Control device, control method, and control program product

Abstract

The present application provides a control device, a control method, and a control program product capable of realizing an improvement in availability in the vicinity of a parking zone. Based on parking information indicating a movement start point (61), a parking zone (62), and a path from the movement start point (61) to the parking zone (62), movement control is performed to move a vehicle (10) from the movement start point (61) to the parking zone (62). When a state in which the vehicle (10) is located in the vicinity of the movement start point (61) indicated by the parking information is reached, notification is performed to propose to a user to execute the movement control, a response operation to the notification is received from the user, and the notification is suppressed in accordance with non-execution of the movement control made in response to the notification.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a control device, control method, and control program product. Background Technology

[0002] In recent years, efforts to promote the use of sustainable transportation systems, which also take into account vulnerable groups among transportation participants, have become active. To achieve this goal, research and development related to driver assistance technologies are being undertaken to further improve the safety and convenience of transportation.

[0003] In existing technologies, it is known that in autonomous driving systems that enable vehicles to drive automatically without user intervention, paths taken to a target location via user operation are pre-stored. When driving towards the same target location or along the same path, the vehicle is driven based on the stored path history. Furthermore, it is known to drive the vehicle by generating path information from the current location to the target location based on information obtained from onboard sensors.

[0004] For example, Patent Document 1 describes a parking assist device configured to perform parking assist control when the current position of the vehicle obtained by the position acquisition device is near a registered parking position stored in the memory, and to determine whether a location near the registered candidate location is not a location where the vehicle cannot be parked by parking assist control. If it is determined that the location is not a location where parking is not possible, a proposal process is performed; if it is determined that the location is not a location where parking is not possible, no proposal process is performed.

[0005] Patent document 2 describes an automatic parking system that automatically parks a vehicle in a designated parking space. The automatic parking system includes: a positioning device for obtaining the current position of the vehicle; a storage device for storing the starting position of the automatic parking and a pre-set parking path; a receiving device for receiving parking requests from a user; and a control device that, when the receiving device receives a parking request, obtains the starting position and the pre-set parking path from the storage device, determines whether the current position obtained by the positioning device is within the error range of the starting position, and if the current position is within the error range of the starting position, drives the vehicle to drive and park it in the parking space according to the pre-set parking path.

[0006] Patent document 3 describes a parking assistance method that enables automatic driving of a vehicle based on a previously performed parking maneuver. The parking assistance method includes: a storage step, which stores information related to at least one of the driving path and the parking target position in a storage unit; and a display step, which displays guidance information related to the target position that enables automatic driving of the vehicle based on at least one of the driving path and the parking target position on a display unit.

[0007] Patent document 4 describes a parking assist device, which is configured to: near the registered path, when registered feature points and / or three-dimensional objects are detected based on overhead images and three-dimensional object information, calculate the registered path based on the position coordinates of the feature points and / or the position coordinates of the three-dimensional objects, and when it is determined that the parking assist control of the vehicle can be started based on the relative position and relative orientation of the vehicle relative to the registered path, when the established start conditions are met, report to the driver via display or sound the first interval in which parking assist control can be started.

[0008] Existing technical documents

[0009] Patent documents

[0010] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2024-024924

[0011] Patent Document 2: Description of Chinese Patent Application Publication No. 111376894

[0012] Patent Document 3: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2022-133230

[0013] Patent Document 4: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-176548 Summary of the Invention

[0014] The problem that the invention aims to solve

[0015] As shown in Patent Documents 1 to 4, a parking control system is described that, when the vehicle is automatically parked in a designated parking position, provides guidance information related to automatic parking to the driver when it is determined that automatic parking is possible. However, it does not describe a situation where the guidance information related to automatic parking is repeatedly provided to a degree that is necessary or more based on the vehicle's driving path, nor does it describe countermeasures for such repeated notifications.

[0016] The purpose of this invention is to provide a control device, control method, and control program product that can improve the availability of parking areas, thereby contributing to the development of sustainable transportation systems.

[0017] Solution for solving the problem

[0018] This invention is a control device that, based on parking information representing a starting point of movement, a parking zone, and a path from the starting point of movement to the parking zone, performs movement control to move a vehicle from the starting point of movement to the parking zone, wherein...

[0019] The control device includes a control unit.

[0020] When the vehicle is near the starting point of movement indicated by the parking information, the control unit notifies the user to propose executing the movement control, and receives a response from the user to the notification.

[0021] The control unit suppresses the notification by not executing the movement control corresponding to the notification.

[0022] This invention is a control method, specifically a control device method, wherein the control device performs movement control to move a vehicle from the starting point of movement to the parking area based on parking information representing the starting point of movement, a parking zone, and the path from the starting point of movement to the parking zone.

[0023] The control method causes the control device to perform the following processing:

[0024] When the vehicle is in a state where it is near the starting point of the movement indicated by the parking information, a notification is sent to the user to propose the execution of the movement control, and a response operation from the user to the notification is received.

[0025] The notification is suppressed by not executing the corresponding mobile control.

[0026] This invention is a control program product comprising a control program for a control device that performs movement control to move a vehicle from the starting point of movement to the parking area based on parking information representing a movement start point, a parking zone, and a path from the movement start point to the parking zone.

[0027] The control program causes the processor of the control device to perform the following processing:

[0028] When the vehicle is in a state where it is near the starting point of the movement indicated by the parking information, a notification is sent to the user to propose the execution of the movement control, and a response operation from the user to the notification is received.

[0029] The notification is suppressed by not executing the corresponding mobile control.

[0030] Invention Effects

[0031] According to the present invention, a control device, control method, and control program product can be provided that can improve the availability of parking areas. Attached Figure Description

[0032] Figure 1 This is a side view showing an example of a vehicle 10 equipped with the control device of the present invention.

[0033] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 The top view of vehicle 10 shown.

[0034] Figure 3 It means Figure 1 A block diagram illustrating an example of the internal structure of the vehicle 10.

[0035] Figure 4 This is a diagram showing an example of parking information for vehicle 10 in a parking facility.

[0036] Figure 5 This is a diagram showing one example of multiple parking information in parking facility 60.

[0037] Figure 6 This is a flowchart representing the first example of control processing related to memory parking.

[0038] Figure 7 This is a flowchart representing the second example of control processing related to memory parking.

[0039] Figure 8 This is an example of a screen that suggests to the user that motion control (memory parking) be performed.

[0040] Figure 9 This is a flowchart representing the process of handling the invalidation of the suggestion mode.

[0041] Figure 10 This is a flowchart representing the invalidation process of the invalidation proposal.

[0042] Figure 11 This is a diagram showing an example of a parking facility that includes multiple parking areas.

[0043] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0044] 10 vehicles

[0045] 20. Control ECU (Control Unit)

[0046] 53. Control Department. Detailed Implementation

[0047] Hereinafter, one embodiment of the control device, control method, and control program product of the present invention will be described based on the accompanying drawings. Furthermore, the drawings are viewed along the directions indicated by the reference numerals. Additionally, in this specification and the like, for the sake of simplicity and clarity, the front-back, left-right, and up-down directions are arranged according to... Figure 1 and Figure 2 The directions observed from the driver's position of the vehicle 10 are recorded in the attached drawings. The front of the vehicle 10 is denoted as Fr, the rear as Rr, the left as L, the right as R, the top as U, and the bottom as D.

[0048] <Vehicle 10 equipped with the control device of the present invention>

[0049] Figure 1 This is a side view showing an example of a vehicle 10 equipped with the control device of the present invention. Figure 2 yes Figure 1 The top view of vehicle 10 shown.

[0050] Vehicle 10 is an automobile having a drive source (not shown) and wheels including drive wheels driven by the power of the drive source and steering wheels capable of steering. In this embodiment, vehicle 10 is a four-wheeled automobile having a pair of left and right front wheels and a pair of left and right rear wheels. The drive source of vehicle 10 is, for example, an electric motor. Alternatively, the drive source of vehicle 10 can be an internal combustion engine such as a gasoline engine or a diesel engine, or a combination of an electric motor and an internal combustion engine. Furthermore, the drive source of vehicle 10 can drive the pair of left and right front wheels, the pair of left and right rear wheels, or all four wheels. The front wheels and rear wheels can both be steering wheels capable of steering, or only one of them can be a steering wheel capable of steering.

[0051] The vehicle 10 also includes side rearview mirrors 11L and 11R. The side rearview mirrors 11L and 11R are reflective mirrors (rearview mirrors) located on the outside of the front doors of the vehicle 10, used to allow the driver to see the rear and side rear. The side rearview mirrors 11L and 11R are fixed to the main body of the vehicle 10 by a rotating shaft extending in a vertical direction, and can be opened and closed by rotating around the rotating shaft.

[0052] The vehicle 10 also includes a front camera 12Fr, a rear camera 12Rr, a left-side camera 12L, and a right-side camera 12R. The front camera 12Fr is a camera device (e.g., a digital camera) positioned in front of the vehicle 10 to capture images of the front of the vehicle 10. The rear camera 12Rr is a digital camera positioned behind the vehicle 10 to capture images of the rear of the vehicle 10. The left-side camera 12L is a digital camera positioned at the left-side rearview mirror 11L of the vehicle 10 to capture images of the left side of the vehicle 10. The right-side camera 12R is a digital camera positioned at the right-side rearview mirror 11R of the vehicle 10 to capture images of the right side of the vehicle 10.

[0053] <Internal structure of vehicle 10>

[0054] Figure 3 It means Figure 1 A block diagram illustrating an example of the internal structure of vehicle 10. (As shown) Figure 3 As shown, vehicle 10 includes a sensor group 16, a navigation device 18, a control ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 20, an EPS (Electric Power Steering) system 22, and a communication unit 24. Vehicle 10 also includes a drive force control system 26 and a braking force control system 28.

[0055] Sensor group 16 acquires various detection values ​​for controlling ECU 20. Sensor group 16 includes a front camera 12Fr, a rear camera 12Rr, a left-side camera 12L, and a right-side camera 12R. Furthermore, sensor group 16 includes a front sonar group 32a, a rear sonar group 32b, a left-side sonar group 32c, and a right-side sonar group 32d. Additionally, sensor group 16 includes wheel sensors 34a and 34b, a vehicle speed sensor 36, and an operation detection unit 38. Although not shown in the figure, sensor group 16 includes an acceleration sensor capable of measuring the acceleration of vehicle 10.

[0056] The front camera 12Fr, rear camera 12Rr, left camera 12L, and right camera 12R capture images of the surroundings of the vehicle 10, thereby obtaining peripheral recognition data (e.g., peripheral images) for identifying the surroundings of the vehicle 10. The peripheral images of the vehicle 10 captured by the front camera 12Fr, rear camera 12Rr, left camera 12L, and right camera 12R are respectively referred to as the front image, rear image, left image, and right image. An image composed of the left and right images can also be referred to as a side image. The image of the vehicle 10 and its surroundings generated by combining the images captured by the front camera 12Fr, rear camera 12Rr, left camera 12L, and right camera 12R is referred to as a top-view image of the vehicle 10.

[0057] The front sonar group 32a, rear sonar group 32b, left sonar group 32c, and right sonar group 32d emit sound waves to the periphery of the vehicle 10 and receive reflected sounds from other objects. The front sonar group 32a, for example, contains four sonars. The sonars constituting the front sonar group 32a are respectively positioned at the left diagonally forward, the left front, the right front, and the right diagonally forward of the vehicle 10. The rear sonar group 32b, for example, contains four sonars. The sonars constituting the rear sonar group 32b are respectively positioned at the left diagonally rear, the left rear, the right rear, and the right diagonally rear of the vehicle 10. The left sonar group 32c, for example, contains two sonars. The sonars constituting the left sonar group 32c are respectively positioned at the front left side and the rear left side of the vehicle 10. The right sonar group 32d, for example, contains two sonars. The sonars constituting the right sonar group 32d are respectively positioned at the front right side and the rear right side of the vehicle 10.

[0058] Wheel sensors 34a and 34b detect the rotation angle of the wheels of vehicle 10. Wheel sensors 34a and 34b can be composed of angle sensors or displacement sensors. Wheel sensors 34a and 34b output detection pulses every time the wheel rotates a predetermined angle. The detection pulses output from wheel sensors 34a and 34b are used to calculate the rotation angle and rotational speed of the wheels. Based on the rotation angle of the wheels, the distance traveled by vehicle 10 is calculated. Wheel sensor 34a, for example, detects the rotation angle θa of the left rear wheel. Wheel sensor 34b, for example, detects the rotation angle θb of the right rear wheel.

[0059] Vehicle speed sensor 36 detects the speed of the vehicle body 10, i.e., vehicle speed V, and outputs the detected vehicle speed V to control ECU 20. Vehicle speed sensor 36 detects vehicle speed V, for example, based on the rotation of the transmission countershaft.

[0060] The operation detection unit 38 detects the user's operation performed using the operation input unit 14 and outputs the detected operation to the control ECU 20. The operation input unit 14 includes various user interfaces such as a side mirror switch for switching the opening and closing states of the side mirrors 11L and 11R, and a gear shift lever (selector lever, selector).

[0061] The navigation device 18 uses, for example, GPS (Global Positioning System) to detect the current position (location coordinates) of the vehicle 10 and guides the user to a destination. The navigation device 18 has a storage device (not shown) containing a map information database. Additionally, the navigation device 18 has a touch panel 42 and a speaker 44. The touch panel 42 functions as an input device and display device for controlling the ECU 20. The speaker 44 outputs various guidance information to the user of the vehicle 10 via sound.

[0062] The touch panel 42 is configured to input various commands to the control ECU 20. For example, the user can input commands related to the mobility assistance of the vehicle 10 via the touch panel 42. Mobility assistance includes parking assistance and exit assistance of the vehicle 10. Furthermore, the touch panel 42 is configured to display various screens related to the control content of the control ECU 20. For example, screens related to the mobility assistance of the vehicle 10 are displayed on the touch panel 42. Specifically, the touch panel 42 displays a parking assistance button for requesting parking assistance for the vehicle 10 and an exit assistance button for requesting exit assistance. The parking assistance button includes a memory parking button for requesting parking based on the automatic steering of the control ECU 20 and an auxiliary parking button for requesting assistance when parking by the user. The exit assistance button includes a memory exit button for requesting exit based on the automatic steering of the control ECU 20 and an auxiliary exit button for requesting assistance when exiting by the user. Alternatively, components other than the touch panel 42, such as smartphones, tablets, or other information terminals, can also be used as input devices or display devices.

[0063] Furthermore, "parking" is synonymous with "parking." For example, "parking" refers to the stopping of a vehicle when a user gets in or out, excluding temporary stops such as those caused by traffic signals. Additionally, "parking zone" refers to a designated area where vehicles are parked.

[0064] The control ECU 20 includes an input / output unit 50, an arithmetic unit 52, and a storage unit 54. The arithmetic unit 52 is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The arithmetic unit 52 controls each component based on a program stored in the storage unit 54, thereby performing various controls. Furthermore, the arithmetic unit 52 performs signal input / output with each component connected to the control ECU 20 via the input / output unit 50. The control ECU 20 is an example of the "control device" of the present invention.

[0065] Storage unit 54 stores information related to the memory movement (memory parking / exit) of vehicle 10. The information related to memory movement is used to enable vehicle 10 to move automatically or assist its movement based on pre-stored movement information. For example, storage unit 54 stores the movement start point indicating the start of memory movement, the parking area where vehicle 10 stops by memory movement, and parking information such as the path from the movement start point to the parking area.

[0066] The arithmetic unit 52 includes a control unit 53 for controlling the movement of the vehicle 10. The control unit 53 performs memory parking assist and memory exit assist for the vehicle 10 based on automatic steering, which automatically operates the steering device 110 under the control of the control unit 53. In memory parking assist and memory exit assist, the accelerator pedal (not shown), brake pedal (not shown), and operation input unit 14 are operated automatically. Additionally, the control unit 53 provides auxiliary parking support and auxiliary exit support when the user (driver) manually parks and exits the vehicle 10 by operating the accelerator pedal, brake pedal, and operation input unit 14. Furthermore, during memory parking assist and memory exit assist, the driver can be either in the vehicle 10 or outside the vehicle (not in the vehicle).

[0067] For example, the control unit 53 performs movement control of the vehicle 10 based on the surrounding recognition data of the vehicle 10 obtained by the front camera 12Fr, rear camera 12Rr, left camera 12L, and right camera 12R, the starting point of movement, the designated parking area, and the path from the starting point of movement to the parking area. Movement control includes: parking control, which causes the vehicle 10 to remember parking from the starting point of movement to the designated parking area (target parking position), and exit control, which causes the vehicle 10 to remember exiting from the parking area to the designated exit area (target exit position). The control unit 53 can execute parking control and exit control based on indication signals input via the input / output unit 50. The input indication signals include indication signals transmitted wirelessly from a user's information terminal or the like. Furthermore, the control unit 53 outputs information related to parking control and exit control to an information terminal or the like via the input / output unit 50.

[0068] If vehicle 10 is located near the starting point of movement indicated by the parking information, the control unit 53 sends a notification to the user proposing to execute movement control, receives a response operation from the user in response to the notification, and suppresses the notification to the user if the movement control corresponding to the notification is not executed. "Movement control" refers to remembering parking. However, it can also be applied to remembering leaving the parking space. "Not executing movement control corresponding to the notification" means that in response to the notification to the user, a response operation is received from the user indicating that movement control of vehicle 10 will not be executed. Furthermore, not executing movement control corresponding to the notification also includes ending the reception of a response operation if no response operation is received. Ending reception means that a predetermined time has elapsed since the notification, or that vehicle 10 has left the starting point of movement by driving, etc.

[0069] The control unit 53 determines the driving state related to the driving of the vehicle 10. If the driving state of the vehicle 10 meets the specified conditions, even if the vehicle 10 is near the movement start point indicated by the parking information, it suppresses the notification to the user to perform movement control (or does not notify at all). "Driving state" includes, for example, at least one of accelerator opening, driving speed, direction of travel, and gear shift information. "Specified conditions" refer to states that can be inferred as indicating that the user does not intend to park. The specified conditions for the driving state being accelerator opening are a large amount of pressure on the accelerator pedal or a long duration of pressure. The specified conditions for the driving state being driving speed are a driving speed exceeding a threshold or a continuous state exceeding the threshold. The specified conditions for the driving state being driving direction are that the vehicle 10 is moving towards the exit of the parking facility. The specified conditions for the driving state being gear shift information are that the gear shift lever is in reverse gear.

[0070] While the navigation function is being executed, the control unit 53 suppresses notifications to the user to propose motion control even if the vehicle 10 is near the starting point of movement indicated by the parking information. When the navigation function is being executed, it is determined that the situation has not yet reached the point where motion control to move the vehicle 10 to the parking area is being performed, therefore notifications to the user are suppressed. However, the control unit 53 does not suppress notifications to the user to propose motion control during the period from when the vehicle 10 reaches its destination and the navigation function ends until a predetermined time has elapsed. The predetermined time after navigation guidance is completed is assumed to be when the vehicle 10 is in the parking facility and the user wants to park the vehicle 10, therefore notifications to the user to propose motion control are not suppressed. However, after the predetermined time has elapsed from reaching the destination, it can be determined that if the user wants to park the vehicle 10, parking has already been completed, or the user does not intend to park the vehicle 10, or the vehicle 10 has already left the parking facility, therefore notifications to the user are suppressed again.

[0071] Furthermore, even while the navigation function is being executed, the control unit 53 is highly likely to perform motion control during the period from when the vehicle 10 arrives at its destination until a predetermined time has elapsed. Therefore, it is not necessary to suppress the motion control execution proposal. For example, when navigating with multiple stops via the navigation function, sometimes even after reaching one of the stops that is the destination, the vehicle may temporarily park while the navigation function is still in progress. To address this situation, it is also possible to not suppress the motion control execution proposal during the period from when the vehicle 10 arrives at its destination until a predetermined time has elapsed, even while the navigation function is being executed.

[0072] When vehicle 10 is near the starting point of movement indicated by the parking information, control unit 53 sends a notification to the user to propose movement control, and suppresses the notification to the user based on the execution of the movement control corresponding to the notification. For example, after the movement control in response to the notification is executed, since vehicle 10 has completed parking in the designated parking area of ​​the parking facility, it can be inferred that there was no intention to park vehicle 10 before moving to another parking facility. Therefore, the notification to the user is suppressed until it is determined, based on the driving status of vehicle 10, changes in the location information of vehicle 10, etc., that vehicle 10 has left the parking facility.

[0073] Furthermore, the control unit 53 can suppress notifications not only in cases of movement control corresponding to a notification, but also in cases of movement control not based on a notification. For example, if a notification is sent to the user proposing to perform movement control when the vehicle 10 is near the starting point of movement, and the user responds to the notification by indicating that they do not intend to perform movement control, the notification to the user will be suppressed even if the user later reconsiders and presses the "parking assist button" to perform movement control of the vehicle 10.

[0074] After suppressing a proposed notification to the user based on the execution of motion control corresponding to the notification, the control unit 53 releases the suppression of the notification based on at least one of the acceleration of the vehicle 10 and the amount of pressure applied to the accelerator pedal of the vehicle 10. If the acceleration of the vehicle 10 or the amount of pressure applied to the accelerator pedal exceeds a threshold, it is determined that the vehicle 10 has begun to move to another destination, and the suppression of the notification is released.

[0075] After suppressing a proposed notification to the user based on the execution of motion control corresponding to the notification, control unit 53 releases the suppression of the notification if it detects that vehicle 10 has left the parking facility. Whether vehicle 10 has left the parking facility can be detected based on GPS information or based on the identification of feature points in surrounding identification data.

[0076] The control unit 53 can store multiple parking information indicating the start point of movement, the parking area, and the path from the start point of movement to the parking area. Based on the notification to the user that the movement control based on the first parking information included in the multiple parking information is not executed, the notification to the user based on the first parking information is suppressed.

[0077] After suppressing a notification to the user based on the first parking information, the control unit 53 releases the suppression of the notification when the vehicle 10 travels a predetermined distance or more from the location where the notification based on the first parking information was sent. For example, if the vehicle 10 travels a distance twice the distance traveled when the memory parking was initiated, the control unit 53 determines that the vehicle 10 has left the parking facility and releases the suppression of the notification.

[0078] Furthermore, after the control unit 53 suppresses the notification to the user based on the first parking information by not executing the corresponding movement control when the vehicle 10 passes near the movement start point indicated by the first parking information in the first direction, the suppression of the notification is lifted when the vehicle 10 travels in a direction different from the first direction near the movement start point indicated by the first parking information. For example, if the control unit 53 detects that the vehicle 10 is traveling in the opposite direction near the same movement start point during the suppression of the notification, it determines that the vehicle 10 has left the parking facility (or intends to leave) and lifts the suppression of the notification.

[0079] In addition, in a parking facility that includes multiple parking areas, if the control unit 53 detects that the vehicle 10 has moved across the parking area after suppressing notifications to the user based on the first parking information, it will release the suppression of the notifications.

[0080] The control unit 53 can also release the suppression of notifications by the user's own operation (e.g., pressing the "notification suppression release button") while suppressing notifications to the user to propose the execution of motion control.

[0081] The EPS system 22 includes a steering angle sensor 100, a torque sensor 102, an EPS motor 104, a rotary transformer 106, and an EPS ECU 108. The steering angle sensor 100 detects the steering angle θst of the steering unit 110. The torque sensor 102 detects the torque TQ applied to the steering unit 110.

[0082] The EPS motor 104 can assist the user in operating the steering device 110 and in automatic steering during parking assistance by applying driving or reaction force to the steering column 112 connected to the steering device 110. The rotary transformer 106 detects the rotation angle θm of the EPS motor 104. The EPS ECU 108 is responsible for the overall control of the EPS system 22. The EPS ECU 108 includes an input / output unit (not shown), an arithmetic unit (not shown), and a storage unit (not shown).

[0083] The communication unit 24 is capable of wireless communication with other communication devices 120. These other communication devices 120 include base stations, communication devices of other vehicles, and information terminals such as smartphones or tablets held by the user of vehicle 10. For example, the communication unit 24 is equipped with a UWB interface capable of UWB (Ultra Wide Band) communication with the information terminal. The communication unit 24 can send and receive information related to the vehicle 10's memory parking / exit and assisted parking / exit functions with the information terminal and other such devices.

[0084] The drive force control system 26 includes a drive ECU 130. The drive force control system 26 controls the drive force of the vehicle 10. The drive ECU 130 controls the engine (not shown) and other components based on user operations on the accelerator pedal (not shown), thereby controlling the drive force of the vehicle 10.

[0085] The braking force control system 28 includes a braking ECU 132. The braking force control system 28 controls the braking force of the vehicle 10. The braking ECU 132 controls the braking mechanism (not shown) and other components based on the user's operation of the brake pedal (not shown), thereby controlling the braking force of the vehicle 10.

[0086] Parking information in parking facilities

[0087] Figure 4 This is a diagram showing an example of parking information for vehicle 10 in a parking facility. Figure 4 The parking facility 60 shown is a parking facility frequently used by users of vehicle 10, such as in a shopping mall. Users of vehicle 10 frequently use parking area 62 as one of the multiple parking areas of parking facility 60 to park their vehicle, and register parking area 62 as a parking area that can be remembered for parking space usage in the storage unit 54. Figure 4 As shown, the parking zone 62, along with the starting point 61 of the vehicle 10's movement when the memory parking is executed and the path 63 (dashed arrow) of the vehicle 10 from the starting point 61 to the parking zone 62, is registered as parking information in the storage unit 54.

[0088] Regarding the registration of parking information, firstly, the user manually drives vehicle 10 to a stop at any starting point of movement (e.g., starting point 61). Next, the user presses a button, such as a "Parking Information Registration Button," to register the parking information. This begins the registration process. The user then manually drives vehicle 10 along any path (e.g., path 63) to a parking area (e.g., parking area 62). Next, the user presses a button, such as a "Parking Information Registration End Button," to end the registration. This completes the registration. Note that while path 63 is shown in this example, there may be a turnaround path, such as when reversing vehicle 10 to park in parking area 62. The parking information may also include feature points identified based on surrounding recognition data from path 63.

[0089] Figure 5 This is a diagram illustrating one example of multiple parking information entries within parking facility 60. (See diagram for example.) Figure 5 As shown, the parking information of vehicle 10 can also be registered in multiple different parking facilities 60. For example, besides... Figure 4 In addition to the parking information indicating the start point of movement 61, parking area 62 and route 63 as described in the description, parking information indicating the start point of movement 64, parking area 65 and route 66 can also be registered in the storage unit 54.

[0090] Furthermore, this example illustrates the case where two parking entries are registered in parking facility 60, but it is not a limitation; for example, three or more parking entries can also be registered. Additionally, parking zones and movement start points can overlap between parking entries. For example, movement start points 61 and 64 can correspond to multiple parking zones, and parking zones 62 and 65 can correspond to multiple movement start points.

[0091] <The first example of control processing related to memory parking>

[0092] Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating the first example of control processing related to parking memory. This control processing is repeatedly executed while the vehicle 10 is in motion.

[0093] First, vehicle 10 determines whether its motion control mode is in "suggestion invalid mode" (step S11). "Suggestion" refers to proposing motion control to the user when vehicle 10 is near a motion start point (e.g., near motion start points 61, 64). "Suggestion invalid mode" refers to a mode that suppresses the notification to the user to propose motion control. Furthermore, the default suggested mode is the valid mode (the mode where notifications are not suppressed).

[0094] If it is determined in step S11 that the mode is not an invalid suggestion (step S11: No), the vehicle 10 determines whether the driving state of the vehicle 10 meets the prescribed conditions (step S12). "The driving state meets the prescribed conditions" means that, as described above, the accelerator opening, driving speed, driving direction, gear shift information, etc., can be inferred to indicate that the user does not intend to park.

[0095] If the driving state meets the specified conditions in step S12 (step S12: Yes), vehicle 10 returns to step S11 and performs each process. That is, even if the suggestion does not become an invalid mode (the notification to the user is not suppressed), the suggestion will not be notified to the user (suppression notification) if the driving state meets the specified conditions.

[0096] If the driving state does not meet the specified conditions in step S12 (step S12: No), vehicle 10 retrieves the parking information that has not been invalidated from storage unit 54 (step S13). "Parking information that has not been invalidated" refers, for example, to the parking information of parking facilities that has not been invalidated when multiple parking information related to parking facilities are stored. Additionally, as in... Figure 5 As explained in the text, when there are two (or more) parking information entries in parking facility 60, it refers to the parking information entry that has not been invalidated.

[0097] Next, vehicle 10 determines whether it is in a state where it is near the starting point of movement indicated by the parking information extracted in step S13 (step S14). For example, it detects whether it is in a state near the starting point of movement based on GPS information, feature points in the surrounding identification data, etc.

[0098] If the position of vehicle 10 in step S14 is not near the starting point of the movement (step S14: No), vehicle 10 returns to step S11 to perform each process. That is, vehicle 10 determines that it has not yet entered the state of starting parking memory and returns to step S11.

[0099] If, in step S14, the position of vehicle 10 is near the starting point of the movement (step S14: Yes), vehicle 10 sends a suggestion notification to the user of vehicle 10 to perform memory parking (step S15). A specific example of the suggestion notification will be referred to... Figure 8 To be discussed later.

[0100] Next, vehicle 10 determines whether it has received the user's response to the suggestion notification in step S15, that is, whether it has received the instruction to execute memory parking (step S16).

[0101] If a memory parking instruction is received in step S16 (step S16: Yes), the vehicle 10 drives along the path indicated by the parking information and performs memory parking in the parking area. After the memory parking is completed, the suggested mode is set to invalid mode (step S17).

[0102] If no instruction to perform memory parking is received in step S16 (step S16: No), vehicle 10 invalidates the suggestion to the user related to memory parking performed based on object parking information (step S18). Situations where no instruction to perform memory parking is received include, for example, receiving an instruction not to perform memory parking, timeouts occurring after a predetermined time has elapsed since the suggestion notification, or vehicle 10 moving more than a predetermined distance before being able to perform memory parking. Object parking information, for example, is found in... Figure 5 In the case of "61", it refers to any one of the parking information representing the start point of movement 61, parking zone 62 and route 63, or the parking information representing the start point of movement 64, parking zone 65 and route 66.

[0103] On the other hand, if the suggested invalid mode is determined in step S11 (step S11: Yes), the vehicle 10 determines whether it has received an instruction to perform memory parking from the user (step S19). In this case, the instruction to perform memory parking is an instruction completed by pressing the "parking assist button".

[0104] If no parking memory instruction is received in step S19 (step S19: No), vehicle 10 returns to step S11 and performs each process. If a parking memory instruction is received in step S19 (step S19: Yes), vehicle 10 determines whether it is in a state where vehicle 10 is near the movement start point indicated by the parking information (step S20).

[0105] If the position of vehicle 10 in step S20 is not near the starting point of the movement (step S20: No), vehicle 10 returns to step S11 and performs each process. If the position of vehicle 10 in step S20 is near the starting point of the movement (step S20: Yes), vehicle 10 travels along the path shown by the parking information and performs memory parking in the parking area (step S21).

[0106] Furthermore, if no parking memory instruction is received during step S18, only the parking information suggestions are invalidated, but this is not a limitation. For example, if no parking memory instruction is received, all parking information suggestions may also be invalidated.

[0107] <Second example of control processing related to memory parking>

[0108] Figure 7 This is a flowchart illustrating the second example of control processing related to memory parking. For example... Figure 7 As shown, the processing of steps S11 and S13 to S21 is similar to... Figure 6 The steps S11 and S13 to S21 in the first example of the control process are the same.

[0109] In the second example, if it is determined in step S11 that the vehicle is not in the suggested invalid mode (step S11: no), the vehicle 10 determines whether it is performing the function of the navigation device 18 (step S12A).

[0110] If it is determined in step S12A that the navigation function is being executed (step S12A: Yes), the vehicle 10 returns to step S11 and executes each process. That is, even if it is not in the suggestion invalid mode (the notification to the user is not suppressed), no suggestion will be notified to the user (suppression notification) during the execution of the navigation function.

[0111] If it is determined in step S12A that the navigation function is not being executed (step S12A: No), the vehicle 10 retrieves the parking information that was not invalidated from the storage unit 54 (step S13).

[0112] Furthermore, even if navigation is being performed in step S12A, the process can proceed to step S12A (No) after a predetermined time has elapsed since reaching the destination (without suppressing the suggestion notification). Additionally, the determination process for whether navigation is being performed (step S12A) can also be combined with... Figure 6 The first example of control processing combination execution.

[0113] <Suggested Screen>

[0114] Figure 8 This diagram illustrates an example of a suggestion screen that prompts the user to perform motion control (memory parking). In this example, suggestion screen 70 is a suggestion screen displayed when the vehicle 10 is parked in the parking area. Suggestion screen 70 is displayed, for example, on the touch panel 42 of the navigation device 18.

[0115] like Figure 8 As shown, the suggestion screen 70 displays a notification message suggesting the user perform a memory parking maneuver, such as "Memory parking is available. Do you want to perform memory parking?" Additionally, the suggestion screen 70 displays an "Execute" button 71 and a "Do Not Execute" button 72 for receiving the user's response to the notification message. Furthermore, the suggestion notification can also be delivered via sound output, etc. Additionally, responses to the suggestion notification can also be made via sound input, etc.

[0116] Therefore, when the vehicle 10 is in a state where it can be put into memory parking mode, the user only needs to click the "Execute" memory parking button 71 or the "Do Not Execute" button 72 according to the suggested notification displayed on the touch panel 42 of the navigation device 18. Thus, when the user wants to put the vehicle 10 into memory parking mode, there is no need to operate the touch panel 42 to request the memory parking mode, or to confirm and press the displayed "Memory Parking" button, thus improving operability.

[0117] <Removal of Invalid Mode Recommendation>

[0118] Figure 9 This is a flowchart illustrating the process for resolving the invalidation suggestion mode. This resolving process is related to... Figure 6 The first example of control processing described in the text and Figure 7 The second example of control processing described in the text is executed in parallel.

[0119] First, vehicle 10 determines whether the motion control mode of vehicle 10 is "suggestion invalid mode" (step S31). As described above, "suggestion invalid mode" is a mode that suppresses notifications to the user to propose the execution of motion control.

[0120] If it is determined in step S31 that the suggested invalid mode is not valid (step S31: No), vehicle 10 repeats the determination process of step S31. If it is determined in step S31 that the suggested invalid mode is valid (step S31: Yes), vehicle 10 determines whether the current acceleration of vehicle 10 is greater than the first threshold (step S32).

[0121] If, in step S32, it is determined that the acceleration of vehicle 10 is greater than the first threshold (step S32: Yes), vehicle 10 releases the suggestion invalidation mode (step S33), returns to step S31, and performs each process. If the acceleration of vehicle 10 exceeds the first threshold, it is determined that vehicle 10 has started moving to another destination, and the suppression of suggestion notifications to the user is released.

[0122] If it is determined in step S32 that the acceleration of vehicle 10 is below the first threshold (step S32: no), vehicle 10 determines whether the current accelerator pedal pressure is greater than the second threshold (step S34).

[0123] If, in step S34, it is determined that the amount of pressure applied to the accelerator pedal of vehicle 10 exceeds the second threshold (step S34: Yes), vehicle 10 releases the suggestion invalidation mode (step S33), returns to step S31, and executes each process. If the amount of pressure applied to the accelerator pedal of vehicle 10 exceeds the second threshold, it is determined that vehicle 10 has started moving to another destination, and the suppression of suggestion notifications to the user is released.

[0124] If, in step S34, it is determined that the accelerator pedal pressure of vehicle 10 is below the second threshold (step S34: No), vehicle 10 determines whether it has left the parking facility (step S35). For example, it can detect whether it has left the parking facility based on GPS information, feature points in surrounding identification data, etc.

[0125] If it is determined in step S35 that vehicle 10 has left the parking facility (step S35: Yes), after vehicle 10 is released from the suggestion invalidation mode (step S33), the process returns to step S31 and performs each step. If the vehicle leaves the parking facility, it is determined that there was no intention to remember the vehicle 10's parking status, and the suppression of suggestion notifications to the user is released.

[0126] If it is determined in step S35 that vehicle 10 has not left the parking facility (step S35: No), vehicle 10 returns to step S31 and performs each process.

[0127] In addition, the suggestion invalidation mode of vehicle 10 can also be cancelled by the user's own operation, such as pressing the "suggestion invalidation cancellation button".

[0128] <Removal of the proposed invalidation>

[0129] Figure 10 This is a flowchart illustrating the process of invalidating a removal suggestion. This removal process is related to... Figure 9 The handling of invalidating the suggested mode is similar to that of... Figure 6 The first example of control processing described herein or Figure 7 The second example of control processing described herein is executed in parallel.

[0130] Vehicle 10 will treat each parking information that invalidates the suggestion as an object and perform a series of processes (steps S41 to S44). First, vehicle 10 will determine whether the distance traveled by vehicle 10 from the location where the notification was given has exceeded the prescribed distance (step S41).

[0131] If the distance traveled from the notified location in step S41 exceeds the specified distance (step S41: Yes), vehicle 10 activates the suggestion for parking information (step S42). If the distance traveled by vehicle 10 exceeds the specified distance, it is determined that the vehicle has exited the parking facility, and vehicle 10 releases the suppression of the suggestion notification to the user.

[0132] If the distance traveled from the notified location in step S41 does not exceed the specified distance (step S41: No), vehicle 10 determines whether the opposite direction of vehicle 10 is detected near the starting location of movement in the object parking information (step S43).

[0133] If, in step S43, vehicle 10 is detected traveling in the opposite direction near the starting point of movement (step S43: Yes), vehicle 10 activates the parking information suggestion (step S42). If vehicle 10 travels in the opposite direction to the path of the parking information near the same starting point of movement, it is determined that it has left the parking facility (or intends to leave), and vehicle 10 releases the suppression of the suggestion notification to the user.

[0134] If, in step S43, no opposite movement of vehicle 10 is detected near the starting point of the movement (step S43: No), vehicle 10 determines, for example, whether movement of vehicle 10 across parking areas is detected in a parking facility that includes multiple parking areas (step S44). Regarding parking facilities that include multiple parking areas, see [reference needed]. Figure 11 To be discussed later.

[0135] In step S44, if movement across parking areas is detected (step S44: Yes), vehicle 10 activates the suggestion for the object parking information (step S42). If vehicle 10 moves to other parking areas, it is determined that there was no intention to remember parking in the parking area before the movement, and vehicle 10 releases the suppression of suggestion notifications to the user.

[0136] If no movement across the parking area is detected in step S44 (step S44: No), vehicle 10 ends a series of processes regarding the object parking information (steps S41 to S44). Then, vehicle 10 treats each parking information that has been invalidated as an object and repeatedly performs a series of processes (executes steps S41 to S44).

[0137] In addition, the validity of suggestions in the parking information can also be deactivated by the user's own actions, such as pressing the "Notification Suppression Cancel" button.

[0138] <Parking facilities including multiple parking areas>

[0139] Figure 11 This is a diagram illustrating an example of a parking facility that includes multiple parking areas. For example... Figure 11 As shown, the parking facility 80 is, for example, a parking facility having a first parking area 81, a second parking area 82, and a third parking area 83. Passageways 84a and 84b are provided between the first parking area 81 and the second parking area 82, allowing the vehicle 10 to move between the two parking areas. Similarly, passageways 85a and 85b are provided between the second parking area 82 and the third parking area 83, allowing the vehicle 10 to move between the two parking areas.

[0140] In a parking facility 80 that includes multiple parking areas, whether vehicle 10 moves across parking areas is determined by whether vehicle 10 travels in any of the pathways 84a, 84b, 85a, and 85b. Whether vehicle 10 travels in pathways 84a, 84b, 85a, and 85b is detected, for example, based on GPS information, feature points in surrounding recognition data, etc.

[0141] As described above, in this embodiment, the control device notifies the user to perform a memory parking suggestion when the vehicle 10 approaches the movement start point 61 indicated by the parking information. If the user's response to the notification is not to perform a memory parking suggestion, the notification to the user is suppressed even if the vehicle 10 subsequently approaches the movement start point 61. With this structure, the annoyance of users experiencing excessive memory parking suggestions and the inconvenience of having to change the setting to not perform memory parking every time an suggestion is received can be eliminated. Furthermore, by reducing the number of notification processing operations, the power consumption of the control device can be reduced. Moreover, when notification-related information is managed by an external server device, for example, the number of communication processing operations with the server device can be reduced, further reducing power consumption. Therefore, the availability of the area near the parking zone 62 indicated by the parking information can be improved.

[0142] Furthermore, even if the control device suppresses the notification of a parking space reservation request, if the vehicle 10 travels a predetermined distance or more from the location where the notification was made, it determines that the vehicle has left the parking facility and releases the suppression of the request. Similarly, even if the control device suppresses the notification of a parking space reservation request, if the vehicle travels in a direction different from the direction in which the request was made and moves near the starting point of the movement, it determines that the vehicle has left the parking facility and releases the suppression of the request. Furthermore, even if the control device suppresses the notification of a parking space reservation request, if the vehicle 10 moves across the parking area, it determines that the vehicle did not intend to perform a parking space reservation in the parking area before the move and releases the suppression of the request. Therefore, the user does not need to perform any operation to release the notification suppression related to parking information, further improving the usability near the parking area.

[0143] Furthermore, if the accelerator pedal of vehicle 10 is depressed excessively, the driving speed exceeds a threshold, or the navigation function is in operation, the control device determines that the user has no intention to remember the parking space, and suppresses the notification of the parking space memory request even if vehicle 10 approaches the starting point of the movement. Thus, the usability near the parking area can be improved in the same way as described above.

[0144] Furthermore, when vehicle 10 approaches the movement start point 61 indicated by the parking information, the control device notifies the user to perform a memory parking request. If the memory parking request is performed in response to this notification, it is determined that parking in the parking facility has been completed. Until it is determined that vehicle 10 has left the parking facility, the memory parking request mode is kept inactive, thus suppressing notifications to the user to perform the request. As described above, the availability near the parking area can be improved.

[0145] Furthermore, even if the control device suppresses the notification of the memory parking execution proposal, if the acceleration of vehicle 10 or the amount of accelerator pedal depressing exceeds a threshold, it determines that movement to another destination has begun and releases the suppression of the execution proposal notification. Additionally, even if the control device suppresses the notification of the memory parking execution proposal, it releases the suppression of the execution proposal notification if it detects that vehicle 10 has left the parking facility. Therefore, the user does not need to perform the operation of releasing the notification suppression related to the proposal mode, further improving the usability near the parking area.

[0146] Furthermore, the control method described in the foregoing embodiments can be implemented by a computer executing a pre-prepared control program. This control program is recorded in a computer-readable storage medium and executed by reading it from the storage medium. Additionally, this control program can be provided in the form of storage on a non-transitory storage medium such as flash memory, or via a network such as the Internet. The computer executing this control program can be included in a control device, or in an electronic device such as a smartphone, tablet computer, or personal computer capable of communicating with the control device, or in a server device capable of communicating with these control devices and electronic devices.

[0147] The embodiments of the present invention have been described above, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments and can be appropriately modified or improved.

[0148] In the above embodiments, an example of a four-wheeled automobile was described, but the invention is not limited to this. For example, it could also be a two-wheeled vehicle, a Segway, or other similar vehicle. Furthermore, the concept of the present invention is not limited to vehicles, but can also be applied to robots, ships, aircraft, and other devices that have a drive source and are capable of movement powered by that drive source.

[0149] In addition, at least the following matters are described in this specification. Furthermore, although the corresponding components and the like are shown in parentheses in the above embodiments, the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0150] (1) A control device (control ECU 20) that performs movement control to move a vehicle (vehicle 10) from the starting point of movement to the parking area based on parking information indicating a movement start point, a parking zone, and a path from the movement start point to the parking zone, wherein,

[0151] The control device includes a control unit (control unit 53).

[0152] When the vehicle is near the starting point of movement indicated by the parking information, the control unit notifies the user to propose executing the movement control, and receives a response from the user to the notification.

[0153] The control unit suppresses the notification by not executing the movement control corresponding to the notification.

[0154] According to (1), if the motion control is not executed in response to the notification to execute motion control, the notification to execute the motion control is suppressed even when the starting point of the motion is approached. Therefore, it can eliminate the annoyance of users due to motion control execution proposals that are more than necessary, and the trouble of users having to change the setting to not perform motion control every time they receive an execution proposal, thereby improving the availability of parking areas.

[0155] (2) The control device according to (1), wherein,

[0156] The control unit determines the driving status related to the vehicle's movement.

[0157] Even if the vehicle is near the starting point of the movement indicated by the parking information, the control unit suppresses the notification if the driving state meets the specified conditions.

[0158] According to (2), when the vehicle's driving status meets the specified conditions, the notification of the proposed action is suppressed even when the vehicle is close to the starting point of the move, thus improving the availability of the parking area.

[0159] (3) The control device according to (1) or (2), wherein,

[0160] The control device has a navigation function that guides the user through the vehicle's movement path from the current location to the destination.

[0161] Even if the vehicle is near the starting point of the movement indicated by the parking information, the control unit suppresses the notification during the execution of the navigation function.

[0162] According to (3), during the execution of the navigation function, the notification of the proposed action is suppressed even when the starting point of the movement is approached, thus improving the availability of the parking area.

[0163] (4) The control device according to (3), wherein,

[0164] The control unit does not suppress the notification from the time the vehicle reaches the destination and the navigation function ends until a predetermined time has elapsed.

[0165] As in (4), there is a high probability that motion control will be performed during the period from the time the navigation function ends upon reaching the destination until the specified time has elapsed, so it is preferable not to suppress the execution of motion control.

[0166] (5) The control device according to (3), wherein,

[0167] During the execution of the navigation function, the control unit does not suppress the notification from the time the vehicle arrives at the destination until a predetermined time has elapsed.

[0168] As in (5), even during the execution of navigation functions, the possibility of executing motion control is high during the period from arrival at the destination until the specified time has elapsed, so it is preferable not to suppress the execution of motion control.

[0169] (6) The control device according to any one of (1) to (5), wherein,

[0170] The control unit suppresses the notification based on the execution of the motion control corresponding to the notification.

[0171] According to (6), when movement control is executed in response to a notification to execute movement control, the notification to execute the proposal is suppressed even when the vehicle is close to the start of movement, thus improving the availability of the parking area.

[0172] (7) The control device according to (6), wherein,

[0173] The control unit releases the suppression of the notification based on at least one of the vehicle's acceleration and the amount of time the accelerator pedal is depressed.

[0174] According to (7), even if the notification of the motion control execution proposal is suppressed, the suppression of the execution proposal can be lifted based on the vehicle's acceleration and the amount of accelerator pedal being pressed, thus further improving the availability near the parking zone.

[0175] (8) The control device according to (6) or (7), wherein,

[0176] The control unit releases the suppression of the notification upon detecting that the vehicle has left the parking facility.

[0177] According to (8), even if the notification of the motion control execution proposal is suppressed, the suppression of the execution proposal is lifted when the vehicle is detected to have left the parking facility, thus further improving the availability near the parking area.

[0178] (9) The control device according to any one of (1) to (8), wherein,

[0179] The control unit can store multiple parking information entries and suppress the notification based on the first parking information by not executing the motion control corresponding to the notification based on the first parking information contained in the parking information.

[0180] According to (9), even when multiple parking information is stored, if a motion control is not executed in response to a notification to perform motion control, the execution proposal is suppressed even when the starting point of the movement is approached. Therefore, it can eliminate the annoyance of users due to motion control execution proposals that are more than necessary, and the trouble of users having to change the setting to not perform motion control every time an execution proposal is received, thereby improving the availability of parking areas.

[0181] (10) The control device according to (9), wherein,

[0182] After suppressing the notification based on the first parking information, the control unit releases the suppression of the notification when the vehicle has traveled a predetermined distance or more from the location where the notification based on the first parking information was issued.

[0183] According to (10), even if the notification of the motion control execution proposal is suppressed, the suppression of the execution proposal is lifted when the vehicle has traveled more than a specified distance, thus further improving the availability near the parking zone.

[0184] (11) The control device according to (9) or (10), wherein,

[0185] If, after suppressing the notification based on the first parking information, the vehicle travels in a direction different from the first direction near the starting point of movement indicated by the first parking information, the suppression of the notification is lifted.

[0186] According to (11), even if the notification of the motion control execution proposal is suppressed, the suppression of the execution proposal is also lifted when the vehicle travels in a direction different from the direction in which the execution proposal is made and the vehicle travels near the motion start point, thus further improving the availability near the parking area.

[0187] (12) The control device according to any one of (9) to (11), wherein,

[0188] In a parking facility that includes multiple parking areas, if the control unit detects that the vehicle has moved across the parking area after suppressing the notification based on the first parking information, it releases the suppression of the notification.

[0189] According to (12), even if the notification of the motion control execution proposal is suppressed, the suppression of the execution proposal is lifted when the vehicle moves across the parking area, thus further improving the availability near the parking area.

[0190] (13) The control device according to any one of (1) to (12), wherein,

[0191] While the notification is being suppressed, the control unit releases the suppression of the notification based on user input.

[0192] According to (13), the suppression of the motion control execution proposal can also be lifted through user operation, thus further improving the availability near the parking zone.

[0193] (14) A control method, which is a control device method, wherein the control device performs movement control to move a vehicle from the start of movement to the parking area based on parking information representing a movement start point, a parking zone, and a path from the movement start point to the parking zone, wherein,

[0194] The control method causes the control device to perform the following processing:

[0195] When the vehicle is in a state near the starting point of movement indicated by the parking information, a notification is sent to the user proposing to execute the movement control, and a response operation from the user to the notification is received; and

[0196] The notification is suppressed by not executing the corresponding mobile control.

[0197] According to (14), when a notification to perform motion control is received but motion control is not performed, the notification to perform the motion control proposal is suppressed even when the starting point of the movement is approached. Therefore, it can eliminate the annoyance of users due to motion control proposals that exceed the necessary level, and the trouble of users having to change the setting to not perform motion control every time an execution proposal is received, thereby improving the usability near the parking area.

[0198] (15) A control program product comprising a control program for a control device that performs motion control to move a vehicle from the starting point of the movement to the parking area based on parking information representing a movement start point, a parking zone, and a path from the movement start point to the parking zone, wherein,

[0199] The control program causes the processor of the control device to perform the following processing:

[0200] When the vehicle is in a state near the starting point of movement indicated by the parking information, a notification is sent to the user proposing to execute the movement control, and a response operation from the user to the notification is received; and

[0201] The notification is suppressed by not executing the corresponding mobile control.

[0202] According to (15), when a notification to perform motion control is received but motion control is not performed, the notification to perform the motion control proposal is suppressed even when the location of the motion start point is approached. Therefore, it can eliminate the annoyance of users due to motion control proposals that exceed the necessary level, and the trouble of users having to change the setting to not perform motion control every time an execution proposal is received, thereby improving the usability near the parking area.

Claims

1. A control device that performs movement control to move a vehicle from the starting point of movement to the parking area based on parking information representing a movement start point, a parking zone, and a path from the movement start point to the parking zone, wherein, The control device includes a control unit. When the vehicle is near the starting point of movement indicated by the parking information, the control unit notifies the user to propose executing the movement control, and receives a response from the user to the notification. The control unit suppresses the notification by not executing the movement control corresponding to the notification.

2. The control device according to claim 1, wherein, The control unit determines the driving status related to the vehicle's movement. Even if the vehicle is near the starting point of the movement indicated by the parking information, the control unit suppresses the notification if the driving state meets the specified conditions.

3. The control device according to claim 1, wherein, The control device has a navigation function that guides the user through the vehicle's movement path from the current location to the destination. Even if the vehicle is near the starting point of the movement indicated by the parking information, the control unit suppresses the notification during the execution of the navigation function.

4. The control device according to claim 3, wherein, The control unit does not suppress the notification from the time the vehicle reaches the destination and the navigation function ends until a predetermined time has elapsed.

5. The control device according to claim 3, wherein, During the execution of the navigation function, the control unit does not suppress the notification from the time the vehicle arrives at the destination until a predetermined time has elapsed.

6. The control device according to claim 1, wherein, The control unit suppresses the notification based on the execution of the motion control corresponding to the notification.

7. The control device according to claim 6, wherein, The control unit releases the suppression of the notification based on at least one of the vehicle's acceleration and the amount of time the accelerator pedal is depressed.

8. The control device according to claim 6, wherein, The control unit releases the suppression of the notification upon detecting that the vehicle has left the parking facility.

9. The control device according to claim 1, wherein, The control unit can store multiple parking information entries and suppress the notification based on the first parking information by not executing the motion control corresponding to the notification based on the first parking information contained in the parking information.

10. The control device according to claim 9, wherein, After suppressing the notification based on the first parking information, the control unit releases the suppression of the notification when the vehicle has traveled a predetermined distance or more from the location where the notification based on the first parking information was issued.

11. The control device according to claim 9, wherein, If, after suppressing the notification based on the first parking information, the vehicle travels in a direction different from the first direction near the starting point of movement indicated by the first parking information, the suppression of the notification is lifted.

12. The control device according to claim 9, wherein, In a parking facility that includes multiple parking areas, if the control unit detects that the vehicle has moved across the parking area after suppressing the notification based on the first parking information, it releases the suppression of the notification.

13. The control device according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein, While the notification is being suppressed, the control unit releases the suppression of the notification based on user input.

14. A control method, which is a control device method for a control apparatus, wherein the control apparatus performs movement control to move a vehicle from the start point of movement to the parking area based on parking information representing a movement start point, a parking zone, and a path from the movement start point to the parking zone, wherein... The control method causes the control device to perform the following processing: When the vehicle is in a state where it is near the starting point of the movement indicated by the parking information, a notification is sent to the user to propose the execution of the movement control, and a response operation from the user to the notification is received. as well as The notification is suppressed by not executing the corresponding mobile control.

15. A control program product comprising a control program for a control device, the control device performing motion control to move a vehicle from the start of movement to the parking area based on parking information representing a movement start point, a parking zone, and a path from the movement start point to the parking zone, wherein, The control program causes the processor of the control device to perform the following processing: When the vehicle is in a state where it is near the starting point of the movement indicated by the parking information, a notification is sent to the user to propose the execution of the movement control, and a response operation from the user to the notification is received. as well as The notification is suppressed by not executing the corresponding mobile control.

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