IP Library Granted Patent US 12668178
Granted Patent B2
US 12668178 · App. 18/570,930 · Granted Jun 30, 2026

Lost article prevention device, lost article prevention program, and lost article prevention method

Inventors: Kota Ito (Kanagawa, JP); Kotaro Chiba (Kanagawa, JP); Takehiro Miyoshi (Kanagawa, JP); Tatsuomi Nakayama (Kanagawa, JP); Hideki Agata (Kanagawa, JP)
Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
B60Q9/00E05B81/56E05F15/70G06V20/52G06V20/59
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12668178
App. No.
18/570,930
Granted
Jun 30, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A lost article prevention device includes a sensor, a communication device, and a controller. The sensor is configured to detect a state inside a vehicle cabin. The communication device is configured to receive alighting point information being information of an alighting point of a passenger. The controller is configured to determine whether or not a vehicle has arrived at the alighting point on a basis of the alighting point information, and determine whether or not a lost article of the passenger is present in the vehicle cabin on a basis of a detection result of the sensor. The controller releases a closed state of a door when the vehicle is determined to have arrived at the alighting point and the lost article is determined not to be present, and maintains the closed state of the door when the vehicle is determined to have arrived at the alighting point and the lost article is determined to be present.

Claims (34)

1 . A lost article prevention device comprising:

a sensor configured to detect a state inside a vehicle cabin;

a communication device configured to receive alighting point information being information of an alighting point of a passenger; and

a controller configured to determine whether or not a vehicle has arrived at the alighting point on a basis of the alighting point information, and determine whether or not a lost article of the passenger is present in the vehicle cabin on a basis of a detection result of the sensor,

wherein when the vehicle is determined to have arrived at the alighting point and the lost article is determined to be present, the controller estimates whether or not the passenger intends to recover the lost article based on a behavior of the passenger detected by the sensor, including whether or not a gaze of the passenger is directed toward the lost article, and

wherein the controller maintains a closed state of a door when the passenger is estimated to intend to recover the lost article, and releases the closed state of the door when the passenger is estimated not to intend to recover the lost article, and

wherein the controller releases the closed state of the door when the vehicle is determined to have arrived at the alighting point and the lost article is determined not to be present.

2 . The lost article prevention device according to claim 1 , wherein the controller maintains the door locked when maintaining the closed state of the door.

3 . The lost article prevention device according to claim 1 , wherein the controller opens the door from the closed state when it is determined that the lost article is not present, after having determined that the vehicle has arrived at the alighting point and that the lost article is present and having maintained the closed state of the door.

4 . The lost article prevention device according to claim 1 , wherein the controller notifies the passenger of a presence or absence of the lost article.

5 . The lost article prevention device according to claim 4 , wherein the controller notifies the presence of the lost article when the vehicle is estimated to arrive at the alighting point within a threshold time or approaches a threshold distance from the alighting point.

6 . The lost article prevention device according to claim 5 , comprising a display device configured to display a visual image in the vehicle cabin,

wherein the controller causes the display device to display the notification of the lost article.

7 . The lost article prevention device according to claim 6 , wherein the display device transparently displays the visual image on a glass of a window around a seat of the passenger or on a glass of the door.

8 . The lost article prevention device according to claim 7 , wherein the display device forms the visual image on the glass or reflects the visual image on the glass.

9 . The lost article prevention device according to claim 7 , wherein the controller determines whether or not the passenger has left the seat, and causes the display device to display the notification of the lost article on the window of the seat when the passenger has not left the seat, and causes the display device to display the notification of the lost article on the door when the passenger has left the seat.

10 . The lost article prevention device according to claim 6 , wherein the display device displays the visual image on a trim near the window or on a trim of the door.

11 . The lost article prevention device according to claim 6 , wherein the display device displays the visual image including an image or diagram of the lost article.

12 . The lost article prevention device according to claim 5 , wherein the controller causes the communication device to transmit a signal to a terminal device possessed by the passenger and vibrate the terminal device to notify the lost article.

13 . The lost article prevention device according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor is a sensor configured to detect a lost article in the vehicle cabin.

14 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a lost article prevention program for causing a controller to execute:

acquiring alighting point information from a communication device configured to receive the alighting point information being information of an alighting point of a passenger;

determining whether or not a lost article of the passenger is present in a vehicle cabin on a basis of a detection result of a sensor configured to detect a state inside the vehicle cabin;

determining whether or not a vehicle has arrived at the alighting point on a basis of the alighting point information;

when the vehicle is determined to have arrived at the alighting point and the lost article is determined to be present, estimating whether or not the passenger intends to recover the lost article based on a behavior of the passenger detected by the sensor, including whether or not a gaze of the passenger is directed toward the lost article;

maintaining a closed state of a door when the passenger is estimated to intend to recover the lost article, and releasing the closed state of the door when the passenger is estimated not to intend to recover the lost article; and

releasing the closed state of the door when the vehicle is determined to have arrived at the alighting point and the lost article is determined not to be present.

15 . A lost article prevention method comprising causing a control to execute:

acquiring alighting point information from a communication device configured to receive the alighting point information being information of an alighting point of a passenger;

determining whether or not a lost article of the passenger is present in a vehicle cabin on a basis of a detection result of a sensor configured to detect a state inside the vehicle cabin;

determining whether or not a vehicle has arrived at the alighting point on a basis of the alighting point information;

when the vehicle is determined to have arrived at the alighting point and the lost article is determined to be present, estimating whether or not the passenger intends to recover the lost article based on a behavior of the passenger detected by the sensor, including whether or not a gaze of the passenger is directed toward the lost article;

maintaining a closed state of a door when the passenger is estimated to intend to recover the lost article, and releasing the closed state of the door when the passenger is estimated not to intend to recover the lost article; and

releasing the closed state of the door when the vehicle is determined to have arrived at the alighting point and the lost article is determined not to be present.