JP2004200986A - Vehicle with driving state supervisory apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a vehicle with a driving state supervisory apparatus to which a mobile phone can be mounted in place of an exclusive communication apparatus in an easily removable and chargeable way. <P>SOLUTION: A mobile phone holder 21 is provided adjacent to an operation panel 5 placed in the middle of a steering wheel 6. The mobile phone PH receives an instruction from a communication interface circuit provided to the vehicle 1 and is set to a standby state, and the start and end of communication is automatically controlled. The mobile phone PH transmits data denoting the driving state of the vehicle 1 to the outside. The screen of the mobile phone PH displays the details of a detected fault and a behavior instruction corresponding to the fault. The mobile phone holder 21 is provided with a power charge function for the mobile phone PH installed therein. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a vehicle with a driving state monitoring device, and more particularly to a vehicle with a driving state monitoring device that can communicate a driving state with a general-purpose communication device.
[0002]
[Prior art]
It is known to monitor the driving state of a vehicle at a remote location. For example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 9-315272 discloses a vehicle in which a failure diagnosis device with a communication device is mounted on a vehicle and a diagnosis result is transmitted to a base station.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
Instead of mounting a dedicated communication device on the vehicle for transmitting the diagnosis result, it is conceivable to mount a mobile phone used by the driver on a daily basis. However, for example, in a small vehicle such as an electric vehicle used by elderly people or the like, it is not easy to secure a place to attach the mobile phone. In particular, it is necessary to consider that the operation is frequently performed such that the vehicle is attached so that it can be connected to the failure diagnosis device when the vehicle is driven and is removed and carried when leaving the vehicle. That is, it is necessary to secure a place that is easy to attach and detach and is difficult to forget to remove.
[0004]
In addition, if the mobile phone is frequently used for communication in the driving state, the battery of the mobile phone is consumed very much, so that charging of the battery must also be considered.
[0005]
In view of the above-described problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle with an operation state monitoring device that can be easily attached and detached and can be mounted with a mobile phone in place of a dedicated communication device.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above-described problems and achieve the object, the present invention provides a mobile phone holding device provided on a handle in front of a driver seat in a vehicle with a driving state monitoring device that detects data indicating the driving state of the vehicle. And a communication unit that transmits data detected by the operation state monitoring device to the outside using a mobile phone held in the holding device. In addition, the present invention has a second feature in that the holding device is disposed adjacent to an operation panel disposed on the handle.
[0007]
According to the first and second features, the driving state is transmitted to the outside only by housing a familiar mobile phone in the holding device in front of the driver's seat instead of the dedicated communication device. In particular, according to the second feature, since the mobile phone is placed adjacent to the operation panel that is easy for the occupant to see, forgetting to remove when leaving the vehicle can be prevented.
[0008]
Further, the present invention provides the holding device, the charging terminal for charging the battery in the mobile phone to be accommodated by an in-vehicle battery, and the charging terminal and the mobile phone in a state where the mobile phone is accommodated in the holding device. A third feature is that the charging terminal is connected to the charging terminal on the side. According to the third feature, since the mobile phone is frequently used as a communication device while the vehicle is traveling, the communication device function can be prevented from being lowered by always allowing charging.
[0009]
The present invention also provides means for detecting that the mobile phone housed in the holding device has been removed from the holding device while the vehicle is running, and when detecting that the mobile phone has been removed. There is a fourth feature in that it is provided with a means for alarming until it stops. According to the fourth feature, it is possible to prompt the occupant to stop the vehicle when a call is required during traveling of the vehicle. Moreover, by using a warning when the mobile phone is removed, the use of the mobile phone while using the vehicle can be suppressed, and the situation in which the driving state cannot be transmitted can be reduced as much as possible.
[0010]
In addition, the present invention has a fifth feature in that the communication unit includes means for setting the mobile phone accommodated in the holding device in a standby state and controlling the start and end of communication. . According to the fifth feature, communication is automatically started and ended only by accommodating the mobile phone in the holding device.
[0011]
Further, the present invention is characterized in that the driving state monitoring device includes a detecting unit that detects a vehicle failure, and the communication unit displays the content of the failure on a display screen of the mobile phone. There is a sixth feature. According to the sixth feature, the occupant can recognize the content of the failure by displaying the display screen.
[0012]
Further, the present invention has a seventh feature in that the communication unit is configured to display an action instruction corresponding to the failure on a display screen of the mobile phone. According to the seventh feature, since the action to be taken in response to the failure is instructed by the display on the display screen, it is possible to quickly cope with the failure.
[0013]
In addition, the present invention has an eighth feature in that the communication unit is configured to transmit an occupant's request for the action instruction to an external contact using the mobile phone. According to the eighth feature, an action instruction corresponding to the failure is notified to an external contact.
[0014]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 2 is a view of the electric vehicle according to the embodiment of the present invention as viewed from the right rear. In the figure, an electric vehicle 1 is a four-wheeled vehicle driven by a motor, for example, a vehicle for elderly people traveling at a maximum speed of 6 km / hour. The body frame 2 constituting the vehicle body includes a front part 2a, a rear part 2b, and a step 2c. A pair of left and right front wheels 3 (the left front wheel is hidden) is supported on the front portion 2a, and a steering post 4 connected to the front wheel 3 extends rearward in the upper part. A steering handle 6 having an operation panel 5 is mounted on the steering post 4. Turn signal lamps (winker lamps) 7R and 7L as direction indicators are provided on the left and right side surfaces of the front portion 2a of the vehicle body frame 2. An indicator for displaying the operation of the turn signal lamps 7R and 7L is provided on the operation panel 5. On the left side of the operation panel 5 is mounted a mobile phone PH that transmits the driving state of the electric vehicle 1, for example, the position of the vehicle, battery voltage, accelerator angle sensor, and the like to a preset transmission destination.
[0015]
A pair of left and right rear wheels 8, which are drive wheels, are supported on the rear portion 2 b of the vehicle body frame 2. A seat 9 is provided on the upper surface of the rear portion 2b, and a motor, a battery for driving the motor, and a battery charger (both not shown) are provided below the seat 9.
[0016]
FIG. 1 is a plan view of the steering handle 6. The steering handle 6 has left and right grips 10, 11, and ends of the grips 10, 11 project to the left and right to bend forward and are joined at the center to form a link. An operation panel 5 is disposed at the center of the steering handle 6. A volume 12 that adjusts the traveling speed is arranged in the center of the operation panel 5, and a select switch 13 that selects forward / backward movement of the vehicle is provided in front of the volume 12. A turn signal switch (blinker switch) 14 is provided in front of the left side of the volume 12. A horn switch 15 and a headlight switch 16 are provided on the foremost side of the operation panel 5, and a key hole 17 of a main switch is provided in the middle of them.
[0017]
A travel lever 18 protrudes from the right side of the operation panel 5. The lever 18 is bent in a crank shape, and the vehicle travels when the end 18a is pushed down, and stops when released. Further, a brake lever and a mirror (not shown) are attached to the left front portion 6 a of the steering handle 6.
[0018]
A display 19 is provided in front of the center of the operation panel 5. The indicator 19 is an LED display device that has both a battery remaining capacity display function and an operation display function of the blinker lamp 7 (the blinker turn signal lamps 7R and 7L). The display 19 includes a plurality (5 in this example) of LEDs 20 arranged in a horizontal (left and right) row. The number of LEDs 20 corresponding to the remaining battery level is lit, and the turn signal switch 14 is operated. Sometimes it lights up in a scheduled pattern corresponding to the switching position.
[0019]
A mobile phone holder 21 for mounting the mobile phone PH is provided on the left side of the operation panel 5. The mobile phone holder 21 is fixed to a stay (described later) coupled to a base member 22 that supports the operation panel 5. The mobile phone holder 21 has a guide portion 211 that allows the main body (the side on which buttons and keys are arranged) to be mounted in a state in which the foldable mobile phone PH is opened. A communication connector 212 that can be coupled to an external connection terminal of the mobile phone PH is provided at the bottom of the mobile phone holder 21. A cable 23 with a connection terminal is pulled out from the communication connector 212. The cable 23 is connected to a communication unit (described later) for transmitting data indicating the operating state of the electric vehicle 1 to the base station through the mobile phone PH. The communication unit can be accommodated in the base member 22 or in the vehicle body frame that covers the lower portion of the handle post 4.
[0020]
3 is a front view of the mobile phone holder 21, FIG. 4 is a side view, and FIG. 5 is a top view. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the mobile phone holder 21 has a stay 213, and the stay 213 is fixed to the base member 22 with a set screw 24 (see FIG. 5). The communication connector 212 provided on the bottom of the mobile phone holder 21 is adapted to an external connection terminal provided on the bottom surface of the mobile phone PH. The lower region 214 of the mobile phone holder 21 can be made transparent so that it can be recognized that the external connection terminal of the mobile phone PH and the communication connector 212 are securely connected. In addition, a lock unit can be provided so that the connection between the external connection terminal and the communication connector 212 is not loosened due to vibration during traveling of the vehicle 1. The eject button 25 is provided to release the lock means.
[0021]
Further, the mobile phone holder 21 can have a function as a storage battery charging device provided inside the mobile phone PH. A charging terminal 26 is provided on the top of the mobile phone holder 21. The charging terminal 26 is supplied with electric power adapted to electrical specifications from a battery mounted on the electric vehicle 1 through a cable 27. The installation position of the charging terminal 26 is determined so as to correspond to the position of the charging terminal on the mobile phone PH side.
[0022]
FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a communication system mounted on the electric vehicle 1. The communication unit 28 includes a CPU 218, an EEPROM 282, a communication interface circuit 284, and a power supply unit 285. The ECU 29 controls the motor that drives the vehicle and monitors the operating state of the electric vehicle 1. The communication interface circuit 284 is connected to the ECU 29, reads information indicating the driving state of the electric vehicle 1 detected by the ECU 29, and communicates this information and the like from the communication device 283 to the base station 30 via radio. The mobile phone PH is connected to the communication interface circuit 284 and communicates with the base station 30 according to an instruction input from the CPU 29 via the communication interface circuit 284.
[0023]
The ECU 29 transmits sensing data from various sensors provided in the electric vehicle 1, for example, accelerator sensors for detecting the amount of depression of the travel lever 18 and a battery voltage detection device, to the communication unit 28. The status data of the vehicle 1 is sent to the general public network 100.
[0024]
The electric vehicle 1 can be equipped with a GPS receiving circuit 31 that receives GPS (Global Positioning System) signals. In that case, the position of the electric vehicle 1 is calculated based on the position information detected by the CPU 281 and the GPS receiving circuit 31 of the communication unit 28.
[0025]
The mobile phone PH has a liquid crystal display screen for displaying the communication status, mail communication text, and the like. In the present embodiment, the operation status (failure status) of the electric vehicle 1 can be displayed on the display screen.
[0026]
FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a display operation on the display screen of the mobile phone PH. In step S1, it is determined whether or not a failure has occurred in the control system of the electric vehicle 1. This is determined by whether or not the detection signals of the various sensors arranged in the electric vehicle 1 have values indicating failure. If it is determined that a failure has occurred, the process proceeds to step S 2, and related data indicating the failure is transmitted from the ECU 29 to the communication interface 284 of the communication unit 28. In step S3, it is determined whether or not data transmission is completed. If step S3 is affirmative, the process proceeds to step S4.
[0027]
In step S4, failure-related data is transmitted to the public line network (telephone network) 100 using the mobile phone PH. In step S5, a display control signal is transmitted from the communication interface 284 to the mobile phone PH. The mobile phone PH recognizes items to be displayed on the display screen by this display control signal. In step S6, it is determined whether or not data transmission is completed. If step S6 is affirmative, the process proceeds to step S7.
[0028]
In step S7, communication between management centers is performed. The management center is provided in a maintenance facility of the electric vehicle 1 or an organization that monitors the behavior of the user of the electric vehicle 1 (for example, a nursing facility such as a hospital, a nursing home, or a nursing home). The management center can recognize the driving state of the electric vehicle 1 and monitor the necessity of maintenance of the vehicle and the behavior of the user.
[0029]
In step S8, the failure mode and the action instruction are displayed on the display screen of the mobile phone PH. The failure mode display is, for example, “acceleration angle sensor failure” or “rotation sensor failure”. Examples of behavior indications are “Check sensor A connector”, “Charge battery”, and so on.
[0030]
In step S9, it is determined whether or not there is an instruction for requesting a treatment request for the action instruction. The presence / absence of this instruction is displayed after the action is displayed, for example, after the message “Please press the confirmation button when requesting treatment” is displayed on the display screen, the confirmation button within the scheduled waiting time (the button on the mobile phone) It is determined according to the presence or absence of operation (assigned to either).
[0031]
When the confirmation button is pressed within the waiting time, the process proceeds to step S10, and the failure mode and the treatment request are transmitted to the service base or the designated contact address through the mobile phone PH.
[0032]
FIG. 8 is a detailed flowchart of step S7. In step S71, data is received by the management center, and in step S72, the received data is stored in the storage means of the management center.
[0033]
When the mobile phone PH is attached to the mobile phone holder 21, the mobile phone PH is set to a standby state by an instruction from the communication interface circuit 284. As described above, in accordance with an instruction from the communication unit 28, data communication is performed with a management center, a service base, a designated contact address, or the like using a communication function provided in the mobile phone PH.
[0034]
The communication interface circuit 284 confirms the connection by executing a predetermined protocol or detecting a voltage of a predetermined pin of the communication connector 12 when the mobile phone PH is connected to the communication connector 212. It has a function. If the connection is confirmed, failure related data based on various sensors is transmitted to the mobile phone PH. When the communication is terminated, a communication termination instruction is transmitted from the communication interface circuit 284 to the mobile phone PH.
[0035]
An alarm can be generated when the connection between the mobile phone PH and the communication interface 28 is disconnected while the electric vehicle 1 is traveling, that is, when the mobile phone PH is removed from the mobile phone holder 21. This is for prohibiting the conversation of the user by the mobile phone PH while traveling. Therefore, the alarm is stopped when the electric vehicle 1 stops.
[0036]
Moreover, although the electric vehicle of this embodiment is a low-speed small-sized thing, it is not restricted to this, The electric vehicle of another form may be sufficient. The number of wheels is not limited to four, and may be three. The shape of the steering handle 6 does not have to be a link projecting to the left and right, and may be a rod-shaped handle projecting to the left or right, or a round handle. In any case, the operation panel 5 may be disposed in front of the driver's seat, preferably above the steering post 4, and the mobile phone holder 21 may be installed in the vicinity of the operation panel 5.
[0037]
【The invention's effect】
As is clear from the above description, according to the first to eighth aspects of the invention, the operating state can be notified to the outside without using a dedicated communication device. In addition, since the mobile phone can be accommodated in an easy-to-see position in front of the driver's seat, for example, adjacent to the operation panel, it can be prevented from being misplaced when leaving the vehicle.
[0038]
According to the invention of claim 3, since the mobile phone is used in a sufficiently charged state, it is avoided that transmission of the driving state becomes impossible. According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to prompt the occupant to stop the vehicle when making a call while removing the mobile phone from the holding device during traveling. In addition, it is possible to reduce the chance that the operation state notification becomes impossible by suppressing the removal from the holding device.
[0039]
According to the invention of claim 5, the start / end of transmission is automatically controlled simply by accommodating the mobile phone in the holding device.
[0040]
According to invention of Claim 6, a passenger | crew can recognize a failure easily. According to the invention of claim 7, the passenger can easily recognize the action instruction corresponding to the failure. According to the invention of claim 8, it is possible for an external contact person to recognize the action corresponding to the failure and quickly cope with it.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a plan view of a steering handle provided in an electric vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an electric vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a front view of a mobile phone holder.
FIG. 4 is a side view of the mobile phone holder.
FIG. 5 is a top view of the mobile phone holder.
FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a communication system.
FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing failure-related communication and display processing.
FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing communication processing with the management center.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Electric vehicle, 2 ... Body frame, 4 ... Steering post, 5 ... Operation panel, 6 ... Steering handle, 7R, 7L ... Winker lamp, 14 ... Winker switch, 19 ... Indicator, 20 ... LED, 21 ... Mobile phone Holder, 22 ... Base member, 23 ... Cable, 26 ... Charging terminal

Claims (8)

In a vehicle with a driving state monitoring device that detects data indicating the driving state of the vehicle,
A mobile phone holding device provided on a handle in front of the driver's seat;
A vehicle with a driving state monitoring device, comprising: a communication unit that transmits data detected by the driving state monitoring device to the outside using a mobile phone held in the holding device. The vehicle with a driving state monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein the holding device is disposed adjacent to an operation panel disposed on the steering wheel. The holding device includes a charging terminal that charges a battery in a mobile phone accommodated by an in-vehicle battery,
2. The vehicle with a driving state monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein the mobile phone is configured to be connected to the charging terminal on the mobile phone side in a state where the mobile phone is accommodated in the holding device. . Means for detecting that the mobile phone housed in the holding device is removed from the holding device during traveling of the vehicle;
The vehicle with a driving state monitoring device according to claim 1, further comprising means for warning until the vehicle stops when it is detected that the cellular phone is detached. A vehicle with an operation state monitoring device, wherein the communication unit includes means for setting the mobile phone accommodated in the holding device in a standby state and controlling start and end of communication. The driving state monitoring device comprises a detecting means for detecting a vehicle failure,
The vehicle with a driving state monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein the communication unit is configured to display the content of the failure on a display screen of the mobile phone. The vehicle with a driving state monitoring device according to claim 6, wherein the communication unit is configured to display an action instruction corresponding to the failure on a display screen of the mobile phone. 8. The vehicle with a driving state monitoring device according to claim 7, wherein the communication unit is configured to transmit a passenger's request for the action instruction to an external contact using the mobile phone.

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