Alcohol concentration detecting device

• US 20110102182A1
• Filed: 11/01/2010
• Published: 05/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Ohya, Naoshi
• Granted Patent: US 8,441,357 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/576
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/06 responsive to incapacity of driver
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/497 of gaseous biological material, e.g. breath

Abstract

An alcohol concentration detecting device for a vehicle includes an alcohol sensor to detect alcohol component contained in an expiration of an occupant of the vehicle, a gas sensor to detect gas components other than the alcohol component contained in the expiration, and a controller to calculate alcohol concentration based on detection value of the alcohol sensor. The controller corrects the calculated alcohol concentration based on detection value of the gas sensor. The alcohol sensor and the gas sensor are configured to further detect a state of air in a passenger compartment of the vehicle.

Claims

1. An alcohol concentration detecting device for a vehicle comprising:

an alcohol sensor to detect alcohol component contained in an expiration of an occupant of the vehicle;

a gas sensor to detect gas components other than the alcohol component contained in the expiration; and

an alcohol-detecting controller to calculate an alcohol concentration of the expiration based on a detection value of the alcohol sensor, wherein

the alcohol-detecting controller corrects the calculated alcohol concentration based on a detection value of the gas sensor, and

the alcohol sensor and the gas sensor are configured to further detect a state of air in a passenger compartment of the vehicle.

2. The alcohol concentration detecting device according to claim 1, further comprising:

an expiration drawing portion to draw the expiration; and

an alarm portion to report the state of air in the passenger compartment based on the detection values of the alcohol sensor and the gas sensor, wherein

the expiration drawing portion draws air in the passenger compartment when the state of air in the passenger compartment is detected.

3. The alcohol concentration detecting device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a temperature sensor and a humidity sensor, wherein

the alarm portion reports a temperature and a humidity of air in the passenger compartment as one index of the state of air based on detection values of the temperature sensor and the humidity sensor.

4. The alcohol concentration detecting device according to claim 3, further comprising:

an odor sensor; and

an air purity calculator to calculate a purity of air in the passenger compartment as one index of the state of air in the passenger compartment, wherein

the air purity calculator calculates the air purity based on detection values of the alcohol sensor, the humidity sensor and the odor sensor, and

the alarm portion reports the calculated air purity to the occupant.

5. The alcohol concentration detecting device according to claim 4, further comprising:

an air-conditioning controller to control air-conditioning of the passenger, compartment; and

an air inlet switching portion to switch an air inlet mode of the air-conditioning, wherein

the alcohol-detecting controller is connected to the air-conditioning controller through a communication line so that the detection values of the temperature sensor and the humidity sensor are transmitted between the alcohol-detecting controller and the air-conditioning controller, and

the alcohol-detecting controller sends a control signal to the air-conditioning controller based on the calculated air purity so that the air inlet switching portion is controlled to change the air inlet mode from an inside air circulation mode to an outside air introduction mode.

6. The alcohol concentration detecting device according to claim 4, further comprising:

an air-conditioning controller to control air-conditioning of the passenger compartment; and

an air inlet switching portion to switch an air inlet mode of the air-conditioning, wherein

the alcohol-detecting controller is connected to the air-conditioning controller through a communication line so that the detection values of the temperature sensor, the humidity sensor, the alcohol sensor and the odor sensor are transmitted between the alcohol-detecting controller and the air-conditioning controller, and

the air-conditioning controller controls the air inlet switching portion based on the calculated air purity so that the air inlet mode is changed from an inside air circulation mode to an outside air introduction mode.