Getting-on/off determination apparatus and getting-on/off determination method

A getting-on/off determination apparatus that determines rider's getting-on/off for an inverted two-wheel vehicle that travels while maintaining an inverted state, comprising:

• an optical fiber laid in a step portion that a rider gets on/off;
• light emitting means for emitting detection light, the light emitting means being connected to one end of the optical fiber;
• light receiving means for receiving the detection light emitted from the light emitting means, the light receiving means being connected to another end of the optical fiber;
• a plurality of transmitted light varying means fort varying an amount of transmitted light of the detection light within the optical fiber in conjunction with a vertical displacement of the step portion that occurs when the rider gets on/off the inverted two-wheel vehicle;
• and
• determination means for determining getting-on/off of the rider based on an amount of the detection light received by the light receiving means, wherein
• a plurality of space portions are provided in the optical fiber laid in the step portion, the plurality of space portions being formed by severing the optical fiber in such a manner that ends of the severed optical fiber are spaced by a predetermined distance,
• each of the plurality of transmitted light varying means goes into/comes out from the space portion in conjunction with a vertical displacement of the step portion that occurs when the rider gets on/off the inverted two-wheel vehicle and thereby varying the amount of transmitted light of the detection light,
• the light emitting means, the light receiving means, and the determination means are housed inside a box, which is hermitically sealed and located in a place away from the transmitted light varying means and the space portion,
• the step portion is provided in a vehicle main body,
• the plurality of space portions are formed in a longitudinal direction in the step portion, and
• the transmitted light varying portion is provided so as to correspond to the space portion.

A getting-on/off determination method to determine rider's getting-on/off for an inverted two-wheel vehicle that travels while maintaining an inverted state, comprising:

• emitting detection light from one end of an optical fiber laid in a step portion that a rider gets on/off;
• receiving the emitted detection light from another end of the optical fiber;
• varying an amount of transmitted light of the detection light within the optical fiber in conjunction with a vertical displacement of the step portion that occurs when the rider gets on/off the inverted two-wheel vehicle;
• determining getting-on/off of the rider based on a received amount of the detection light, wherein the light emitting unit that emits the detection light, the light receiving unit that receives the detection light, and the determination unit that determines the getting on/off are housed inside a box, which is hermitically sealed and located in a place away from a transmitted light varying portion that varies the amount of transmitted light,
• the step portion is provided in a vehicle main body,
• the plurality of space portions are formed in a longitudinal direction in the step portion, and
• the transmitted light varying portion is provided so as to correspond to the space portion.