Parking assistance system, parking assistance method, and program product

Abstract

The invention relates to a parking assist system, a parking assist method, and a program product, which can simplify operation and improve convenience. The present invention is provided with a control device that executes automatic parking control for automatically parking a vehicle to a parking area or automatically leaving the vehicle from the parking area on the basis of a parking method selected by a user among a plurality of parking methods. Associating and storing the parking method selected by the first user when the vehicle is parked to the specific parking area or taken out of the specific parking area with the position information of the specific parking area; a determination unit that determines whether the predetermined parking area is a specific parking area when the second user parks the vehicle to the predetermined parking area or leaves the vehicle from the predetermined parking area; and a proposal processing unit that, if the determination unit determines that the predetermined parking area is the specific parking area, executes a proposal process that proposals a parking method that is associated with the position information of the specific parking area and stored in the storage unit to the second user.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a parking assistance system, a parking assistance method, and a program product. Background Art

[0002] Parking assistance systems are known that automatically drive a vehicle to park (park in) or exit a designated parking area. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a device that identifies a driver, learns driver parameters during parking by the driver and attributes them to the identified driver, determines parking parameters based on the learned driver parameters, and controls the parking process of the vehicle performed by the parking assistance system based on the determined parking parameters.

[0003] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2021-500259

[0004] As with the device described in Patent Document 1, if driver parameters learned during parking are attributed to a specific driver and stored in the system as parking parameters used in parking assistance control, convenience for that specific driver can be improved. However, in situations where a vehicle is shared by multiple users, a first-time user of a parking assistance system may find it frustrating to have to perform the required selection process even when parking in a parking area where other users have already selected a parking method. This suggests that there is room for improvement in convenience. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present disclosure has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present disclosure is to improve convenience by simplifying the operation in parking assistance.

[0006] The technology disclosed herein is a parking assistance system including a control device that performs automatic parking control to automatically park a vehicle in a parking area or automatically exit the parking area based on a parking method selected by a user from among multiple parking methods.

[0007] The above parking assistance system is characterized in that:

[0008] The control device has:

[0009] a storage unit for storing a parking method selected by a first user when the vehicle is parked in a specific parking area or exited from the specific parking area by the automatic parking control, in association with position information of the specific parking area;

[0010] a determination unit that, when a second user parks the vehicle in a predetermined parking area or leaves the vehicle from the predetermined parking area through the automatic parking control, determines whether the predetermined parking area is the specific parking area based on the current position information of the vehicle and the position information of the specific parking area stored in the storage unit; and

[0011] The suggestion processing unit performs a suggestion process for suggesting a parking method associated with the position information of the specific parking area and stored in the storage unit to the second user, when the determination unit determines that the predetermined parking area is the specific parking area. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] Figure 1 Schematic diagram showing the hardware configuration of the parking assistance system according to the present embodiment.

[0013] Figure 2 Schematic diagram showing the software configuration of the parking assistance system according to the present embodiment.

[0014] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a power supply operation screen according to the present embodiment.

[0015] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram showing a state where a vehicle is parked in a parking area.

[0016] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram for explaining an example of a delivery plan selection screen according to this embodiment.

[0017] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a target delivery route according to this embodiment.

[0018] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram for explaining an example of a shipping plan confirmation screen according to this embodiment.

[0019] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram for explaining an example of a delivery operation screen according to this embodiment.

[0020] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram for explaining an example of a delivery completion confirmation screen according to the present embodiment.

[0021] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a bird's-eye view image screen according to the present embodiment.

[0022] Figure 11This is a schematic diagram for explaining an example of a warehousing plan selection screen according to this embodiment.

[0023] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a target storage route according to this embodiment.

[0024] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram for explaining an example of a warehousing plan confirmation screen according to this embodiment.

[0025] Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram for explaining an example of a warehousing operation screen according to this embodiment.

[0026] Figure 15 This is a schematic diagram for explaining an example of a storage completion confirmation screen according to the present embodiment.

[0027] Figure 16 This is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a save confirmation screen according to this embodiment.

[0028] Figure 17 This is a flowchart for explaining the routine of the automatic delivery control and setting suggestion processing according to the present embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] Hereinafter, a parking assistance system, a parking assistance method, and a program product according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0030] [Hardware composition]

[0031] Figure 1 Schematic diagram showing the hardware configuration of the parking assist system according to this embodiment. Figure 1 As shown, the parking assist system includes a vehicle control device 1, an electronic key 2, and a portable terminal 3. The vehicle control device 1 is mounted on the vehicle VH and includes an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 10. The ECU 10 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 11, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 12, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 13, and an interface device 14. The CPU 11 is a processor that executes various programs stored in the ROM 12. The ROM 12 is a non-volatile memory that stores data required for the CPU 11 to execute various programs. The RAM 13 is a volatile memory that provides an operating area where various programs are executed by the CPU 11. The interface device 14 is a communication device for communicating with external devices.

[0032] The ECU 10 is a central device that performs automatic parking control for automatically entering the vehicle VH into a parking area and automatically exiting the vehicle VH from the parking area (hereinafter, these automatic parking control and automatic exit control may be collectively referred to as "automatic parking control"). ECU 10 is communicatively connected to a transceiver 16, a comparison device 17, a drive device 20, a steering device 21, a brake device 22, an interior sensor device 30, an exterior sensor device 40, a position information acquisition device 50, a map database 60, a communication device 70, an automatic parking switch 80, an HMI (Human Machine Interface) 90, and the like.

[0033] The transceiver 16 is a communication module for performing short-range wireless communication with the portable terminal 3. In the present embodiment, short-range wireless communication based on, for example, Bluetooth (trademark) is performed.

[0034] The portable terminal 3 is a device used by the user to remotely control the vehicle VH and is held by the user. The portable terminal 3 is, for example, a smartphone, but is not limited to this device as long as it can be installed with the applications described below. For example, it may also be a tablet terminal. The portable terminal 3 includes an ECU (not shown) and a communication unit capable of transmitting and receiving Bluetooth (trademark) signals.

[0035] To use the portable terminal 3 as a device for remote control of the vehicle VH, the user performs the following steps in advance. Specifically, the user first installs an application for executing automatic parking control (hereinafter referred to as the "remote parking application") on the portable terminal 3. Next, the portable terminal 3 is paired with the vehicle control device 1 (connecting devices compatible with the Bluetooth standard through authentication). Next, the user registers the vehicle VH to be operated with the remote parking application. This establishes the portable terminal 3 as a terminal capable of wireless communication with the transceiver 16.

[0036] The comparison device 17 is paired with the electronic key 2 and realizes so-called smart entry by wirelessly communicating with the electronic key 2 using Bluetooth (trademark). The electronic key 2 is not limited to a smart key system and may also be a digital key system that uses a user's smartphone as a key.

[0037] The drive device 20 generates driving force that is transmitted to the drive wheels of the vehicle VH. Examples of the drive device 20 include an electric motor and an engine. In this embodiment, the vehicle VH can be any of a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV), a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), a fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV), a battery electric vehicle (BEV), or an engine vehicle. The steering device 21 applies steering force to the wheels of the vehicle VH. The braking device 22 applies braking force to the wheels of the vehicle VH.

[0038] The inboard sensor device 30 is a sensor system that detects the state of the vehicle VH. Specifically, the inboard sensor device 30 includes a wheel speed sensor 31, an accelerator sensor 32, a brake sensor 33, and a steering angle sensor 34. The wheel speed sensor 31 detects the speed of the vehicle VH, i.e., the vehicle speed. The accelerator sensor 32 detects the amount of operation of the accelerator pedal (not shown) by the driver. The brake sensor 33 detects the amount of operation of the brake pedal (not shown) by the driver. The steering angle sensor 34 detects the rotation angle of the steering wheel or steering shaft (not shown), i.e., the steering angle. The inboard sensor device 30 transmits the state of the vehicle VH detected by each sensor 31 to 34 to the ECU 10 at a predetermined period.

[0039] The external sensor device 40 is a sensor that recognizes object information related to objects around the vehicle VH. Specifically, the external sensor device 40 includes a radar sensor 41, a sonar sensor 42, a camera sensor 43, and the like.

[0040] The radar sensor 41 includes a millimeter-wave radar and / or an optical radar. A millimeter-wave radar transmits radio waves in the millimeter-wave band and receives reflected waves from targets within its transmission range to determine the relative distance and speed between the vehicle VH and the target. An optical radar sequentially scans pulsed laser light with a wavelength shorter than millimeter waves in multiple directions and receives the reflected light from the target to determine the target's shape, the relative distance and speed between the vehicle VH and the target. The sonar sensor 42 transmits ultrasonic waves and receives reflected waves from targets within its transmission range to determine the relative distance and speed between the vehicle VH and the target. The camera sensor 43 is, for example, a stereo camera or a single-lens camera, and a digital camera with an imaging element such as a CMOS or CCD can be used. The camera sensor 43 processes captured image data to determine the target's shape, the relative distance and speed between the vehicle VH and the target. The external sensor device 40 transmits the acquired target information to the ECU 10 at a predetermined interval. Furthermore, the external sensor device 40 does not necessarily need to include all of the radar sensor 41 , the sonar sensor 42 , and the camera sensor 43 , and may include only the camera sensor 43 , for example.

[0041] The position information acquisition device 50 acquires the current position information of the vehicle VH. For example, a GPS (Global Positioning System) or GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) included in a navigation system (not shown) can be used as the position information acquisition device 50. The position information acquisition device 50 transmits the acquired current position information of the vehicle VH to the ECU 10 at a predetermined period.

[0042] The map database 60 is a database of map information and is stored in a storage device (hard disk, flash memory, etc.) included in the vehicle VH. This map information includes, for example, location information of public parking lots, etc. Alternatively, the map database 60 may be stored on an external server capable of communicating with the vehicle VH. In this case, the vehicle VH can simply obtain the map information from the external server via the communication device 70.

[0043] The communication device 70 performs V2X communication. Specifically, it performs V2I (Vehicle to Infrastructure) communication between the vehicle VH and infrastructure. The communication device 70 can obtain information about the surroundings of the vehicle VH through V2X communication. This surrounding information includes, for example, the location of public parking lots. The communication device 70 transmits this acquired surrounding information to the ECU 10 at a predetermined interval.

[0044] The automatic parking switch 80 is located, for example, on the center console or instrument panel of the vehicle VH and is turned on and off by a passenger (e.g., the driver) of the vehicle VH. When the automatic parking switch 80 is turned on, the ECU 10 receives a parking assistance request. Furthermore, the automatic parking switch 80 is not limited to a physical switch; it may also be a screen-displayed switch selected by touching or operating a button displayed on a display device 91 (described later), or a voice recognition switch that picks up the driver's voice via a voice pickup microphone on the vehicle or portable terminal 3.

[0045] HMI 90 is an interface for inputting and outputting information between the ECU 10 and the driver, and includes input and output devices. Examples of input devices include touch panels, switches, and microphones. Examples of output devices include a display device 91 and speakers 92. Examples of display device 91 include a center display, a multi-information display, and a heads-up display. Examples of speakers 92 include speakers for an acoustic system or a navigation system.

[0046] [Software composition]

[0047] Figure 2 FIG is a schematic diagram showing the software configuration of the parking assistance system according to the present embodiment. Figure 2 As shown, the ECU 10 includes functional elements such as an automatic parking control unit 100, a garage parking area storage unit 110, a registered parking area determination unit 120, a suggestion processing unit 130, and an overwrite processing unit 140. These functional elements 100-140 are implemented by the CPU 11 of the ECU 10 reading programs stored in the ROM 12 into the RAM 13 and executing them. Furthermore, all or part of these functional elements 100-140 can be implemented in another ECU independent of the ECU 10 or in an information processing device at a facility (such as a management center) capable of communicating with the vehicle VH.

[0048] The automatic parking control unit 100 performs automatic parking control to automatically drive the vehicle VH into or out of a designated parking area. The automatic parking control will be described in detail below, in the order of automatic out-of-parking control and automatic in-parking control. The parking assistance system of this embodiment can perform both forward and reverse out-of-parking automatic out-of-parking control, but the following description will focus on forward out-of-parking, with the description of reverse out-of-parking omitted. The parking assistance system of this embodiment can perform both right-angle parking and parallel parking automatic in-parking control, but the following description will focus on right-angle parking, with the description of parallel parking omitted. In the following description, the term "user" is not limited to the driver actually driving the vehicle VH, but also includes other passengers in the vehicle VH with the driver, or a valet parking attendant.

[0049] [Automatic outbound control]

[0050] If the user holding the electronic key 2 and the portable terminal 3 approaches the vehicle VH within a predetermined distance range (e.g., several meters), and uses the electronic key 2 (a smartphone in the case of a digital key system) to unlock the door and activate the remote parking application of the portable terminal 3, the automatic parking control unit 100 causes the display of the portable terminal 3 to display the message "No parking" via the transceiver 16. Figure 3 The power operation screen G1 is shown. The power operation screen G1 includes a power button B1. When the user touches and operates the power button B1, the automatic parking control unit 100 turns on the power of the vehicle VH.

[0051] When the automatic parking control unit 100 turns on the power of the vehicle VH, it obtains the position of the vehicle VH relative to the parking area where the vehicle VH is parked based on the detection result of the external sensor device 40. Figure 4In the case of the parking area PA shown, the automatic parking control unit 100 obtains the position of the vehicle VH relative to the parking area PA. After obtaining the position of the vehicle VH relative to the parking area PA, the automatic parking control unit 100 obtains a direction in which the vehicle VH can be pulled out (hereinafter referred to as a pull-out direction) based on the detection results of the external sensor device 40.

[0052] If the automatic parking control unit 100 obtains the exit direction, it will display the display of the mobile terminal 3 through the transceiver 16. Figure 5 The discharge plan selection screen G2 shown. The discharge plan selection screen G2 includes a plurality of discharge direction selection buttons B2, B3, B4, B5 and a discharge direction determination button B6. In the example shown, as discharge direction selection buttons, a front selection button B2 indicating discharge to the front, a rear selection button B3 indicating discharge to the rear, a left front selection button B4 indicating discharge to the left front, and a right front selection button B5 indicating discharge to the right front are displayed. The discharge direction determination button B6 is a button for the user to determine the selected discharge direction. If the user touches the discharge direction determination button B6 after touching the left front selection button B4, for example, the automatic parking control unit 100 sets the left front as the designated discharge direction. Hereinafter, the touch operation of the discharge direction selection buttons B2, B3, B4, B5 and the discharge direction determination button B6 performed by the user is referred to as a "discharge plan setting operation."

[0053] If the designated exit direction is set, the automatic parking control unit 100 sets the target exit path R1 based on the detection result of the external sensor device 40. Figure 6 As shown, the target exit route R1 is a route for the vehicle VH to travel from the parking area PA to the target exit stop position PS1 in the designated exit direction. Figure 6 An example is shown in which the left front is set as the designated delivery direction.

[0054] When the automatic parking control unit 100 sets the target delivery route R1, it causes the display of the portable terminal 3 to display the target delivery route R1 via the transceiver 16. Figure 7 The delivery plan confirmation screen G3 is shown. The delivery plan confirmation screen G3 includes, for example, the target delivery route R1 and a delivery plan confirmation button B7. When the user touches the delivery plan confirmation button B7, the automatic parking control unit 100 ends the delivery plan setting process.

[0055] When the automatic parking control unit 100 completes the process of setting the parking plan, it causes the display of the portable terminal 3 to display the message " Figure 8The unloading operation screen G4 is shown. This unloading operation screen G4 includes a message M1 notifying the user, an arrow A visually indicating the operation details, a remaining distance display M2, and a boarding button B8. The message M1 displays, for example, a phrase such as "Please confirm the surrounding safety before moving the vehicle." The remaining distance display M2 shows the distance required for the vehicle VH to reach the target unloading stop position PS1 from its current position. The boarding button B8 indicates to the user that the unloading assistance has ended and the user is boarding the vehicle VH.

[0056] When the user moves their finger along the arrow A while touching the display of the portable terminal 3, the automatic parking control unit 100 controls the operation of the drive unit 20, steering unit 21, and brake unit 22 based on the detection results of the inner and outer sensors 30 and 40, thereby initiating outbound driving control to automatically drive the vehicle VH along the target outbound route R1. Once outbound driving control is initiated, the automatic parking control unit 100 sequentially calculates the movement trajectory of the vehicle VH. Furthermore, based on the movement trajectory sequentially calculated during outbound driving control, the automatic parking control unit 100 calculates the remaining distance until the vehicle VH reaches the target outbound stop position PS1 and displays it on the remaining distance display M2. The movement trajectory can be calculated, for example, using mileage based on the detection results of the wheel speed sensor 31 and the steering angle sensor 34, or it can be inferred based on optical flow or other methods from image data of the road surface surrounding the vehicle VH captured by the camera sensor 43.

[0057] If the user stops moving the finger or releases the finger from the display of the portable terminal 3 during the execution of the outbound travel control, the automatic parking control unit 100 interrupts the outbound travel control. After the user stops moving the finger or releases the finger from the display of the portable terminal 3, if the boarding button B8 is touched, the automatic parking control unit 100 causes the display of the portable terminal 3 to display Figure 9 The unloading completion confirmation screen G5 is shown. The unloading completion confirmation screen G5 includes an unloading completion button B9. When the user touches and operates the unloading completion button B9, the automatic parking control unit 100 ends the automatic unloading control.

[0058] [Automatic warehousing control]

[0059] After the user stops the vehicle VH near a desired parking area (for example, in front of the parking area), if the user turns on the automatic parking switch 80, the vehicle VH will stop in the vicinity of the desired parking area. Figure 10As shown, the automatic parking control unit 100 causes the display device 91 to display an overhead image screen G6 of the surroundings of the vehicle VH generated based on the image data of the camera sensor 43. Furthermore, when the user activates the remote parking application on the portable terminal 3, the automatic parking control unit 100 can cause the display of the portable terminal 3 to display the overhead image screen G6.

[0060] When the overhead image screen G6 is displayed, the automatic parking control unit 100 detects a parking area (hereinafter referred to as a parking area) where the vehicle VH can be parked based on the detection result of the external sensor device 40. In addition, when the parking area is detected, the automatic parking control unit 100 displays the parking area on the overhead image screen G6. Figure 10 In the example shown, two parking available areas PA1 and PA2 are displayed on the bird's-eye view image screen G6.

[0061] If the user touches the parking area PA1 on the bird's-eye view image screen G6, for example, the automatic parking control unit 100 sets the parking area PA1 as the parking area where the user wishes to park the vehicle VH (hereinafter referred to as the designated parking area PAS). Figure 11 The parking plan selection screen G7 is shown. This parking plan selection screen G7 includes a right-angle parking button B10 for parking the vehicle VH at a right angle in the designated parking area PAS, a side parking button B11 for parking the vehicle VH sideways in the designated parking area PAS, and a parking method confirmation button B12 for determining the parking method. Furthermore, if the user activates the remote parking application on the portable terminal 3, the automatic parking control unit 100 can display the parking plan selection screen G7 on the display of the portable terminal 3.

[0062] For example, if the user touches and operates the right-angle parking button B10 and then clicks the parking method confirmation button B12, the automatic parking control unit 100 sets the parking method for vehicle VH to right-angle parking. Once the parking method is set, the automatic parking control unit 100 displays a message (not shown) on the display device 91 urging the user to exit the vehicle. Hereinafter, the user's touch operations on the parking available areas PA1 and PA2, as well as the touch operations on the right-angle parking button B10 and the parallel parking button B11, are referred to as "parking plan setting operations."

[0063] When the user gets out of the vehicle VH while holding the electronic key 2 and the portable terminal 3, the automatic parking control unit 100 sets the target parking route R2 based on the detection result of the external sensor device 40. Figure 12As shown in FIG. 1 , the target parking path R2 is a path for the vehicle VH to travel to the target parking stop position PS2 in the designated parking area PAS. When the automatic parking control unit 100 sets the target parking path R2, the display of the portable terminal 3 is displayed via the transceiver 16. Figure 13 The parking plan confirmation screen G8 is shown. The parking plan confirmation screen G8 includes, for example, the target parking route R2 and a parking plan confirmation button B13. When the user touches the parking plan confirmation button B13, the automatic parking control unit 100 ends the parking plan setting process.

[0064] When the automatic parking control unit 100 completes the parking plan setting process, it causes the display of the portable terminal 3 to display the message " Figure 14 The parking operation screen G9 shown in FIG. 1 includes a message M3 notifying the user, an arrow A visually indicating the operation details, and a remaining distance display M4. The remaining distance display M4 shows the distance from the current position of the vehicle VH to the target parking stop position PS2.

[0065] When the user moves their finger so as to trace a circle along arrow A while touching the display of portable terminal 3, automatic parking control unit 100 controls the operation of drive unit 20, steering unit 21, and brake unit 22 based on the detection results of interior sensor device 30 and exterior sensor device 40, thereby initiating parking entry control for automatically driving vehicle VH along target parking route R2. If the user stops moving their finger or removes their finger from the display of portable terminal 3 during parking entry control, automatic parking control unit 100 terminates parking entry control.

[0066] Once parking entry control is initiated, the automatic parking control unit 100 sequentially calculates a movement trajectory. Furthermore, based on the movement trajectory sequentially calculated during parking entry control, the automatic parking control unit 100 calculates the remaining distance until the vehicle VH reaches the target parking stop position PS2 and displays it on the remaining distance display M4. The movement trajectory can be calculated, for example, based on mileage detected by the wheel speed sensor 31 and the steering angle sensor 34, or can be inferred based on optical flow or other methods from image data of the road surface surrounding the vehicle VH captured by the camera sensor 43.

[0067] The automatic parking control unit 100 determines whether the vehicle VH has reached the target parking stop position PS2 based on the movement trajectory calculated sequentially during the execution of the parking travel control. If the automatic parking control unit 100 determines that the vehicle VH has reached the target parking stop position PS2, the transceiver 16 causes the display of the portable terminal 3 to display Figure 15The parking completion confirmation screen G10 is shown. The parking completion confirmation screen G10 includes a parking completion button B14. When the user touches and operates the parking completion button B14, the automatic parking control unit 100 ends the automatic parking control.

[0068] Consider the case where the parking assistance system is used to enter or exit a parking area into which the parking assistance system was previously used. Even if the user performs the aforementioned entry and exit plan settings when entering or exiting the parking area, the user may be required to perform the same selection operation for the same parking area each subsequent time, potentially causing inconvenience. For example, in situations where multiple users share the vehicle VH, such as in a family or a car-sharing system where a large number of users are undefined, other users can share the setting information for the entry and exit plan settings performed by a specific user. This can save other users the trouble.

[0069] The parking assistance system of this embodiment improves user convenience by performing a setting suggestion process. This process proposes setting information related to a previously performed entry and exit plan setting operation by a predetermined user when the vehicle VH enters or exits the same parking area the next time or later. The following describes in detail the functional elements implementing the setting suggestion process: the entry and exit parking area storage unit 110, the registered parking area determination unit 120, the suggestion processing unit 130, and the rewriting processing unit 140.

[0070] [Setting Proposal Processing]

[0071] The parking area storage unit 110 stores the location information (three-dimensional coordinates in the world coordinate system) of the parking area where the user first enters or exits the vehicle VH using the parking assistance system, as well as image data of the parking area, in association with the setting information associated with the user's entry and exit plan settings at that time. The setting information refers to the entry method (such as right-angle parking or parallel parking) selected by the user on the entry plan selection screen G7 when the parking assistance system performs automatic entry control, and the exit direction (such as front, rear, left front, right front, etc.) selected by the user on the exit plan selection screen G2 when the parking assistance system performs automatic exit control. The parking area location information can be obtained using the vehicle VH's location information acquired by the location information acquisition device 50, or, if the parking area is a public parking lot, can be acquired through the map database 60, V2I communication, or the like. The parking area image data can be image data captured by the camera sensor 43. Hereinafter, the parking areas stored in the parking area storage unit 110 are referred to as registered parking areas.

[0072] When a user attempts to use the parking assistance system to enter or exit a designated parking area (hereinafter referred to as a target parking area), the registered parking area determination unit 120 determines whether the target parking area is a registered parking area. Specifically, when the user attempts to enter the target parking area, the registered parking area determination unit 120 performs this determination when the user stops the vehicle VH and turns on the automatic parking switch 80, or when the user activates the remote parking application on the portable terminal 3. Furthermore, when the user attempts to exit the target parking area, the registered parking area determination unit 120 performs this determination when the user unlocks the doors using the electronic key 2 (a smartphone in the case of a digital key system) and activates the remote parking application on the portable terminal 3. Whether the target parking area is a registered parking area can be determined by comparing the current position information of the vehicle VH obtained by the position information acquisition device 50 with the position information of the registered parking areas and by aligning the feature points of the image data of the target parking area captured by the camera sensor 43 with the feature points of the image data of the registered parking areas. The registered parking area determination unit 120 transmits the determination result to the suggestion processing unit 130 .

[0073] If the registered parking area determination unit 120 determines that the target parking area is a registered parking area, the suggestion processing unit 130 executes a suggestion process to propose the setting information associated with the registered parking area and stored in the entry and exit parking area storage unit 110 to the user. The users targeted by the suggestion process include not only the user who actually performed the entry and exit plan setting operation for the parking area for the first time (the first user in the present disclosure), but also other users who intend to enter or exit the vehicle VH from the parking area next time (the second user in the present disclosure).

[0074] When the user intends to park the vehicle VH in the target parking area, the suggestion processing unit 130 causes the display of the portable terminal 3 to display the parking plan confirmation screen G8 (see FIG. 1 ) corresponding to the setting information of the registered parking area via the transceiver 16. Figure 13 ).exist Figure 13 In the example shown, right-angle parking is displayed as the setting information (parking method) of the registered parking area. If the user touches and operates the parking plan confirmation button B13 on the parking plan confirmation screen G8, the suggestion processing unit 130 ends the suggestion processing. If the suggestion processing unit 130 ends the suggestion processing, the automatic parking control unit 100 causes the display of the portable terminal 3 to display the parking operation screen G9 (see Figure 14 ). That is, the user can start the storage operation immediately. Thus, the user can determine the storage plan as soon as possible without going through the storage plan selection screen G7 ( Figure 11 ) selection operation on the , can realize the improvement of convenience.

[0075] When the user intends to unload the vehicle VH from the target parking area, the suggestion processing unit 130 displays the unloading plan confirmation screen G3 (see FIG. 1 ) corresponding to the setting information of the registered parking area on the display of the portable terminal 3 via the transceiver 16. Figure 7 ).exist Figure 7 In the example shown, the left front is displayed as the setting information of the registered parking area (departure direction). If the user touches and operates the delivery plan confirmation button B7 on the delivery plan confirmation screen G3, the suggestion processing unit 130 ends the suggestion processing. If the suggestion processing unit 130 ends the suggestion processing, the automatic parking control unit 100 displays the delivery operation screen G4 (see Figure 8 ). That is, the user can start the outbound operation immediately. Thus, the user can determine the outbound plan as soon as possible without going through the outbound plan selection screen G2 ( Figure 5 ) selection operation on the , can realize the improvement of convenience.

[0076] If the user does not agree with the proposal processing unit 130 on the entry and exit plans, the rewriting processing unit 140 performs a rewriting process to associate the new entry and exit plans with the registered parking areas and store them in the entry and exit parking area storage unit 110 .

[0077] If the user does not agree with the proposed parking plan, that is, if the user does not touch the parking plan confirmation button B13 on the parking plan confirmation screen G8, the automatic parking control unit 100 displays the parking plan selection screen G7 (see FIG. Figure 11 ). When the user selects a new parking plan (parking method) different from the proposed parking plan, the automatic parking control unit 100 executes the above-mentioned automatic parking control based on the new parking plan. At this time, the rewriting processing unit 140 displays the display of the portable terminal 3 through the transceiver 16. Figure 16 When the user touches the save button B15 on the save confirmation screen G11 , the rewrite processing unit 140 associates the new parking plan (parking method) with the position information of the registered parking area and stores it in the parking area storage unit 110 .

[0078] If the user does not agree with the proposed dispatch plan, that is, if the user does not touch the dispatch plan confirmation button B7 on the dispatch plan confirmation screen G3, the automatic parking control unit 100 displays the dispatch plan selection screen G2 (see FIG. Figure 5 ). When the user selects a new outbound plan (outbound direction) different from the proposed outbound plan, the automatic parking control unit 100 executes the above-mentioned automatic outbound control based on the new outbound plan. At this time, the rewriting processing unit 140 displays the display of the portable terminal 3 through the transceiver 16. Figure 16 When the user touches the save button B15 on the save confirmation screen G11 , the rewrite processing unit 140 associates the new delivery plan (delivery direction) with the position information of the registered parking area and stores it in the entry and exit parking area storage unit 110 .

[0079] In this way, when the user selects a new entry or exit plan, the registered parking area settings are rewritten to the new entry or exit plan. This effectively addresses changes in the surrounding environment of the registered parking area. Furthermore, by rewriting the settings after the user confirms whether to save the changes, unnecessary rewriting can be effectively prevented if the entry or exit plan is changed due to exceptional reasons such as the accidental stop of another vehicle during the current entry or exit.

[0080] Next, based on Figure 17 The following flowchart illustrates the automatic exit control and setting suggestion processing routine executed by the CPU 11 of the ECU 10. The automatic entry control follows a substantially identical process to the automatic exit control, so its description is omitted. This routine begins when the user unlocks the doors of the vehicle VH using the electronic key 2 (or smartphone) and activates the remote parking application on the mobile terminal 3.

[0081] In step S100, the ECU 10 displays the power operation screen G1 on the display of the portable terminal 3 via the transceiver 16. When the user touches the power button B1 on the power operation screen G1, the ECU 10 proceeds to step S110 and turns on the power of the vehicle VH.

[0082] In step S120, the ECU 10 obtains the current position information of the vehicle VH based on the detection results of the position information acquisition device 50. Next, in step S130, the ECU 10 determines whether the target parking area where the vehicle VH is currently parked is a registered parking area. If the target parking area is a registered parking area (Yes), the ECU 10 proceeds to step S140. On the other hand, if the target parking area is not a registered parking area (No), the ECU 10 proceeds to step S160.

[0083] After proceeding from step S130 to step S160, the ECU 10 obtains a possible exit direction for the vehicle VH based on the detection results of the external sensor device 40. Next, in step S170, the ECU 10 displays the exit plan selection screen G2 on the display of the portable terminal 3 via the transceiver 16. If the user touches the exit direction selection buttons B2, B3, B4, and B5 on the exit plan selection screen G2 and then touches the exit direction confirmation button B6, the ECU 10 proceeds to step S180.

[0084] In step S180, the ECU 10 sets the target delivery route R1 based on the detection results of the external sensor device 40 and displays the delivery plan confirmation screen G3 on the display of the portable terminal 3 via the transceiver 16. If the user touches the delivery plan confirmation button B7 on the delivery plan confirmation screen G3, the ECU 10 proceeds to step S200.

[0085] In step S200, the ECU 10 displays the outbound operation screen G4 on the display of the portable terminal 3 through the transceiver 16. If the user starts the operation while touching the display of the portable terminal 3, the ECU 10 enters the processing of step S210 and executes the outbound travel control that automatically drives the vehicle VH along the target outbound path R1. In step S220, the ECU 10 determines whether the user has touched the boarding button B8 on the outbound operation screen G4. If the user has touched the boarding button B8 (yes), the ECU 10 enters the processing of step S230 and ends the outbound travel control. On the other hand, if the user has not touched the boarding button B8 (no), the ECU 10 continues the processing of step S210.

[0086] If the process proceeds from step S130 to step S140, the ECU 10 sets the target exit route R1 based on the detection result of the external sensor device 40, and displays the entry plan confirmation screen G8 corresponding to the setting information of the registered parking area stored in the entry and exit parking area storage unit 110 on the display of the portable terminal 3.

[0087] In step S150, ECU10 determines whether the user has touched the dispatch plan confirmation button B7 on the dispatch plan confirmation screen G3. If the user has touched the dispatch plan confirmation button B7 (yes), ECU10 deems that the user has agreed to the proposal and proceeds to the processing of step S200. That is, the display of the dispatch operation screen G4 is not displayed via the dispatch plan selection screen G2. In this way, the user's trouble can be reduced and the convenience can be improved. If the user has not touched the dispatch plan confirmation button B7 (no), ECU10 deems that the user has not agreed to the proposal and proceeds to the processing of step S160.

[0088] After proceeding from step S230 to step S240, the ECU 10 determines whether the exit direction of the currently executed automatic exit control is the same as the set information (exit direction) stored and associated with the registered parking area. If the current exit direction is the same as the set information (exit direction) (Yes), the ECU 10 returns to this routine. On the other hand, if the current exit direction is different from the set information (exit direction) (No), the ECU 10 proceeds to step S250.

[0089] In step S250, the ECU 10 displays the save confirmation screen G11 on the display of the portable terminal 3 via the transceiver 16. Next, in step S260, the ECU 10 determines whether the user has touched the save button B16 on the save confirmation screen G11. If the user has not touched the save button B16 (No), the ECU 10 returns this routine. On the other hand, if the user has touched the save button B16 (Yes), the ECU 10 proceeds to the processing of step S270. In step S270, the ECU 10 performs a rewrite process of associating the new outbound plan (outbound direction) with the location information of the registered parking area for storage, and returns this routine.

[0090] In addition, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the purpose of the present disclosure.

[0091] For example, if a vehicle VH is used by an unspecified number of users due to car sharing, a switch function can be provided to enable the above-mentioned setting suggestion processing only in public parking lots. If such a function is provided, when a specific user parks in a private parking lot, for example, the user's personal information can be effectively prevented from being known to other users.

[0092] While the parking assistance system in the above embodiment assumes that the setting suggestion process is performed without user identification, it can also be configured to include user identification functionality, whereby each user's setting information (exit direction, entry method) is associated and stored with each identified user. In this case, by suggesting the setting information stored and associated with a specific user to other users, convenience for those users can be improved. User identification can be performed based on, for example, the type of electronic key 2 or portable terminal 3 held by each user.

[0093] Furthermore, since the parking assistance system of the above-described embodiment stores the parking method and exit direction as setting information, it can save memory compared to a system that stores a large amount of information. Furthermore, the system can also be applied to a so-called path storage-type parking assistance system that stores the movement path of the vehicle VH during parking and exit and uses it in subsequent assist control operations. In this case, the setting information stored in association with the parking area only needs to include the movement path.

[0094] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, so-called remote parking in which a user remotely operates the vehicle VH is described as an example. However, the technology disclosed herein can also be applied to a system that performs parking assistance while the user is in the vehicle VH.

[0095] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the user basically performs touch operations on the display device 91 and the portable terminal 3 . However, at least part or all of the operations may be voice recognition operations using a voice pickup microphone.

[0096] In addition, the technology disclosed herein can also be applied to an autonomous vehicle that automatically performs part or all of the driving operation.

Claims

1. A parking assist system comprising a control device configured to execute automatic parking control for automatically parking a vehicle in a parking area or automatically leaving the vehicle from a parking area based on a parking method selected by a user from among a plurality of parking methods; The parking assistance system is characterized in that: The control device comprises: a storage unit for storing a parking method selected by a first user when the vehicle is parked in a specific parking area or exited from the specific parking area by the automatic parking control, in association with position information of the specific parking area; a determination unit that, when a second user parks the vehicle in a predetermined parking area or pulls out of the predetermined parking area through the automatic parking control, determines whether the predetermined parking area is the specific parking area based on the current position information of the vehicle and the position information of the specific parking area stored in the storage unit; and The suggestion processing unit performs a suggestion process for suggesting a parking method associated with the position information of the specific parking area and stored in the storage unit to the second user, when the determination unit determines that the predetermined parking area is the specific parking area.

2. The parking assistance system according to claim 1, characterized in that The system further includes a rewriting processing unit that, when the second user does not select the parking method proposed by the proposal processing unit but selects a new parking method different from the proposed parking method, executes a rewriting process of associating the new parking method with the location information of the specific parking area and storing the associated new parking method.

3. The parking assistance system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The rewriting processing unit executes the rewriting process when the second user agrees to the storage of the new parking method.

4. The parking assistance system according to claim 1, wherein: When the second user does not select the parking method proposed by the proposal processing unit but selects a new parking method different from the proposed parking method, the control device executes the automatic parking control based on the new parking method.

5. The parking assistance system according to claim 1, wherein: further comprising a portable terminal having a predetermined application installed therein and capable of communicating with the control device, The control device is configured to be capable of executing remote parking control as the automatic parking control, in which the vehicle is automatically parked in a parking area or automatically pulled out from a parking area, based on a command transmitted from the portable terminal by a user using the application.

6. A parking assistance method for performing automatic parking control to automatically park a vehicle in a parking area or automatically exit from a parking area based on a parking method selected by a user from among a plurality of parking methods, wherein: The parking method selected by the first user when the vehicle is parked in a specific parking area or exited from the specific parking area by the automatic parking control is associated with the position information of the specific parking area and stored; When a second user parks the vehicle in a predetermined parking area or leaves the vehicle from the predetermined parking area through the automatic parking control, it is determined whether the predetermined parking area is the specific parking area based on the current position information of the vehicle and the stored position information of the specific parking area. If the predetermined parking area is determined to be the specific parking area, a suggestion process is executed for suggesting a parking method stored and associated with the position information of the specific parking area to the second user.

7. A program product, characterized in that A computer of a parking assist system including a control device capable of executing automatic parking control for automatically parking a vehicle in a parking area or automatically exiting a parking area based on a parking method selected by a user from among a plurality of parking methods executes the following processing: a process of associating and storing a parking method selected by a first user when the vehicle is parked in a specific parking area or exited from the specific parking area by the automatic parking control with position information of the specific parking area; When a second user parks the vehicle in a predetermined parking area or leaves the vehicle from the predetermined parking area through the automatic parking control, determining whether the predetermined parking area is the specific parking area based on the current position information of the vehicle and the stored position information of the specific parking area; as well as If the predetermined parking area is determined to be the specific parking area, a process is performed to propose a parking method stored and associated with the position information of the specific parking area to the second user.

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