Vehicle supporting automatic valet parking
By combining vehicle control devices with infrastructure and onboard sensors, and setting the operating conditions for stop control, the problems of different vehicle sensor sensitivities and blind spots of infrastructure sensors are solved, thus improving the safety and reliability of automated valet parking.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- TOYOTA JIDOSHA KK
- Filing Date
- 2025-11-18
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-10
AI Technical Summary
In existing automated valet parking systems, the varying sensitivities of vehicle sensors lead to unnecessary operations, affecting system safety. Furthermore, blind spots exist in the infrastructure sensors, limiting the reliability and safety of automated valet parking.
By combining vehicle control devices with infrastructure and onboard sensors, the operating conditions for stop control are set. By utilizing the sensing information from both infrastructure and onboard sensors, unnecessary stop control is suppressed, thereby improving the safety of automated valet parking.
It effectively suppresses unnecessary stop control, improves the safety and reliability of automated valet parking, enhances the safety of automated valet parking through the collaboration of infrastructure sensors and the vehicle, improves the safety of automated valet parking by utilizing security features including surveillance cameras, improves the reliability of automated valet parking through the collaboration of infrastructure sensors and the vehicle, and increases the utilization rate of infrastructure sensors and vehicle safety.
Smart Images
Figure CN122354491A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This disclosure relates to vehicles that support automated valet parking. Background Technology
[0002] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2021-84626 discloses the following technology: when the infrastructure for assisted automatic valet parking receives a parking request from the vehicle, it checks whether the sensors mounted on the vehicle are working properly and whether the vehicle is performing the necessary actions required for automatic valet parking. Based on the results of these checks, it determines whether automatic valet parking can be performed for the vehicle. Summary of the Invention
[0003] In systems like the existing technology described above that rely on vehicle-mounted sensors for automated valet parking, the number of vehicles that can utilize automated valet parking is limited. Furthermore, sensors used for emergency braking to prevent collisions have varying sensitivities for each vehicle. Therefore, depending on the vehicle, sensors may unnecessarily activate, making it difficult to continue automated valet parking, or potentially affecting subsequent vehicles.
[0004] In contrast, there are systems that utilize sensors within the infrastructure for automated valet parking. In such systems, the constraints on vehicles using automated valet parking are reduced. However, the sensors within the infrastructure are not infallible; for example, blind spots may appear due to vehicles or structures within buildings.
[0005] One embodiment of the vehicle disclosed herein is a vehicle that supports automated valet parking, comprising:
[0006] Onboard sensors that detect the surroundings of the vehicle; and
[0007] Vehicle control unit connected to onboard sensors.
[0008] Vehicle control devices
[0009] Determine the instructions related to the motion control used in automated valet parking from the infrastructure.
[0010] Obtain instructions or reference information related to stop control based on sensing information from onboard sensors from this infrastructure.
[0011] Furthermore, based on instructions or reference information related to stop control, the vehicle control unit sets the operating conditions for stop control for each section of the driving route.
[0012] The vehicle moves according to instructions related to motion control.
[0013] The stop control is activated when the working conditions for accepting the stop control are met.
[0014] According to this disclosure, in areas where the stop control based on sensing information from onboard sensors is highly likely to operate unnecessarily, the operating conditions of the stop control can be made stricter. This suppresses the impact of unnecessary stop control operation, and by utilizing both the sensors provided by the infrastructure and the onboard sensors, the safety of automated valet parking can be improved. Attached Figure Description
[0015] The features, advantages, and technical and industrial significance of exemplary embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which the same symbols denote the same elements, wherein:
[0016] Figure 1 This is a diagram showing the structure of an automated valet parking system.
[0017] Figure 2 This is a diagram illustrating an example of the setting of operating conditions for stop control implemented by onboard sensors.
[0018] Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the processing performed by the infrastructure during automated valet parking.
[0019] Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the processing performed by the vehicle control unit during automated valet parking.
[0020] Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating another example of the processing performed by the infrastructure during automated valet parking. Detailed Implementation
[0021] 1. Structure of an automated valet parking system
[0022] Figure 1 The structure of the automated valet parking system 10 according to this embodiment is shown. The automated valet parking system 10 consists of an infrastructure 20 that assists in automated valet parking and a vehicle 30 that supports automated valet parking.
[0023] Infrastructure 20 is a computer that controls vehicle 30 in a parking lot providing automated valet parking system 10. Infrastructure 20 can be a physical server, a cloud server, or a combination of both. Infrastructure 20 acquires sensing information for automated valet parking in real time from multiple infrastructure sensors installed in the parking lot, and performs the processing involved in automated valet parking based on the sensing information.
[0024] A representative example of an infrastructure sensor is a surveillance camera 25 positioned along the road along which the vehicle 30 travels. In automated driving based on valet parking, the vehicle 30 enters the field of view of at least one surveillance camera 25. The surveillance camera 25 is positioned high on a ceiling, wall, pillar, or similar location, capturing images of the vehicle 30 from above. The shooting angle of the surveillance camera 25 can be adjusted to capture images of the vehicle 30 directly above, or from a slightly forward, backward, or lateral angle. In addition to the surveillance camera 25, LiDAR or millimeter-wave radar can also be used as infrastructure sensors.
[0025] Infrastructure 20 includes processing circuitry 21, storage circuitry 22, and communication circuitry 23. Processing circuitry 21 is configured to perform processing related to automated valet parking. Sensing information from infrastructure sensors, including camera images from monitoring camera 25, is processed by processing circuitry 21. Processing circuitry 21 includes one or more processors such as a CPU, FPGA, or ASIC. Storage circuitry 22 is configured to store programs and associated data related to automated valet parking. Storage circuitry 22 includes one or more main memories and may also include one or more auxiliary memories. Communication circuitry 23 is configured to communicate with external systems. Communication circuitry 23 includes a wireless communication module for wireless communication and a wired communication module for wired communication. Processing circuitry 21 is communicatively connected to storage circuitry 22 and communication circuitry 23.
[0026] Vehicle 30 possesses the functions required for automated valet parking, including automatic driving capabilities, and is the object vehicle for automated valet parking. The automatic driving of vehicle 30 within the parking lot is controlled through the cooperation of infrastructure 20 and a vehicle control device 31 mounted on vehicle 30. Vehicle 30 can also be an autonomous vehicle capable of driving independently outside the parking lot.
[0027] The vehicle 30 is equipped with onboard sensors 35 for sensing the surroundings of the vehicle 30. The onboard sensors 35 include at least one of a camera, LiDAR, and millimeter-wave radar. The onboard sensors 35 are communicatively connected to the vehicle control unit 31. The sensing information obtained by the onboard sensors 35 is processed by the vehicle control unit 31.
[0028] The vehicle control unit 31 includes a processing circuit 32, a storage circuit 33, and a communication circuit 34. The processing circuit 32 is configured to perform processing related to automated valet parking. The processing circuit 32 includes one or more processors such as a CPU, FPGA, or ASIC. The storage circuit 33 is configured to store programs and associated data related to automated valet parking. The storage circuit 33 includes one or more main memories and may also include one or more auxiliary memories. The communication circuit 34 is configured to communicate with the communication circuit 23 of the infrastructure 20. The communication circuit 34 includes a wireless LAN module for wireless communication based on a wireless LAN. The processing circuit 32 is communicatively connected to the storage circuit 33 and the communication circuit 34.
[0029] 2. Functions of vehicle control devices
[0030] The vehicle control unit 31 controls the movement of the vehicle 30 according to control instructions from the infrastructure 20. These control instructions are related to the movement control of the vehicle 30 and are used for automated valet parking. Movement control includes starting the vehicle 30, accelerating the vehicle 30, decelerating the vehicle 30, stopping the vehicle 30, and steering the vehicle 30. The infrastructure 20 generates control instructions based on sensing information from infrastructure sensors, including camera images from the surveillance camera 25, to enable the vehicle 30 to automatically travel along a driving route. Typically, the infrastructure 20 generates waypoints as control instructions, defining data such as target location information, curve information, speed information, and gradient information.
[0031] The vehicle control unit 31 performs stop control based on sensing information from the onboard sensors 35, separately from motion control based on control instructions from the infrastructure 20. Stop control includes emergency braking to avoid collisions with obstacles detected by the onboard sensors 35 or to mitigate collision damage. The vehicle control unit 31 sets operating conditions for the stop control to operate at the start of automated valet parking, and activates the stop control when these operating conditions are met during the execution of automated valet parking.
[0032] The vehicle control unit 31 obtains reference information related to stop control from the infrastructure 20 in order to set the operating conditions for stop control. The reference information related to stop control includes historical operation records of stop control over a predetermined period. These historical operation records are obtained from all vehicles that have driven in the parking lot during the predetermined period and relate to unnecessary stop control operations in each section of the parking lot. It is possible to determine whether stop control operations are unnecessary based on the frequency of operation in each section. For example, if the probability of a collision is the same throughout the entire parking lot area, then if the frequency of operation is high in a specific section, it can be determined that the stop control operation in that specific section is unnecessary.
[0033] Based on historical operating information, the vehicle control unit 31 sets the operating conditions for the stop control for each section of the vehicle 30's driving route. Alternatively, the stop control operating conditions may be that the detection distance obtained from the sensing information of the onboard sensor 35 is below a threshold. In this case, the vehicle control unit 31 sets the threshold value for each section of the driving route. Setting the threshold to zero in a certain section is essentially equivalent to disabling the stop control in that section.
[0034] The vehicle control unit 31 can also obtain stop control-related instructions from the infrastructure 20. In this case, the infrastructure 20 sets stop control operating conditions for each pre-defined section of the parking lot or each section of the vehicle 30's travel route based on the stop control's historical operating history information. Furthermore, the infrastructure 20 sends instructions regarding the parameters specifying the set operating conditions to the vehicle control unit 31 as stop control-related instructions. As stop control-related instructions, instructions regarding auxiliary parameters used in the calculation of the parameters specifying the set operating conditions can also be sent to the vehicle control unit 31.
[0035] 3. Example of setting the operating conditions for stop control
[0036] Figure 2 This is an example of setting the operating conditions for the stop control of the vehicle-mounted sensor 35. Figure 2 The image depicts a scenario where vehicle 30 automatically drives in a parking lot with multiple parked vehicles, utilizing automated valet parking. The driving route of vehicle 30 is represented by a series of consecutive arrow lines. Each arrow line represents a segment of the driving route. The length of each segment can be arbitrarily set. Figure 2 In the example shown, the straight sections of the driving route are set to be longer, while the corner sections are set to be shorter.
[0037] In Example 1, the black arrow marks indicate the intervals where stop control is off, and the white arrow marks indicate the intervals where stop control is on. In this example, stop control is on in straight sections and off in corner sections. For example, if historical data shows high frequency of unnecessary operation at corner sections where the distance to the parked vehicle and side wall decreases, and almost no unnecessary operation in straight sections, the operating conditions for stop control are set as in Example 1. In the intervals where stop control is off, the threshold for detection distance is set to zero. In the intervals where stop control is on, the threshold is set to a value effective for collision avoidance or collision damage mitigation. The threshold in the intervals where stop control is on can be a fixed value or a variable that varies according to vehicle speed.
[0038] In Example 2, the operating conditions for stop control are meticulously set for each section of the driving route. In the sections marked with black arrows, the threshold for detection distance is smaller, making stop control difficult to operate. In the sections marked with white arrows, the threshold for detection distance is larger, making stop control easier to operate. In the sections marked with shaded arrows, the threshold for detection distance is set to the midpoint between the thresholds in the black-arrow and white-arrow sections, and the ease of stop control operation is set to a medium level. By dividing the roads within the parking lot into fine grids and recording the stop control's operational history for each grid, the operating conditions for stop control can be set as meticulously as in Example 2.
[0039] In Example 3, the operating conditions for stop control are set according to vehicle type. As a prerequisite, infrastructure 20 records the operating history of unnecessary stop control operations based on the vehicle type of the vehicle traveling in the parking lot. For example, small vehicles, which have ample distance from parking vehicles and side walls and are effective at making tight turns, are less likely to cause unnecessary stop control operations compared to large vehicles. Therefore, when vehicle 30 in Example 3 is a small vehicle, as indicated by the white arrows along the entire driving route, the threshold for detection distance increases throughout the entire route, making stop control easier to operate. Conversely, when vehicle 30 is a large vehicle, there may be instances where stop control is disabled throughout the entire driving route. Furthermore, the vehicle type referred to here is a category based on vehicle specifications such as length, width, and minimum turning radius. All vehicles are classified into any of several pre-defined categories.
[0040] 4. Processing performed by the automated valet parking system
[0041] Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the processing performed by infrastructure 20 during automated valet parking. Specifically, the processing shown in the flowchart is performed by processing circuitry 21 of infrastructure 20.
[0042] Before implementing automated valet parking, infrastructure 20 collects stop control operation history information from all vehicles utilizing the parking lot, based on the sensing information used by onboard sensors. The collected operation history information is stored in storage circuit 22 for each vehicle model.
[0043] When automated valet parking begins, infrastructure 20 executes. Figure 3 The processes shown in S101-S103 are as follows: In S101, the infrastructure 20 reads the operational history information corresponding to the vehicle model of the vehicle 30 that will be used for automated valet parking from the storage circuit 22. In S102, the read operational history information is sent from the infrastructure 20 to the vehicle 30. Furthermore, in S103, the infrastructure 20 determines the driving route for automated valet parking and sends the determined driving route to the vehicle 30.
[0044] After automated valet parking begins, Infrastructure 20 will be implemented. Figure 3 The processing in S104-S105 is shown. In S104, the infrastructure 20, for example, generates a new control instruction whenever the vehicle 30 passes a waypoint, and sends the generated control instruction to the vehicle 30.
[0045] In step 105, the infrastructure 20 determines whether parking of vehicle 30 is complete. In the case of automated valet parking performed during exit, the determination of whether parking of vehicle 30 is complete is replaced by the determination of whether exit of vehicle 30 is complete. The processes S104-S105 are repeated until the determination result of S105 is "yes". If the determination result of S105 is "yes", the processing of automated valet parking implemented by the infrastructure 20 ends.
[0046] Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the processing performed by the vehicle control unit 31 of the vehicle 30, which is the object of automated valet parking, during automated valet parking. Specifically, the processing shown in this flowchart is performed by the processing circuitry 32 of the vehicle control unit 31.
[0047] When automatic valet parking begins, vehicle control device 31 executes... Figure 4 The processing steps S201-S203 are shown below. In S201, the vehicle control unit 31 receives operational history information corresponding to the vehicle model 30 from the infrastructure 20. Furthermore, in S202, the vehicle control unit 31 receives the driving route of the vehicle 30 from the infrastructure 20. Then, in S203, the vehicle control unit 31 sets the operating conditions for stop control for each section of the driving route based on the operational history information. The set stop control operating conditions for each section are temporarily stored in the storage circuit 33. The setting of the operating conditions is, for example, using... Figure 2 As explained.
[0048] After the automatic valet parking begins, the vehicle control device 31 executes... Figure 4 The processing steps S204-S207 are shown below. In S204, the vehicle control device 31 receives a control instruction from the infrastructure 20. In step 205, the vehicle control device 31 reads the operating conditions of the stop control in the current interval of the vehicle 30 from the storage circuit 33 and determines whether the operating conditions are met. If the operating conditions are met, in step 206, the vehicle control device 31 activates the stop control. Afterward, the processing of the vehicle control device 31 proceeds to S207. On the other hand, if the operating conditions are not met, the processing of the vehicle control device 31 skips S206 and proceeds to S207.
[0049] In S207, the vehicle control device 31 determines whether parking of the vehicle 30 is complete. In the case of automatic valet parking performed during exit, the determination of whether parking of the vehicle 30 is complete is replaced by the determination of whether exit of the vehicle 30 is complete. The processes of S204-S207 are repeated until the determination result of S207 is "yes". If the determination result of S207 is "yes", the processing of automatic valet parking implemented by the vehicle control device 31 ends.
[0050] By performing the aforementioned processing by the infrastructure 20 and the vehicle control unit 31, the operating conditions of the stop control can be made stricter in areas where the possibility of unnecessary operation of the stop control based on the sensing information of the on-board sensor 35 is high. This suppresses the impact of unnecessary stop control operation, and by utilizing both the infrastructure sensor, including the surveillance camera 25, and the on-board sensor 35, the safety of automated valet parking can be improved.
[0051] The processing performed by Infrastructure 20 is not limited to Figure 3 The example shown. The processing performed by the vehicle control unit 31 is not limited to Figure 4 The example shown. For example, Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating another example of the processing performed by infrastructure 20 during automated valet parking. Specifically, the processing shown in this flowchart is performed by processing circuitry 21 of infrastructure 20.
[0052] When automated valet parking begins, infrastructure 20 executes. Figure 5The processing steps S111-S113 are shown below. In S111, the infrastructure 20 sends work history information corresponding to the vehicle model of the vehicle 30 that will be used for automated valet parking to the vehicle 30. Additionally, in S112, the infrastructure 20 determines the driving route for automated valet parking and sends the determined route to the vehicle 30. Based on the work history information and driving route sent by the infrastructure 20, the vehicle control device 31 of the vehicle 30 sets the operating conditions for stop control (see reference). Figure 4 (S203). In S113, the infrastructure 20 receives the stop control operating conditions set by the vehicle control device 31 from the vehicle 30.
[0053] After automated valet parking begins, Infrastructure 20 will be implemented. Figure 5 The processing steps S114-S117 are shown. In S114, the infrastructure 20 determines whether the vehicle 30 has entered the operating range of the stop control based on the operating conditions of the stop control obtained in S113. Furthermore, the infrastructure 20 determines whether the load on the processing circuit 21, which performs the identification processing using the sensing information from the infrastructure sensors, is greater than a reference load.
[0054] When vehicle 30 enters the stop control operating range and the load of the identification processing exceeds the reference load, the processing of infrastructure 20 proceeds to S115. In S115, infrastructure 20 suppresses the sensing cost of infrastructure sensors when vehicle 30 is in the stop control operating range. Examples of sensing costs to be suppressed include the number of infrastructure sensors acquiring sensing information and the resources of the processing circuit 21 used in processing the sensing information.
[0055] After executing step S115, the processing of infrastructure 20 proceeds to step S116. If the condition in S114 is not met, the processing of infrastructure 20 skips S115 and proceeds to S116. In S116, infrastructure 20, for example, generates a new control instruction whenever vehicle 30 passes a waypoint and sends the generated control instruction to vehicle 30.
[0056] In step 117, the infrastructure 20 determines whether parking of vehicle 30 is complete. In the case of automated valet parking performed during exit, the determination of whether parking of vehicle 30 is complete is replaced by the determination of whether exit of vehicle 30 is complete. The processes S114-S117 are repeated until the determination result of S117 is "yes". If the determination result of S117 is "yes", the processing of automated valet parking implemented by the infrastructure 20 ends.
[0057] 5. Other
[0058] In the above embodiments, the following technical concepts, including the automated valet parking system and the automated valet parking method, are described in conjunction with this description.
[0059] Technical Idea 1
[0060] A system for providing automated valet parking to a vehicle is characterized by having a processing circuit.
[0061] The above processing circuit is configured as follows:
[0062] Historical data on stop control operations, obtained from multiple vehicles that have driven through the parking lot where the aforementioned automated valet parking is being performed, based on sensing information from onboard sensors.
[0063] Based on the sensor information from the infrastructure sensors installed in the aforementioned parking lot, instructions related to the motion control of the aforementioned vehicle are generated for the aforementioned automated valet parking.
[0064] Based on the aforementioned historical work records, operating conditions for stop control based on sensing information from the vehicle's onboard sensors are set for each section of the vehicle's travel route.
[0065] The target vehicle is moved according to the instructions related to the above-mentioned motion control.
[0066] The aforementioned stop control is activated in the aforementioned target vehicle when the aforementioned working conditions for stop control are met.
[0067] Technical Idea 2
[0068] In the automated valet parking system described in technical solution 1, the characteristic is that,
[0069] The aforementioned processing circuit is configured to, based on the operating conditions of the stop control in each section of the aforementioned driving route, increase or decrease the sensing cost of the aforementioned target vehicle by the aforementioned infrastructure sensors in each section of the aforementioned driving route.
[0070] Technical Idea 3
[0071] A method for providing automated valet parking to a vehicle using a computer, characterized by comprising:
[0072] Historical data on stop control operations based on sensor information from multiple vehicles that have driven through the parking lot where the aforementioned automated valet parking is being performed.
[0073] Based on the sensing information from the infrastructure sensors installed in the aforementioned parking lot, instructions related to the motion control of the aforementioned vehicle are generated for the aforementioned automated valet parking.
[0074] Based on the above work history information, the working conditions for stop control based on the sensing information of the vehicle's onboard sensors are set for each section of the vehicle's driving route.
[0075] The object vehicle is moved according to the instructions related to the above-mentioned motion control; and
[0076] The aforementioned stop control is activated in the aforementioned target vehicle when the aforementioned working conditions for stop control are met.
Claims
1. A vehicle supporting automated valet parking, comprising: Onboard sensors that detect the surroundings of the vehicle; and The vehicle control device connected to the on-board sensor The vehicle control device is configured as follows: Obtain instructions related to the motion control of the automated valet parking vehicle from the infrastructure of the automated valet parking vehicle. Obtain indications or reference information related to stop control based on sensing information from the onboard sensors from the infrastructure. Based on the instructions or reference information related to the stop control, the operating conditions of the stop control are set for each section of the driving route. The vehicle is moved according to the instructions related to the motion control. The stop control is activated when the operating conditions for the stop control are met.
2. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein, The reference information related to the stop control is the operational history information of the stop control, which is obtained from sensing information based on onboard sensors from multiple vehicles that have driven in the parking lot where the automated valet parking is performed. The vehicle control device is configured to set the operating conditions of the stop control for each section of the driving route based on the historical operating information of the stop control.
3. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein, The indications related to the stop control are indications related to the operating conditions of stop control for each section within the parking lot where the automated valet parking is performed, or for each section of the driving route. The vehicle control device is configured to set the stop control operating conditions for each section of the driving route according to an instruction related to the stop control operating conditions.
4. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein, The vehicle control device is configured to use the condition that the detection distance obtained from the sensing information of the on-board sensor is below a threshold as the operating condition for the stop control, and to set the value of the threshold for each section of the driving route.
5. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein, Setting the operating conditions for the stop control includes turning off the stop control.
6. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein, The vehicle control device is configured to obtain instructions or reference information regarding the stop control from the infrastructure, corresponding to the vehicle model.