Vehicle door control apparatus and method thereof, and non-transitory computer-readable medium

Abstract

The invention relates to a vehicle door control apparatus, a method thereof, and a non-transitory computer-readable medium. And the technology for detecting people is improved. A vehicle door control device (1) is provided with an imaging unit (11) for imaging the inside and outside of a vehicle, and a control unit (13) for acquiring an image of the inside and outside of the vehicle from the imaging unit (11), detecting an inside detection object (2), which is a detection object inside the vehicle, and an outside detection object (3), which is a detection object outside the vehicle, from the image, and controlling the inside detection object (2) and the outside detection object (3). The control device determines whether the internal detection object (2) is located in an in-vehicle detection zone (4) in the vicinity of the door of the vehicle, stops the opening and closing operation of the door when it is determined that the internal detection object (2) is located in the in-vehicle detection zone (4), determines whether the external detection object (3) is located in an out-vehicle detection zone (5) in the vicinity of the door outside the vehicle, and stops the opening and closing operation of the door when it is determined that the internal detection object (2) is located in the in-vehicle detection zone (4). When it is determined that the external detection object (3) is located within the outside detection zone (5), the locking operation of the door is stopped.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to apparatus, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable media. Background Technology

[0002] Techniques for detecting people are known in the past. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for setting multiple detection zones on an image of a train station platform.

[0003] Existing technical documents

[0004] Patent documents

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2012-121483 Summary of the Invention

[0006] The technology used for detecting people can be applied to systems that determine when a vehicle door is opening or closing. Human behavior differs between people getting on and getting off. Therefore, it is necessary to detect people both inside and outside the vehicle. However, previous systems only detected either inside or outside the vehicle.

[0007] The purpose of this disclosure, made in view of the above circumstances, is to improve the technology for detecting people near the doors of a vehicle.

[0008] One embodiment of this disclosure provides a vehicle door control device comprising a camera unit for capturing images of the interior and exterior of a vehicle, and a control unit. The control unit acquires images of the interior and exterior of the vehicle from the camera unit, detects internal objects as objects inside the vehicle and external objects as objects outside the vehicle from the images, stops the opening and closing operation of the door when an internal object is located within the vehicle's interior detection zone near the door, and stops the locking operation of the door when an external object is located outside the vehicle within the vehicle's exterior detection zone near the door.

[0009] One embodiment of this disclosure provides a method executed by a door control device comprising a camera unit for capturing images of the interior and exterior of a vehicle, and a control unit, wherein the method includes: the control unit acquiring images of the interior and exterior of the vehicle from the camera unit; detecting an internal detection object as an object inside the vehicle and an external detection object as an object outside the vehicle from the images; stopping the opening and closing operation of the door when the internal detection object is located within the vehicle and in an interior detection zone near the door; and stopping the locking operation of the door when the external detection object is located outside the vehicle and in an exterior detection zone near the door.

[0010] One embodiment of this disclosure provides a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a program that causes a computer, which is a door control device equipped with a camera unit and a control unit for capturing images of the interior and exterior of a vehicle, to perform the following actions: acquiring images of the interior and exterior of the vehicle from the camera unit; detecting internal objects as objects inside the vehicle and external objects as objects outside the vehicle from the images; stopping the opening and closing operation of the door when the internal object is located within the vehicle's interior detection zone near the door; and stopping the locking operation of the door when the external object is located outside the vehicle within the vehicle's exterior detection zone near the door.

[0011] According to one embodiment of this disclosure, the technology for detecting humans is improved. Attached Figure Description

[0012] Figure 1 This is a block diagram illustrating the schematic structure of a door control device according to one embodiment.

[0013] Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the door control device according to the first embodiment.

[0014] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram showing an example of the in-vehicle detection zone and the out-of-vehicle detection zone in the first embodiment.

[0015] Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the door control device according to the second embodiment.

[0016] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram showing an example of the external detection zone in the second embodiment.

[0017] Figure 6 It is shown that... Figure 5 A rough map of different external detection zones. Detailed Implementation

[0018] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0019] (An overview of one implementation method)

[0020] Reference Figure 1 This description explains a door control device 1 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. The door control device 1 is a computer mounted on a vehicle.

[0021] The vehicle includes any mode of transportation such as automobiles, buses, and shuttle buses. The vehicle can also be a gasoline vehicle, diesel vehicle, hydrogen fuel cell vehicle, BEV (Battery Electric Vehicle), HEV (Hybrid Electric Vehicle), PHEV (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle), or FCEV (Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle). The vehicle can be driven by a driver or can be automated at any level. The level of automation can be, for example, any one of SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) levels 1 to 5. The vehicle can also be a MaaS (Mobility as a Service) dedicated vehicle. The vehicle has a controller that controls the movement of various parts of the vehicle, including the doors. In this embodiment, the doors are sliding doors. The doors can also be any other type of door, such as hinged doors.

[0022] First, an overview of this embodiment will be provided; detailed descriptions will follow. The door control device according to this embodiment includes a camera unit for capturing images of the interior and exterior of the vehicle, and a control unit. The control unit acquires images of the interior and exterior of the vehicle from the camera unit. The control unit detects interior objects as objects inside the vehicle and exterior objects as objects outside the vehicle from the images. When an interior object is located within the vehicle's interior detection zone near the door, the control unit stops the door opening / closing operation. When an exterior object is located outside the vehicle within the vehicle's exterior detection zone near the door, the control unit stops the door locking operation.

[0023] According to this embodiment, the detection zone includes an in-vehicle detection zone and an out-of-vehicle detection zone, thus enabling the detection of people inside and outside the vehicle respectively. When a vehicle door opens or closes, there is a possibility that a person near the door inside the vehicle may remain stationary while someone outside runs into the vehicle. Therefore, it is necessary to detect people outside the vehicle faster than those inside. According to this embodiment, by setting the out-of-vehicle detection zone differently from the in-vehicle detection zone, for example, by setting it to be wider, it is possible to detect people outside the vehicle earlier. Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the door opening and closing operation automatically stops, thereby reducing the driver's burden of door operation and preventing situations where people are trapped in the door due to driver oversight.

[0024] According to this embodiment, only a single image can be used to centrally detect people both inside and outside a vehicle. This reduces the number of cameras or other sensors required to detect people near vehicle doors, thus lowering the cost of door control. Based on the above, this embodiment improves the technology for detecting people.

[0025] (Structure of door control device 1)

[0026] Reference Figure 1 The structure of the door control device 1 is explained below. The door control device 1 includes a camera unit 11, a communication unit 12, a control unit 13, and a storage unit 14. Each unit can be interconnected via an in-vehicle network such as CAN (Controller Area Network) or a dedicated line.

[0027] The camera unit 11 is any camera module installed inside the vehicle, capable of capturing images of both the interior and exterior of the vehicle. The camera module includes at least one camera. The camera unit 11 is positioned to capture images of the floor near the vehicle door and the road, such as the ceiling near the door. In one embodiment, the camera unit 11 captures images of both the interior and exterior of the vehicle into a single image. The image can be a moving image or a still image.

[0028] The communication unit 12 includes at least one communication interface for connecting to the vehicle network. This communication interface may be compatible with, for example, CAN (Controller Area Network) communication standards, 4G (4th generation) or 5G (5th generation) mobile communication standards, DSRC (Dedicated Short Range Communications) or V2X (Vehicle-to-Everything) communication standards such as cellular V2X, or wireless LAN (Local Area Network) communication standards such as IEEE 802.11 (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers 802.11).

[0029] The control unit 13 includes at least one processor, at least one programmable circuit, at least one dedicated circuit, or a combination thereof. The control unit 13 controls the operation of the door control device 1. The control unit 13 may also include an ECU (Electronic Control Unit). The control unit 13 controls various parts of the door control device 1.

[0030] Storage unit 14 includes at least one memory. Each memory included in storage unit 14 may function as a main storage device, an auxiliary storage device, or a cache memory. Storage unit 14 stores information used in the operation of door control device 1 and information obtained as a result of the operation of door control device 1. Storage unit 14 may also store system programs, application programs, or embedded software. Information stored in storage unit 14 can also be updated using information obtained from a network via communication unit 12.

[0031] The function of the door control device 1 is implemented by the processor, which serves as the control unit 13, executing a program stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium according to one embodiment. That is, the function of the door control device 1 is implemented through software. The program causes the computer to perform actions of the door control device 1, thereby enabling the computer to function as the door control device 1. In other words, the computer performs its function as the door control device 1 by executing actions of the door control device 1 according to the program.

[0032] (Operation flow of the door control device 1 according to the first embodiment)

[0033] Reference Figure 2 The operation of the door control device 1 according to the first embodiment of this disclosure will be explained. Hereinafter, communication between the various parts of the door control device 1 will be carried out via the communication unit 12 and the network.

[0034] S101: The control unit 13 obtains images of the interior and exterior of the vehicle from the camera unit 11.

[0035] The camera unit 11 captures images of the vehicle's interior and exterior during the opening and closing of the doors.

[0036] S102: Control unit 13 detects the object from the image.

[0037] The detected objects include internal detected objects 2, which are detected inside the vehicle, and external detected objects 3, which are detected outside the vehicle. The detected objects include people or personal belongings. The control unit 13 uses arbitrary object detection technologies such as YOLO (You Only Look Once) and CNN (Convolutional Neural Network) to detect the detected objects from the image.

[0038] S103: Control unit 13 determines whether the object to be detected is located inside the vehicle, i.e., whether the object to be detected is internal object 2 or external object 3. If it is determined that the object to be detected is inside the vehicle (S103 - "Yes"), the process proceeds to S104. If it is determined that the object to be detected is outside the vehicle (S103 - "No"), the process proceeds to S106.

[0039] For example, the control unit 13 uses the position of the detected object detected by the object detection technology in S102 to determine whether the detected object is located inside the vehicle. For example, the control unit 13 determines whether the detected object is located inside the vehicle by using the feature quantity of the detected object in the acquired image.

[0040] S104: Control unit 13 determines whether the internal detection object 2 is located within the vehicle interior detection zone 4. If it is determined that the internal detection object 2 is located within the vehicle interior detection zone 4 (S104 - "Yes"), the process proceeds to S105. If it is determined that the internal detection object 2 is not located within the vehicle interior detection zone 4 (S104 - "No"), the process ends.

[0041] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram showing an example of an in-vehicle detection zone 4 and an out-of-vehicle detection zone 5. The in-vehicle detection zone 4 is located near the vehicle doors inside the vehicle. The in-vehicle detection zone 4 is an area on the floor with an arbitrary shape. In the first embodiment, the in-vehicle detection zone 4 is as follows... Figure 3 The diagram shows a rectangular shape extending from the vehicle door into the vehicle interior. In the first embodiment, the shape and area of ​​the in-vehicle detection zone 4 remain unchanged. The control unit 13 may also determine that the in-vehicle detection object 2 is located within the in-vehicle detection zone 4 if part or all of it is located within the in-vehicle detection zone 4.

[0042] S105: Control unit 13 stops the opening and closing operation of the doors.

[0043] When the car door is opened, occupants leaning against or exiting the vehicle may fall through the door due to the step between the vehicle floor and the road. To prevent this fall, control unit 13 stops the door opening operation. Additionally, when the car door is closed, occupants may get their hands or luggage caught in the door and be injured. To prevent this injury, control unit 13 stops the door locking operation.

[0044] S106: Control unit 13 determines whether the external detection object 3 is located within the vehicle external detection zone 5. If it is determined that the external detection object 3 is located within the vehicle external detection zone 5 (S108 - "Yes"), the process proceeds to S109. If it is determined that the external detection object 3 is not located within the vehicle external detection zone 5 (S108 - "No"), the process ends.

[0045] For example, the control unit 13 determines whether the external detection object 3 is located within the vehicle exterior detection zone by using the feature quantities of the external detection object 3 within the acquired image. The vehicle exterior detection zone 5 is located near the vehicle door outside the vehicle. The vehicle exterior detection zone 5 is an area of ​​arbitrary shape on a road or sidewalk. In the first embodiment, the vehicle exterior detection zone 5 is as follows: Figure 3 The diagram shows a rectangular area extending outwards from the car door. Figure 3 As shown, in the first embodiment, the shape and area of ​​the external detection zone 5 remain unchanged. The control unit 13 may also determine that the external detection object 3 is located within the external detection zone 5 if part or all of it is located within the external detection zone 5.

[0046] S107: Control unit 13 stops the door locking operation.

[0047] When the car door is closed, people outside the vehicle may get their hands or luggage caught in the door and be injured. To prevent this injury, the control unit 13 stops the door locking operation. On the other hand, when the car door is open, people outside the vehicle will not fall out of the door due to the step between the floor and the road. Therefore, in the first embodiment, the control unit 13 does not stop the door opening operation as in S106. The control unit 13 can also stop the door opening operation in S107.

[0048] (Operation flow of the door control device 1 according to the second embodiment)

[0049] Reference Figure 4 This section explains the operation of the door control device 1 according to the second embodiment of this disclosure. The processing of S201 to S206 in the second embodiment is the same as that of S101 to S106 in the first embodiment, so the explanation is omitted. In the second embodiment, the control unit executes S206a to S206c before executing S206.

[0050] S206a: Before S206, the control unit 13 derives the moving direction and moving speed of the external detection object 3 from the image.

[0051] The control unit 13 uses arbitrary image analysis techniques to derive the moving direction and speed of the external detection object 3 from the image.

[0052] S206b: Control unit 13 determines whether the movement direction of external detection object 3 is towards the vehicle door. If it is determined that the movement direction is towards the vehicle door (S206b - "Yes"), the process proceeds to S206c. If it is determined that the movement direction is not towards the vehicle door (S206b - "No"), the process proceeds to S206.

[0053] "Towards the door" means that the external object 3 is approaching the door, for example, the center of the door. If it is determined that the direction of movement is not towards the door, there is no possibility that someone outside the vehicle will run into the vehicle, so the process proceeds to S206. If it is determined that the direction of movement is not towards the door, the process can also end.

[0054] S206c: When the external detection object 3 moves at a high speed, the control unit 13 sets the external detection zone 5 to be larger than when it moves at a low speed. Then, the process proceeds to S206.

[0055] When a person is running, the vehicle door needs to be stopped and locked faster than when a person is walking. In the second embodiment, the area of ​​the external detection zone 5 is increased according to the moving speed, so that the door can be locked as quickly as possible. In S206c, the control unit may also set the external detection zone 5 such that the area of ​​the external detection zone 5 increases as the moving speed of the external detection object 3 increases.

[0056] To prevent even people not riding in the vehicle from being detected, the area of ​​the external detection zone 5 can be set to be below an area threshold. When the area of ​​the external detection zone 5 is at the area threshold, the control unit 13 can also reduce the door locking speed compared to when the area of ​​the external detection zone is less than the area threshold.

[0057] The control unit 13 can also maintain the area of ​​the external detection zone 5 at a preset size when the moving speed is less than the speed threshold, and set the external detection zone 5 in such a way that the area of ​​the external detection zone 5 increases as the moving speed of the external detection object 3 increases when the moving speed is above the speed threshold.

[0058] In the second embodiment, the external detection zone 5 has a rectangular shape extending from the vehicle door toward the outside of the vehicle. The external detection zone 5 has a length D extending in a vertical direction relative to the vehicle door and a width W extending in a direction perpendicular to that vertical direction. In the second embodiment, as... Figure 5 As shown, the greater the moving speed, the greater the length D becomes. Therefore, it is possible to detect external objects 3 with high moving speeds more quickly. Although in Figure 5 It is not shown in the diagram, but it is also possible that the greater the moving speed, the greater the width W of the external detection zone 5. As a result, external objects 3 approaching along the sidewalk can be detected more quickly.

[0059] The external detection zone 5 can also have a shape extending in a direction from the center of the vehicle door, for example, toward the external detection object 3. Figure 6 In the middle, the external detection zone 5 has a rod-like shape extending in the extending direction. Figure 6 In the case of high movement speed, the length D1 of the external detection zone 5 along the extension direction is larger compared to the case of low movement speed. Alternatively, the greater the movement speed, the larger the length D1 of the external detection zone 5 along the extension direction becomes. The external detection zone 5 can also include multiple... Figure 6The area shown. For example, the external detection area 5 can also include multiple independent areas. Each independent area can also extend in its respective direction from the vehicle door toward each of the multiple external detection objects 3. The length of each independent area along its respective extension direction can be greater when the moving speed of each external detection object 3 is high compared to when it is low. The greater the moving speed of each external detection object 3, the greater the length of each independent area along its respective extension direction. Multiple independent areas can be used to independently detect multiple external detection objects 3 according to their respective moving speeds.

[0060] As described above, the door control device according to this embodiment includes a camera unit for capturing images of the interior and exterior of the vehicle, and a control unit. The control unit acquires images of the interior and exterior of the vehicle from the camera unit. The control unit detects an interior detection object 2 as a detection object inside the vehicle and an exterior detection object as a detection object outside the vehicle from the images. When an interior detection object is located within the vehicle's interior detection zone near the door, the control unit stops the door opening and closing operation. When an exterior detection object is located within the vehicle's exterior detection zone near the door, the control unit stops the door locking operation.

[0061] According to this embodiment, the detection zone includes an in-vehicle detection zone and an out-of-vehicle detection zone, thus enabling the detection of people inside and outside the vehicle respectively. When a car door opens or closes, there is a possibility that a person near the door inside the vehicle may remain stationary while someone outside runs into the vehicle. Therefore, it is necessary to detect people outside the vehicle faster than people inside. According to this embodiment, by setting the out-of-vehicle detection zone differently from the in-vehicle detection zone, for example, by setting it wider, people outside the vehicle can be detected more quickly. Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the door opening and closing operation automatically stops, thereby reducing the driver's burden of door operation and preventing situations where people are trapped in the door due to driver oversight.

[0062] According to this embodiment, only a single image can be used to centrally detect people both inside and outside a vehicle. This reduces the number of cameras or other sensors required to detect people near vehicle doors, thus lowering the cost of door control. Based on the above, this embodiment improves the technology for detecting people.

[0063] This disclosure has been described with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments, but it should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and alterations based on this disclosure. Therefore, it is desirable to understand that these modifications and alterations are included within the scope of this disclosure. For example, the functions included in each structural part or step can be reconfigured in a logically consistent manner, and multiple structural parts or steps can be combined into one or divided. For example, in the above embodiments, it is also possible to implement an embodiment in which the structure and operation of the door control device are distributed among multiple computers that can communicate with each other.

[0064] In other embodiments, in order to start the vehicle as quickly as possible, the control unit 13 may also reduce the opening and closing speed of the door in S105, S107, S205 or S207.

[0065] The door control device may also include an output unit 15. The output unit 15 may be a speaker, a display, or a lighting device embedded in the floor near the door. The control unit 13 may also use the information output by the output unit 15 to attract the attention of people inside or outside the vehicle. The output unit 15 can attract the attention of people near the door by outputting sound information through a speaker, displaying the in-vehicle detection zone 4 on a display, or using lighting.

[0066] After S206a, the control unit 13 can also determine whether the moving direction of the external detection object 3 is towards the vehicle door and whether the moving speed is above a speed threshold. If the moving direction of the external detection object 3 is towards the vehicle door and the moving speed is above a speed threshold, the control unit 13 can increase the area of ​​the in-vehicle detection zone 4 and use the output unit 15 to attract the attention of the internal detection object 2 located in the in-vehicle detection zone 4.

[0067] When a person outside the vehicle runs into the vehicle, there is a possibility of collision with someone inside. Therefore, to prevent collisions, the area of ​​the detection zone 4 inside the vehicle can be increased, and a sound message such as "Running into the vehicle. Please stay away from the door" can be output through a speaker, or the detection zone 4 can be displayed on a monitor or illuminated to attract the attention of people inside the detection zone 4.

[0068] For example, it is also possible to implement an embodiment in which a general-purpose computer functions as the door control device according to the above embodiments. Specifically, a program describing the processing content for implementing the various functions of the door control device according to the above embodiments is stored in the memory of a general-purpose computer, and the program is read and executed by a processor. Therefore, this disclosure can also be implemented as a processor-executable program or a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing the program.

[0069] The following examples illustrate a portion of the embodiments of this disclosure. However, it is important to note that the embodiments of this disclosure are not limited to these examples.

[0070] [Postscript 1]

[0071] A vehicle door control device includes a camera unit for capturing images of the vehicle's interior and exterior, and a control unit, wherein the control unit:

[0072] Images of the vehicle's interior and exterior are acquired from the camera unit.

[0073] Using object detection technology, internal objects that are detected inside the vehicle and external objects that are detected outside the vehicle are detected from the image.

[0074] If the internal detection object is located within the vehicle's interior detection zone near the door, the opening and closing operation of the door shall be stopped.

[0075] If the external detection object is located outside the vehicle, within the external detection zone near the vehicle door, the door locking operation is stopped.

[0076] [Postscript 2]

[0077] According to the door control device described in Appendix 1, furthermore,

[0078] The moving speed and direction of the external detection object are derived.

[0079] When the direction of movement is toward the vehicle door, and the movement speed is high, the external detection zone is set to be larger compared to the low speed.

[0080] [Postscript 3]

[0081] According to the door control device described in Appendix 2, wherein...

[0082] The external detection zone extends in a direction from the vehicle door toward the external object being detected, and when the moving speed is high, the length of the external detection zone along the extending direction is greater than when the moving speed is low.

[0083] [Postscript 4]

[0084] According to the door control device described in Appendix 2 or 3, wherein...

[0085] The area of ​​the external detection zone is set to be below an area threshold. When the area of ​​the external detection zone is below the area threshold, the control unit reduces the closing speed of the door compared to when the area of ​​the external detection zone is less than the area threshold.

[0086] [Postscript 5]

[0087] The door control device according to any one of Appendices 2 to 4, wherein...

[0088] The external detection zone includes multiple independent zones, each extending in a respective direction from the vehicle door toward the multiple external detection objects. When the movement speed of each external detection object is high, the length of each independent zone along each extension direction is greater than when it is low.

[0089] [Postscript 6]

[0090] The door control device according to any one of Appendices 2 to 5, wherein...

[0091] It also includes an output unit, wherein when the moving direction is toward the vehicle door and the moving speed is above a speed threshold, the control unit increases the area of ​​the in-vehicle detection zone and uses the output unit to draw attention to the internal detection object located in the in-vehicle detection zone.

[0092] [Postscript 7]

[0093] According to the door control device described in Appendices 1 to 6, wherein...

[0094] The vehicle in question is an autonomous vehicle.

[0095] [Postscript 8]

[0096] One method is a door control device comprising a camera unit for capturing images of the interior and exterior of a vehicle, and a control unit, wherein the method includes:

[0097] The control unit

[0098] The camera unit acquires images of the vehicle's interior and exterior.

[0099] Using object detection technology, internal objects as objects inside the vehicle and external objects as objects outside the vehicle are detected from the image;

[0100] If the internal detection object is located within the vehicle's interior detection zone near a door, the opening and closing operation of the door shall be stopped; and

[0101] If the external detection object is located outside the vehicle, within the external detection zone near the vehicle door, the door locking operation is stopped.

[0102] [Postscript 9]

[0103] According to the method described in Appendix 8, it further includes:

[0104] The control unit

[0105] The moving speed and direction of the external detection object are derived; and

[0106] When the direction of movement is toward the vehicle door, and the movement speed is high, the external detection zone is set to be larger compared to the low speed.

[0107] [Postscript 10]

[0108] According to the method described in Appendix 9, wherein,

[0109] The external detection zone extends in a direction from the vehicle door toward the external object being detected, and when the moving speed is high, the length of the external detection zone along the extending direction is greater than when the moving speed is low.

[0110] [Postscript 11]

[0111] According to the method described in Appendix 9 or 10, wherein,

[0112] The area of ​​the external detection zone is set to be below an area threshold. When the area of ​​the external detection zone is below the area threshold, the control unit reduces the closing speed of the door compared to when the area of ​​the external detection zone is less than the area threshold.

[0113] [Postscript 12]

[0114] According to the method described in any one of Appendix 9 to 11, wherein,

[0115] The external detection zone includes multiple independent zones, each extending in a respective direction from the vehicle door toward each of the external detection objects. When the movement speed of each external detection object is high, the length of each independent zone along each extension direction is greater than when it is low.

[0116] [Postscript 13]

[0117] The method according to any one of Appendices 9 to 12, wherein the method further comprises:

[0118] When the direction of movement is toward the vehicle door and the speed of movement is above a speed threshold, the control unit increases the area of ​​the in-vehicle detection zone to draw attention to the internal detection object located within the in-vehicle detection zone.

[0119] [Postscript 14]

[0120] According to the method described in Appendices 8-13, wherein,

[0121] The vehicle in question is an autonomous vehicle.

[0122] [Postscript 15]

[0123] A non-transitory, computer-readable medium for storing programs.

[0124] The program causes the computer, which is a door control unit equipped with a camera unit and a control unit for capturing images of the vehicle's interior and exterior, to perform the following actions:

[0125] The camera unit acquires images of the vehicle's interior and exterior.

[0126] Using object detection technology, internal objects as objects inside the vehicle and external objects as objects outside the vehicle are detected from the image;

[0127] If the internal detection object is located within the vehicle's interior detection zone near a door, the opening and closing operation of the door shall be stopped; and

[0128] If the external detection object is located outside the vehicle, within the external detection zone near the vehicle door, the door locking operation is stopped.

[0129] [Postscript 16]

[0130] According to the medium described in Appendix 15, the action further includes:

[0131] The moving speed and direction of the external detection object are derived; and

[0132] When the direction of movement is toward the vehicle door, and the movement speed is high, the external detection zone is set to be larger compared to the low speed.

[0133] [Postscript 17]

[0134] According to the medium described in Appendix 16, wherein,

[0135] The external detection zone extends in a direction from the vehicle door toward the external object being detected, and when the moving speed is high, the length of the external detection zone along the extending direction is greater than when the moving speed is low.

[0136] [Postscript 18]

[0137] According to the medium described in Appendix 16 or 17, wherein,

[0138] The area of ​​the external detection zone is set to be below an area threshold. When the area of ​​the external detection zone is below the area threshold, the control unit reduces the closing speed of the door compared to when the area of ​​the external detection zone is less than the area threshold.

[0139] [Postscript 19]

[0140] The medium according to any one of notes 16-17, wherein,

[0141] The external detection zone includes multiple independent zones, each extending in a respective direction from the vehicle door toward each of the external detection objects. When the movement speed of each external detection object is high, the length of each independent zone along each extension direction is greater than when it is low.

[0142] [Postscript 20]

[0143] According to the media described in Appendices 15-19, wherein,

[0144] The vehicle in question is an autonomous vehicle.

[0145] (Symbol Explanation)

[0146] 1: Door control device; 11: Camera unit; 12: Communication unit; 13: Control unit; 14: Storage unit; 15: Output unit; 2: Internal detection object; 3: External detection object; 4: In-vehicle detection zone; 5: Out-of-vehicle detection zone.

Claims

1. A door control device provided with an imaging unit that images an inside and an outside of a vehicle, and a control unit, wherein the control unit acquires images of the inside and the outside of the vehicle from the imaging unit, detects an inside detection object that is a detection object in the vehicle and an outside detection object that is a detection object outside the vehicle from the images using an object detection technique, stops an opening and closing operation of the door in a case where the inside detection object is located in an inside detection zone in the vehicle that is in a vicinity of the door, and stops a lock operation of the door in a case where the outside detection object is located in an outside detection zone outside the vehicle that is in a vicinity of the door. Further, the control unit derives a moving speed and a moving direction of the outside detection object, in a case where the moving direction is a direction toward the door, the outside detection zone is set larger in a case where the moving speed is large than in a case where the moving speed is small.

3. The door control device according to claim 2, wherein the outside detection zone extends in an extension direction from the door toward the outside detection object, and a length of the outside detection zone along the extension direction is larger in a case where the moving speed is large than in a case where the moving speed is small.

4. The door control device according to claim 2, wherein an area of the outside detection zone is set to be below an area threshold value, and the control unit reduces a lock speed of the door in a case where the area of the outside detection zone is the area threshold value than in a case where the area of the outside detection zone is below the area threshold value.

2. The vehicle door control device according to claim 1, wherein 5. The door control device according to claim 2, wherein the outside detection zone includes a plurality of independent zones, each independent zone extends in each extension direction from the door toward each of the plurality of outside detection objects, and a length of each independent zone along each extension direction is larger in a case where a moving speed of each outside detection object is large than in a case where the moving speed is small.

6. The door control device according to claim 2, further provided with an output unit, and the control unit increases an area of the inside detection zone in a case where the moving direction is a direction toward the door and the moving speed is above a speed threshold value, and arouses attention of the inside detection object located in the inside detection zone using the output unit.

7. The door control device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the vehicle is an autonomous vehicle. The method includes: the control unit acquires images of the inside and the outside of the vehicle from the imaging unit, detects an inside detection object that is a detection object in the vehicle and an outside detection object that is a detection object outside the vehicle from the images using an object detection technique, stops an opening and closing operation of the door in a case where the inside detection object is located in an inside detection zone in the vehicle that is in a vicinity of the door, and stops a lock operation of the door in a case where the outside detection object is located in an outside detection zone outside the vehicle that is in a vicinity of the door. Further, the control unit derives a moving speed and a moving direction of the outside detection object, and ​ ​ 8. A method executed by a vehicle door control device having an imaging unit that images an interior and an exterior of a vehicle, and a control unit, wherein ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 9. The method of claim 8, wherein, ​ ​ ​ ​ In a case where the moving direction is a direction toward the door, the outside detection zone is set larger in a case where the moving speed is large than in a case where the moving speed is small.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the outside detection zone extends in an extension direction from the door toward the outside detection object, and a length of the outside detection zone along the extension direction is larger in a case where the moving speed is large than in a case where the moving speed is small.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein an area of the outside detection zone is set to be below an area threshold value, and the control section reduces the latching speed of the door in a case where the area of the outside detection zone is the area threshold value than in a case where the area of the outside detection zone is below the area threshold value.

12. The method according to claim 9, wherein the outside detection zone includes a plurality of independent zones each extending in an extension direction from the door toward each of a plurality of the outside detection objects, and a length of each of the independent zones along each of the extension directions is larger in a case where the moving speed of each of the outside detection objects is large than in a case where the moving speed of each of the outside detection objects is small.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein, the method further includes: the control section increases an area of the inside detection zone in a case where the moving direction is a direction toward the door and the moving speed is above a speed threshold value, and alerts an inside detection object located in the inside detection zone.

14. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 13, wherein the vehicle is an autonomous vehicle.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a program, the program causing a computer functioning as a door control device having an imaging section that images an inside and an outside of a vehicle, and a control section to perform an action including: acquiring images of the inside and the outside of the vehicle from the imaging section; detecting, using an object detection technique, an inside detection object that is a detection object in the vehicle and an outside detection object that is a detection object outside the vehicle from the images; stopping an opening and closing operation of a door in a case where the inside detection object is located in an inside detection zone in a vicinity of the door within the vehicle; and stopping a latching operation of the door in a case where the outside detection object is located in an outside detection zone in a vicinity of the door outside the vehicle.

16. The medium of claim 15, wherein, the action further includes: deriving a moving speed and a moving direction of the outside detection object; and in a case where the moving direction is a direction toward the door, the outside detection zone is set larger in a case where the moving speed is large than in a case where the moving speed is small.

17. The medium according to claim 16, wherein the outside detection zone extends in an extension direction from the door toward the outside detection object, and a length of the outside detection zone along the extension direction is larger in a case where the moving speed is large than in a case where the moving speed is small.

18. The medium according to claim 16, wherein The area of the outside detection zone is set to be equal to or less than an area threshold value, and the control section reduces the closing speed of the door when the area of the outside detection zone is equal to the area threshold value, as compared to when the area of the outside detection zone is less than the area threshold value.

19. The medium of claim 16, wherein, The outside detection zone includes a plurality of individual zones, each of which extends in a respective extension direction from the door toward each of the plurality of external detection objects, and the length of each individual zone along each extension direction is greater when the speed of movement of each external detection object is greater, as compared to when the speed of movement of each external detection object is less.

20. The medium of any one of claims 15 to 19, wherein, The vehicle is an autonomous vehicle.

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