circuit 6, the motor drive circuit 7, and the motor 8 constitute a control unit for the mirror 3.
[0019]
FIG. 3 shows an operation flowchart of the arithmetic control circuit 6 shown in FIG. 2. The operation of the embodiment (1) shown in FIG. 2 will be described below with reference to FIG.
First, the arithmetic control circuit 6 constantly inputs an output signal from the radar 4 via the interface unit 5, and determines whether an object has been detected from the output signal of the radar 4 (step S1).
[0020]
At this time, when the bending angle of the tractor 1 and the trailer 2 is substantially zero as shown in FIG. 1 (straight running state), the radar 4 does not detect any object in the monitoring range RA, so the angle of the mirror 3 is The standard position, that is, the original position is maintained (step S4), and the mirror viewing range MA is as shown in FIG.
[0021]
On the other hand, when the vehicle turns to form a bending angle θ as shown in FIG. 4, the rear end 2a of the trailer 2 enters the monitoring range RA of the radar 4, and the radar 4 It will be detected.
Therefore, there is a possibility that this detected object is a noise object on the rear side of the vehicle, so the distance range to the detected object is a predetermined range (from the radar 4 to the vehicle rear end 2a detected by the radar monitoring range RA). It is determined whether it is within the distance (step S2).
[0022]
If the detection distance is not within the predetermined range, the angle of the mirror 3 remains the same as noise (step S4), but when the detection distance is found to be within the predetermined range, the angle of the mirror 3 is set to the predetermined angle. It is rotated outside the vehicle by about 15 ° in the illustrated example (step S3).
[0023]
Also, when returning from the turning state as shown in FIG. 4 to the straight traveling state as shown in FIG. 1, the radar 4 does not detect an object in step S1, so the mirror 3 is positioned at the standard position shown in FIG. (Step S4).
In the case of the above-described embodiment, when the radar 4 detects an object within the predetermined monitoring range on the rear side of the vehicle, the mirror 4 is rotated, so that the radar 4 happens to be the rear end of the trailer 2 shown in FIG. Even when an object existing in the vicinity of the portion 2a is detected, the mirror 3 is unnecessarily rotated.
[0024]
Therefore, in the embodiment (2) of the present invention, two radars are provided as shown in FIG. That is, two radars 4a and 4b (also collectively referred to as “4”) are connected to the interface unit 5, and as shown in FIG. 6, the predetermined radar monitoring ranges R1 and R2 of these radars 4a and 4b are different. For example, when there is a noise object O as shown in FIG. 6, this is to be eliminated.
[0025]
FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the operation of the arithmetic control circuit 6 in the embodiment (2). Hereinafter, the embodiment (2) shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 along this FIG. 7 will be described. The operation of will be described.
First, it is determined whether or not an object is detected by one radar 4a (step S11), and it is determined whether or not the detection distance at this time is within a predetermined range (step S12).
[0026]
These steps S11 and S12 are equivalent to steps S1 and S2 shown in FIG. 3, and when neither of the objects is detected or when the detected distance is not within the predetermined range even if the object is detected In step S4, the mirror angle is set to the standard position.
[0027]
In the present embodiment, it is further determined in step S13 whether or not an object is detected by a predetermined radar monitoring range R2 of the other radar 4b, and in step S14, whether or not the detection distance of the predetermined angular range R2 is within the predetermined range. Only when the object is detected and the detection distance is within the predetermined range, the angle of the mirror 3 is rotated to the outside of the vehicle by a predetermined angle in step S3 as in FIG.
[0028]
In this way, the mirror 3 is rotated by a predetermined angle only when both of the predetermined radar monitoring ranges R1 and R2 detect an object and both of the detection distances are within the predetermined range. In this case, the mirror 3 is returned to the original position.
However, when three radars are used, it is sufficient that at least two radars on the vehicle side continuously detect an object.
[0029]
FIG. 8 shows a modification of the embodiment (2) shown in FIG. 7. In short, in the embodiment of FIG. 7, any radar detects an object and the detection distance is within a predetermined range. However, in this embodiment (3), the object is detected from the side closer to the vehicle in the plurality of radar monitoring ranges, and the detection distance is If within a predetermined range, the operation of rotating the mirror outward by a predetermined angle is sequentially performed.
[0030]
That is, steps S11, S12 and S4 are the same as the steps shown in FIG. 7, but when the object is detected by the predetermined radar monitoring range R1 of the radar 4a and the detection distance is within the predetermined range, the steps shown in FIG. When the same steps as steps S13 and S14 of step 7 are executed and no object is detected in the predetermined radar monitoring range R2 by the radar 4b, or even if an object is detected, the detection distance is not within the predetermined range. The angle of the mirror 3 is rotated outward by a predetermined level (step S31).
[0031]
When the object is detected in the predetermined radar monitoring range R2 by steps S13 and S14 and the detection distance is found to be within the predetermined range, the mirror 3 is rotated outward by two steps (step S32).
In this way, when the radar detects an object in a plurality of different predetermined monitoring ranges, the angle of the mirror 3 is gradually increased as the trailing end 2a of the trailer 2 is detected in the predetermined monitoring range from the side closer to the vehicle. It is made to rotate. As a result, the mirror 3 can be controlled more finely.
[0032]
In the above embodiment, two radars are used for explanation. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and it is needless to say that the present invention can be applied to any plurality of radars.
In FIG. 9, five radars 4a to 4e are provided as an embodiment (4) of a plurality of radars, which are connected to the arithmetic control circuit 6 through the interface unit 5, and also shown in FIGS. As shown in (), the predetermined radar monitoring ranges R1 to R5 are different from each other.
[0033]
FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing an operation example of the arithmetic control circuit 6 shown in FIG. 9, and the operation of the embodiment (4) of FIG. 11 will be described below.
First, steps S11 to S14, S4, and S31 are executed in the same manner as in the embodiment shown in FIGS.
[0034]
Therefore, when both radars 4a and 4b detect an object and it is found that the detection distance is within a predetermined range (no object detection other than radar monitoring ranges R1 and R2, or even if an object is detected, noise is detected. Only once), the arithmetic control circuit 6 controls the motor 8 via the motor drive circuit 7 to rotate the mirror 3 outward by two stages (step S32).
[0035]
Thereafter, it is further determined whether or not an object is detected within the predetermined monitoring range R3 of the radar 4c (step S15), and further determination is made as to whether or not the detection distance of the object detected by the radar monitoring range R3 is within the predetermined range. (Step S16), as shown in FIG. 10 (2), when the object is detected only in the radar monitoring range R1 to R3, and the detection distance is found to be within the predetermined range, the mirror 3 is only three stages. Rotate outward (step S33). It can be seen that the mirror viewing range MA at this time has moved from the straight travel range shown in (1) to the bent range shown in (2).
[0036]
Such an operation is performed in steps S17 and S18 for the predetermined monitoring range R4 of the radar 4d, and when the object is detected only in the radar monitoring ranges R1 to R4 and the detection distance is found to be within the predetermined range, the mirror 2 Is rotated outward by four steps (step S34).
[0037]
Further, the radar monitoring range R5 of the radar 4e is also determined in steps S19 and S20, and when the objects are detected for all the monitoring ranges R1 to R5 and the detection distance is found to be within the predetermined range, the mirror 3 is set. Rotate outward by 5 steps (step S35).
[0038]
By doing so, finer control is possible than when there are two radars.
The radar installation location is not limited to the side mirror stay or housing, and may be any location where the radar can be irradiated rearward on the tractor side.
[0039]
In each of the above embodiments, only the left side of the vehicle is shown, but it goes without saying that this apparatus may be installed on the right side. Further, a reflector such as a reflector may be installed on the side surface of the trailer in order to strengthen the reflected wave from the trailer.
In the above embodiment, the mirror viewing range MA is set to about 18 °. However, the present invention can be applied to a mirror in any viewing range.
[0040]
Furthermore, although the rotation angle of the mirror is about 15 °, it goes without saying that it can be set to any rotation angle.
[0041]
【The invention's effect】
According to the rearview mirror device according to the present invention described above, there are reliability and durability, and for preventing entrainment accommodate all of the trailer without the need for cumbersome even when the trailer exchanged at low cost It is possible to provide a rearview mirror device.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a plan view schematically showing a state in which a rearview mirror device according to the present invention is attached to a vehicle.
FIG. 2 is a circuit block diagram showing an electrical system in the embodiment (1) of the rearview mirror device according to the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the embodiment (1) of the rearview mirror device according to the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a relationship between a vehicle rear end and a radar monitoring range when a connected vehicle turns.
FIG. 5 is a circuit block diagram showing an electrical system in an embodiment (2) of the rearview mirror device according to the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a plan view schematically showing a monitoring range of each radar in the embodiment (2) of the rearview mirror device according to the present invention.
FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the operation of the embodiment (2) of the rearview mirror device according to the present invention.
FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the operation of the embodiment (3) of the rearview mirror device according to the present invention.
FIG. 9 is a circuit block diagram showing an electrical system in an embodiment (4) of the rearview mirror device according to the present invention.
FIG. 10 is a plan view schematically showing a monitoring range of each radar in the embodiment (4) of the rearview mirror device according to the present invention.
FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the operation of the embodiment (4) of the rearview mirror device according to the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 Tractor
2 Trailer
2a Rear end
3 Side mirror
4 Fixed beam radar
5 Interface section (I / O)
6 Arithmetic control circuit
7 Motor drive circuit
8 Motor MA Mirror viewing range RA Radar monitoring range (predetermined angle range)
In the drawings, the same reference numerals indicate the same or corresponding parts.

Claims (3)

A beam radar fixed to the tractor to monitor a predetermined angle range on the rear side of the vehicle;
A rotatable rearview mirror,
A controller that rotates the mirror to the outside of the vehicle by a predetermined angle only when the beam radar detects the rear end of the trailer, and returns the mirror to a standard position when the rear end of the trailer is not detected;
A plurality of beam radars having different predetermined angle ranges from each other, and the control unit is configured such that at least two beam radars having the predetermined angle ranges closest to the vehicle continuously connect the rear end of the trailer. A rearview mirror device that rotates the mirror when detected . In claim 1 ,
The control unit is configured to detect a rear end portion of the trailer sequentially from a beam radar having a predetermined angle range closer to the vehicle and to rotate the mirror by the predetermined angle. In claim 1 or 2 ,
The control unit detects the rear end of the trailer only when a detection distance by the beam radar is within a predetermined range.

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