Control device and motion control system

Abstract

The present invention provides a control device that can provide necessary notifications to the user while suppressing excessive notifications that may cause inconvenience. The control device (30) includes: a retry determination unit (32b) that determines whether to perform retry control based on the current position of the vehicle (2) and the target parking position when the vehicle (2) moves toward the target parking position by automatic steering; and a notification control unit (32c) that sends a retry notification to a terminal device (3) based on the determination result of the retry determination unit (32b). If it is determined that retry control should be performed after at least part of the vehicle (2) has reached the target parking position, the notification control unit (32c) sends a retry notification to the terminal device (3); if it is determined that retry control should be performed before at least part of the vehicle (2) has reached the target parking position, the notification control unit (32c) does not send a retry notification to the terminal device (3).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a control device and a motion control system. Background Technology

[0002] In recent years, there has been a demand for improved traffic safety in order to make cities and human settlements more inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable. From the perspective of improving traffic safety, driver assistance technologies and autonomous driving technologies for mobile bodies (e.g., vehicles) are being developed. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology that automatically parks the vehicle in a parking space in response to the operation of a terminal device carried by the driver after disembarking. Furthermore, Patent Document 1 also discloses a technology in which, in automatic parking, the content of the next action is reported audibly before the vehicle begins its next action.

[0003] Existing technical documents

[0004] Patent documents

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-089403 Summary of the Invention

[0006] The problem that the invention aims to solve

[0007] However, from the perspective of suppressing excessive notifications that may bother users while providing the notifications that are necessary for users, there is room for improvement in existing technologies.

[0008] The present invention provides a control device and a mobile control system that can provide necessary notifications to users while suppressing excessive notifications that may cause inconvenience.

[0009] Solution for solving the problem

[0010] The first aspect of the present invention is:

[0011] A control device is configured to communicate with a terminal device outside a mobile body, and, in response to a predetermined movement operation performed on the terminal device, to cause the mobile body to move towards a target position by automatic turning, wherein...

[0012] The control device includes:

[0013] The retry determination unit, when moving the mobile body towards the target position via automatic turning, determines, based on the current position of the mobile body and the target position, whether to execute retry control to move the mobile body towards the target position again after temporarily reversing its direction of travel; and

[0014] The notification control unit, based on the determination result of the retry determination unit, sends a retry notification to the terminal device containing information indicating the intention to perform the retry control.

[0015] If, after at least a portion of the moving body reaches the target location, it is determined that the retry control should be executed, the notification control unit sends the retry notification to the terminal device.

[0016] If it is determined that the retry control should be performed before at least a portion of the moving body reaches the target location, the notification control unit does not send the retry notification to the terminal device.

[0017] The second aspect of the present invention is:

[0018] A mobile control system, comprising:

[0019] The control device of the first aspect of the present invention;

[0020] The moving body, controlled by the control device, moves towards the target location by automatic turning in response to the movement operation performed on the terminal device; and

[0021] The terminal device includes a display unit and is configured to communicate with the control device.

[0022] The control device sends a retry notification to the terminal device, causing the display to show a retry confirmation screen. This retry confirmation screen contains information indicating that the retry control will be executed.

[0023] When the retry notification is received, the terminal device displays the retry confirmation screen on the display unit. After displaying the retry confirmation screen and accepting the specified permission operation, the terminal device sends the retry permission to the control device and displays the mobile operation acceptance screen on the display unit.

[0024] Invention Effects

[0025] According to the present invention, a control device and a mobile control system can be provided that can provide necessary notifications to the user while suppressing excessive notifications that may cause inconvenience. Attached Figure Description

[0026] Figure 1 This is a block diagram illustrating the general structure of a motion control system according to one implementation.

[0027] Figure 2 This is a diagram showing an example of a parking location.

[0028] Figure 3 This is a diagram illustrating a specific example of a situation where retry control is determined to be implemented in the retry decision process.

[0029] Figure 4 This is a diagram illustrating an example of a driving operation receiving screen displayed on a terminal device of a mobility control system according to one embodiment.

[0030] Figure 5 This is a diagram illustrating an example of a retry confirmation screen displayed by a terminal device of a mobile control system according to one embodiment.

[0031] Figure 6 This is a diagram illustrating an example of an end screen displayed by a terminal device of a mobile control system according to one embodiment.

[0032] Figure 7 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of display control processing performed by a terminal device in automatic parking according to one embodiment.

[0033] Figure 8 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of a motion control system in one implementation.

[0034] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0035] 1. Motion Control System

[0036] 2 vehicles (mobile vehicles)

[0037] 3 terminal devices

[0038] 30 control devices

[0039] 32b Retry Decision Unit

[0040] 32C Notification Control Department

[0041] 92 Target parking location (target location)

[0042] G2a retry control execution information

[0043] G2b location relationship information

[0044] E Direction Information

[0045] G1 driving operation receiving screen (movement operation receiving screen)

[0046] G2 Retry Confirmation Screen

[0047] G3 End Screen Detailed Implementation

[0048] An embodiment of the control device and motion control system of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Hereinafter, an example in which the moving body in the present invention is a vehicle will be described. Furthermore, in this specification and the like, for the sake of simplicity and clarity, directions such as front-back, left-right, and up-down are described according to the direction observed by the driver of the vehicle. Additionally, hereafter, the same or similar elements will be labeled with the same or similar reference numerals, and their descriptions may sometimes be appropriately omitted or simplified.

[0049] [Movement Control System]

[0050] Figure 1 The mobility control system 1 shown in this embodiment is configured to include a vehicle 2 and a terminal device 3 capable of communicating with each other. By remotely operating the terminal device 3, the vehicle 2 is automatically steered to a predetermined target parking position and then parked at that target parking position. Hereinafter, the situation in which the vehicle 2 is automatically steered to a target parking position and then parked at that target parking position by remotely operating the terminal device 3 will be referred to as "automatic parking".

[0051] [vehicle]

[0052] Vehicle 2 is an automobile with a drive source and wheels (neither shown). The wheels include drive wheels powered by the drive source and steering wheels capable of steering. For example, vehicle 2 is a four-wheeled automobile with a pair of front wheels and a pair of rear wheels. The drive source of vehicle 2 can be an electric motor, an internal combustion engine such as a gasoline engine or a diesel engine, or a combination of an electric motor and an internal combustion engine. Furthermore, the drive source of vehicle 2 can drive either the pair of front wheels, the pair of rear wheels, or all four wheels (a pair of front wheels and a pair of rear wheels). Either the front wheels or the rear wheels can be steering wheels, or both can be steering wheels.

[0053] like Figure 1 As shown, vehicle 2 includes sensor group 10, navigation device 20, control device 30, EPS system (electric power steering system) 40, communication unit 50, drive force control system 60 and braking force control system 70.

[0054] Sensor group 10 acquires various detection values ​​related to vehicle 2 or its surroundings. The detection values ​​acquired by sensor group 10 are used, for example, for the aforementioned automatic parking. Sensor group 10 includes a front camera 11a, a rear camera 11b, a left-side camera 11c, a right-side camera 11d, a front sonar group 12a, a rear sonar group 12b, a left-side sonar group 12c, and a right-side sonar group 12d. These cameras and sonar groups function as external sensors for acquiring information about the surroundings of vehicle 2.

[0055] The front camera 11a, rear camera 11b, left-side camera 11c, and right-side camera 11d output image data of the surrounding environment obtained by capturing images of the area around the vehicle 2 to the control device 30. The surrounding environment images captured by the front camera 11a, rear camera 11b, left-side camera 11c, and right-side camera 11d are respectively referred to as the front image, rear image, left-side image, and right-side image. The image composed of the left-side image and the right-side image is also referred to as the side image.

[0056] The front sonar group 12a, rear sonar group 12b, left-side sonar group 12c, and right-side sonar group 12d emit sound waves to the periphery of the vehicle 2 and receive reflected sound from other objects. The front sonar group 12a, for example, includes four sonars. The sonars constituting the front sonar group 12a are respectively equipped at the left diagonally forward, left front, right front, and right diagonally forward of the vehicle 2. The rear sonar group 12b, for example, includes four sonars. The sonars constituting the rear sonar group 12b are respectively equipped at the left diagonally rear, left rear, right rear, and right diagonally rear of the vehicle 2. The left-side sonar group 12c, for example, includes two sonars. The sonars constituting the left-side sonar group 12c are respectively equipped at the front left side and rear left side of the vehicle 2. The right-side sonar group 12d, for example, includes two sonars. The sonars constituting the right-side sonar group 12d are respectively equipped at the front right side and rear right side of the vehicle 2.

[0057] The sensor group 10 also includes wheel sensors 13a and 13b, a vehicle speed sensor 14, and an operation detection unit 15. Wheel sensors 13a and 13b detect the rotation angle of a wheel (not shown). Wheel sensors 13a and 13b can be configured as angle sensors or displacement sensors. Wheel sensors 13a and 13b output detection pulses when the wheel rotates a predetermined angle. The detection pulses output from wheel sensors 13a and 13b can be used to calculate the rotation angle and rotation speed of the wheel. Based on the rotation angle of the wheel, the distance traveled by vehicle 2 can be calculated. For example, wheel sensor 13a detects the rotation angle θa of the left rear wheel. Wheel sensor 13b, for example, detects the rotation angle θb of the right rear wheel.

[0058] Vehicle speed sensor 14 detects the speed of the vehicle body (not shown) of vehicle 2, i.e., vehicle speed V, and outputs the detected vehicle speed V to control device 30. Vehicle speed sensor 14 detects vehicle speed V, for example, based on the rotation of the countershaft of the transmission.

[0059] The operation detection unit 15 detects the operation performed by the user using the operation input unit 80 and outputs the detected operation to the control device 30. The operation input unit 80 may include, for example, an operation button indicating the intention to perform automatic parking. Alternatively, the operation input unit 80 may be shared with the touch panel 21 described later. Furthermore, the operation input unit 80 may include a gear lever (shift lever, shift paddle) used for switching the vehicle 2 forward, reverse, and parking. Automatic parking may also be performed conditionally when the gear lever is in the parking position.

[0060] The navigation device 20 uses, for example, GPS (Global Positioning System) to detect the current location of the vehicle 2 and guides the user of the vehicle 2 (hereinafter also referred to as "the user") to the destination. The navigation device 20 has a storage device (not shown) containing a map information database.

[0061] The navigation device 20 includes a touch panel 21 and a speaker 22. The touch panel 21 functions as an input device for receiving various information input to the control device 30, and as a display device controlled by the control device 30. That is, the user can input various commands to the control device 30 via the touch panel 21. In addition, the touch panel 21 can display various screens (such as a screen guiding the route to the destination).

[0062] Speaker 22 outputs various guidance information to the user via voice. As an example, voice guidance can also be provided via speaker 22 during automatic parking. Specifically, the movement of vehicle 2 can be initiated via voice guidance via speaker 22 before the movement of vehicle 2 begins along with the start of automatic parking.

[0063] The control device 30 is an example of the control device of the present invention, which performs unified control of the vehicle 2 as a whole. For example, the control device 30 is configured to communicate with a terminal device 3 outside the vehicle 2 (e.g., a terminal device 3 carried by a user who gets off the vehicle 2) via the communication unit 50 described later, and to perform automatic parking by moving the vehicle 2 to the target parking position through automatic steering in response to the prescribed operation of the terminal device 3 (e.g., driving operation described later).

[0064] The control device 30 includes an input / output unit 31, an arithmetic unit 32, and a storage unit 34. The input / output unit 31 is an interface for inputting and outputting data (information) between the inside and outside of the control device 30, under the control of the arithmetic unit 32. The storage unit 34 is constructed, for example, of a non-volatile storage medium such as flash memory, and stores various information (e.g., data, programs) used to control the operation of the vehicle 2. The arithmetic unit 32 is constructed, for example, of a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and controls each unit by executing the program stored in the storage unit 34. Thus, the aforementioned automatic parking is achieved.

[0065] The arithmetic unit 32 includes a parking position detection unit 32a, a retry determination unit 32b, a notification control unit 32c, and a vehicle control unit 33 as functional units associated with automatic parking. Furthermore, the vehicle control unit 33 is configured to include a target setting control unit 33a and an automatic steering control unit 33b.

[0066] The parking location detection unit 32a, for example, detects a parking location where the vehicle 2 can park based on the detection results of the sensor group 10, in response to an operation indicating that automatic parking is to be performed. For example, as Figure 2 As shown, suppose there are five parking spaces defined by white lines 91, and other vehicles 2a are parked in three of these five parking spaces. Figure 2 The remaining two parking spaces, indicated by reference numeral 90 in the attached diagram, are not occupied by any other vehicles 2a. In this case, the parking space detection unit 32a will... Figure 2 The parking space 2a, indicated by reference numeral 90 in the attached diagram, where no other vehicles are parked, is detected as a parking location.

[0067] Furthermore, the parking location detection unit 32a can also detect locations other than parking spaces marked by white lines 91 as parking locations. As an example, the parking location detection unit 32a can also detect any location designated as a parking location by the user. As another example, the parking location detection unit 32a can also detect any location where the vehicle 2 can physically park as a parking location.

[0068] The target setting control unit 33a sets any one of the available parking positions detected by the available parking position detection unit 32a as the target parking position 92. Specifically, the target setting control unit 33a sets the user-specified available parking position from the detected available parking positions as the target parking position 92. Figure 2 In the example shown, the parking space (available parking space) located on the left side of vehicle 2 is set as the target parking space 92.

[0069] For example, the control device 30 causes the touch panel 21 to display a parking position image representing the parking position detected by the parking position detection unit 32a. Here, the parking position image may be, for example, a frame image representing the outer contour of the detected parking position. When an operation occurs where any of the parking position images displayed on the touch panel 21 is clicked, the target setting control unit 33a sets the parking position represented by the clicked parking position image as the target parking position 92.

[0070] After the target parking position 92 is set, the automatic steering control unit 33b automatically operates the steering wheel 46 based on the current position of the vehicle 2 and the target parking position 92, so as to move the vehicle 2 toward the target parking position 92 in accordance with the prescribed operation of the terminal device 3 (such as the driving operation described later). Thus, the vehicle 2 moves toward the target parking position 92 through automatic steering. In addition, the automatic operation of the steering wheel 46 is performed, for example, by controlling the EPS motor 43 through the EPS system 40 described later.

[0071] When vehicle 2 is moving towards the target parking position 92 via automatic steering (i.e., during automatic parking), the retry determination unit 32b determines, based on the current position of vehicle 2 and the target parking position 92, whether to perform retry control to move vehicle 2 towards the target parking position 92 again after temporarily reversing the direction of travel of vehicle 2. Here, retry control is, for example, control that causes vehicle 2 to perform a so-called "turnaround".

[0072] The retry determination unit 32b determines whether to execute retry control based on factors such as the positional relationship between the current position of vehicle 2 and the target parking position 92, and the maximum steering angle of the steering wheel 46, assuming that vehicle 2 cannot enter the target parking position 92 without turning back. Furthermore, the conditions for executing retry control determined by the retry determination unit 32b, i.e., the conditions for executing retry control, can be arbitrarily determined by the manufacturer of vehicle 2, etc.

[0073] Based on the determination result of the retry determination unit 32b, the notification control unit 32c sends a retry notification containing information indicating the intention to perform retry control to the terminal device 3 via the communication unit 50 (described later). More specifically, the notification control unit 32c sends a retry notification to the terminal device 3 if it determines that retry control needs to be performed after at least a portion of the vehicle 2 has reached the target parking position 92; conversely, if it determines that retry control needs to be performed before at least a portion of the vehicle 2 has reached the target parking position 92, it does not send a retry notification to the terminal device 3. Furthermore, the retry notification contains information that triggers the terminal device 3 to display the retry confirmation screen G2 (described later), such as information indicating the intention to perform retry control, information indicating the positional relationship between the vehicle 2 and the target parking position 92, and information indicating the direction of travel of the vehicle 2 after the reversal based on the retry control. Therefore, based on the retry notification received from the control unit 30, the terminal device 3 can display the retry confirmation screen G2 (described later).

[0074] For example, such as Figure 3 As shown, assume that vehicle 2 is automatically parked by reversing towards the target parking position 92 (so-called "reverse parking"). In this case, when at the rear of vehicle 2 (refer to...) Figure 3 When the reference numeral Re in the attached diagram enters a state within the rear-end retry determination distance D from the target parking position 92, and the system determines that retry control should be executed, a retry notification is sent to the control unit 32c. Conversely, if the system determines that retry control should be executed when the rear end of vehicle 2 has not entered the aforementioned retry determination distance D, the control unit 32c does not send a retry notification. Here, the retry determination distance D is, for example, as shown in the attached diagram. Figure 3 As shown, a distance can be set such that more than 90% of the total length L of vehicle 2 enters the target parking position 92. Furthermore, the conditions for whether to send a retry notification, including the retry determination distance D, are not limited to the example described here, and can be arbitrarily determined by the manufacturer of vehicle 2, etc.

[0075] Furthermore, although the illustration is omitted, in the case of automatic parking where vehicle 2 moves forward to the target parking position 92 (so-called "forward parking"), if it is determined that retry control is performed when the front end of vehicle 2 is within the retry determination distance D, the control unit 32c is notified to send a retry notification. On the other hand, if it is determined that retry control is performed when the front end of vehicle 2 is not within the retry determination distance D, the control unit 32c is not notified not to send a retry notification.

[0076] The EPS system 40 includes a steering angle sensor 41, a torque sensor 42, an EPS motor 43, a resolver 44, and an EPSECU (EPS electronic control unit) 45. The steering angle sensor 41 detects the steering angle θst of the steering wheel 46. The torque sensor 42 detects the torque TQ applied to the steering wheel 46.

[0077] The EPS motor 43 provides driving or reaction force to the steering column 47 connected to the steering wheel 46, assisting the driver in operating the steering wheel 46 and automatically steering during automatic parking. The rotary transformer 44 detects the rotation angle θm of the EPS motor 43. The EPS ECU 45 is responsible for the overall control of the EPS system 40. The EPS ECU 45 includes an input / output section, a processing section, and a storage section (none shown).

[0078] The communication unit 50 is a communication interface that enables wireless communication between the control device 30 and the terminal device 3. That is, the control device 30 can communicate with the terminal device 3 via the communication unit 50. The terminal device 3 is, for example, an information terminal such as a smartphone carried by a user. Wireless communication between the vehicle 2 and the terminal device 3 can be achieved using, for example, Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. Furthermore, the communication unit 50 can also be configured to communicate with devices other than the terminal device 3, such as designated base stations or server devices.

[0079] The drive force control system 60 includes a drive ECU 61. The drive force control system 60 performs drive force control of the vehicle 2. The drive ECU 61 controls the engine (not shown) and other components in response to user operation of the accelerator pedal (not shown), thereby controlling the drive force of the vehicle 2. Furthermore, during automatic parking, the drive force control system 60 controls the drive force of the vehicle 2 to move the vehicle 2 towards the target parking position 92 in response to predetermined operations (such as driving operations described later) performed on the terminal device 3.

[0080] The braking force control system 70 includes a brake ECU 71. The braking force control system 70 performs braking force control on the vehicle 2. The brake ECU 71 controls the braking mechanism (not shown) and the like in response to the user's operation of the brake pedal (not shown), thereby controlling the braking force of the vehicle 2. Furthermore, the braking force control system 70 controls the braking force of the vehicle 2 during automatic parking to bring the vehicle 2 to a stop immediately if, for example, the driving operation described later has not been performed for a specified period.

[0081] [Terminal Device]

[0082] The terminal device 3 includes a control unit 3a, a communication unit 3b, and a touch panel 3c. The control unit 3a functions as a control device that performs unified control over the entire terminal device 3. The control unit 3a is implemented, for example, by electronic circuitry including a CPU or microprocessor, and controls the entire terminal device 3 according to a pre-prepared program.

[0083] The communication unit 3b is a communication interface that enables wireless communication between the terminal device 3 and the vehicle 2 under the control of the control unit 3a. That is, the terminal device 3 can communicate with the control device 30 via the communication unit 3b.

[0084] The touch panel 3c functions as an input device for receiving various information inputs to the terminal device 3 and as a display device controlled by the control unit 3a. That is, the user can input various commands to the terminal device 3 via the touch panel 3c. Furthermore, various screens are displayed on the touch panel 3c. For example, during automatic parking, the touch panel 3c can display... Figure 4 The driving operation receiving screen G1 shown is shown. Figure 5 The retry confirmation screen G2 and shown Figure 6 The ending screen shown is G3.

[0085] (Picture received during driving operation)

[0086] like Figure 4 As shown, in the driving operation acceptance screen G1, for example, a large arc-shaped arrow image G1a is displayed in the center of the screen. Below the arrow image G1a, driving operation guidance information G1b is displayed, which guides the operation (hereinafter also referred to as "driving operation") for making the vehicle 2 move (i.e., move). The arrow image G1a indicates the position and direction that the user can draw with their fingertip. In this embodiment, the operation of drawing the position indicated by the arrow image G1a in the direction indicated by the arrow image G1a is defined as a driving operation. Therefore, as the driving operation guidance information G1b, a message such as "Draw the arrow to move the vehicle" is displayed. By displaying such a driving operation acceptance screen G1 on the terminal device 3, the driving operation can be guided to the user intuitively and easily. Moreover, when there is an operation of drawing the position indicated by the arrow image G1a in the direction indicated by the arrow image G1a (the part displaying the arrow image G1a), the terminal device 3 accepts the operation as a driving operation.

[0087] (Retry confirmation screen)

[0088] like Figure 5As shown, the retry confirmation screen G2 displays information indicating the execution of retry control (hereinafter also referred to as "retry control execution information") G2a, information indicating the positional relationship between vehicle 2 and target parking position 92 (hereinafter also referred to as "positional relationship information") G2b, and information indicating the direction of travel of vehicle 2 after reversal based on retry control (hereinafter also referred to as "direction of travel information") G2c.

[0089] exist Figure 5 In the example shown, the retry control execution information G2a displays a message such as "Move forward to adjust the parking position". This retry control execution information G2a can be displayed when the vehicle 2 temporarily moves forward due to the execution of retry control, that is, when the vehicle 2 is automatically parked backward to the target parking position 92.

[0090] In addition, Figure 5 In the example shown, as positional relationship information G2b, an image is displayed indicating that the image M of vehicle 2 is slightly to the right relative to the image PP representing the target parking position 92. This positional relationship information G2b can be displayed when vehicle 2 is slightly to the right relative to the target parking position 92 (for example, when the right side of vehicle 2 is not within the target parking position 92).

[0091] In addition, Figure 5 In the example shown, as the direction of travel information G2c, an arrow image extending forward from near the front of the image M of vehicle 2 is displayed. This direction of travel information G2c can be displayed when vehicle 2 temporarily moves forward due to the execution of retry control, i.e., when automatically parking vehicle 2 by reversing to the target parking position 92. By displaying such a retry confirmation screen G2 on the terminal device 3, the user can be guided on the behavior of vehicle 2 based on retry control.

[0092] Additionally, the retry confirmation screen G2 displays a continue button G2d and an end button G2e. When the continue button G2d is clicked, the terminal device 3 accepts this operation as an operation to authorize the execution of retry control (hereinafter also referred to as an "authorization operation"). On the other hand, when the end button G2e is clicked, the terminal device 3 accepts this operation as an operation to end the automatic parking (hereinafter also referred to as an "end operation"). Moreover, the terminal device 3, having accepted the end operation, will, for example,... Figure 6 The ending screen G3 shown is displayed on the touch panel 3c.

[0093] (End screen)

[0094] like Figure 6 As shown in the end screen G3, a message indicating that automatic parking has ended is displayed. Figure 6In the example shown, the message indicating the end of automatic parking is "Automatic parking has ended. Thank you for using it." is displayed. By displaying such an ending screen G3 on the terminal device 3, the user is clearly informed that the automatic parking has ended.

[0095] [Display control processing]

[0096] Next, refer to Figure 7 An example of the display control processing of terminal device 3 will be described. For example, when vehicle 2 performs automatic parking, terminal device 3 repeatedly executes the process at a predetermined cycle. Figure 7 The display control process is shown. Furthermore, this display control process is performed, for example, by the CPU of the terminal device 3 executing a program pre-stored in a memory or other storage device.

[0097] like Figure 7 As shown, the terminal device 3 determines whether the driving operation acceptance screen G1 is being displayed on the touch panel 3c (step S1). If it is not being displayed on the driving operation acceptance screen G1 (step S1: No), the terminal device 3 directly proceeds to step S6. On the other hand, if it is being displayed on the driving operation acceptance screen G1 (step S1: Yes), the terminal device 3 determines whether a driving operation has been accepted (step S2).

[0098] If the driving operation is not accepted (step S2: No), the terminal device 3 directly proceeds to step S4. On the other hand, if the driving operation is accepted (step S2: Yes), the terminal device 3 sends a driving instruction to the vehicle 2 (step S3).

[0099] Next, the terminal device 3 determines whether a retry notification has been received from the vehicle 2 (step S4). If no retry notification has been received (step S4: No), the terminal device 3 proceeds directly to step S6. On the other hand, if a retry notification has been received (step S4: Yes), the terminal device 3 displays the retry confirmation screen G2 on the touch panel 3c (step S5).

[0100] Next, the terminal device 3 determines whether the retry confirmation screen G2 is being displayed on the touch panel 3c (step S6). If the retry confirmation screen G2 is not being displayed (step S6: No), the terminal device 3 terminates directly. Figure 7 The series of processes shown. On the other hand, if the retry confirmation screen G2 is displayed (step S6: Yes), the terminal device 3 determines whether the permission operation has been accepted or the operation has ended (step S7).

[0101] If neither the permission operation nor the termination operation is accepted (step S7: No), then terminal device 3 terminates directly. Figure 7The series of processes shown. On the other hand, if a permission operation or an end operation is accepted (step S7: Yes), the terminal device 3 determines whether the accepted operation is a permission operation (step S8).

[0102] If the accepted operation is a permission operation (step S8: Yes), the terminal device 3 sends a retry permission to the vehicle 2, containing information indicating permission to execute retry control (step S9). Furthermore, the terminal device 3 ends the display of the retry confirmation screen G2 and displays the driving operation acceptance screen G1 again (step S10), thus ending the process. Figure 7 The process is illustrated in the following steps. Therefore, in this situation, the user performs the driving operation again via the re-displayed driving operation acceptance screen G1, thereby enabling the vehicle 2 to move.

[0103] On the other hand, if the accepted operation is not a permission operation, that is, if the accepted operation is an end operation (step S8: No), then the terminal device 3 ends the display of the retry confirmation screen G2 and displays the end screen G3 (step S11), thus ending the process. Figure 7 The process described is as follows: In this case, a retry permission is not sent, and the driving operation acceptance screen G1 is not displayed.

[0104] As explained above, when a retry notification is received, the terminal device 3 displays a retry confirmation screen G2 indicating that the permission operation can be accepted. However, here, the permission operation is a different operation from the driving operation. As an example, in this embodiment, the permission operation is the operation of clicking the continue button G2d, while the driving operation is the operation of drawing the arrow image G1a. By making the permission operation different from the driving operation, it is possible to prevent a user who has performed the driving operation from unintentionally performing the permission operation.

[0105] To explain in more detail, during automatic parking, the user primarily focuses on vehicle 2 and is less likely to notice the display on terminal device 3. Therefore, consider the following scenario: even if the display on terminal device 3 changes from the driving operation acceptance screen G1 to the retry confirmation screen G2, the user will not immediately notice this. In such a situation, the user might intentionally perform a driving operation but instead perform an unwanted permission operation. To address this, by making the permission operation different from the driving operation, this situation can be avoided.

[0106] In addition, when the terminal device 3 receives the end operation, it displays an end screen G3, which is different from the driving operation acceptance screen G1, so as to clearly guide the user to end the automatic parking.

[0107] [Motion control system actions]

[0108] Next, refer to Figure 8 An example of the operation of the motion control system 1, which includes vehicle 2 and terminal device 3, will be described.

[0109] First, vehicle 2 (in other words, control device 30, hereinafter the same) responds to the operation of executing automatic parking and begins automatic parking (step S21). Additionally, terminal device 3 displays the driving operation acceptance screen G1 on touch panel 3c (step S22). Thus, the user can perform driving operations.

[0110] Furthermore, when a driving operation is received via the driving operation reception screen G1, the terminal device 3 sends a driving instruction to the vehicle 2 (step S23). Upon receiving the driving instruction, the vehicle 2 moves a predetermined distance or for a predetermined time toward the target parking position 92, for example, from the time the driving instruction is received. In addition, while moving toward the target parking position 92, the vehicle 2 performs a retry decision at predetermined intervals.

[0111] Then, it is assumed that at least a portion of vehicle 2 has reached the target parking position 92 (step S24). Furthermore, it is assumed that a retry control is to be executed based on a retry determination performed after at least a portion of vehicle 2 has reached the target parking position 92 (step S25). In this case, vehicle 2 sends a retry notification to terminal device 3 (step S26).

[0112] Upon receiving the retry notification, terminal device 3 displays a retry confirmation screen G2 on touch panel 3c (step S27). With the display of the retry confirmation screen G2, the driving operation acceptance screen G1 remains undisplayed. As a result, because the user is unable to perform driving operations, vehicle 2 temporarily stops. By stopping vehicle 2 in this way, the user is prompted to confirm the display on terminal device 3. Therefore, even if the user is focused on vehicle 2 and has difficulty noticing the display on terminal device 3, the user can still notice the displayed retry confirmation screen G2.

[0113] Furthermore, when the permission operation is accepted via the retry confirmation screen G2, the terminal device 3 sends a retry permission to the vehicle 2 (step S28). Additionally, upon acceptance of the permission operation, the terminal device 3 sets the retry confirmation screen G2 to be hidden and displays the driving operation acceptance screen G1 again on the touch panel 3c (step S29). Thus, the user can perform the driving operation again.

[0114] Furthermore, when a driving operation is received via the driving operation reception screen G1, the terminal device 3 sends a driving instruction to the vehicle 2 (step S30). After receiving a retry permission, the vehicle 2 executes retry control upon receiving the driving instruction (step S31). Subsequently, for example, when the vehicle 2 has fully entered the target parking position 92 and it is determined through retry determination that retry control is not required (step S32), the vehicle 2 executes the prescribed termination process (step S33), thus ending (completing) the series of automatic parking procedures. The termination process may include, for example, turning off the ignition power of the vehicle 2, retracting the side mirrors, and locking the doors.

[0115] As explained above, according to the control device 30, if it is determined that retry control will be performed after at least a portion of the vehicle 2 in automatic parking has reached the target parking position 92, a retry notification will be sent to the terminal device 3. Conversely, if it is determined that retry control will be performed before at least a portion of the vehicle 2 has reached the target parking position 92, a retry notification will not be sent to the terminal device 3. Therefore, in situations where the user can easily predict the execution of retry control even without a retry notification, a retry notification will not be sent to the terminal device 3, thereby suppressing excessive notifications that may cause inconvenience to the user. On the other hand, in situations where the user cannot easily predict whether retry control will be performed without a retry notification, a retry notification will be sent to the terminal device 3, thereby guiding the user to perform retry control. Therefore, it is possible to provide necessary notifications to the user while suppressing excessive notifications that may cause inconvenience.

[0116] Furthermore, according to the control device 30, if it is determined that retry control should be performed after a predetermined amount (e.g., 90%) of the total length L of the vehicle 2 has reached the target parking position 92, a retry notification is sent. On the other hand, if it is determined that retry control should be performed before a predetermined amount of the total length L of the vehicle 2 has reached the target parking position 92, no retry notification is sent. Thus, a retry notification can be avoided if the user can easily predict whether retry control will be performed even without a retry notification, and a retry notification can be sent if the user cannot predict whether retry control will be performed without a retry notification. Therefore, the frequency of displaying the retry confirmation screen G2 on the terminal device 3 can be reduced to a necessary minimum, avoiding situations where displaying the retry confirmation screen G2 more than necessary can cause inconvenience to the user.

[0117] Furthermore, according to the control device 30, a retry notification can be sent to display a retry confirmation screen G2 on the touch panel 3c of the terminal device 3. This retry confirmation screen G2 includes information indicating the intention to perform retry control (retry control execution information G2a), information showing the positional relationship between the vehicle 2 and the target parking position 92 (positional relationship information G2b), and information showing the direction of travel of the vehicle 2 after reversal based on the retry control (direction of travel information G2c). Thus, by displaying the retry confirmation screen G2 on the terminal device 3 based on the retry notification, the user can be guided on the behavior of the vehicle 2 based on retry control.

[0118] Furthermore, according to the control device 30, in response to a retry notification, retry control can be executed upon receiving a retry permission from the terminal device 3 containing information indicating permission to execute retry control. Therefore, retry control can be executed after waiting for the retry permission to be received from the terminal device 3, thus avoiding execution of retry control at times undesirable to the user.

[0119] Furthermore, according to the control device 30, retry control can be performed upon receiving a driving instruction from the terminal device 3 after receiving a retry permission. Therefore, retry control can be performed in accordance with the progress of driving operations after receiving a retry permission, and retry control can be performed at the time desired by the user.

[0120] Furthermore, according to the mobile control system 1, when a retry notification is received from the control device 30, the terminal device 3 displays a retry confirmation screen G2 on the touch panel 3c. If a permission operation is accepted after displaying the retry confirmation screen G2, a retry permission is sent to the control device 30, and a driving operation acceptance screen G1 for accepting driving operations is displayed on the touch panel 3c. Thus, in response to the existence of the permission operation that sends the retry permission, the terminal device 3 displays a driving operation acceptance screen G1 for accepting driving operations, thereby preventing the user from unintentionally performing a driving operation and triggering retry control.

[0121] Furthermore, according to the mobile control system 1, if a retry notification is received from the control device 30 while the driving operation acceptance screen G1 is being displayed, the terminal device 3 will stop displaying the driving operation acceptance screen G1 and display the retry confirmation screen G2. This prevents the user from unintentionally performing a driving operation and triggering a retry control.

[0122] Furthermore, according to the mobile control system 1, the permission operation is a different operation from the driving operation, thus preventing users who have performed the driving operation from unintentionally performing the permission operation.

[0123] Furthermore, if the movement towards the target parking position 92 via automatic steering (i.e., automatic parking) is not completed within a specified period after it has begun, the control device 30 may also interrupt the movement. Thus, if the movement of the vehicle 2 towards the target parking position 92 via automatic steering is prolonged for some reason, the user can be prompted to manually move the vehicle 2 towards the target parking position 92.

[0124] The embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, but the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. Those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications or alterations can be conceived within the scope of the technical solutions described, and these modifications or alterations also fall within the technical scope of the present invention. Furthermore, the constituent elements in the above embodiments can be arbitrarily combined without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0125] For example, in the above embodiments, the example of the mobile body in the present invention being a four-wheeled vehicle, i.e., vehicle 2, has been described, but it is not limited thereto. The mobile body in the present invention can also be a two-wheeled vehicle (so-called a two-wheeled motorcycle), or it can be a Segway (registered trademark), a ship, or an aircraft, etc.

[0126] This specification describes at least the following items. Additionally, the components corresponding to the above embodiments are shown in parentheses, but the specification is not limited thereto.

[0127] (1) A control device (control device 30) configured to communicate with a terminal device (terminal device 3) outside a mobile body (vehicle 2), and to cause the mobile body to move toward a target position by automatic steering in response to a predetermined movement operation performed on the terminal device, the control device comprising:

[0128] The retry determination unit (retry determination unit 32b) determines, based on the current position of the mobile body and the target position, whether to perform retry control to move the mobile body to the target position again after temporarily reversing its direction of travel when the mobile body moves towards the target position (target parking position 92) by automatic steering; and

[0129] The notification control unit (notification control unit 32c) sends a retry notification containing information indicating the intention to perform the retry control to the terminal device based on the determination result of the retry determination unit.

[0130] If, after at least a portion of the moving body reaches the target location, it is determined that the retry control should be executed, the notification control unit sends the retry notification to the terminal device.

[0131] If it is determined that the retry control should be performed before at least a portion of the moving body reaches the target location, the notification control unit does not send the retry notification to the terminal device.

[0132] According to (1), if it is determined that retry control should be performed after at least part of the mobile body has reached the target location, a retry notification is sent to the terminal device. On the other hand, if it is determined that retry control should be performed before at least part of the mobile body has reached the target location, a retry notification is not sent to the terminal device. Thus, in situations where the user can easily predict the execution of retry control even without a retry notification, no retry notification is sent, thereby suppressing excessive notifications that may cause inconvenience to the user. On the other hand, in situations where the user cannot easily predict whether retry control will be performed without a retry notification, a retry notification is sent, thereby guiding the user to perform retry control. Therefore, it is possible to suppress excessive notifications that may cause inconvenience to the user while providing necessary notifications.

[0133] (2) The control device according to (1), wherein,

[0134] If, after a predetermined amount (e.g., 90%) or more of the total length (total length L) of the moving body reaches the target position, it is determined that the retry control should be executed, the notification control unit sends the retry notification to the terminal device.

[0135] If the retry control is determined to be executed before the portion exceeding the specified amount reaches the target position, the notification control unit does not send the retry notification to the terminal device.

[0136] According to (2), a retry notification can be not sent when the user can easily predict the execution of retry control even without a retry notification, and a retry notification can be sent when the user cannot predict whether retry control will be executed if there is no retry notification.

[0137] (3) The control device according to (1) or (2), wherein,

[0138] If the movement of the moving body toward the target position is not completed within a specified period after the movement begins by automatic steering, the control device interrupts the movement.

[0139] According to (3), if the movement of the moving body towards the target location by automatic turning is interrupted for some reason, the user can be prompted to manually move the moving body towards the target location.

[0140] (4) The control device according to any one of (1) to (3), wherein,

[0141] The control device sends a retry notification to the display unit (touch panel 3c) of the terminal device to display a retry confirmation screen (retry confirmation screen G2). The retry confirmation screen (retry confirmation screen G2) includes information indicating the intention to execute the retry control (retry control execution information G2a), information indicating the positional relationship between the moving body and the target position (positional relationship information G2b), and information indicating the direction of travel of the moving body after the reversal based on the retry control (direction of travel information G2c).

[0142] According to (4), by displaying a retry confirmation screen on the terminal device based on the retry notification, the user can be guided to behave in a mobile body based on retry control.

[0143] (5) The control device according to any one of (1) to (4), wherein,

[0144] If, in response to the retry notification, the terminal device receives a retry permission containing information indicating an authorization to execute the retry control, the control device executes the retry control.

[0145] According to (5), retry control is performed after waiting for a retry permission to be received from the terminal device, thus avoiding retry control at times that the user does not want.

[0146] (6) The control device according to (5), wherein,

[0147] Upon receiving the retry permission, the control device executes the retry control in response to the commencement of the movement operation.

[0148] According to (6), after receiving a retry permission, retry control is performed in accordance with the progress of the mobile operation, so that retry control can be performed at the time desired by the user.

[0149] (7) A mobility control system (mobility control system 1), comprising:

[0150] (6) The control device described above;

[0151] The moving body, controlled by the control device, moves towards the target location by automatic turning in response to the movement operation performed on the terminal device; and

[0152] The terminal device includes a display unit (touch panel 3c) and is configured to communicate with the control device.

[0153] The control device sends a retry notification to the terminal device, causing the display to show a retry confirmation screen. This retry confirmation screen contains information indicating that the retry control will be executed.

[0154] When the retry notification is received, the terminal device displays the retry confirmation screen on the display unit. After displaying the retry confirmation screen and accepting the prescribed permission operation, the terminal device sends the retry permission to the control device and displays the motion operation acceptance screen (driving operation acceptance screen G1) on the display unit.

[0155] According to (7), in response to the existence of the permission operation that sends the retry permission, the terminal device displays a mobile operation acceptance screen for accepting mobile operations, thus preventing the user from accidentally performing a mobile operation and thus executing retry control.

[0156] (8) The mobility control system according to (7), wherein,

[0157] When the mobile operation acceptance screen is displayed, if the retry notification is received, the terminal device ends the display of the mobile operation acceptance screen and displays the retry confirmation screen.

[0158] According to (8), when the mobile operation acceptance screen is displayed, if a retry notification is received, the terminal device will end the display of the mobile operation acceptance screen and display the retry confirmation screen. Therefore, it can prevent the user from accidentally performing a mobile operation and thus perform retry control.

[0159] (9) The mobile control system according to (7) or (8), wherein,

[0160] The licensing operation is a different operation from the movement operation.

[0161] According to (9), the license operation is a different operation from the move operation, thus preventing users who have performed the move operation from unintentionally performing the license operation.

[0162] (10) The mobile control system according to any one of (7) to (9), wherein,

[0163] If the terminal device accepts the prescribed termination operation after displaying the retry confirmation screen, it does not send the retry permission to the control device, but displays a termination screen (termination screen G3) that is different from the mobile operation acceptance screen on the display unit.

[0164] According to (10), in the case of a termination operation that does not send a retry permission, the terminal device displays a termination screen, thus guiding the user to the situation where the movement of the mobile body to the target location by automatic turning has ended.

Claims

1. A control device configured to communicate with a terminal device outside a moving body, and in response to a predetermined movement operation performed on the terminal device, to move the moving body towards a target parking position by automatic steering, and to complete automatic parking, wherein... The control device includes: The retry determination unit performs a retry execution determination. When the moving body moves toward the target parking position by automatic steering, the retry execution determination determines, based on the current position of the moving body and the target parking position, whether to execute retry control to move toward the target parking position again after temporarily reversing the direction of travel of the moving body. as well as The notification control unit, when executing the retry control based on the retry execution determination, performs a retry notification determination to determine whether to notify the execution of the retry control based on whether the execution of the retry control is performed after or before at least a part of the moving body reaches the target parking position, and sends a retry notification containing information indicating the intention to execute the retry control to the terminal device based on the retry notification determination. When the retry control is implemented, in the retry notification determination... If, after at least a portion of the moving body reaches the target parking position, it is determined that the retry control should be executed, the notification control unit sends the retry notification to the terminal device. If it is determined that the retry control should be performed before at least a portion of the moving body reaches the target parking position, the notification control unit does not send the retry notification to the terminal device.

2. The control device according to claim 1, wherein, If, after a portion exceeding a predetermined amount of the total length of the moving body reaches the target parking position, it is determined that the retry control should be executed, the notification control unit sends the retry notification to the terminal device. If the retry control is determined to be executed before the portion exceeding the specified amount reaches the target parking position, the notification control unit does not send the retry notification to the terminal device.

3. The control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, If the movement of the moving body toward the target parking position is not completed within a specified period after the movement begins by automatic steering, the control device interrupts the movement.

4. The control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The control device sends a retry notification to the display of the terminal device to show a retry confirmation screen. The retry confirmation screen includes information indicating the intention to execute the retry control, information indicating the positional relationship between the moving body and the target parking position, and information indicating the direction of travel of the moving body after the reversal based on the retry control.

5. The control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, If, in response to the retry notification, the terminal device receives a retry permission containing information indicating an authorization to execute the retry control, the control device executes the retry control.

6. The control device according to claim 5, wherein, Upon receiving the retry permission, the control device executes the retry control in response to the commencement of the movement operation.

7. A mobile control system, comprising: The control device as described in claim 6; The moving body, controlled by the control device, moves towards the target parking position by automatic steering in response to the movement operation performed on the terminal device; and The terminal device includes a display unit and is configured to communicate with the control device. in, The control device sends a retry notification to the terminal device, causing the display to show a retry confirmation screen. This retry confirmation screen contains information indicating that the retry control will be executed. When the retry notification is received, the terminal device displays the retry confirmation screen on the display unit. After displaying the retry confirmation screen and accepting the specified permission operation, the terminal device sends the retry permission to the control device and displays the mobile operation acceptance screen on the display unit.

8. The mobile control system according to claim 7, wherein, When the mobile operation acceptance screen is displayed, if the retry notification is received, the terminal device ends the display of the mobile operation acceptance screen and displays the retry confirmation screen.

9. The mobile control system according to claim 7 or 8, wherein, The licensing operation is a different operation from the movement operation.

10. The mobile control system according to claim 7 or 8, wherein, If the terminal device accepts the prescribed termination operation after displaying the retry confirmation screen, it does not send the retry permission to the control device, but instead displays a termination screen different from the mobile operation acceptance screen on the display unit.

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