JP6654472B2 - Power supply and moving object - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a power supply device for supplying electric power to a mounted device, and a moving object including the power supply device.

  2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, autonomous traveling moving bodies and the like have been put into practical use, and operations have been controlled so as to avoid accidents by detecting obstacles using sensors or the like. Further, the above-described method of avoiding contact is applied to a vehicle operated by a driver, and a traveling safety device for the vehicle has been proposed (for example, see Patent Document 1).

  By the way, the method of avoiding contact is not limited to this, and a safety device that shuts off power supply to the motive power when a safety stop is performed in an emergency is also employed. In such a safety device, there is a concern that the product may be damaged due to the forced shutoff of the power supply. Therefore, in an electric vehicle equipped with a power supply for high power, an electric vehicle collision safety device that protects parts by cutting off connection with the power supply in the event of a vehicle collision has been proposed (for example, see Patent Document 2). .).

JP 2010-260504 A JP 2009-38862 A

  In the vehicle safety device described in Patent Literature 1, a contact determination unit that determines a contact between a vehicle and an object, a vehicle control unit that activates a contact avoidance assisting operation, and is connected to a traveling path of the vehicle. It has a connection road determination unit that determines the state of the connection road, and a line-of-sight determination unit that determines the line of sight near the connection unit of the traveling road. The conditions have been changed. The safety device assists the driver by controlling the behavior of the vehicle.However, since the operation causes the driver to feel annoyed, the conditions must be changed so that it operates at the appropriate timing. I have.

  In the electric vehicle collision safety device described in Patent Literature 2, at the time of a vehicle collision, the voltage supplied from the power supply to the control means drops to open the relay, thereby improving the restartability after the collision.

  However, Patent Literature 1 and Patent Literature 2 do not consider when the vehicle is stopped by operating the safety device, and cannot monitor the state of the vehicle against secondary damage such as theft or accident. There is a problem that.

  The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-described problem, and provides a power supply device and a mobile body that can promptly detect an abnormality of a device or the like even after power is cut off by a safety device. With the goal.

A power supply device according to the present invention is a power supply device that supplies power to a mounted device, and includes a power supply, a safety device that shuts off power supply from the power supply when activated, and operates the safety device. A safety determining unit for performing a safety determination as to whether or not to perform the control, a control unit that controls power supplied from the power supply, and a monitoring unit that monitors a state of the device, wherein the control unit is configured such that the safety device In the activated state , the supply of power from the power supply to the monitoring unit is maintained.

In the power supply device according to the present invention, the control unit may be configured to stop the monitoring unit after a predetermined period of time has elapsed while the safety device is operating .

  The power supply device according to the present invention may include a position detection unit that detects the position of the device, and the specified time may be calculated based on the position detected by the position detection unit.

  In the power supply device according to the present invention, the device may be a moving body that runs on a running surface, and the safety device may be configured to cut off power supply to a driving unit that drives the moving body.

  In the power supply device according to the present invention, the monitoring unit is configured to include a photographing unit that photographs the periphery of the device, and a detection unit that detects a state of the device, and the safety determination unit includes: The configuration may be such that the safety determination is performed based on a detection result.

In the power supply device according to the present invention, the control unit may be configured to stop the detection unit when the safety device operates .

In the power supply device according to the present invention, the detection unit is a sensor that detects an object to be detected, and the control unit stops the imaging unit in a state where the safety device is operated, and supplies power to the detection unit. It is good also as a structure which maintains supply of.

In the power supply device according to the present invention, the control unit may operate the photographing unit when the detection unit detects an object to be detected in a state where the safety device is operated .

In the power supply device according to the aspect of the invention, the monitoring unit may be configured to monitor an object approaching the device, and the control unit may perform the shooting when the object is approaching while the safety device is operating. The power supply to the unit may be maintained, and the imaging unit may be stopped when an object is not approaching.

In the power supply device according to the present invention, the control unit may be configured to operate the monitoring unit at predetermined intervals in a state where the safety device operates .

A moving body according to the present invention is a moving body that travels on a running surface, and includes a power source, a driving unit driven by power supplied from the power source, and an electric power from the power source to the driving unit when activated. A safety device for interrupting supply, a safety determination unit for performing a safety determination as to whether or not to activate the safety device, a control unit for controlling power supplied from the power supply, and a monitoring unit for monitoring a state The control unit, in a state where the safety device is operated, maintains the supply of power from the power supply to the monitoring unit, stops the monitoring unit after a predetermined time has elapsed, the specified time, It is calculated based on the position detected by the position detection unit .

  According to the present invention, even after the power is cut off by the safety device, the monitoring operation is continued by supplying the power to the monitoring unit, and the abnormality of the device and the like can be immediately detected.

FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of the moving body according to the first embodiment of the present invention. It is a schematic structure figure of a mobile concerning a 1st embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a processing flow of the power supply device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. It is a flowchart which shows the processing flow of the power supply device which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention.

(1st Embodiment)
Hereinafter, a power supply device and a moving body according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of a moving body according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of the moving body according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

  The moving body 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention is a four-wheeled vehicle that moves on the running surface 100 along a preset route, and includes a driving unit 2 that drives the moving body 1 and a driving unit 2. And a power supply device 10 for supplying power to the power supply. The power supply device 10 includes a power supply 11 (battery), a safety device 12 that shuts off power supply from the power supply 11, a safety determination unit 13 that determines whether or not to activate the safety device 12, and a power supply 11. The control unit 14 includes a control unit 14 that controls the power to be supplied and a monitoring unit 15 that monitors the state of the moving object 1. The moving body 1 mainly goes straight ahead (to the right in FIG. 1). An outlet 3 for taking out the power supply 11 is provided on the front surface of the moving body 1.

  The drive unit 2 includes four wheels and a drive source such as a motor. The drive unit 2 is not limited to this, and may be configured to change the number of wheels, use a belt, or the like, and to make the moving body 1 travel and appropriately adjust the traveling speed. I just need. The drive unit 2 appropriately controls the traveling speed and direction according to an instruction from the control unit 14.

  The power supply 11 is a rechargeable battery, for example, a lithium-ion battery, a nickel-metal hydride battery, a Ni-Cd battery, a lead battery, a fuel cell, an air battery, or the like, and mainly includes a traveling function, a distance detection function, and a communication function. Supply power to perform.

  The safety device 12 shuts off the power supply from the power supply 11 and forcibly stops the moving body 1. According to ISO 13482, it is required to provide the safety device 12 so as to shut off the power supply to the power (safe stop) when the stop is determined.

  The control unit 14 includes a CPU, stores the safety determination unit 13 as a pre-installed program, and executes the stored program to execute processing described later. Note that the control unit 14 may be commonly used by the moving body 1 and the power supply device 10. Although omitted in FIG. 2, the moving body 1 may be provided with a storage device for storing information acquired by the monitoring unit 15 and various settings such as a traveling speed.

  The monitoring unit 15 includes an imaging unit 15a that captures an image of the periphery of the moving body 1, a detection unit 15b that detects the state of the moving body 1, and a notification unit 15c that notifies the state of the moving body 1.

  The photographing unit 15a is a camera directed toward the front of the moving body 1, and photographs the periphery of the moving body 1 as a video or a still image. In the present embodiment, the photographing unit 15a is provided on the front surface of the moving body 1 as in the case of the outlet 3, and can photograph a human face standing in front of the outlet 3. Note that the range in which the image capturing section 15a captures an image may be set as appropriate, may capture an image of the rear or side of the moving body 1, or may provide a plurality of cameras to capture a wide range.

  The detection unit 15b is an optical sensor Se that is attached to the front surface of the moving body 1 and uses LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging). Waves). Thereby, the detection unit 15b detects the position, the distance, and the like of the traveling surface 100 and the detected object. Note that the detection unit 15b is not limited to laser light, and may perform detection by emitting infrared light, visible light, ultrasonic waves, electromagnetic waves, or the like.

  The detection range KR of the optical sensor Se is a three-dimensional space, and is specifically set to spread in a fan shape from the optical sensor Se toward the front of the moving body 1. Note that the detection wave emitted from the detection unit 15b is not limited to the detection range KR, and may be applied to a wider range. When a reflected wave from the detected object is detected, the range set as the detection range KR is set as an object of the safety judgment, and in other ranges, the position of the detected object may be simply grasped.

  The safety determination unit 13 performs a safety determination based on the detection result of the detection unit 15b. When it detects that an object to be detected is present near the moving body 1 in the detection range KR, the safety determination unit 13 performs a safety determination and performs a safety determination. Activate When the safety device 12 operates, the supply of power to the drive unit 2 is shut off, and the mobile unit 1 is brought to an emergency stop. In the present embodiment, the safety determination for determining the presence or absence of the detected object is performed farther than the range in which the safety determination is performed, and when there is the detected object, the stop or deceleration of the moving body 1 is performed. Instructed. Sudden operations such as shutting off the power may cause damage to the mounted PC or storage device. Therefore, a safety judgment is performed in advance before the safety judgment, and the moving body 1 is stopped. Reduces damage. Also, by using the detection unit 15b for both safety judgment and monitoring, parts can be omitted, and a configuration effective for downsizing the power supply device 10 can be obtained.

  In the present embodiment, the notification unit 15c is a lamp La, and lights up to indicate that traveling is impossible. In addition, the lamp La may be configured to emit light in a plurality of colors. The lamp La is normally lit in green, and is lit in a different color such as red in an emergency to indicate that the vehicle cannot travel. Is also good. Further, the lamp La may be turned on in response to an instruction from the user, or may be turned on when the user is notified that he / she is going to the place of the moving object 1.

  Next, a processing flow when the power supply device 10 (mobile unit 1) safely stops will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a processing flow of the power supply device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

  In step S11, the safety determination unit 13 determines whether to perform a safe stop. As a result, when it is determined that the safety stop is performed (step S11: Yes), the process proceeds to step S12. On the other hand, when it is determined that the safe stop is not performed (step S11: No), the process stands by until the safe stop. That is, the mobile unit 1 traverses the route as instructed during the safety stop.

  In step S12, the safety determining unit 13 activates the safety device 12 to stop the power supply to the driving unit 2. As a result, the moving body 1 is brought into a safe stop state in which the safety device 12 is operated, and immediately stops.

  In step S13, the operation of the monitoring unit 15 is continued by the control unit 14. That is, the control unit 14 maintains the power supply from the power supply 11 to the monitoring unit 15 in the safe stop state. As described above, even after the power is cut off by the safety device 12, the monitoring operation is continued by supplying the power to the monitoring unit 15, and it is possible to immediately detect the abnormality of the moving body 1 and the like. In the present embodiment, the moving body 1 is released from the safety stop state and restarted by the operation of the user.

  In the present embodiment, the configuration including the optical sensor Se as the detection unit 15b has been described. However, the configuration is not limited to this, and another component may be provided as the detection unit 15b, or the configuration including the plurality of detection units 15b may be employed. Is also good. As the detection unit 15b, for example, a bumper sensor, a touch sensor, an opening / closing sensor, and a manual controller may be used. Hereinafter, an example of a safety stop when these are provided will be described.

  The bumper sensor is a sensor attached to the front surface, the rear surface, or the like of the moving body 1, and determines the presence or absence of an obstacle based on a pressing force when the bumper sensor comes into contact with the obstacle.

  The touch sensor is a sensor that detects contact with the moving body 1 or the like. The movable body 1 may be provided with a boom that is folded and stretched, and the touch sensor detects that a user's hand or the like is pinched by the boom. Further, the touch sensor may be attached to the camera, the power supply 11, or the like, and may be configured to detect that the attached component has come off, and to detect theft of the component.

  The open / close sensor is provided at the outlet 3 of the power supply 11 and detects opening and closing of the outlet 3. By detecting opening and closing of the take-out port 3 while the moving body 1 is moving, the power supply 11 is detected as being stolen.

  The manual controller is an operation unit that transmits an instruction from a user via communication to the mobile unit 1. That is, by using the manual controller, the user can freely operate the moving body 1 even if the user is away from the moving body 1. The manual controller periodically transmits / receives a signal (heartbeat signal) to / from an instruction unit provided on the user side, and when the heartbeat signal is interrupted, determines that an abnormality has occurred in the mobile unit 1. .

  Further, the configuration in which the lamp La is provided as the notification unit 15c has been described, but other components may be provided as the notification unit 15c, as in the detection unit 15b. As the notification unit 15c, for example, a speaker, a communication unit, and an electric wire may be used. The speaker indicates that the vehicle is in the safe stop state by means of an alarm sound or voice. The communication unit notifies the user of the safe stop via communication. When the electric wire is safely stopped, a high voltage current flows to prevent the moving body 1 from being stolen.

(2nd Embodiment)
Next, a power supply device and a moving object according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the second embodiment has substantially the same configuration as the first embodiment, and therefore, a schematic configuration diagram and the like are omitted, and components having substantially the same functions as those of the first embodiment are described below. The same reference numerals are given and the description is omitted.

  FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a processing flow of the power supply device according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

  The second embodiment is different from the first embodiment in the processing flow. The processing in steps S21 to S23 is the same as that in steps S11 to S13 described above, and a description thereof will not be repeated. I do.

  In step S24, the control unit 14 determines whether a specified time has elapsed. Specifically, in the second embodiment, the elapsed time after the safety stop is stored, and the control unit 14 compares the specified time set in advance with the elapsed time. As a result, if the specified time has elapsed (step S24: Yes), the process proceeds to step S25. On the other hand, if the specified time has not elapsed (step S24: No), the process stands by until the specified time has elapsed.

  In step S25, the monitoring unit 15 is stopped by the control unit 14. That is, the power supply from the power supply 11 to the monitoring unit 15 is stopped. As described above, by stopping the monitoring unit 15 after a predetermined time, it is possible to prevent the power supply 11 from being completely used up. Thus, the restarted moving body 1 can be operated smoothly.

(Third embodiment)
Next, a power supply device and a moving object according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the third embodiment has substantially the same configuration as the second embodiment, so that a schematic configuration diagram and the like are omitted, and the functions are substantially the same as those of the first embodiment and the second embodiment. Constituent elements are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.

  The third embodiment executes a processing flow substantially similar to that of the second embodiment, but differs in that a specified time is calculated. Specifically, the moving object 1 includes a GPS (an example of a position detecting unit) as the detecting unit 15b, and detects the current position of the moving object 1. In addition, a standby position is set in the mobile unit 1, and the standby position is, for example, a charging station. The control unit 14 calculates the feedback power required to return to the standby position based on the path from the current position to the standby position when the vehicle safely stops. Then, the control unit 14 calculates the specified time so that the feedback power remains in the power remaining in the power supply 11. As described above, since the operation time of the monitoring unit 15 is set in a state where the feedback power is secured, it is possible to prevent the moving body 1 from stopping due to power outage. Further, the GPS may be operated in a safe stop state, or may be provided with a log function for keeping a history of position information so that the GPS can be tracked at the time of theft.

  The monitoring unit 15 operated in steps S13 and S23 described above is, for example, a camera that is the photographing unit 15a. Note that components other than the camera may be operated, or a configuration may be adopted in which the component is appropriately started based on a detection result of a sensor or the like. In other words, it is sufficient to operate a device with low power consumption such as a touch sensor or a GPS and activate a device with high power consumption such as a camera when the abnormality of the moving body 1 is confirmed.

  Further, the monitoring unit 15 may be activated every predetermined cycle regardless of the detection result of the sensor or the like. In other words, power consumption may be suppressed by operating a touch sensor with low power consumption, particularly an open / close sensor, and activating a camera with high power consumption every 10 minutes. Even in this case, when the abnormality of the moving body 1 is confirmed, the stopped camera or the like may be activated regardless of the cycle. When the camera is configured to be able to change its direction, the camera may be directed to the side detected by a touch sensor or the like to shoot.

  Further, the sensor used as the detection unit 15b may be configured to stop according to the state of the moving body 1. That is, the optical sensor Se, the touch sensor, and the like used for detecting an obstacle may be operated while the moving body 1 is traveling, and may be turned off so as not to energize in the safe stop state.

  In the present embodiment, the mobile unit 1 is safely stopped based on the detection result of the detection unit 15b, but a different operation may be performed depending on the reason that the safety device 12 is operated. For example, when it is detected that a moving target such as a human approaches and collides with the moving object 1, the camera continues to operate and the movement of the target is monitored. Further, when it is detected that a stopped obstacle or the like approaches or comes into contact with the moving body 1, the camera only operates periodically, and continues to operate the open / close sensor. Note that, when the moving body 1 is equipped with lighting or the like, the operation may be performed only when shooting is performed by the camera, and in other cases, the lighting may be stopped to reduce power consumption. In particular, during nighttime, it is preferable to turn on the lighting in order to capture a clear image.

  In the third embodiment, the specified time is calculated from the electric power required for the moving body 1 to return to the standby position. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the specified time is calculated based on the time during which the operator moves. You may. That is, the position of the operator who monitors the moving body 1 is registered in advance, and the time at which the operator is expected to arrive at the place where the moving body 1 is stopped is based on the distance between the operator and the moving body 1. Is calculated and a specified time is set. Thereby, the mobile unit 1 can be reliably monitored until the operator arrives at the mobile unit 1.

  The monitoring unit 15 may be configured to monitor an approaching object based on the image captured by the imaging unit 15a, or may perform image recognition for recognizing an object included in the image. In particular, when an object included in an image is extracted, if the object has predetermined characteristics of a human body, the object is recognized as a person. In addition, it is possible to determine the approach of an object from a moving image or a continuous image, and it is desirable to continue shooting with the imaging unit 15a when a person or an object is approaching. When a person or an object is not approaching, the photographing unit 15a may be stopped or may be operated periodically.

  When the vehicle safely stops, each unit of the moving body 1 may be operated, or the boom supporting the monitoring unit 15 (especially, a camera) may be raised before stopping. By raising the boom, a view from a high position can be secured. That is, the photographing unit 15a has a structure supported by a boom that can move up and down. When the mobile unit 1 is traveling, the boom is folded and the photographing unit 15a is lowered.

  It should be noted that the embodiment disclosed this time is an example in all respects, and is not a basis for restrictive interpretation. Therefore, the technical scope of the present invention is not construed only by the embodiments described above, but is defined based on the description of the claims. Further, all changes within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims are included.

1 moving body (an example of equipment)
2 drive unit 3 take-out port 10 power supply device 11 power supply 12 safety device 13 safety determination unit 14 control unit 15 monitoring unit 15a imaging unit 15b detection unit 15c notification unit

Claims (11)

A power supply device for supplying power to the mounted device,
Power and
A safety device that, when activated, shuts off power supply from the power source;
A safety determination unit that performs a safety determination of whether to operate the safety device,
A control unit that controls power supplied from the power supply,
A monitoring unit that monitors the state of the device;
A position detection unit that detects the position of the device,
In the state where the safety device is operated, the control unit maintains the supply of power from the power supply to the monitoring unit, and stops the monitoring unit when a predetermined time has elapsed,
The power supply device, wherein the specified time is calculated based on a position detected by the position detection unit. The power supply device according to claim 1 ,
The monitoring unit is configured to include a photographing unit that photographs the periphery of the device and a detection unit that detects a state of the device,
The power supply device, wherein the safety determination unit performs the safety determination based on a detection result of the detection unit. A power supply device for supplying power to the mounted device,
Power and
A safety device that, when activated, shuts off power supply from the power source;
A safety determination unit that performs a safety determination of whether to operate the safety device,
A control unit that controls power supplied from the power supply,
A monitoring unit that monitors the state of the device,
The monitoring unit is configured to include a photographing unit that photographs the periphery of the device and a detection unit that detects a state of the device,
The safety determination unit performs the safety determination based on a detection result of the detection unit,
The power supply device, wherein the control unit maintains the supply of power from the power supply to the monitoring unit and stops the detection unit when the safety device operates. A power supply device for supplying power to the mounted device,
Power and
A safety device that, when activated, shuts off power supply from the power source;
A safety determination unit that performs a safety determination of whether to operate the safety device,
A control unit that controls power supplied from the power supply,
A monitoring unit that monitors the state of the device,
The monitoring unit is configured to include a photographing unit that photographs the periphery of the device and a detection unit that detects a state of the device,
The safety determination unit performs the safety determination based on a detection result of the detection unit,
The control unit maintains the supply of power from the power supply to the monitoring unit, stops the imaging unit, and maintains the supply of power to the detection unit when the safety device is activated. And power supply. The power supply device according to claim 4 , wherein
The power supply device, wherein the control unit operates the photographing unit when the detection unit detects an object in a state where the safety device is operated. A power supply device for supplying power to the mounted device,
Power and
A safety device that, when activated, shuts off power supply from the power source;
A safety determination unit that performs a safety determination of whether to operate the safety device,
A control unit that controls power supplied from the power supply,
A monitoring unit that monitors the state of the device,
The monitoring unit is configured to include a photographing unit that photographs the periphery of the device and a detection unit that detects a state of the device,
The safety determination unit performs the safety determination based on a detection result of the detection unit,
The control unit maintains a supply of power from the power supply to the monitoring unit in a state where the safety device is operated, and maintains a supply of power to the imaging unit when an object is approaching, and The power supply device stops the photographing unit when the camera is not approaching. The power supply device according to any one of claims 3 to 6 , wherein
The power supply device, wherein the control unit stops the monitoring unit when a predetermined time period elapses in a state where the safety device is operated. The power supply device according to claim 7 ,
A position detection unit that detects a position of the device,
The power supply device, wherein the specified time is calculated based on a position detected by the position detection unit. The power supply device according to claim 1 , wherein:
The device is a moving body that runs on a running surface,
The power supply device, wherein the safety device cuts off power supply to a driving unit that drives the moving body. The power supply device according to claim 1 , wherein:
The power supply device, wherein the control unit operates the monitoring unit at a preset cycle in a state where the safety device operates. A moving body that runs on a running surface,
Power and
A driving unit that is driven by electric power supplied from the power supply,
A safety device that, when activated, shuts off power supply from the power supply to the drive unit;
A safety determination unit that performs a safety determination of whether to operate the safety device,
A control unit that controls power supplied from the power supply,
A monitoring unit for monitoring the state,
In the state where the safety device is operated, the control unit maintains the supply of power from the power supply to the monitoring unit, and stops the monitoring unit when a predetermined time has elapsed,
The moving object , wherein the specified time is calculated based on a position detected by the position detection unit .

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