JP7709282B2 - Vehicle emergency reporting device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an emergency notification device for vehicles.

Conventionally, when a vehicle accident occurs, a technology is known in which an emergency notification device installed in the vehicle reports the accident situation to an emergency notification destination such as a police station or fire department, and notifies other vehicles and pedestrians in the vicinity of the accident site of the accident (for example, Patent Document 1).

For example, a function is known in which a vehicle emergency notification device communicates between the vehicle and an emergency notification center, allowing passengers in the vehicle to notify an operator at the emergency notification center of an accident or other emergency situation and the situation via voice call.

JP 2008-234177 A

However, even if nearby vehicles and pedestrians are notified of the occurrence of an accident, if the occupant remains inside the vehicle because, for example, they have lost consciousness or are engaged in a voice call with an operator from inside the vehicle, it may not be possible to understand the condition of the occupant inside the vehicle from the outside. As a result, it is unclear whether the occupant's condition or whether a call has been made is unclear, which may lead to misunderstandings such as the occupant neglecting to check the situation outside the vehicle. In addition, if the occupant gets outside the vehicle to check the situation, it is not possible to continue the voice call with the operator from inside the vehicle, which may result in a delay in providing information such as the accident situation to the emergency call center.

On the other hand, a technology has been proposed in which a vehicle emergency notification device sends a notification via the mobile phone of a vehicle occupant, etc., but the mobile phone must be registered in advance with the vehicle emergency notification device so that the mobile phone and the vehicle emergency notification device can be connected using, for example, Bluetooth (registered trademark). Even if the mobile phone has been registered, it may be difficult to check the external situation or rescue injured people, etc. while holding the mobile phone and continuing the call.

The present invention aims to deal with such situations. In other words, when a vehicle accident or the like occurs, the present invention aims to notify people outside the vehicle that an emergency call has been made, and to enable voice communication and confirmation of the situation outside the vehicle to be performed simultaneously, thereby quickly and accurately reporting that an emergency situation exists and its situation, etc.

In order to solve the above problems, an emergency call device for a vehicle according to the present invention has the following configuration.
That is, one aspect of the present invention provides an emergency call device for a vehicle, comprising an emergency call unit that makes an emergency call to an emergency call center in response to the occurrence of an emergency situation in the vehicle or the input of an emergency call instruction, and a call notification unit that, while the emergency call is being made by the emergency call unit, notifies outside the vehicle that a call is being made to the emergency call center.

When a vehicle emergency call device with these characteristics occurs, it can notify people outside the vehicle that an emergency call has been made, and can simultaneously make a voice call and check the situation outside the vehicle, making it possible to quickly and accurately report an emergency situation and its situation.

1 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle emergency call system including a vehicle emergency call device according to an embodiment of the present invention; 4 is a flowchart showing a process flow in the vehicle emergency call device according to the embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of mounting positions of an exterior speaker and an exterior microphone in a vehicle to which an emergency call device for vehicles according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied, as viewed from the front side of the vehicle. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of mounting positions of an exterior speaker and an exterior microphone in a vehicle to which an emergency call device for vehicles according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied, as viewed from the rear side of the vehicle.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same reference numerals in different drawings indicate parts with the same function, and duplicate descriptions in each drawing will be omitted as appropriate.

As shown in FIG. 1, an on-vehicle emergency call device 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention functions as part of a control system 2 for a vehicle 1. In addition to the on-vehicle emergency call device 10, the control system 2 includes various electronic devices necessary for the vehicle to run, and a number of on-board ECUs (Electronic Control Units) that control these electronic devices. These electronic devices and on-board ECUs are connected to each other so that they can communicate with each other via an on-vehicle network 3 such as a CAN (Controller Area Network) or a LIN (Local Interconnect Network). In the following description, explanations and illustrations of electronic devices and on-board ECUs that are not directly involved in the on-vehicle emergency call device 10 will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 1, the control system 2 of the vehicle 1 includes a vehicle emergency notification device 10, a communication ECU 20, a collision detection ECU 21, an occupant monitoring ECU 22, a display unit 23, a speaker 24, a microphone 25, and a camera 26, which are connected to each other via an in-vehicle network 3. The vehicle emergency notification device 10 is connected to an emergency notification center 5, which is the response destination in the event of an emergency, via a communication network 7 by the communication ECU 20.

The vehicle emergency notification device 10 includes an emergency notification unit 101 , a voice processing unit 102 , and a notification notification unit 103 .
When the emergency call unit 101 acquires a collision detection signal outputted when a collision is detected by a collision detection ECU 21 described later, the emergency call unit 101 outputs a start command signal for starting an emergency call to the communication ECU 20. Note that an emergency call may be made manually by an occupant or the like. In this case, for example, an emergency call instruction can be given by a switch provided in the vehicle cabin.

When communication between the vehicle emergency notification device 10 and the emergency notification center 5 is started, the voice processing unit 102 enables a voice call with an operator at the emergency notification center via the speaker 24 and the microphone 25. For this reason, the voice processing unit 102 is connected to the speaker 24 (in-vehicle speaker 241 and exterior speaker 242) that outputs the operator's voice and the microphone 25 (in-vehicle microphone 251 and exterior microphone 252) that converts the voice of the occupant into an electrical signal as an input/output interface.

The voice processing unit 102 converts the voice collected by the microphone 25 into a digital signal to generate a voice transmission signal, and also converts the digital received signal obtained from the communication ECU 20 into an analog signal to generate a received voice, which is output from the speaker 24. This allows the vehicle occupant to have a hands-free voice conversation with an operator at the emergency call center.

The voice processing unit 102 appropriately switches the speaker 24 and microphone 25 used for voice communication depending on the position of the occupant detected by the occupant monitoring ECU 22 (e.g., inside or outside the vehicle). That is, when the occupant remains inside the vehicle, the voice processing unit 102 performs voice communication using the in-vehicle speaker 241 and the in-vehicle microphone 251, and when the occupant leaves the vehicle, the voice processing unit 102 performs voice communication using the exterior speaker 242 and the exterior microphone 252. This allows the voice communication to continue even if, for example, an occupant who was talking inside the vehicle leaves the vehicle during the call.

3 and 4 show an example of the mounting positions of the exterior speaker 242 and the exterior microphone 252. As shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, the exterior speaker 242 and the exterior microphone 252 can be provided along the pillars at the front and rear of the vehicle 1. By arranging the exterior speaker 242 and the exterior microphone 252 in this manner, it is possible to collect sound from all directions outside the vehicle 1, and it is also possible to hear the sound emitted from the speaker in all directions outside the vehicle. In addition, it is easy to notify the outside of the vehicle of the positions of the exterior speaker 242 and the exterior microphone 252 by the display unit 23 described later.

Note that if the in-vehicle speaker 241 has a wide sound-collecting area, high sound-collecting performance, or the like, and it is possible to continue a voice call with an occupant who has left the vehicle without using the exterior speaker 242, it is not necessarily necessary to switch to the exterior speaker 242. Similarly, if the in-vehicle microphone 251 has a wide sound-collecting area, high sound-collecting performance, or the like, and it is possible to continue a voice call with an occupant who has left the vehicle without using the exterior microphone 252, it is not necessarily necessary to switch to the exterior microphone 252.

When an emergency call is initiated by the emergency call unit 101, the call notification unit 103 notifies the outside that the vehicle 1 is making an emergency call. Here, the notification to the outside can be, for example, by displaying the fact that a call is being made on the display unit 23 described below, by outputting a voice or sound to the outside of the vehicle 1 using the external speaker 242 described below, or by outputting a voice in addition to displaying on the display unit 23.

In addition to the above, the notification unit 103 can notify communication terminals carried by occupants of other vehicles and pedestrians within a predetermined range of the vehicle 1 that the vehicle 1 is making an emergency call via the communication network 7 or short-range communication. The notification unit 103 may also notify that a voice call is in progress.

When the communication unit ECU 20 receives a start command signal from the emergency call unit 101 or an incoming call from the emergency call center 5, it performs wireless communication with the emergency call center 5. While the communication line with the emergency call center 5 is connected, the communication ECU 20 transmits information acquired from the in-vehicle network 3 to the emergency call center 5 via the communication network 7. The communication ECU 20 also receives information from the emergency call center 5 via the communication network 7, and outputs the received information to the in-vehicle network 3. This realizes a voice call between an operator at the emergency call center 5 and an occupant of the vehicle 1, which is executed by the voice processing unit 102 of the vehicle emergency call device 10.

The collision detection ECU 21 detects that a collision has occurred as an example of an emergency situation in the vehicle 1. The collision detection ECU is connected to, for example, an acceleration sensor that detects an impact applied to the vehicle 1 based on the acceleration of the vehicle 1, and detects a collision of the vehicle 1 when the acceleration or deceleration of the vehicle 1 exceeds a predetermined threshold value. When the collision detection ECU 21 detects a collision of the vehicle 1, it outputs a collision detection signal to the in-vehicle network 3.

The occupant monitoring ECU 22 is connected to a microphone 25, a camera 26, a seating sensor (not shown) installed on the seat, a door opening/closing sensor (not shown), etc., and monitors the state of the occupants and whether the occupants are seated. The occupant monitoring ECU 22 outputs information about the occupants to the in-vehicle network 3 as necessary, for example, when it detects that the occupant has left the vehicle.

The display unit 23 is composed of, for example, a HUD (Head-Up Display) and can display a speed display, a navigation image, and the like on the windshield of the vehicle 1 to the occupants in the cabin of the vehicle 1, particularly the driver. In addition, according to a display instruction from the notification unit 103 of the vehicle emergency notification device 10, a display can be displayed on the windshield or rear windshield of the vehicle 1 that the occupants of the vehicle 1 are making an emergency call, so that it can be seen from outside the vehicle.

The speaker 24 can output a voice response from the emergency call center 5, and can output a voice indicating that an emergency call is being made or a specified ringing sound to the outside of the vehicle in accordance with a notification instruction from the notification notification unit 103. The speaker 24 does not necessarily have to be dedicated to emergency calls, and can be used, for example, as a speaker for an audio device or navigation system mounted in the vehicle. The speaker 24 includes an in-vehicle speaker 241 that mainly outputs sound to the inside of the vehicle cabin, and an exterior speaker 242 that mainly outputs sound to the outside of the vehicle cabin. The in-vehicle speaker 241 is, for example, disposed on the driver's door facing the vehicle cabin. The exterior speaker 242 can be disposed, for example, near the side mirror or near the base end of the wiper.

The microphone 25 is used for voice calls by the occupants, and preferably has a sound collection area in the vicinity of the driver to collect only the voice of the driver while excluding the voices of other occupants and noise outside the vehicle. The microphone 25 includes an interior microphone 251 that mainly collects voices inside the vehicle cabin, and an exterior microphone 252 that mainly collects voices outside the vehicle cabin.

The camera 26 includes an in-vehicle camera 261 that captures images of the interior of the vehicle cabin and an exterior camera 262 that captures images of the exterior of the vehicle cabin. Images captured by the in-vehicle camera 261 and the exterior camera 262 are output to the in-vehicle network 3. The images captured by the in-vehicle camera 261 and the exterior camera 262 are used, for example, when the occupant monitoring ECU 22 monitors the positions of occupants.

Next, a process flow in the vehicle emergency notification device thus configured will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.
2 is a flowchart showing the process in the vehicle emergency call device 10. When the collision detection ECU 21 detects a collision of the vehicle 1 and outputs a collision detection signal to the in-vehicle network 3 (step S101), the emergency call unit 101 outputs a start command signal for starting an emergency call to the communication ECU 20 (step S102). When the emergency call is started, the call notification unit 103 starts to notify the outside of the vehicle 1 that the vehicle 1 is making an emergency call (step S103).

When the communication line with the emergency call center 5 is connected, the voice processing unit 102 starts a voice call between the occupant of the vehicle 1 and the operator of the emergency call center 5 (step S104). During the call, the occupant's position is monitored by the occupant monitoring ECU 22 (step S105), and if the occupant remains in the vehicle, the voice call continues through the in-vehicle speaker 241 and the in-vehicle microphone 251.

On the other hand, when it is detected that the occupant has left the vehicle compartment, the voice processing unit 102 switches the speaker and microphone used for voice calls to the exterior speaker 242 and exterior microphone 252 (step S106).

The occupant monitoring ECU 22 monitors the status of the call outside the vehicle (step S107), and when the call outside the vehicle ends, the exterior speaker 242 and the exterior microphone 252 are turned off (step S108) and switched to the interior speaker 241 and the interior microphone 251. When the voice call ends and the emergency call ends (step S109), the notification by the notification unit 103 that a call is being made ends (step S110).

The system waits for a certain period of time after the end of the notification by the notification unit 103 for an incoming call from the emergency notification center 5 (step S111), and if an incoming call is received, the system returns to step S103 and repeats the above-mentioned process. If no incoming call is received, the system waits for an incoming call until a predetermined waiting time for an incoming call has elapsed (step S112), and if no incoming call is received during the waiting time for an incoming call, the system ends this process.

As described above, according to this embodiment, when an emergency call is initiated, a notification that a call is being made is sent to the outside of the vehicle, so that even if the occupants remain inside the vehicle, it is possible to know from the outside that the call is being made appropriately. This prevents, for example, the occupants from misunderstanding that they are in a situation where they are unable to make an emergency call or have neglected to check the surrounding situation.

In addition, the vehicle's speaker and microphone enable voice communication with the emergency call center, allowing hands-free communication and allowing passengers to simultaneously check the situation of an accident and report it. In particular, by appropriately switching between the speakers and microphones installed inside and outside the vehicle, voice communication can be continued even when passengers leave the vehicle to check the situation around them, allowing for quick and accurate provision of information on the accident situation, etc.

As described above, according to this embodiment, when a vehicle accident or the like occurs, it is possible to notify people outside the vehicle that an emergency call has been made, and to simultaneously carry out a voice call and check the situation outside the vehicle, thereby quickly and accurately reporting that an emergency situation has occurred and its situation.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments, and the present invention includes design changes and the like that do not deviate from the gist of the present invention. In addition, the above-mentioned embodiments can be combined by reusing each other's technologies, as long as there are no particular contradictions or problems in the purpose, configuration, etc.

1: Vehicle, 2: Control system, 3: In-vehicle network, 5: Emergency call center, 7: Communication network, 10: Vehicle emergency call device, 20: Communication ECU, 21: Collision detection ECU, 22: Occupant monitoring ECU, 23: Display unit, 24: Speaker, 25: Microphone, 26: Camera, 101: Emergency call unit, 102: Audio processing unit, 103: Reporting unit, 241: In-vehicle speaker, 242: Outside-vehicle speaker, 251: In-vehicle microphone, 252: Outside-vehicle microphone, 261: In-vehicle camera, 262: Outside-vehicle camera

Claims (6)

an emergency call unit that makes an emergency call to an emergency call center in response to an occurrence of an emergency situation in the vehicle or an input of an emergency call instruction;
a notification notification unit that notifies the outside of the vehicle that a notification is being made to the emergency notification center during an emergency call by the emergency call unit ;
a voice processing unit for performing a voice call with the emergency call center via a speaker and a microphone when the emergency call unit makes an emergency call;
Equipped with
The speaker is capable of amplifying sound in all directions inside and outside the vehicle,
The microphone is capable of collecting sound from all directions inside and outside the vehicle,
The voice processing unit continues the voice call even when an occupant of the vehicle moves from inside the vehicle to outside the vehicle . an emergency call unit that makes an emergency call to an emergency call center in response to an occurrence of an emergency situation in the vehicle or an input of an emergency call instruction;
a notification notification unit that notifies the outside of the vehicle that a notification is being made to the emergency notification center during an emergency call by the emergency call unit ;
a voice processing unit for performing a voice call with the emergency call center via a speaker and a microphone when the emergency call unit makes an emergency call;
Equipped with
The speaker includes an interior speaker provided in a vehicle cabin and an exterior speaker provided outside the vehicle cabin,
The microphone includes an interior microphone provided in a vehicle interior and an exterior microphone provided outside the vehicle interior,
The voice processing unit switches between the in-vehicle speaker and the exterior speaker, and switches between the in-vehicle microphone and the exterior microphone for use in the voice call depending on a position of an occupant in the vehicle. an emergency call unit that makes an emergency call to an emergency call center in response to an occurrence of an emergency situation in the vehicle or an input of an emergency call instruction;
a notification notification unit that notifies the outside of the vehicle that a notification is being made to the emergency notification center during an emergency call by the emergency call unit;
Equipped with
The notification unit is an emergency notification device for a vehicle that notifies communication terminals carried by occupants of other vehicles and pedestrians within a predetermined range of the vehicle that the vehicle is making an emergency call . 3. The vehicle emergency notification device according to claim 1 , wherein the notification unit notifies communication terminals carried by occupants of other vehicles and pedestrians within a predetermined range of the vehicle that the vehicle is making an emergency call. 4. The vehicle emergency call device according to claim 1 , wherein the call notification unit notifies the outside of the vehicle that an emergency call is being made by outputting a sound to the outside of the vehicle. The vehicle emergency call device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the call notification unit notifies outside the vehicle that an emergency call is being made by displaying characters or images visible from outside the vehicle on a display unit mounted on the vehicle.