JP7329243B2 - Accelerator operation notification device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a system for informing a driver that an accelerator pedal is depressed.

As a technology to prevent misapplication of the brake pedal and the accelerator pedal when driving a vehicle, a vehicle speed sensor detects the speed of the vehicle and the speed detected by the vehicle speed sensor is within a preset operating speed range. , an obstacle detection sensor that detects whether there is an obstacle in the direction of travel, and an in-vehicle warning device that alerts the occupants when the obstacle detection sensor detects that there is an obstacle. a tilt sensor for detecting the tilt angle of the vehicle when the obstacle detection sensor detects that there is an obstacle; and when the tilt angle of the vehicle detected by the tilt sensor is smaller than a predetermined set value, If the accelerator position sensor that detects the amount and speed of accelerator pedal depression and the amount and speed of accelerator pedal depression detected by the accelerator position sensor are not within the range of the predetermined set values, the throttle opening is reduced to make a sudden start. A sudden start prevention device is known that includes a throttle control device that prevents

JP 2014-227877 A

However, the sudden start prevention device of Patent Document 1 requires a vehicle speed sensor, an obstacle detection sensor, and the like in addition to the accelerator position sensor. There is a problem that the mechanism becomes large-scaled because it uses a mechanism that is sometimes preferable, and a problem that versatility is low in that it cannot be easily retrofitted.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an accelerator operation notification device that can prevent a driver of a vehicle from stepping on an accelerator pedal by mistaking it for a brake pedal, and that can be easily retrofitted. .

In order to solve the above problems, the invention according to claim 1 provides a first box having at least one of a power supply terminal electrically connected to a power supply unit provided in a vehicle and an internal power supply; and a second box electrically connected to the first box to be supplied with power and installed near an accelerator pedal of the vehicle, wherein the second box is connected to the accelerator pedal. at least one of the first box and the second box outputs an output that notifies the driver of the vehicle that the accelerator pedal is depressed. either one of the first box and the second box determines the depression state of the accelerator pedal based on the amount of depression of the accelerator pedal detected by the sensor section. and a control unit that causes the output unit to output an alarm according to the result of the determination.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the accelerator operation informing device according to the first aspect, the second box is arranged so that the sensor unit can appropriately detect the depression amount of the accelerator pedal. It is characterized by comprising a positioning part for confirming the positional relationship between the sensor part and the accelerator pedal.

The invention according to claim 3 is the accelerator operation informing device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the output unit includes a sound output unit that emits sound and a light output unit that emits light and displays characters and graphics. and wherein at least one of the first box and the second box is provided with at least one of the sound output section and the light output section.

The invention according to claim 4 is the accelerator operation informing device according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a portable terminal capable of communicating with the first box or the second box, wherein the portable terminal A dedicated application is installed in the portable terminal so that the portable terminal functions as at least one of the control unit and the output unit.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the accelerator operation informing device according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, depending on whether or not the accelerator pedal is depressed for the first time after the ignition switch of the vehicle is turned on. It is characterized in that the contents of the output of the alarm are changed.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a box provided in the vicinity of the accelerator pedal, the box having a sensor unit for detecting the amount of depression of an accelerator pedal of a vehicle and an internal power supply, and a portable terminal capable of communicating with the box. and an output unit for notifying a driver of the vehicle that the accelerator pedal is depressed by the portable terminal having a dedicated application installed in the portable terminal; functioning as a control unit that determines the depression state of the accelerator pedal based on the amount of depression of the accelerator pedal detected by the sensor unit, and causes the output unit to output an alarm according to the result of the determination; It is an accelerator operation notification device characterized by

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the driver's unintentional depressing of the accelerator pedal, in other words, mistaking the accelerator pedal for the brake pedal, can be reflexively stopped by the output of the alarm. It is possible to prevent accidents caused by unintentional sudden start or sudden acceleration by suppressing accidental sudden start or sudden acceleration. Further, according to the first aspect of the invention, the first box can be installed and the second box can be used by attaching the second box near the accelerator pedal, and the accelerator operation notification device can be easily retrofitted. It is possible to

According to the second aspect of the invention, the second box can be attached while confirming the positional relationship between the sensor and the accelerator pedal, and the second box can be attached without operating the sensor. can be performed easily and accurately.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, it is possible to make the driver aware that the accelerator pedal is depressed by means of sound or light and to call attention to it.

According to the fourth aspect of the invention, the function of the portable terminal is used to realize the control section and the output section, so the configuration of the first box can be simplified.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, by outputting a strong alarm against depression of the accelerator pedal at the start of driving, sudden start or sudden acceleration due to misapplication of the accelerator pedal at the start of driving can be realized. can be suppressed to prevent an accident caused by a sudden start or sudden acceleration unintended by the driver.

According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, the driver's unintentional depressing of the accelerator pedal, in other words, mistaking the accelerator pedal for the brake pedal, can be reflexively stopped by the output of the alarm. It is possible to prevent accidents caused by unintentional sudden start or sudden acceleration by suppressing accidental sudden start or sudden acceleration. Further, according to the sixth aspect of the invention, one box can be attached near the accelerator pedal and can be used by utilizing the function of the portable terminal, and the accelerator operation notification device can be easily retrofitted. It is possible to

It is a figure which shows the arrangement|positioning state of the accelerator operation alerting|reporting apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. 2 is a schematic configuration block diagram of the accelerator operation notification device shown in FIG. 1; FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of arrangement of a transmitter, a receiver, and a light-emitting element in a positioning section; FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating attachment of the second box using the positioning portion; 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of the accelerator operation notification device shown in FIG. 1; It is a figure which shows the arrangement|positioning state of the accelerator operation alerting|reporting apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 2 of this invention. FIG. 7 is a schematic configuration block diagram of the accelerator operation notification device shown in FIG. 6 ;

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION The present invention will be described below based on the illustrated embodiments.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the arrangement of an accelerator operation notification device 1 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration of the accelerator operation notification device 1 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. It is a block diagram. This accelerator operation notification device 1 is a system for suppressing the driver of a vehicle from depressing an accelerator pedal 3 for a brake pedal 4. and a second box 20 connected to the .

The accelerator operation notification device 1 according to Embodiment 1 includes a first box 10 having a cigar plug 12 as a power terminal electrically connected to a cigar socket 2 as a power supply unit provided in a vehicle; a second box 20 electrically connected to the first box 10 to be supplied with power and installed in the vicinity of the accelerator pedal 3 of the vehicle; The first box 10 includes an output unit 14 for notifying the driver of the vehicle that the accelerator pedal 3 is depressed, and the accelerator pedal detected by the sensor unit 21. A control unit 13 is provided to determine the depression state of the accelerator pedal 3 based on the depression operation amount 3 and cause the output unit 14 to output an alarm according to the result of the determination.

The first box 10 has a main body 11, which is a housing constituting the main part of the first box 10, and a cigar plug 12. The main body 11 is provided with a control section 13 and an output section 14. (See Figure 2).

The first box 10 is inserted into a cigar socket 2 (also called a "cigarette lighter socket", an "accessory socket", or a "power socket") as a power supply unit provided in a vehicle to operate the cigar. It has a cigar plug 12 as a power terminal electrically connected to the socket 2 , and power is supplied from the cigar socket 2 through the cigar plug 12 .

The first box 10 is provided with a cigar plug 12 that projects directly from the main body 11 (in other words, is integrated with the main body 11), and that the cigar plug 12 is inserted into the cigar socket 2 of the vehicle. Thus, it is electrically connected to the cigar socket 2 and fixedly attached to the cigar socket 2. - 特許庁

Alternatively, a cable is arranged between the main body 11 and the cigar plug 12 (a separate power source, a power supply unit) so that the degree of freedom in the mounting position of the first box 10 is increased. After the cigar plug 12 is inserted into the cigar socket 2 of the vehicle and electrically connected to the cigar socket 2, the main body 11 is installed and fixed at an appropriate place regardless of the location of the cigar socket 2. may In this case, the main body 11 may be installed and fixed at a position, for example, above the dashboard, which is easily visible to the driver while driving.

A USB (abbreviation for Universal Serial Bus) terminal is provided on the main body 11, and a cable having a cigarette plug at one end and a USB terminal at the other end (also called a "USB cigarette plug cord") is attached to the main body. 11 and the cigar plug 12 may be used as a cable. In addition, when the vehicle is equipped with a USB terminal (including a USB cable), the USB cable having USB terminals at both ends is used as the cable arranged between the main body 11 and the power supply unit. may be made available.

Alternatively, if the vehicle is equipped with an AC100V outlet, an AC100V plug is provided so as to protrude from the main body 11, and the AC100V plug of the main body 11 is inserted into the AC100V outlet of the vehicle to be electrically connected to the AC100V outlet. may be made. When the vehicle is equipped with an AC100V outlet, a power cord having one end connected to the AC100V plug and the other end connected to the main body 11 is arranged between the main body 11 and the power supply unit. It may be used as a cable.

In addition, the power supply unit on the vehicle side is not limited to the cigarette lighter socket, USB terminal, or AC100V outlet mentioned above, and any mechanism capable of supplying power to the main body 11 may be used. good too. Also, the power supply terminal on the first box 10 side is not limited to the above-mentioned cigar plug, USB terminal, or AC100V plug. Any device may be used as long as it can be connected.

The control unit 13 corresponds to an ECU (abbreviation for Electronic Control Unit) composed of a microcontroller or the like, and is configured to operate by executing a predetermined program stored in a built-in storage unit. be done.

The control unit 13 includes a task program group for determining the depression state of the accelerator pedal 3 of the vehicle and controlling the output unit 14. In the example shown in the figure, the determination A task 13a, a sound output control task 13b for controlling the sound output section 141, and a light output control task 13c for controlling the light output section 142 are provided.

The determination task 13a detects a change in the distance from the sensor unit 21 to the accelerator pedal 3 based on the data signal transferred from the sensor unit 21 of the second box 20, and determines whether the accelerator pedal 3 is depressed. determine whether

The sound output control task 13b outputs a sound output control signal to the sound output unit 141 based on the determination result of the determination task 13a.

The light output control task 13c outputs a light output control signal to the light output unit 142 based on the determination result of the determination task 13a.

The output section 14 is a mechanism for notifying the driver that the accelerator pedal 3 is being depressed, and is composed of a sound output section 141 and a light output section 142 .

The sound output unit 141 is configured using, for example, a piezoelectric speaker, and is configured to emit sound or silence in response to a control signal transferred from the sound output control task 13b of the control unit 13 . The sound output from the sound output unit 141 is not limited to a specific type of sound, and may be a continuous buzzer sound, an intermittent buzzer sound, or voice. It should be noted that the sound output from the sound output unit 141 should preferably have a frequency of 1 kHz or less, as it may be difficult to hear sounds on the high frequency side. Specifically, the sound output from the sound output unit 141 preferably has a frequency within a range of 660 Hz±30%, for example.

The light output unit 142 is configured using a light emitting element such as an LED (abbreviation of Light Emitting Diode), and is turned on/blinks/lights off according to a control signal transferred from the light output control task 13c of the control unit 13. configured to Light output 142 may be configured to emit light in a single color, or may be configured to emit light in multiple colors. The light output unit 142 may also be configured to display characters and graphics in addition to simply emitting light.

Specifically, for example, when the accelerator pedal 3 is not depressed, the light output unit 142 lights up with a light of a weak warning color such as blue, and when the accelerator pedal 3 is depressed. When the light is on, the light may be lit or blinked in a color, such as red, which has a strong sense of warning.

The second box 20 is electrically connected with the first box 10 . A cable 19 is arranged between the first box 10 and the second box 20 (see FIG. 2), and power is supplied from the first box 10 to the second box 20 via the cable 19. Also, control signals, data signals, etc. are transferred to each other. The cable 19 may be composed of a power supply cable and a signal transmission cable (that is, a plurality of cables). In the example shown in FIG. 1, the cable 19 has one end connected to the first box 10 fixedly attached to the cigar socket 2 of the vehicle, and the intermediate portion passes through the back side of the floor mat 5 at the foot of the driver's seat. , the other end of which protrudes in the vicinity of the accelerator pedal 3 and is connected to the second box 20 .

The second box 20 may be supplied with power from the first box 10 not only by wired power supply using the cable 19 but also by wireless power supply. In this case, the first box 10 to which power is supplied from the vehicle is equipped with a wireless power transmitter (transmitting unit), and the second box 20 is equipped with a wireless power receiver (power receiving unit). Then, wireless power supply is performed from the first box 10 to the second box 20 . In this case, the first box 10 and the second box 20 are also provided with wireless communication units, and control signals, data signals, and the like are mutually transmitted and received via wireless communication lines.

A second box 20 is located below the accelerator pedal 3, behind the accelerator pedal 3 from the driver's perspective (that is, on the opposite side of the accelerator pedal 3 to the side where the foot is placed) on the driver's seat floor. It is fixedly attached to the mat 5 . The second box 20 is fixedly attached to the driver's side floor mat 5 by, for example, double-sided tape. The second box 20 may alternatively be fixedly attached to the vehicle body by means of magnets.

The second box 20 includes a sensor section 21 and a positioning section 22 (see FIG. 2).

The sensor unit 21 is a mechanism for detecting the position of the accelerator pedal 3, in other words, the degree of depression of the accelerator pedal 3 (that is, the amount of depression of the accelerator pedal 3). The sensor unit 21 is configured by a sensor capable of measuring a distance, for example, is configured using an ultrasonic sensor including an ultrasonic element (in other words, a transducer), or is configured by using a light projecting unit (in other words, a light emitting unit). element) and a light receiving portion (in other words, light receiving element).

The sensor unit 21 has a transmitting unit 211 and a receiving unit 212. The transmitting unit 211 transmits an ultrasonic wave, an infrared ray, a laser beam, or the like, and the receiving unit 212 receives a reflected wave thereof. 3 (that is, the surface of the accelerator pedal 3 opposite to the surface on which the foot is placed) is measured.

The sensor unit 21 transfers the data signal of the distance measurement result to the control unit 13 of the first box 10, and the judgment task 13a of the control unit 13 of the first box 10 is transferred from the sensor unit 21. A change in the distance from the sensor unit 21 to the accelerator pedal 3 is detected using the data signal.

The determination task 13a may set a threshold value for determining whether or not the accelerator pedal 3 is depressed based on a change in the distance from the sensor unit 21 to the accelerator pedal 3 . For example, when the second box 20 having the sensor unit 21 is installed in the vehicle, the ignition switch may be turned on, the sensor unit 21 may perform measurement, and a value considering variations may be used as the threshold value. Specifically, for example, when the distance L mm is measured at the time of installation, the value calculated by L×0.95 is set as the threshold value, and this threshold value is stored in the storage unit built into the control unit 13. You may do so. Then, the determination task 13a determines that the accelerator pedal 3 is depressed when the distance from the sensor unit 21 to the accelerator pedal 3 is less than (or less than) the threshold.

Alternatively, after the second box 20 having the sensor unit 21 is installed in the vehicle, the sensor unit 21 may perform measurement each time the ignition switch is turned on, and a value considering variations may be used as the threshold value. Specifically, for example, when the distance L mm is measured, a value calculated by L×0.95 may be set as the threshold value, and the threshold value may be stored in the storage unit built into the control unit 13. . The threshold value held in the storage unit is erased (or volatilized) when the ignition switch is turned off, or overwritten each time the ignition switch is turned on. Then, the determination task 13a determines that the accelerator pedal 3 is depressed when the distance from the sensor unit 21 to the accelerator pedal 3 is less than (or less than) the threshold. By setting the threshold each time the ignition switch is turned on, it is possible to cope with aging of the sensor section 21 and the like.

The second box 20 is equipped with a temperature sensor, and the fluctuation range (also called "temperature drift") of the output of the sensor unit 21 due to changes in the temperature inside the vehicle (in particular, the temperature in the vicinity of the sensor unit 21). may be corrected.

Here, with respect to the sensor unit 21, the ultrasonic wave or the like transmitted from the transmitting unit 211 is surely applied to the back surface of the accelerator pedal 3 and reflected, and received by the receiving unit 212, so that the sensor unit 21 and the accelerator pedal 3 are reflected. It is necessary to measure the distance between Therefore, the second box 20 shown in the figure includes a positioning portion 22 for confirming the positional relationship between the second box and the accelerator pedal 3 so that the depression operation amount of the accelerator pedal 3 can be appropriately detected. I am trying to prepare

The positioning part 22 functions as a mechanism for assisting positioning so that the second box 20 is attached to the driver's seat side floor mat 5 in a predetermined positional relationship with respect to the accelerator pedal 3 . Although the example shown in the figure has a transmitting unit 211 and a receiving unit 212, an ultrasonic sensor is used as the sensor unit 21, and ultrasonic waves are alternately transmitted and received by one ultrasonic element. In that case, the transmitter 211 may be regarded as equivalent to one ultrasonic element.

The positioning unit 22 has a light emitting element 221 such as a visible light LED that emits visible light, and a switch 222 for turning on or off the light emitting element 221 .

The light emitting element 221 emits visible light in accordance with the transmission direction of the ultrasonic waves or the like transmitted from the transmission section 211 of the sensor section 21 and the traveling direction of the reflected waves such as the ultrasonic waves received by the reception section 212. .

The positional relationship between the transmitting portion 211 and the receiving portion 212 of the sensor portion 21 and the light emitting element 221 of the positioning portion 22 is not limited to a specific arrangement. 212 is placed at an appropriate position (particularly, so that the ultrasonic waves and infrared rays emitted from the transmitter 211 hit the rear surface of the accelerator pedal 3). is arranged so as to be suitable for

For example, the transmitting unit 211, the receiving unit 212, and the light emitting element 221 are arranged in a straight line, and the light emitting element 221 may be arranged in the center (see FIG. 3A) or at the end (see FIG. 3B). )), or the transmitting unit 211, the receiving unit 212, and the light emitting element 221 may be arranged at the vertex positions of the triangle (see FIG. 1C).

If the second box 20 is not provided with the positioning unit 22, the ultrasonic wave, the infrared ray, or the laser beam emitted from the transmitting unit 211 of the sensor unit 21 may be applied to the accelerator pedal when the second box 20 is installed. It cannot be confirmed whether or not it hits the back side of 3. For this reason, it is necessary to operate the sensor unit 21 after installation and check it. If the ultrasonic wave or the like does not hit the back surface of the accelerator pedal 3, it is necessary to change the installation position and operate the sensor unit 21 again to check. There is In some cases, the operation of the sensor section 21 and the change of the position of the second box 20 may be repeated several times, which is very time-consuming and troublesome.

On the other hand, since the second box 20 is provided with the positioning part 22, the positional relationship between the sensor part 21 and the accelerator pedal 3 is transmitted from the light emitting element 221 when the second box 20 is attached. Since it can be confirmed with visible light, the second box 20 can be attached easily and accurately without operating the sensor section 21 (see FIG. 4). It should be noted that the switch 222 may be operated to turn off the light-emitting element 221 after the attachment work is completed, and the light-emitting element 221 may be turned on only during the attachment work.

Next, an example of the operation and effects of the accelerator operation notification device 1 having such a configuration will be described with reference to FIG. 5 as well.

First, when the ignition switch of the vehicle is turned on (step S1), power is supplied from the cigar socket 2 through the cigar plug 12 to activate each part of the first box 10 and the second box 20, The sensor unit 21 starts measuring the distance to the accelerator pedal 3 as detection of the depression operation amount of the accelerator pedal 3, and transfers a data signal of the measurement result to the control unit 13 (step S2). Subsequently, a determination task 13a of the control unit 13 calculates a change in the distance from the sensor unit 21 to the accelerator pedal 3 based on the data signal transferred from the sensor unit 21, and determines whether the accelerator pedal 3 is depressed. It is determined whether or not (step S3).

If the determination task 13a of the control unit 13 determines that the distance from the sensor unit 21 to the accelerator pedal 3 has not changed and the accelerator pedal 3 has not been depressed (step S3: No), the process proceeds. is returned to the processing of step S2.

On the other hand, if the determination task 13a of the control unit 13 determines that the distance from the sensor unit 21 to the accelerator pedal 3 is decreasing and the accelerator pedal 3 is depressed (step S3: Yes), the determination The result is transmitted to the sound output control task 13b and the light output control task 13c. Subsequently, the sound output control task 13b outputs a sound control signal to the sound output unit 141, and the light output control task 13c outputs a light emission control signal to the light output unit 142.

The sound output unit 141 receives the input of the control signal output from the sound output control task 13b and emits sound. Also, the light output unit 142 receives the input of the control signal output from the light output control task 13c, and turns on or blinks.

By outputting sound from the sound output part 141 and light from the light output part 142, the driver can be made to strongly recognize that the accelerator pedal 3 is being stepped on and be alerted. When the driver unintentionally depresses the accelerator pedal 3, the driver stops depressing the accelerator pedal 3 in response to the output (in other words, alarm) from the sound output unit 141 or the light output unit 142. can be done.

Various methods are conceivable for outputting sound from the sound output unit 141 and outputting light from the light output unit 142 (output of sound and light is referred to as “output of alarm”). For example, the following warning output methods are conceivable.

a) Change the contents of the alarm output at the start of operation and during operation.
When the accelerator pedal 3 is depressed for the first time after the ignition switch is turned on (referred to as "operation start depression"), a strong alarm is output. When the accelerator pedal 3 is depressed for the first time or later (referred to as "depression during driving"), a weaker warning is output than when the accelerator pedal 3 is depressed to start driving.

In this case, the control unit 13 is reset each time the ignition switch is turned on, and has a counter function for counting the number of times the accelerator pedal 3 is depressed. If the determination task 13a determines that the ignition switch is turned on (step S3: Yes), is the accelerator pedal 3 depressed for the first time (that is, depression for starting driving) after the ignition switch is turned on? It is determined whether the pedal 3 is depressed (that is, depressed during driving) (step S4).

Then, when the control unit 13 determines that it is stepping on to start operation (step S4: Yes), the sound output unit 141 outputs a louder sound as a strong alarm output, and the light output unit 142 outputs, for example, a red color. , it lights up or flashes with a color light that strongly indicates an alarm (step S5).

On the other hand, when the control unit 13 determines that it is not stepping on to start driving (that is, stepping on while driving) (step S4: No), the sound output unit 141 outputs a small sound as a weak alarm output. At the same time, the light output unit 142 lights up or blinks with light of a color such as blue, which has a weak sense of warning.

Alternatively, if it is stepping on to start driving (step S4: Yes), the sound output unit 141 outputs a loud sound as an output of a strong alarm (the light output unit 142 is off), while if it is stepping on while driving (Step S4: No) Even if the light output unit 142 lights up or flashes with light of a weak warning color, such as blue, as an output of a weak alarm (the sound output unit 141 is silent). good.

b) Regularly or irregularly change the contents of the alarm output.
For example, when starting at a green light after stopping at a red light, an alarm is output each time the accelerator pedal 3 is depressed (that is, an alarm output corresponding to "No" in step S4, and a weak alarm output for depression during driving). ) is performed. At this time, if the content of the warning output is constant, the driver may become accustomed to the warning output. A basic warning is output, and a cautionary warning is output periodically or irregularly.

In this case, the control unit 13 has a timer function that measures the elapsed time from when the ignition switch is turned on or when an alert is output. (step S4: No), whether or not a predetermined time has elapsed since the ignition switch was turned on, or since an alert warning was issued last time. (step S6).

When the control unit 13 determines that the predetermined time has not elapsed (step S6: No), the sound output unit 141 outputs a small sound and the light output unit 142 outputs a basic alarm. lights up or blinks with a light of a weak color such as blue, for example, which is a warning (step S7). Then, the control unit 13 returns the progress of the process to the process of step S2.

On the other hand, when the control unit 13 determines that the predetermined time has passed (step S6: Yes), the sound output unit 141 outputs a louder sound and light output as an output of an alert warning. The part 142 lights up or blinks with a color of light, such as red, which has a strong warning meaning (step S8). After resetting the timer, the control unit 13 returns the process to step S2.

When changing the content of the alarm output irregularly, the control unit 13 has a function of generating a pseudo-random number sequence, and the generated random number sequence meets a predetermined condition (for example, is larger than a predetermined value, be included in a predetermined value range, be a multiple of a predetermined value, etc.). Then, when the control unit 13 determines that it is not stepping on to start driving (that is, stepping on while driving) (step S4: No), it generates a random number, and the generated random number satisfies a predetermined condition. If there is no random number, a basic warning is output, and if the generated random number satisfies a predetermined condition, a caution-calling warning may be output.

c) An alarm is output according to the change in depression of the accelerator pedal 3 .
When the accelerator pedal 3 is suddenly stepped on after the accelerator pedal 3 is loosened, in other words, when the depression operation amount of the accelerator pedal 3 is reduced, the depression operation amount is reversed. A warning alarm is output when the number increases sharply.

In this case, the control unit 13 is provided with a circuit for detecting a change in the degree of depression of the accelerator pedal 3 based on the data signal transferred from the sensor unit 21, and the state in which the depression of the accelerator pedal 3 is gradually released Then, it detects that the accelerator pedal 3 is suddenly depressed (called "accelerator sudden operation"). Then, when the control unit 13 determines that the accelerator is suddenly operated, the sound output unit 141 outputs a loud sound and the light output unit 142 outputs a warning signal such as red, as a warning alarm output. Lights up or flashes with a strong colored light.

The output of the alarm may be continued while the accelerator pedal 3 is being depressed, or may be terminated when a predetermined time has elapsed while the accelerator pedal 3 is being depressed. or change the contents. For example, when a predetermined time (for example, about 5 to 10 seconds) has passed while the accelerator pedal 3 is being depressed, the sound output unit 141 stops outputting sound, and the light output unit 142 changes to a blue color, for example. It may be made to flicker with a light of a color with a weak sense of warning. When a predetermined time elapses while the accelerator pedal 3 is being depressed, the output of the warning is moderated, so that, for example, when starting at a green light after stopping at a red light, every time the accelerator pedal 3 is depressed. It is possible to further emphasize the output of the warning to be performed (that is, the output of the warning corresponding to "No" in step S4, and the output of the weak warning against the depression during driving), and also suppress the noise during driving. be able to.

According to the accelerator operation notification device 1 according to this embodiment, the driver's unintentional, in other words, continuous depression of the accelerator pedal 3 by mistakenly mistaking it for the brake pedal 4 can be reflexively stopped by outputting an alarm. This makes it possible to prevent accidents caused by unintentional sudden starts or sudden accelerations by suppressing sudden starts or sudden accelerations caused by misapplication of the pedals, thereby improving safety. becomes.

Further, the accelerator operation notification device 1 according to this embodiment is installed by connecting the first box 10 to the cigar socket 2 of the vehicle and by attaching the second box 20 to the floor mat 5 on the driver's seat side. It can be used and can be easily retrofitted.

(Embodiment 2)
FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an arrangement state of the accelerator operation notification device 1 according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention, and FIG. 7 is a schematic configuration of the accelerator operation notification device 1 according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. It is a block diagram. This embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that a portable terminal 30 is used in addition to the first box 10 and the second box 20. The description is omitted by adding

As the portable terminal 30, for example, a smartphone (multifunctional portable terminal) or a tablet terminal having a liquid crystal screen and a speaker, and also having a communication function and an application processing function can be used.

The portable terminal 30 is configured to be able to communicate with the sensor section 21 of the second box 20 by installing a dedicated application. 142.

In the example shown in FIG. 7, the portable terminal 30 can communicate with the sensor unit 21 of the second box 20 by activating a dedicated application in the portable terminal 30, and the control unit 13 and the sound output unit 141 are enabled. , and the optical output unit 142 are implemented in the portable terminal 30 . Specifically, the communication function 31 of the portable terminal 30 is used to enable communication with the sensor unit 21, and the determination task 13a, the sound output control task 13b, and the light output control task of the control unit 13 are performed as the operation of the application. A function corresponding to 13c is realized. Also, the speaker 32 of the portable terminal 30 functions as the sound output section 141 and the liquid crystal screen 33 functions as the light output section 142 .

Communication between the portable terminal 30 and the sensor unit 21 may be performed by wireless communication, or may be performed by wired communication. In the example shown in FIG. 7, communication between the portable terminal 30 and the sensor unit 21 is performed via wireless communication.

When the portable terminal 30 performs wireless communication, the second box 20 is equipped with a wireless communication function, and wireless communication is performed between the portable terminal 30 and the second box 20. Alternatively, the first box 10 may be provided with a wireless communication function (wireless communication unit 15) so that the portable terminal 30 and the first box 10 can communicate wirelessly. The portable terminal 30 and the sensor unit 21 may communicate with each other via the first box 10 and the cable 19 (see FIG. 7).

When the portable terminal 30 performs wired communication, the portable terminal 30 and the second box 20 are connected by a communication cable (signal transmission cable) so that the portable terminal 30 and the sensor unit 21 are connected. Alternatively, the portable terminal 30 and the first box 10 are connected by a communication cable (signal transmission cable) and the portable terminal is connected via the first box 10 and the cable 19. 30 and the sensor unit 21 may communicate with each other.

According to the accelerator operation notification device 1 according to this embodiment, in addition to the effects of the accelerator operation notification device 1 according to Embodiment 1, the control unit 13 and the output unit 14 are controlled by using the functions of the portable terminal 30. Since it is realized, the configuration of the first box 10 can be simplified.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the specific configuration is not limited to the above-described embodiments. Included in the invention. For example, in Embodiment 1 described above, the controller 13 is provided in the first box 10 , but the controller 13 may be provided in the second box 20 .

Further, in Embodiment 1 described above, the output unit 14 is composed of the sound output unit 141 and the light output unit 142. You may make it consist only of. Further, in the first embodiment described above, both the sound output section 141 and the light output section 142 as the output section 14 are provided in the first box 10, but the sound output section 141 and the light output section 142 are provided in the first box 10. may be provided in the second box 20, and the sound output unit 141 and the light output unit 142 may be provided in both the first box 10 and the second box 20. You may do so.

Further, although the second box 20 is provided with the positioning portion 22 in the first embodiment, the positioning portion 22 is not an essential component of the present invention, and the second box 20 is provided with the positioning portion 22. may be omitted.

Further, in Embodiment 1 described above, the sensor unit 21 measures the distance to the back surface of the accelerator pedal 3. Any mechanism may be used as long as it can detect the degree (that is, the amount of depression of the accelerator pedal 3), and the sensor is not limited to a sensor capable of measuring the distance. For example, an acceleration sensor may be used as the sensor unit 21 . In this case, the acceleration sensor as the sensor unit 21 may be fixed and attached to the back surface of the accelerator pedal 3 with double-sided tape, for example. In this case, if the first box 10 and the second box 20 are electrically connected by the cable 19, the cable 19 may hinder the movement of the accelerator pedal 3 or break. Therefore, it is preferable that the first box 10 and the second box 20 are electrically connected wirelessly. In this case, when outputting an alarm in response to a change in depression of the accelerator pedal 3, the acceleration sensor detects a rapid increase in acceleration when the amount of depression of the accelerator pedal 3 increases rapidly. , the control unit 13 determines that the accelerator is suddenly operated based on the data signal relating to the acceleration transferred from the sensor unit 21 .

Further, in the first embodiment described above, the first box 10 is provided with a power supply terminal electrically connected to the power supply unit of the vehicle, but the first box 10 may be provided with a battery. . In this case, the battery provided in the first box 10 may be configured to be rechargeable by receiving power supply from the vehicle, if necessary. That is, the first box 10 is supplied with power from an external power supply (i.e., a power supply unit provided in the vehicle), or is equipped with an internal power supply (i.e., non-rechargeable battery, rechargeable battery). , consists of A function corresponding to a battery checker for checking the remaining battery level may be provided, and an alarm may be issued from the output unit 14 when the remaining battery level is low.

In addition, although the content of the alarm output is changed in the example of the operation of the first embodiment, the content of the alarm output may be constant and not change. Specifically, it is not essential in the present invention to determine whether or not it is stepping on to start operation and select a strong warning output or a weak warning output (step S4). Alternatively, it is not essential in the present invention to selectively use the output of the basic warning and the output of the warning warning irregularly (step S6). is not an essential configuration in the present invention. Therefore, for example, every time the accelerator pedal 3 is stepped on, the sound output unit 141 outputs a sound as an output of an alarm, and the light output unit 142 lights up in red. The sound output unit 141 may stop outputting the sound and the light output unit 142 may flash blue when the sound is turned on or off.

Further, in the second embodiment described above, for example, a dedicated application is mounted on the general-purpose portable terminal 30 such as a smartphone and used. At least one of the control unit 13, the sound output unit 141, and the light output unit 142 is realized by installing a predetermined application (in other words, executing a program stored in advance) in the dedicated device. You may do so.

Further, in the second embodiment described above, power is supplied to the second box 20 from the first box 10 as in the first embodiment described above. You may make it provide a battery in addition to. In this case, a function corresponding to the output unit 14 is realized in the portable terminal 30, and the control unit 13 is provided in the second box 20, or a function corresponding to the control unit 13 is realized in the portable terminal 30. A configuration without the first box 10 may be employed by making the first box 10 . That is, the accelerator operation notification device according to the present invention includes a second box 20 provided near the accelerator pedal 3 and a sensor unit 21 for detecting the amount of depression of the accelerator pedal 3 of the vehicle and an internal power supply. and a portable terminal 30 capable of communicating with the box 20 of No. 2, and a dedicated application is installed in the portable terminal 30 so that the portable terminal 30 detects that the accelerator pedal 3 is depressed. and the depression state of the accelerator pedal 3 is determined based on the depression operation amount of the accelerator pedal 3 detected by the sensor unit 21 and the output unit 14 according to the result of the determination. It may be configured to function as the control unit 13 that outputs an alarm.

1 accelerator operation notification device 2 cigar socket 3 accelerator pedal 4 brake pedal 5 driver's seat side floor mat 10 first box 11 main body 12 cigar plug 13 control unit 13a determination task 13b sound output control task 13c light output control task 14 output unit 141 Sound output unit 142 Light output unit 15 Wireless communication unit 19 Cable 20 Second box 21 Sensor unit 211 Transmitting unit 212 Receiving unit 22 Positioning unit 221 Light emitting element 222 Switch 30 Portable terminal 31 Communication function 32 Speaker 33 Liquid crystal screen

Claims (6)

a first box comprising at least one of a power supply terminal electrically connected to a power supply unit provided in the vehicle and an internal power supply;
a second box electrically connected to the first box to be supplied with power and installed near an accelerator pedal of the vehicle;
The second box includes a sensor unit that detects the amount of depression of the accelerator pedal,
At least one of the first box and the second box includes an output unit that notifies a driver of the vehicle that the accelerator pedal is depressed;
Either one of the first box and the second box determines the depression state of the accelerator pedal based on the depression operation amount of the accelerator pedal detected by the sensor unit, and performs the determination. A control unit that causes the output unit to output an alarm according to the result,
An accelerator operation notification device characterized by: The second box includes a positioning unit for confirming the positional relationship between the sensor unit and the accelerator pedal so that the sensor unit can appropriately detect the amount of depression of the accelerator pedal.
The accelerator operation notification device according to claim 1, characterized in that: As the output unit, a sound output unit that emits sound and a light output unit that emits light and displays characters and figures,
at least one of the first box and the second box is provided with at least one of the sound output section and the light output section;
3. The accelerator operation notification device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: further comprising a portable terminal capable of communicating with the first box or the second box;
By installing a dedicated application on the portable terminal,
the portable terminal functions as at least one of the control unit and the output unit;
3. The accelerator operation notification device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: changing the content of the output of the warning depending on whether or not the accelerator pedal is depressed for the first time after the ignition switch of the vehicle is turned on;
The accelerator operation notification device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: a box provided with a sensor unit for detecting the amount of depression of an accelerator pedal of a vehicle and an internal power source and installed near the accelerator pedal;
a portable terminal capable of communicating with the box;
By installing a dedicated application on the portable terminal,
The portable terminal includes an output unit that notifies the driver of the vehicle that the accelerator pedal is depressed, and an accelerator pedal depression operation amount detected by the sensor unit. Functioning as a control unit that determines the depression state and causes the output unit to output an alarm according to the result of the determination;
An accelerator operation notification device characterized by:

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