JP7240604B2 - overhead module - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an overhead module located in the ceiling of a vehicle cabin.

Patent Literature 1 listed below describes an overhead module that is arranged on the ceiling of a vehicle (automobile) as a vehicle and has a built-in surveillance camera. The surveillance camera described in Patent Document 1 monitors intrusion of persons other than the owner into the vehicle interior from the outside. On the other hand, as described in Patent Document 2 below, a sensor such as a camera is provided in the passenger compartment in order to detect an abnormality in the body of the occupant, that is, to monitor (sense) the condition of the occupant. may be Patent Document 2 below describes that when a sensor detects an abnormality of a passenger, the abnormality is displayed on a display device such as an instrument panel or a car navigation system, or notified by sound.

JP-A-2005-125977 JP 2014-92965 A

Sensing the occupants (particularly the driver) as described in the above-mentioned Patent Document 2, and operating specific equipment mounted on the vehicle based on the sensing results are also being studied. However, it is still in the development stage and there is much room for improvement. It is believed that the comfort and safety of the vehicle can be further improved by effectively utilizing the technology for sensing the occupant as described above.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an overhead module capable of further improving the comfort and safety of a vehicle.

In order to solve the above problems, the overhead module of the present invention is
a sensor for detecting the state of the occupant, an external stimulus applying device for applying an external stimulus to the occupant, and a control device for controlling the external stimulus applying device based on the detection result of the sensor; are integrated and attached to the ceiling in the passenger compartment.

The "sensors" in the overhead module (hereinafter, sometimes simply referred to as "module") of this configuration detect, as the state of the occupant, e.g. The degree can be estimated. Specifically, a camera that captures an image of the passenger, a microphone that picks up the voice of the passenger, or the like can be used. In addition, as the "external stimulus applying device" in the module of this configuration, various devices capable of stimulating the five senses of the occupant can be employed. Specifically, devices that stimulate the sense of sight, such as lighting devices that emit light of various colors and display devices that display videos and images, devices that stimulate the senses of hearing by outputting sounds and songs, etc. Examples include those that emit fragrance to stimulate the olfactory sense, and those that emit air (heat, cold air, compressed air, etc.) to the occupant to stimulate the tactile sense.

According to the module of this configuration, the external stimulus imparting device provides the passenger with a comfortable ride, and when the passenger is the driver, induces the driver's arousal level and emotions to a state suitable for driving. and contribute to enhancing vehicle safety. The module with this configuration integrates (modularizes) a sensor, an external stimulus applying device, and a control device and is attached to the ceiling. The stimulus applying device can effectively stimulate the occupant. Furthermore, since the modules of this configuration are integrated, there is no need to route wiring inside the vehicle, and the generation of electrical system noise can be suppressed.

In addition, for example, by housing the sensor, the external stimulus applying device, and the control device inside the members constituting the housing and the cover, the design of the vehicle interior can be improved without complicating the design of the ceiling. . In particular, when a camera is provided as a sensor, housing the camera in the member can reduce the feeling that the passenger is being monitored by the camera.

In the above configuration, the external stimulus application device may have a plurality of types of functional units that each apply different stimuli to the occupant.

A module with this configuration can provide a plurality of stimuli to the occupant using all of the plurality of types of function units described above or some function units selected from them. Therefore, according to the module of this configuration, it is possible to provide the passenger with a more comfortable ride and to maintain the driver's driving condition more appropriately, thereby further enhancing the safety of the vehicle.

Moreover, in the above configuration, a plurality of the external stimulus applying devices may be provided corresponding to each of the plurality of occupants.

According to the module with this configuration, it is possible to apply different external stimuli to each occupant, thereby enhancing the comfort of each of the plurality of occupants. In addition, the module with this configuration shares at least one of the sensor and the control device, so that the cost can be reduced and the ceiling height can be reduced compared to the case where a plurality of modules are provided for each of the plurality of occupants. design complexity can be suppressed.

ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the overhead module which can improve the comfort of a vehicle and the safety of a vehicle more can be provided.

1 is a perspective view of an overhead module according to an embodiment of the invention; FIG. FIG. 4 is a plan view from above of the overhead module of an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 3 is a side sectional view (AA section in FIG. 2) of the overhead module of the embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 3 is a side cross-sectional view (BB cross section in FIG. 2) of the overhead module of the embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 3 is a side sectional view (CC section in FIG. 2) of the overhead module of the embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 3 is a side sectional view (a DD section in FIG. 2) of the overhead module of the embodiment of the present invention;

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings as modes for carrying out the present invention. It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the following examples, and can be implemented in various modes with various modifications and improvements based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art.

An overhead module 10 (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as "module 10") of an embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIGS. 1-6. The module 10 is attached to the ceiling in the cabin (passenger compartment) of a vehicle (automobile) as a vehicle, specifically, to the interior side of a roof panel 11 that constitutes the ceiling of the vehicle, as shown in FIG. It is. More specifically, the module 10 covers the entire front portion of the roof panel 11 from above the heads of the passengers in the driver's seat and the passenger's seat. In each figure, when the module 10 is attached to the ceiling of the vehicle, the front and rear of the vehicle are indicated by arrows FR and RR, respectively, and the upper and lower directions are indicated by arrows UP and DW. The right and left sides are indicated by R and L arrows, respectively.

This module 10 is configured to monitor (sensing) the state of the occupants seated in the driver's seat and the passenger's seat, and to apply an external stimulus to the occupants based on the monitoring results. includes a sensor 20 for monitoring the condition of the occupant, an external stimulus applying device 21 for applying an external stimulus to the occupant, and a control device 22 for controlling the external stimulus applying device 21 based on the detection result of the sensor 20. , and a housing 23 for accommodating the sensor 20 , the external stimulation device 21 and the control device 22 inside.

The sensor 20 includes cameras 30R and 30L that capture images of the driver and passengers in the front passenger seats, and microphones 31R and 31L that pick up the voices of the passengers. The control device 22 performs image processing on the images captured by the cameras 30R and 30L to analyze the facial expressions of the occupants, and also analyzes the content uttered by the occupants and the tone of voice picked up by the microphones 31R and 31L. are analyzed, and the occupant's condition is determined based on the analysis results. For example, based on the analysis results, the control device 22 judges emotional ups and downs such as whether the occupant is calm or irritated, and judges the degree of drowsiness of the occupant (arousal level). It's like

This module 10 has two sets of external stimulus applying devices 21R and 21L corresponding to the driver and the passenger seated in the front passenger seat, respectively. In this embodiment, each of the external stimulus applying devices 21R and 21L has a plurality of types of functional units that apply mutually different stimuli to the occupant. Each of the plurality of types of functional units provides stimulation to one of the five senses of the occupant. illuminators 40R and 40L, which stimulate the sense of hearing of the occupants, and aroma diffusers 42R and 42L, which stimulate the olfactory senses of the occupants.

Each of the cameras 30R, 30L and microphones 31R, 31L constituting the sensor 20, the lighting devices 40R, 40L constituting the external stimulus applying devices 21R, 21L, the acoustic devices 41R, 41L, and the aroma diffusers 42R, 42L are It is fixed within the housing 23 . The housing 23 includes a base member 50 having a shape including a main body portion 50A forming a rear portion of the module 10 and a pair of extension portions 50B extending toward the front pillar, and a front portion of the module 10. It is composed of a cover member 51 that forms a part and is arranged in front of the base member 50 and between the pair of extension portions 50B.

Each device constituting the sensor 20 and the external stimulus applying devices 21R and 21L is arranged above the cover member 51. In other words, the cover member 51 serves as a member that covers the indoor side of the plurality of devices. It's becoming Note that the base member 50 is made of the same material as other ceiling interior materials, while the cover member 51 is made of a highly translucent synthetic resin (for example, acrylic, PET, polycarbonate, etc.). . However, although the cover member 51 will be described in detail later, a light shielding layer is formed on the rear surface side (upper surface side, outdoor side) of the cover member 51 with the exception of a part, so that the inside of the module 10 is difficult to see from the indoor side. ing.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 to 6, the cover member 51 is formed with two recesses 52R and 52L corresponding to the driver's seat and the passenger's seat in the front portion thereof. Each of these recesses 52R and 52L is formed to have a generally V-shaped cross section extending in the vehicle width direction. That is, each of the recesses 52R and 52L has a first inclined surface portion 53 facing obliquely downward to the rear and a second inclined surface portion 54 facing obliquely downward to the front.

Note that the first inclined surface portion 53 of the cover member 51 is not shielded from light and is capable of transmitting light. In each of the cameras 30R and 30L described above, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the lens is positioned close to the first inclined surface portion 53 in each of the recesses 52R and 52L on the back surface side of the first inclined surface portion 53. It is fixed to the cover member 51 in this state. In addition, the camera 30R on the driver's side is arranged so as to be positioned at the center of the seat on the driver's side in the vehicle width direction, and the camera 30L on the passenger's seat is positioned at the center of the seat on the passenger's side in the vehicle width direction. It is arranged to In other words, since the camera 30R is positioned almost directly in front of the driver and the camera 30L is positioned almost directly in front of the occupant in the front passenger seat, the accuracy of sensing can be enhanced. Furthermore, although the cameras 30R and 30L are arranged inside the translucent portion (the first inclined surface portion 53) of the cover member 51, most of the other portions are shielded from light. It is difficult to visually recognize the inside from the surface portion 53, that is, the cameras 30R and 30L. Furthermore, the lenses of the cameras 30R and 30L are provided with infrared filters, making it more difficult for passengers to visually recognize the lenses of the cameras 30R and 30L. Therefore, the module 10 is less likely to give the passenger a sense of being monitored.

Next, the illumination devices 40R and 40L of the external stimulus application device 21 will be described. The lighting devices 40R and 40L are configured to include an LED unit 60 having a plurality of LEDs as light sources and a light guide plate 61 that guides light from the LEDs. 2 to 6, each lighting device 40R, 40L is held by holding members 62R, 62L, and the holding members 62R, 62L are assembled to mounting brackets 63R, 63L fixed to the base member 50. and housed in the housing 23 . The lighting devices 40R, 40L are held in a state of projecting forward from the front end of the base member 50, and are positioned above the cover member 51 and behind the recesses 52R, 52L in the cover member 51. As shown in FIG. Portions of the cover member 51 facing the lighting devices 40R and 40L (portions below the lighting devices 40R and 40L) 64R and 64L are not shielded and can transmit light. The portions 64R, 64L correspond to the portions surrounded by the dashed lines in FIGS. 1 and 2, and are referred to as "light emitting portions 64R, 64L" in the following description. That is, the lights of the lighting devices 40R and 40L are emitted into the vehicle interior from the light emitting portions 64R and 64L. Similarly to the cameras 30R and 30L, the lighting devices 40R and 40L are also covered with the cover member 51 and are difficult for the occupant to see when they are turned off. The illumination devices 40R and 40L are capable of emitting lights of various colors and emitting lights of different intensities. It has become. Further, in the module 10, the positions of the lighting devices 40R and 40L in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle are within a range where the passenger can recognize colors.

The audio devices 41R and 41L are mainly composed of speakers, and are capable of outputting various sounds and songs stored in the control device 22. FIG. As shown in FIG. 4, the acoustic devices 41R and 41L are held by acoustic device holding portions 65 formed to protrude forward from the front ends of the holding members 62R and 62L of the lighting devices 40R and 40L. . The acoustic devices 41R and 41L face the upper side of the recesses 52R and 52L of the cover member 51, more specifically, the back sides of the second inclined surface portions 54 of the recesses 52R and 52L. A plurality of slits 66 extending in the vehicle width direction are formed in the second inclined surface portion 54 of the cover member 51, and the sounds and tunes of the audio devices 41R and 41L are output from the slits 66 to the vehicle interior side. It has become. As shown in FIG. 3, the slit 66 is open toward the front of the vehicle, so it is difficult for the passenger to see it. In other words, the module 10 has a configuration in which the audio devices 41R and 41L are difficult for the passenger to visually recognize.

As shown in FIG. 2, the acoustic device 41R corresponding to the driver's seat is arranged at the right end, and the acoustic device 41L corresponding to the passenger seat is arranged at the left end. In other words, the two sound devices 41R and 41L are arranged at the respective end sides in the vehicle width direction and separated from each other, in other words, separated from the adjacent occupants. Therefore, although this module 10 is provided with two sound devices 41R and 41L corresponding to two passengers, each sound device 41R and 41L should not affect the passenger next to the passenger corresponding to itself. has been taken into consideration.

Next, the aroma diffusers 42R and 42L of the external stimulus application device 21 will be described. The aroma diffusers 42R and 42L each include an intake fan 70, a blower pipe 71 for sending the intake air toward the room, and a plurality of cartridges 72 containing different fragrances. By discharging one perfume to the air pipe 71, the air containing the perfume is discharged from the discharge port 71A of the air pipe 71 toward the occupant. The aroma diffusers 42R, 42 have an intake fan 70 and a plurality of cartridges 72 arranged in the center in the vehicle width direction, and an air pipe 71 extends from the intake fan 70 to the recesses 52R, 52L of the cover member 51. As shown in FIG. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, the blower pipe 71 extends forward and wraps around from the front side, and the discharge port 71A faces rearward and faces the first inclined surface portions 53 of the recesses 52R and 52L. It has a shape that On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 5, openings 73 that open toward the rear of the vehicle are formed at the upper ends of the first inclined surface portions 53 in the recesses 52R and 52L. With such a configuration, air containing perfume is emitted from the opening 73 toward the occupant.

The microphones 31R and 31L that constitute the sensor 20 are held by a microphone holding portion 80 that projects forward from the front ends of the holding members 62R and 62L of the lighting devices 40R and 40L. The microphones 31R and 31L are located above the recesses 52R and 52L of the cover member 51, more specifically, above the plurality of slits 66 formed in the second inclined surface portion 54 of the recesses 52R and 52L. . That is, the microphones 31R and 31L are designed to pick up the passenger's voice through the slit 66. As described above, since the slit 66 opens toward the front of the vehicle, it is difficult for the passenger to see the microphones 31R and 31L. It is configured to be able to pick up the voice of the occupant.

Each of the lighting devices 40R, 40L, the sound devices 41R, 41L, and the aroma diffusers 42R, 42L can reduce the irritation of the occupant according to the state of the occupant determined based on the detection result of the sensor 20, for example. It is adapted to be actuated by controller 22 so as to dampen and lull the occupants. The control device 22 is housed inside the base member 50 . The control device 22 includes cameras 30R and 30L and microphones 31R and 31L that constitute the sensor 20, lighting devices 40R and 40L that constitute the external stimulus applying device 21, sound devices 41R and 41L, and an aroma diffuser 42R, 42L are connected, and the wiring that connects them is accommodated in the housing 23 . In other words, the module 10 is integrated with the sensor 20, the external stimulus application device 21, and the control device 22. FIG. Therefore, the module 10 does not require wiring to the vehicle body except for the power supply, and the installation work to the vehicle is very simple. Further, since the wiring for connecting to the control device 22 is accommodated in the housing 23, the length of the wiring is short and the generation of electrical noise can be suppressed.

In addition, as described above, in the present module 10, the sensor 20, the external stimulus applying device 21 and the control device 22 are all housed in the housing 23 at locations that are invisible or difficult for the occupant to visually recognize. The vehicle equipped with the module 10 does not make the ceiling complicated in design although the sensor 20, the external stimulus applying device 21 and the control device 22 are installed in the ceiling, and the interior of the vehicle has high design. It is a vehicle.

<Other embodiments>
The overhead module 10 of the above embodiment was provided with two sets of cameras and microphones constituting sensors and external stimulation devices for each of the two occupants, but the overhead module of the present invention It is not limited to that configuration. For example, the overhead module of the present invention can be configured with a camera and microphone between the two occupants so that two occupants are sensed by one camera and one microphone. Also, for example, the overhead module of the present invention can be a personal overhead module having a configuration including one sensor, one external stimulus applying device, and one control device.

Also, in the above embodiment, the camera and the microphone are used as the sensor, but the sensor is not limited to this, and any sensor that can indirectly sense the state of the occupant may be used. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, three types of functional parts are illustrated as the external stimulus imparting device, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the device that stimulates the sense of touch of the occupant, such as air (heat, cold air, compressed air, etc.) directed toward the occupant. ) can also be applied to give stimulation by releasing .

In the above embodiments, automobiles were exemplified as vehicles, but not limited thereto, trains and amusement vehicles as vehicles on the ground, airplanes and helicopters as vehicles for flying, ships and ships as vehicles for sea and undersea. The overhead module of the present invention can also be applied to vehicles such as submersibles.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10... Overhead module, 11... Roof panel, 20... Sensor, 21R, 21L... External stimulation device, 22... Control device, 23... Housing, 30R, 30L... Camera, 31R, 31L... Microphone, 40R, 40L... Lighting device , 41R, 41L ... acoustic device, 42R, 42L ... aroma diffuser

Claims (3)

a sensor for detecting the state of an occupant;
an external stimulus imparting device that imparts an external stimulus to the occupant;
a control device that controls the external stimulus applying device based on the detection result of the sensor;
, which are integrated and mounted to the ceiling in the vehicle compartment ,
A housing containing the sensor, the external stimulus applying device and the control device,
The housing has, on its lower side surface, a recess having a generally V-shaped cross section extending in the vehicle width direction and having a first inclined surface portion facing obliquely downward to the rear and a second inclined surface portion facing obliquely downward to the front. is formed and
The sensor includes a camera that images the occupant,
The camera is arranged with a lens in close proximity to the outside of the vehicle compartment of the first inclined surface portion and captures an image of an occupant riding on the rear side,
The external stimulus applying device includes at least one of an acoustic device that stimulates the sense of hearing of the occupant and a diffuser that stimulates the sense of smell of the occupant,
At least one of the acoustic device and the diffuser transmits sound output from the acoustic device and air sent from the diffuser through an opening formed between the upper end of the first inclined surface portion and the second inclined surface portion. An overhead module that discharges into the passenger compartment. The sensor includes a microphone that picks up the passenger's voice,
2. The overhead module according to claim 1, wherein said microphone picks up a passenger's voice from an opening formed in said second inclined surface portion . 3. The housing according to claim 1, wherein said recesses are formed corresponding to each of a plurality of occupants, and said sensors and said external stimulus application devices are provided in each of said plurality of recesses. overhead module.

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