VEHICLE EXIT SUPPORT DEVICE AND VEHICLE EXIT SUPPORT PROCEDURES

Abstract

A vehicle exit assistance device (500) is provided to assist an occupant in exiting a self-propelled vehicle (Vs). A space detection unit (504) detects the presence state of a lateral space (SP) of the self-propelled vehicle. A target information detection unit (505) detects target information regarding another vehicle (Vt) approaching the self-propelled vehicle from a rear side of the lateral space. An operation determination unit (506), based on the detected presence state of the lateral space and the detected target information, determines whether a vehicle exit assistance operation is to be performed, wherein the vehicle exit assistance operation includes at least one notification operation to an occupant attempting to exit on the side of the lateral space and one door opening suppression operation for a door (Vs2) of the self-propelled vehicle.

Description

BACKGROUND Technical field The present disclosure relates to a vehicle exit assistance device and a vehicle exit assistance method. State of the art Various devices for ensuring safety when an occupant exits a vehicle are conventionally known (see, for example, JP 1990-179541 A). The vehicle door opening safety device disclosed in JP 1990-179541 A includes a stop detection device, an approaching vehicle detection device, a warning device, and a door opening locking device. The stop detection device detects that the vehicle is stopped. The approaching vehicle detection device detects the presence or absence of an approaching vehicle. The warning device issues a warning to a door operator when it detects that the vehicle is stopped, a door opening operation is about to be initiated, and an approaching vehicle is present. The door opening locking device disables opening of the door when a warning is issued by the warning device. In particular, the vehicle door opening safety device disclosed in JP 1990-179541 A calculates the distance to a rear vehicle and the approach speed of the rear vehicle based on a pulse emitted by a detection unit and the reception of reflected pulses. The vehicle door opening safety device then calculates from these values ​​an approach time required for the rear vehicle to pass and activates a warning device if it is determined that the approach time is within ten seconds, thus warning a person attempting to open the door. This allows the person to recognize that a vehicle is approaching and wait a while before opening the door. Furthermore, safety is enhanced by disabling the door opening mechanism in addition to issuing the warning. OVERVIEW In this type of vehicle exit assist device, for example, if a wall or a parked or temporarily stopped vehicle is immediately adjacent to the vehicle and the space or distance between them is such that another vehicle cannot physically pass, activation of a warning, door lock, or similar function is unnecessary. However, if unnecessary activation occurs even in such cases, the usability of this type of vehicle exit assist device is impaired. The present disclosure was prepared with regard to the circumstances described above as examples. That is to say, the present invention provides a technique that is capable of suppressing the unnecessary activation of, for example, a vehicle exit assistance function more effectively compared to conventionally known methods. A first aspect of the present disclosure provides a vehicle exit assistance device for assisting an occupant in exiting a self-propelled vehicle, comprising: a space detection unit configured to detect the presence state of a lateral space of the self-propelled vehicle; a target information detection unit configured to detect target information regarding another vehicle approaching the self-propelled vehicle from a rear side of the lateral space;and an operation determination unit configured to determine, based on the detected presence state of the lateral space and the detected target information, whether to perform a vehicle exit assistance operation, wherein the vehicle exit assistance operation includes at least one notification operation to an occupant attempting to exit on the side of the lateral space and one door opening suppression operation for a door of the vehicle's own vehicle. A second aspect of the present disclosure provides a vehicle exit assistance method for assisting an occupant in exiting a self-propelled vehicle, including: detecting a presence state of a lateral space of the self-propelled vehicle; detecting target information regarding another vehicle approaching the self-propelled vehicle from a rear side of the lateral space; and determining, based on the detected presence state of the lateral space and the detected target information, whether to perform a vehicle exit assistance operation, wherein the vehicle exit assistance operation includes at least one notification operation to an occupant attempting to exit on the side of the lateral space and one door opening suppression operation for a door of the self-propelled vehicle. A third aspect of the present disclosure provides a computer program product comprising instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method for assisting an occupant in exiting a self-propelled vehicle, the method comprising: detecting a presence state of a lateral space of the self-propelled vehicle; detecting target information regarding another vehicle approaching the self-propelled vehicle from a rear side of the lateral space;and determine, based on the detected presence state of the lateral space and the detected target information, whether to perform a vehicle exit assistance operation, wherein the vehicle exit assistance operation includes at least one notification operation to an occupant attempting to exit on the side of the lateral space and one door opening suppression operation for a door of the own vehicle. In each part of this application document, the reference numerals in parentheses attached to the components or the like merely indicate examples of the correspondence between the components or the like and the specific components described in relation to the embodiments described below. Therefore, the present disclosure is not limited by the foregoing reference numerals. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the accompanying drawings: Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a situation in which another vehicle approaches from behind a vehicle to which the present disclosure is applied; Fig. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of the on-board system illustrated in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a functional configuration of a vehicle exit assistance device implemented by the control unit illustrated in Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example operation of the vehicle exit assistance device illustrated in Fig. 3. DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EXECUTION FORMS Designs Exemplary embodiments and specific examples of the present disclosure are described below, with reference, where appropriate, to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the following embodiments, their modifications, and the accompanying drawings are presented schematically or in a simplified manner for the purpose of briefly explaining the content of the present disclosure and therefore do not in any way limit the scope of the present disclosure. Accordingly, it is understood that the configurations illustrated in the drawings do not necessarily coincide with the specific device configurations that can actually be manufactured and marketed.That is to say, unless the applicant explicitly limits the scope of the present application during the proceedings, the present disclosure should not be interpreted in a limited way based on the representations in the drawings and the descriptions of the corresponding device configurations, functions or operations set out below. On-board system configuration First, with reference to Fig. 1, an on-board system 1 is configured to be mounted on a vehicle and to perform various operations in the vehicle. Hereinafter, a vehicle equipped with the on-board system 1 according to the present embodiment is referred to as a self-propelled vehicle Vs. The vehicle Vs is a so-called ordinary-sized vehicle capable of driving on roads and has a box-shaped body Vs1. Doors Vs2, which allow an occupant of the vehicle Vs to enter and exit, are provided on the left and right sides of the body Vs1. Fig. 1 illustrates a situation in which the vehicle Vs is stopped along a straight road, allowing an occupant to enter and exit. In the figure, arrow D1 indicates the direction of the road's extent, and arrow D2 indicates the direction of the road's width. The direction of the road's extent corresponds to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and the direction of the road's width corresponds to the lateral direction of the vehicle. Onboard system 1 is configured to implement a vehicle exit assistance operation to help an occupant exit their vehicle Vs. The vehicle exit assistance operation is performed when an occupant of the vehicle Vs attempts to open a door Vs2 from inside the vehicle in a situation where a moving object, such as another vehicle Vt, is approaching from behind the vehicle Vs. The other vehicle Vt can be a car, a two-wheeled vehicle such as a motorcycle, a light vehicle such as a bicycle, or a small electric vehicle such as an electric scooter. The moving object could be, for example, another vehicle Vt, a pedestrian, or the like. The vehicle exit assistance operation includes a notification operation to alert an occupant and a door opening suppression operation. The notification operation can also be referred to as a warning operation. The door opening suppression operation includes, for example, locking a door, stopping or preventing the opening of an electric door, or similar actions. The onboard system 1 is configured to perform the vehicle exit assistance operation based on detection results of objects around the self-propelled vehicle Vs, detected using an object detection sensor 2. The object detection sensor 2 includes, for example, a radar sensor, a camera, or the like. In particular, in the present embodiment, at least one radar sensor is provided as the object detection sensor 2 to detect a moving object approaching the self-propelled vehicle Vs from behind or diagonally behind it. Such a radar sensor is arranged at each of the left and right rear end sections of the vehicle body Vs1. According to Fig. 2, the on-board system 1 includes, in addition to the object detection sensor 2, a driving status sensor 3, a door operation sensor 4, a control unit 5, a warning device 6, and a door opening / closing mechanism 7. The object detection sensor 2, the driving status sensor 3, and the door operation sensor 4 are connected to the control unit 5 via an on-board network to input their outputs into the control unit 5. Furthermore, the control unit 5 is communicatively connected to the warning device 6 and the door opening / closing mechanism 7 via the on-board network to exchange information or signals. The driving condition sensor 3 is provided to acquire various parameters relating to the driving condition of the vehicle Vs. The "driving condition" includes a driving operation state and a driving behavior state of the vehicle Vs. The "driving operation state" refers to the state of driving operation inputs to the vehicle Vs by an occupant (typically a driver) of the vehicle Vs or by a vehicle control ECU, including, for example, the degree of accelerator pedal opening, the amount of brake application, the amount of steering input, the gear shift range, and the like. ECU is an abbreviation for Electronic Control Unit. The "driving behavior state" refers to a state relating to a movement or behavior of the vehicle Vs, including, for example, vehicle speed, acceleration, yaw rate, and the like.This means that the driving condition sensor 3 is a general term that refers collectively to known on-board sensors, such as an accelerator pedal position sensor, a shift position sensor, a vehicle speed sensor, a yaw rate sensor and the like. The door operation sensor 4 is provided for each door Vs2 to detect a door opening operation performed by an occupant of the vehicle. Specifically, the door operation sensor 4 is configured as a touch sensor or an operation level sensor that detects the operational state of an operating unit (for example, an interior door handle) actuated by an occupant to open the door Vs2 from inside the vehicle body Vs1. When an occupant's hand touches the operating unit or initiates its operation, the door operation sensor 4 generates a door operation signal and outputs this signal to the control unit 5. The control unit 5 is configured to control the operations of the warning device 6 and the door opening / closing mechanism 7 based on detection results acquired by the object detection sensor 2, the driving condition sensor 3, and the door operation sensor 4. The warning device 6 includes an audio output device configured to produce a warning tone and a visual output device configured to perform a display or light emission to provide a warning. The door opening / closing mechanism 7 includes at least one door locking mechanism configured to prevent the door Vs2 from being opened. Alternatively or additionally, the door opening / closing mechanism 7 may include an electric opening / closing mechanism configured to open and close the door Vs2 electrically. In the present embodiment, the control unit 5 is configured as an on-board computer comprising at least one processor 51 and a storage medium 52. The processor 51 is formed by at least one CPU or MPU. CPU is an abbreviation for Central Processing Unit. MPU is an abbreviation for Microprocessor Unit. The storage medium 52 is formed by at least one non-volatile tangible storage medium, such as a ROM or non-volatile rewritable memory. ROM is an abbreviation for read-only memory. Non-volatile rewritable memory is a storage device that allows information to be rewritten during power-up and retains the information without allowing rewriting during power-off; an example is a flash ROM. The storage medium 52, along with a computer program, stores various data such as initial values, maps, and lookup tables required to execute the computer program. That is, the control unit 5 is configured to control the vehicle exit assistance operation by instructing the processor 51 to load and execute a computer program—that is, a vehicle exit assistance program—stored in the storage medium 52. Vehicle exit assistance device Fig. 3 illustrates an example of a functional block configuration of a vehicle exit support device 500, which is implemented by the processor 51 included in the control unit 5 illustrated in Fig. 2, which loads the computer program, namely the vehicle exit support program, from non-volatile memory and executes the computer program. The following describes the configuration and functions of the vehicle exit support device 500 according to the present embodiment shown in Figures 1, 2 to 3. As described above, the vehicle exit support operation is performed not only when another vehicle Vt approaches, but also when a pedestrian approaches. However, for the sake of simplicity, the present description uses a case in which another vehicle Vt approaches. As illustrated in Fig. 3, the vehicle exit assist device 500, configured to assist an occupant in exiting their own vehicle Vs, includes, as functional blocks implemented by executing the computer program, a distance sensing unit 501, a speed sensing unit 502, a predicted time sensing unit 503, a space sensing unit 504, a target information sensing unit 505, and an operation determination unit 506. These components are described in turn below. The distance detection unit 501 is configured to detect the approach distance of another vehicle Vt based on an output from the object detection sensor 2, which is a radar sensor. The speed detection unit 502 is configured to detect the relative speed of the other vehicle Vt with respect to the own vehicle Vs based on the output from the object detection sensor 2. The predicted time detection unit 503 is configured to detect a predicted time of arrival (TTC) that is predicted to be required for the other vehicle Vt to reach the own vehicle Vs. TTC stands for Time to Collision. The space detection unit 504 is configured to detect the presence of a lateral space SP of the vehicle Vs based on a detection result acquired by the object detection sensor 2. The lateral space SP is a road space located laterally to the vehicle Vs and detectable, for example, based on a set of observation points acquired by the radar sensor. The road space is an area within a road, including a shoulder section, that is not occupied by moving objects, parked or temporarily stopped vehicles Vt, stopped pedestrians, or static objects. Static objects are roadside objects that obstruct the passage of vehicles, including, for example, road signs, traffic lights, barricades, fences, poles, cones, chairs, tables, and the like. The space detection unit 504 is configured to capture information as a presence status of the lateral space SP of the vehicle Vs, indicating the presence or absence of a roadside installation B, a space width Ws, and the like. The roadside installation B is an object, such as a curb, wall, guardrail, or hedge, and is provided as a boundary between the inside and outside of a roadway. The space width Ws is a width of the lateral space SP, that is, a dimension in the road width direction. In one case, where the lateral space SP is formed between the curb installation B and the vehicle Vs, the space width Ws is a distance between a side surface of the vehicle body Vs1 and an end of the curb installation B on the side of the vehicle Vs. In another case, where no curb installation B is present, the space width Ws is set to a value representing infinity. For example, if the space width Ws is represented by a 16-bit value, the value could be FFFF. The target information acquisition unit 505 is configured to acquire target information regarding another vehicle Vt approaching the own vehicle Vs from a rear side of the lateral space SP, based on acquisition results acquired by the object detection sensor 2. The target information includes a target width Wt, the type of the other vehicle Vt, and the like. The target width Wt is the vehicle width of the other vehicle Vt. The operation determination unit 506 is configured to determine whether a vehicle exit assistance operation should be performed based on a determination of whether the time to travel (TTC) has become less than or equal to a predefined time threshold. In the present embodiment, the operation determination unit 506 is configured to determine, based on the detected presence state of the lateral space SP and target information, whether the vehicle exit assistance operation should be performed for an occupant attempting to exit on the side of the lateral space SP. In particular, the operation determination unit 506 is configured to perform the vehicle exit assistance operation when the TTC for another vehicle Vt capable of passing through the lateral space SP is less than or equal to a predefined time threshold. Overview of operations An overview of operations performed by the device configured according to the present embodiment, namely the vehicle exit assist device 500, is described below, along with effects achieved by the device's configuration and by a method and program executed therein. In the following description, the device's configuration according to the present embodiment and the method and program executed therein may be collectively referred to as the present embodiment. The driving state sensor 3 detects the driving state of the vehicle Vs. If the vehicle Vs is stationary, with a vehicle speed of 0 km / h, and this stationary state is maintained by braking and / or a parking position, an occupant is permitted to leave or exit the vehicle Vs. When such an exit-permitted state is established, the control unit 5 executes the vehicle exit assistance operation based on the detection result of an object, recorded by the object detection sensor 2, and the detection result of an operational state of the operating unit, recorded by the door operation sensor 4. For example, as illustrated in Fig. 1, a situation is assumed in which a roadside installation B, such as a guardrail, is located immediately adjacent to the right side of the vehicle Vs, and an occupant of the vehicle Vs attempts to exit into a lateral space SP between the roadside installation B and the vehicle Vs. Here, the space width Ws, which is a lateral width of the lateral space SP, is assumed to be somewhat narrower than the normal vehicle width of a vehicle of ordinary size. In this situation, if another vehicle Vt is of ordinary size or a large vehicle and is approaching from behind the own vehicle Vs, the other vehicle Vt cannot physically pass through the lateral space SP. Therefore, a vehicle exit assistance operation is unnecessary for such another vehicle Vt. However, if an unnecessary vehicle exit assistance operation is performed even in such a case, the usability of a device configured to perform this type of vehicle exit assistance is impaired. On the other hand, if such another vehicle Vt is a two-wheeled vehicle, the lateral space SP is physically passable, and therefore the vehicle exit assistance operation is required. Accordingly, in the present embodiment, the space detection unit 504 acquires information indicating the presence or absence of the roadside installation B, the space width Ws, and the like, as a presence status of the lateral space SP of the vehicle Vs. Furthermore, the target information acquisition unit 505 acquires target information, including the type of another vehicle Vt approaching from behind and its lateral width, i.e., the target width Wt, and the like. Then, based on the acquired information, the operation determination unit 506 determines whether the other vehicle Vt approaching from behind is capable of physically passing through the lateral space SP and suppresses the execution of the vehicle exit assistance operation if it is determined that passage is not possible.As a result, unnecessary activation of the vehicle exit assist function can be suppressed more effectively than with conventional techniques. In particular, there is a case where the space width Ws is so narrow that passage for a two-wheeled vehicle is difficult. For such a narrow lateral space SP, it is unlikely that not only a two-wheeled vehicle, but also a pedestrian approaching from behind, would enter the space SP. Therefore, in this case, there is little need to perform the vehicle exit assistance operation regardless of the target width Wt. Accordingly, the operation determination unit 506 suppresses the execution of the vehicle exit assistance operation if the space width Ws is less than or equal to a predefined lower threshold. The lower threshold can, for example, be set to approximately 0.75 m. On the other hand, if the space width Ws is large enough to allow at least one two-wheeled vehicle to pass, the Operation Determination Unit 506 determines passability based on the space width Ws and the target width Wt. Specifically, the Operation Determination Unit 506 suppresses the execution of the vehicle exit assist operation if a first reference value based on the space width Ws is smaller than a second reference value based on the target width Wt. Typically, the first reference value is the space width Ws and the second reference value is the target width Wt. However, to implement a safety-side control that accounts for measurement errors, a correction value can be added to one or both of the first and second reference values, or applied as a multiplier. For example, there may be a case where another vehicle Vt is a bicycle and is traveling outside a roadside installation B, which is a guardrail, that is, on the opposite side of the roadside installation B from the lateral space SP. In this case, it is difficult to assume that such another vehicle Vt would travel over the roadside installation B and enter the lateral space SP. Accordingly, in this case, the operation determination unit 506 suppresses the execution of the vehicle exit assistance operation. In a situation where, as described above, the vehicle Vs is stopped or parked along the roadside installation B, and an occupant exits into the lateral space SP on the side of the object B fixed to the roadside, it is unlikely that the vehicle Vs intentionally stopped with sufficient clearance to allow a vehicle of ordinary size or a large vehicle to pass. Therefore, if the other vehicle Vt is a vehicle of ordinary size or a large vehicle, there is little need to perform the vehicle exit assistance operation. Accordingly, in this case, the operation determination unit 506 suppresses the execution of the vehicle exit assistance operation. Example operation Fig. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a determination routine included in the vehicle exit assistance program according to the present embodiment for determining the necessity of performing the vehicle exit assistance operation based on the presence state of the lateral space SP and target information. In this flowchart, "S" is an abbreviation for step. The processor 51, which is included in the control unit 5, performs the vehicle exit assistance procedure according to the present embodiment by loading the vehicle exit assistance program from the storage medium 52 and activating this program at predefined time intervals, for example, every 10 ms. In the present routine, even if a determination is made not to suppress the execution of the vehicle exit assistance operation, the vehicle exit assistance operation is not initiated until another vehicle Vt approaches the own vehicle in such a way that the TTC becomes less than or equal to a predefined time threshold. A determination of whether the vehicle exit assistance operation should be initiated based on the TTC is publicly known or well known from the filing date of the present application, and therefore its description is omitted from the present description. After initiating the present routine, processor 51 first executes processing steps 101 to 103 sequentially in this order. In step S101, processor 51 acquires spatial information regarding the presence state of lateral space SP. In step S102, processor 51 acquires target information. In step S103, based on the target information acquired in step S102, processor 51 determines whether another vehicle Vt approaching from behind the own vehicle Vs is a vehicle of ordinary size or a large vehicle. If such another vehicle Vt is a vehicle of ordinary size or a large vehicle (YES at step S103), the processing flow proceeds to step S104. At step S104, processor 51 determines, based on the spatial information acquired at step S101, whether a roadside installation B is present on the side of the lateral space SP toward which the occupant is attempting to exit. If the roadside installation B is present (YES at step S104), the processing sequence continues with step S105. At step S105, processor 51 suppresses the execution of the vehicle exit assistance operation with respect to such another vehicle Vt. If, however, no roadside installation B is present (NO at step S104), the processing sequence continues with step S106. At step S106, processor 51 does not suppress the execution of the vehicle exit assistance operation with respect to such another vehicle Vt. If another vehicle Vt approaching from behind the own vehicle Vs is neither an ordinary-sized vehicle nor a large vehicle (NO at step S103), the other vehicle Vt is of a type capable of passing through a relatively narrow lateral space SP, such as a two-wheeled vehicle or a small vehicle. Then the processing flow continues to step S107. At step S107, processor 51 determines whether the other vehicle Vt attempts to pass through the interior of the lateral space SP, which is defined as a surface on an inside side of the roadside installation B. If the other vehicle Vt attempts to pass outside the lateral space SP (NO at step S107), the processing flow continues with step S108. At step S108, processor 51 suppresses the execution of the vehicle exit assist operation with respect to such another vehicle Vt. If, on the other hand, the other vehicle Vt attempts to pass through the interior of the lateral space SP (YES at step S107), the processing sequence continues with step S109. At step S109, processor 51 determines whether the space width Ws is less than or equal to a predefined value Lth. The predefined value Lth corresponds to the lower threshold described above. If the room width Ws is less than or equal to the predefined value Lth (YES at step S109), the processing sequence continues with step S110. At step S110, the processor suppresses the execution of the vehicle exit assistance operation with respect to another vehicle Vt. If, on the other hand, the room width Ws exceeds the predefined value Lth (NO at step S109), the processing sequence continues with step S111. At step S111, processor 51 determines whether the room width Ws is smaller than the target width Wt. If the room width Ws is smaller than the target width Wt (YES at step S111), the processing sequence continues with step S110. At step S110, processor 51 suppresses the execution of the vehicle exit assistance operation with respect to any other vehicle Vt. If the room width Ws is greater than or equal to the target width Wt (NO at step S111), the processing sequence continues with step S112. At step S112, the processor does not suppress the execution of the vehicle exit assistance operation with respect to another vehicle Vt. Modifications The present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments and specific examples described above. Therefore, the embodiments described above and the like may be modified as required. Representative modifications are described below. The description of the following modifications mainly describes differences from the embodiments described above and the like. Furthermore, the embodiments described above and the following modifications use the same reference numerals for parts that are identical or equivalent to each other. Therefore, in the description of the following modifications, for components with the same reference numerals as in the embodiments described above and the like, the descriptions in the embodiments described above and the like may be applied analogously, unless there is a technical inconsistency or a specific additional explanation. The present disclosure is not limited to the specific applications or device configurations described in the embodiments described above. For example, the vehicle Vs can be a so-called ordinary-sized vehicle or a large vehicle. That is to say, no particular restriction is imposed on the shape or size of the vehicle body Vs1. No particular restriction is imposed on the number or structure of the doors Vs2. In particular, all doors Vs2 can be swing doors, all doors Vs2 can be sliding doors, or swing doors and sliding doors can be used in combination. No specific restrictions are imposed on the type, number, or mounting position of the object detection sensor 2. That is, the object detection sensor 2 is not limited to a radar sensor and can be a camera or an ultrasonic sensor. Alternatively, object detection can be performed using so-called sensor fusion, in which detection results acquired by several types of sensors are integrated. All or part of the control unit 5 can be configured to include a digital circuit capable of implementing the functions or operations described above, such as an ASIC or an FPGA. ASIC stands for Application Specific Integrated Circuit. FPGA stands for Field Programmable Gate Array. This means that an onboard microcomputer section and a digital circuit section can coexist within the control unit 5. The computer program according to the present disclosure, which enables the various operations, procedures, or processing described in the embodiment described above, to be performed, can be downloaded or updated via V2X communication. “V2X” stands for Vehicle-to-Everything. Alternatively, such a computer program can be downloaded or updated using an end-device device installed at any location, such as a manufacturing facility, a maintenance facility, or a dealership of the vehicle V. The program can also be stored on a memory card, an optical disc, a magnetic disk, or the like. Each of the functional configurations and processing operations described above can be implemented by a dedicated computer provided by configuring a processor and memory programmed to execute one or more functions embodied by computer programs. Alternatively, each of the functional configurations and processing operations described above can be implemented by a dedicated computer provided by configuring a processor with one or more dedicated hardware logic circuits. Alternatively, each of the functional configurations and processing operations described above can be implemented by one or more dedicated computers configured by combining a processor and memory programmed to execute one or more functions with a processor configured with one or more hardware logic circuits.Furthermore, the computer program can also be stored as instructions to be executed by a computer on a computer-readable, non-volatile, tangible storage medium. That is to say, each of the functional configurations and processes described above can also be represented as a computer program, including procedures for implementing each of the functions or processes described above, or as a non-volatile, tangible storage medium that stores the program. The present disclosure is not limited to the specific modes of operation described in the preceding embodiments. That is to say, for example, the vehicle exit assistance operation can be performed in a parking lot. Furthermore, instead of the roadside installation B, a movable object, such as a barricade or a cone, can be used. Furthermore, instead of the roadside installation B, a parked or temporarily stopped vehicle can be used. It is understood that the elements constituting the foregoing embodiments are not necessarily essential unless explicitly stated as such or clearly understood to be essential in principle. Furthermore, if a numerical value, such as the number, value, amount, or range of a component, is mentioned in any of the embodiments described above, it should not be interpreted as limited to that specific number or value unless expressly stated otherwise or clearly limited in principle. Similarly, if the shape, direction, positional relationship, or the like of a component is described in any of the embodiments, it should not be limited to such shape, direction, position, or the like unless expressly stated otherwise or clearly required in principle. Terms such as "obtain," "calculate," "estimate," "capture," "measure," and "determine" may be used interchangeably, provided no technical inconsistency arises. Likewise, "capture," "measure," and "extract" may also be used interchangeably within a technically consistent scope. Furthermore, the terms "exceeding a threshold" and "greater than or equal to a threshold" may be used interchangeably, as long as they do not cause a technical contradiction. The same applies to "less than a threshold" and "equal to or less than a threshold." The modifications are not limited to the examples described above. For instance, all or part of one of the specific examples may be combined with all or part of another, provided that no technical contradiction arises. The number of examples that may be combined is not specifically limited. Likewise, all or part of one of the modification examples may be combined with all or part of another, as long as no technical contradiction exists. Furthermore, any or all of the specific examples described above may be combined with any or all of the modification examples above, provided that no technical contradiction arises. Aspects of Revelation As can be seen from the above descriptions of the embodiments and their modification examples, the present description discloses at least the following aspects. [Aspect 1-1] Vehicle exit assistance device (500) for assisting an occupant in exiting a self-propelled vehicle (Vs), comprising: a space detection unit (504) configured to detect the presence state of a lateral space (SP) of the self-propelled vehicle; a target information detection unit (505) configured to detect target information regarding another vehicle (Vt) approaching the self-propelled vehicle from a rear side of the lateral space;and an operation determination unit (506) configured to determine, based on the detected presence state of the lateral space and the detected target information, whether to perform a vehicle exit assistance operation, wherein the vehicle exit assistance operation includes at least one notification operation to an occupant attempting to exit on the side of the lateral space and one door opening suppression operation for a door (Vs2) of the own vehicle. [Aspect 1-2] Vehicle exit assistance device according to aspect 1-1, wherein the operation determination unit is configured to suppress execution of the vehicle exit assistance operation when a space width (Ws), which is a width of the lateral space as the presence state, is less than or equal to a predefined lower threshold (Lth). [Aspect 1-3] Vehicle exit assistance device according to aspect 1-1 or 1-2, wherein the operation determination unit is configured to suppress execution of the vehicle exit assistance operation when a first comparison value based on a space width (Ws) which is a width of the lateral space as the presence state is less than a second comparison value based on a target width (Wt) which is a vehicle width of the other vehicle as the target information. [Aspects 1-4] Vehicle exit assist device according to one of aspects 1-1 to 1-3, wherein the operation determination unit is configured to suppress execution of the vehicle exit assist operation when the lateral space is formed between the own vehicle and a roadside installation (B) including a curb, wall or guardrail and the other vehicle is traveling on an opposite side of the roadside installation from the lateral space. [Aspect 1-5] Vehicle exit assist device according to one of aspects 1-1 to 1-4, wherein the operation determination unit is configured to suppress execution of the vehicle exit assist operation when the lateral space between the own vehicle and a roadside installation (B) including a curb, wall or guardrail is defined and the other vehicle is an ordinary-size vehicle or a large vehicle. [Aspect 2-1] Vehicle exit assistance procedure for assisting an occupant in exiting a self-propelled vehicle (Vs), comprising: detecting a presence state of a lateral space (SP) of the self-propelled vehicle; detecting target information regarding another vehicle (Vt) approaching the self-propelled vehicle from a rear side of the lateral space; and determining, based on the detected presence state of the lateral space and the detected target information, whether to perform a vehicle exit assistance operation, wherein the vehicle exit assistance operation includes at least one notification operation to an occupant attempting to exit on the side of the lateral space and one door opening suppression operation for a door (Vs2) of the self-propelled vehicle. [Aspect 2-2] Vehicle exit assistance procedure according to aspect 2-1, wherein determining whether to perform the vehicle exit assistance operation includes suppressing the execution of the vehicle exit assistance operation when a space width (Ws), which is a width of the lateral space as the presence state, is less than or equal to a predefined lower threshold (Lth). [Aspect 2-3] Vehicle exit assistance procedures according to aspect 2-1 or 2-2, wherein determining whether to perform the vehicle exit assistance operation includes suppressing the execution of the vehicle exit assistance operation if a first comparison value based on a space width (Ws) that is a width of the lateral space as the presence state is less than a second comparison value based on a target width (Wt) that is a vehicle width of the other vehicle as the target information. [Aspect 2-4] Vehicle exit assistance procedure according to one of aspects 2-1 to 2-3, wherein determining whether to perform the vehicle exit assistance operation includes suppressing the execution of the vehicle exit assistance operation when the lateral space is formed between the own vehicle and a roadside installation (B) including a curb, wall or guardrail and the other vehicle is traveling on an opposite side of the roadside installation from the lateral space. [Aspect 2-5] Vehicle exit assistance procedure according to one of aspects 2-1 to 2-4, wherein determining whether to perform the vehicle exit assistance operation includes suppressing the execution of the vehicle exit assistance operation when the lateral space between the own vehicle and a roadside installation (B) including a curb, wall or guardrail is defined and the other vehicle is an ordinary-size vehicle or a large vehicle. [Aspect 3-1] A computer program comprising instructions which, when executed by one or more processors of a device for assisting an occupant in exiting a self-contained vehicle (Vs), cause the one or more processors to perform the following processing: detecting a presence state of a lateral space (SP) of the self-contained vehicle; detecting target information regarding another vehicle (Vt) approaching the self-contained vehicle from a rear side of the lateral space; and determining, based on the detected presence state of the lateral space and the detected target information, whether to perform a vehicle exit assistance operation, wherein the vehicle exit assistance operation includes at least one notification operation to an occupant attempting to exit on the side of the lateral space and one door opening suppression operation for a door (Vs2) of the self-contained vehicle. [Aspect 3-2] Computer program according to aspect 3-1, wherein the processing of determining whether to perform the vehicle exit assistance operation includes suppressing the execution of the vehicle exit assistance operation when a space width (Ws), which is a width of the lateral space as the presence state, is less than or equal to a predefined lower threshold (Lth). [Aspect 3-3] Computer program according to aspect 3-1 or 3-2, wherein the processing of determining whether to perform the vehicle exit assistance operation includes suppressing the execution of the vehicle exit assistance operation when a first comparison value based on a space width (Ws) that is a width of the lateral space as the presence state is less than a second comparison value based on a target width (Wt) that is a vehicle width of the other vehicle as the target information. [Aspect 3-4] Computer program according to one of aspects 3-1 to 3-3, wherein the processing of determining whether to perform the vehicle exit assistance operation includes suppressing the execution of the vehicle exit assistance operation when the lateral space is formed between the own vehicle and a roadside installation (B) including a curb, wall or guardrail and the other vehicle is traveling on an opposite side of the roadside installation from the lateral space. [Aspect 3-5] Computer program according to one of aspects 3-1 to 3-4, wherein the processing of determining whether to perform the vehicle exit assistance operation includes suppressing the execution of the vehicle exit assistance operation when the lateral space between the own vehicle and a roadside installation (B) including a curb, wall or guardrail is defined and the other vehicle is an ordinary-size vehicle or a large vehicle. [Aspect 4-1] Non-volatile tangible storage medium storing a computer program containing instructions which, when executed by one or more processors of a device for assisting an occupant in exiting a self-propelled vehicle (Vs), cause the one or more processors to perform the following processing: detecting, based on radar waves from a radar sensor (2) having detection regions (RdL, RdR) on rear lateral sides of the self-propelled vehicle, a presence state of a lateral space (SP) of the self-propelled vehicle; detecting target information regarding another vehicle (Vt) approaching the self-propelled vehicle from a rear side of the lateral space;Determine, based on the detected presence state of the lateral space and the detected target information, whether to perform a vehicle exit assistance operation, wherein the vehicle exit assistance operation includes at least one notification operation to an occupant attempting to exit on the side of the lateral space and one door opening suppression operation for a door (Vs2) of the own vehicle. [Aspect 4-2] Non-volatile tangible storage medium according to aspect 4-1, wherein the processing of determining whether to perform the vehicle exit assistance operation includes suppressing the execution of the vehicle exit assistance operation when a space width (Ws), which is a width of the lateral space as the presence state, is less than or equal to a predefined lower threshold (Lth). [Aspect 4-3] Non-volatile tangible storage medium according to aspect 4-1 or 4-2, wherein the processing of determining whether to perform the vehicle exit assistance operation includes suppressing the execution of the vehicle exit assistance operation when a first comparison value based on a space width (Ws) that is a width of the lateral space as the presence state is less than a second comparison value based on a target width (Wt) that is a vehicle width of the other vehicle as the target information. [Aspect 4-4] Non-volatile tangible storage medium according to one of aspects 4-1 to 4-3, wherein the processing of determining whether to perform the vehicle exit assistance operation includes suppressing the execution of the vehicle exit assistance operation when the lateral space is formed between the own vehicle and a roadside installation (B) including a curb, wall or guardrail and the other vehicle is traveling on an opposite side of the roadside installation from the lateral space. [Aspect 4-5] Non-volatile tangible storage medium according to one of aspects 4-1 to 4-4, wherein the processing of determining whether to perform the vehicle exit assistance operation includes suppressing the execution of the vehicle exit assistance operation when the lateral space between the own vehicle and a roadside installation (B) including a curb, wall or guardrail is defined and the other vehicle is an ordinary-size vehicle or a large vehicle. QUOTES INCLUDED IN THE DESCRIPTION This list of documents cited by the applicant was automatically generated and is included solely for the reader's convenience. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA accepts no liability for any errors or omissions. Cited patent literature JP 1990-179541 A [0002, 0003]

Claims

Vehicle exit assistance device (500) for assisting an occupant in exiting a self-propelled vehicle (Vs), comprising: a space detection unit (504) configured to detect the presence state of a lateral space (SP) of the self-propelled vehicle; a target information detection unit (505) configured to detect target information regarding another vehicle (Vt) approaching the self-propelled vehicle from a rear side of the lateral space;and an operation determination unit (506) configured to determine, based on the detected presence state of the lateral space and the detected target information, whether to perform a vehicle exit assistance operation, wherein the vehicle exit assistance operation includes at least one notification operation to an occupant attempting to exit on the side of the lateral space and one door opening suppression operation for a door (Vs2) of the own vehicle. Vehicle exit assistance device according to claim 1, wherein the operation determination unit is configured to suppress execution of the vehicle exit assistance operation when a space width (Ws), which is a width of the lateral space as the presence state, is less than or equal to a predefined lower threshold (Lth). Vehicle exit assistance device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the operation determination unit is configured to suppress execution of the vehicle exit assistance operation when a first comparison value based on a space width (Ws) that is a width of the lateral space as the presence state is smaller than a second comparison value based on a target width (Wt) that is a vehicle width of the other vehicle as the target information. Vehicle exit support device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the operation determination unit is configured to suppress execution of the vehicle exit support operation when the lateral space between the own vehicle and a roadside installation (B) including a curb, wall or guardrail is defined and the other vehicle is traveling on an opposite side of the roadside installation from the lateral space. Vehicle exit support device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the operation determination unit is configured to suppress execution of the vehicle exit support operation when the lateral space between the own vehicle and a roadside installation (B) including a curb, wall or guardrail is defined and the other vehicle is a vehicle of ordinary size or a large vehicle. Vehicle exit assistance procedure for assisting an occupant in exiting a self-propelled vehicle (Vs), comprising: detecting a presence state of a lateral space (SP) of the self-propelled vehicle; detecting target information regarding another vehicle (Vt) approaching the self-propelled vehicle from a rear side of the lateral space; and determining, based on the detected presence state of the lateral space and the detected target information, whether to perform a vehicle exit assistance operation, wherein the vehicle exit assistance operation includes at least one notification operation to an occupant attempting to exit on the side of the lateral space and one door opening suppression operation for a door (Vs2) of the self-propelled vehicle. A computer program product comprising instructions which, when executed by one or more processors of a device for assisting an occupant in exiting a self-propelled vehicle (Vs), cause the one or more processors to perform the following processing: detecting a presence state of a lateral space (SP) of the self-propelled vehicle; detecting target information regarding another vehicle (Vt) approaching the self-propelled vehicle from a rear side of the lateral space;and determine, based on the detected presence state of the lateral space and the detected target information, whether to perform a vehicle exit assistance operation, wherein the vehicle exit assistance operation includes at least one notification operation to an occupant attempting to exit on the side of the lateral space and one door opening suppression operation for a door (Vs2) of the own vehicle. Computer program product according to claim 7, wherein the computer program product is a non-volatile tangible storage medium.

Images