Vehicle control device, vehicle control method and vehicle control program
Patent Information
- Application Number
- JP2023035180
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2023-03-08
- Publication Date
- 2025-10-17
AI Technical Summary
Existing vehicle collision avoidance systems fail to accurately measure distances to objects when the vehicle is turning, leading to reduced collision determination accuracy.
A vehicle control device that calculates a straight line connecting the positions of a distance measuring device before and after vehicle movement, determines if an object is on this line, and calculates coordinates based on the intersection point of the object using a sonar device to improve collision determination accuracy.
Enhances collision determination accuracy by accurately determining the position of objects relative to the vehicle even during turns, reducing errors in distance measurement.
Smart Images
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Abstract
Description
[Technical field]
[0001] The present disclosure relates to a vehicle control device, a vehicle control method, and a vehicle control program. [Background technology]
[0002] A known existing technology is to control the vehicle (typically by applying the brakes) to avoid a collision with a surrounding object based on the detection result of the surrounding object by a distance measuring device such as a sonar mounted on the side of the vehicle (see, for example, Patent Document 1). This type of distance measuring device measures the distance to the object in the vicinity of the vehicle based on the detection time measured by transmitting and receiving sound waves. Therefore, when the vehicle moves in a straight line, the intersection of a circular arc-shaped trajectory connecting multiple positions where the object may exist, obtained based on the detection time before the vehicle moves, and a circular arc-shaped trajectory connecting multiple positions where the object may exist, obtained based on the detection time after the vehicle moves, can be specified as the position of the detected object. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]
[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2018-081050 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]
[0004] However, existing technologies do not adequately consider how to measure the distance to an object, for example, when the vehicle is turning and moving.
[0005] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above, and contributes to providing a vehicle control device, a vehicle control method, and a vehicle control program that are capable of improving the accuracy of collision determination when a vehicle is turning and moving. [Means for solving the problem]
[0006] A vehicle control device of one embodiment of the present disclosure is a vehicle control device that is mounted on a vehicle and controls the vehicle based on a detection time indicating a distance measured by a ranging device that measures the distance to an object around the vehicle by transmitting and receiving sound waves, and includes a straight line calculation circuit that calculates a straight line connecting each position of the ranging device before and after movement of the vehicle, a judgment circuit that determines whether the object is located on the calculated straight line, and a first coordinate calculation circuit that, when it is determined that the object is located on the straight line, calculates coordinates indicating the position of the object based on the intersection of the straight line and an arc-shaped trajectory obtained from the detection time after the vehicle moves. Effect of the Invention
[0007] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to improve the accuracy of collision determination even when a vehicle is moving while turning. Note that the effects described herein are not necessarily limited to those described herein, and may be any of the effects described in this specification. [Brief description of the drawings]
[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of a vehicle control system including a vehicle control device according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of the sonar device according to the embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of the vehicle control device according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of functions of the vehicle control device according to the embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining a method of calculating an estimated straight line connecting the positions of the sonar device before and after the movement of the vehicle in the embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining a method of determining whether or not an object is located on an estimated straight line according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining another method of determining whether or not an object is located on the estimated straight line in the embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining a method of calculating coordinates indicating the position of an object when it is determined that the object is located on the estimated straight line in the embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining a method of calculating coordinates indicating the position of an object when the distance to the object after the vehicle has moved is shorter than the actual distance in the embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining a method of calculating coordinates indicating the position of an object when the distance to the object after the vehicle has moved is longer than the actual distance in the embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining a method of calculating coordinates indicating the position of an object when it is determined that the object is not located on the estimated straight line in the embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a diagram for explaining a method of calculating coordinates indicating the actual position of an object when a determination that an object is located on the estimated line in the embodiment is incorrect. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing an operation procedure of the side object detection unit according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0009] Hereinafter, a vehicle control device, a vehicle control method, and a vehicle control program according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0010] In the existing technology, for example, when a vehicle turns and moves, if the positions of the distance measuring device before and after the movement of the vehicle and the object are aligned on a straight line, it may be difficult to measure the distance to the object with high accuracy. Therefore, the intersection point of each of the circular arc-shaped trajectories before and after the movement is not determined to be a single point, making it difficult to identify the position of the object, and there is a possibility that the accuracy of collision determination will decrease.
[0011] The vehicle control device, vehicle control method, and vehicle control program according to the present disclosure have been made in consideration of the above, and can improve the accuracy of collision determination when the vehicle is turning and moving.
[0012] As shown in Fig. 1, the vehicle control system 1 includes a sonar device 10, a vehicle information detection device 20, and a vehicle control device 30. These devices are connected via a network 40 such as a Controller Area Network (CAN). Note that the types and number of devices included in the vehicle control system 1 are not limited to those shown in the example of Fig. 1, and the vehicle control system 1 may include other devices. For example, the vehicle control system 1 may include an HMI device including a display capable of displaying information.
[0013] The sonar device 10 is an example of a "distance measuring device", and is a device that is mounted on a vehicle and can measure a detection time (flight time) indicating the distance to an object in the vicinity of the vehicle by transmitting and receiving sound waves (e.g., ultrasonic waves). The sonar device 10 is mounted on both sides of the vehicle, transmits sound waves toward the sides of the vehicle, and receives the sound waves reflected by the surrounding objects to measure the detection time indicating the distance to the object. The vehicle information detection device 20 is a device that detects vehicle information such as the vehicle speed and the amount of movement of the vehicle (the amount indicating the direction and amount of movement). The vehicle control device 30 is a device that calculates distance information from the detection time measured by the sonar device 10 and controls the vehicle based on the vehicle information detected by the vehicle information detection device 20. In this embodiment, the sonar device 10 determines the detection time, but this is not limited thereto, and for example, the vehicle control device 30 may determine the detection time.
[0014] Next, a specific configuration of the sonar device 10 will be described. As shown in Fig. 2, the sonar device 10 includes a piezoelectric element 11, a driving circuit 12, a receiving circuit 13, and a controller 14. The piezoelectric element 11 converts the driving voltage applied by the driving circuit 12 into sound pressure and outputs it under the control of the controller 14, thereby emitting ultrasonic waves. When the ultrasonic waves emitted by the piezoelectric element 11 hit an object (road surface, obstacles, etc.) around the vehicle, they are reflected, and a part of them returns to the sonar device 10 (piezoelectric element 11). The receiving circuit 13 converts the sound pressure emitted by the piezoelectric element into a voltage, and can generate an echo waveform that indicates a temporal change in the voltage equivalent to the sound pressure emitted by the piezoelectric element 11.
[0015] The controller 14 controls the drive circuit 12, and is able to detect objects around the vehicle based on the echo waveform generated by the receiving circuit 13, and generate a detection time to the detected object. The controller 14 transmits information about the detection of an object around the vehicle and the detection time to the vehicle control device 30 via the network 40. In the following description, information transmitted from the sonar device 10 to the vehicle control device 30 via the network 40 may be referred to as "sonar information."
[0016] Next, a specific configuration of the vehicle control device 30 will be described. As shown in Fig. 3, the vehicle control device 30 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 31, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 32, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 33, and a communication I / F 34.
[0017] The CPU 31 executes a program to comprehensively control the operation of the vehicle control device 30 and realize various functions of the vehicle control device 30. The ROM 32 is a non-volatile memory and stores various data including a program for starting up the vehicle control device 30 and a program for controlling the operation of the vehicle control device 30. The RAM 33 is a volatile memory having a working area for the CPU 31. The communication I / F 34 is an interface for connecting to the network 40.
[0018] As shown in FIG. 4, the vehicle control device 30 includes a vehicle information calculation unit 310, a side object detection unit 320, a surroundings map creation unit 330, a side collision determination unit 340, a parking space creation unit 350, and a vehicle control unit 360.
[0019] The vehicle information calculation unit 310 acquires the sonar information transmitted from the sonar device 10 and the vehicle information transmitted from the vehicle information detection device 20, and executes various calculation processes based on the acquired vehicle information. Specifically, the vehicle information calculation unit 310 periodically (at predetermined intervals) calculates the amount of movement of the vehicle and the position information of the sonar device 10 from the acquired vehicle speed information, steering angle information, etc.
[0020] The lateral object detection unit 320 detects position information (coordinates) of an object present on the side of the vehicle from the calculated amount of movement of the vehicle and position information of the sonar device 10, and the acquired sonar information. As shown in FIG. 4, the lateral object detection unit 320 includes a straight line calculation unit 321, a determination unit 322, a first coordinate calculation unit 323, a second coordinate calculation unit 324, and a selection unit 325.
[0021] The straight line calculation unit 321 calculates an estimated straight line connecting the positions of the sonar device 10 before and after the movement of the vehicle. As shown in FIG. 5, for example, when the vehicle turns right, the straight line calculation unit 321 calculates an estimated straight line 50 connecting the coordinates indicating the positions of the sonar device 10 before and after the movement based on the position information (coordinates) of the sonar device 10 before the movement of the vehicle and the position information of the sonar device 10 after the movement of the vehicle. In the example of FIG. 5, since the vehicle is turning right, the estimated straight line 50 is calculated based on the position information of the sonar device 10 mounted on the right side of the vehicle. Here, since the position information of the vehicle (sonar device 10) changes over time as it moves, the position information after the movement of the vehicle indicates, for example, the current position information of the vehicle (point B) calculated at point B after the movement from point A (10 (before movement) in FIG. 5) to point B (10 (after movement) in FIG. 5). Moreover, the position information before the vehicle moves refers to the position information of the vehicle at point A calculated before the vehicle moves to the current position, for example, a predetermined time before (the previous time) the calculation at point B. For this reason, the line calculation unit 321 calculates a new estimated line 50 every time new position information of the vehicle (sonar device 10) is calculated.
[0022] Returning to FIG. 4, the description will be continued. The determination unit 322 determines whether or not an object (another vehicle in the example of FIG. 5) is located on the calculated estimated straight line 50. The object is, for example, a vehicle parked in advance, but may be something other than a vehicle. As shown in FIG. 6, the determination unit 322 determines whether or not an object is located on the estimated straight line 50 from a detection distance (pre-movement distance) to the object based on a detection time before the vehicle moves, a detection distance (post-movement distance) to the object based on a detection time after the vehicle moves, and a sonar movement amount (movement amount of the sonar device 10) before and after the vehicle moves. Specifically, the determination unit 322 determines that an object is located on the estimated straight line 50 when the difference between the above-mentioned pre-movement distance and post-movement distance and the sonar movement amount is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value. For example, when the following formula (1) is satisfied, the determination unit 322 determines that an object is located on the estimated straight line 50.
[0023] ||Distance before movement - distance after movement|-Sonar movement amount|≦threshold (1)
[0024] According to this determination method, it is possible to easily determine whether or not an object is located on the estimated straight line 50 from the detection distance to the object before and after the movement of the vehicle and the amount of sonar movement before and after the movement of the vehicle. Note that this threshold value can be set arbitrarily, but the smaller the value (the closer to 0), the more accurately it is possible to determine whether or not an object is located on the estimated straight line 50.
[0025] Also, another method may be used to determine whether or not an object is located on the estimated straight line 50. For example, as shown in Fig. 7, the determination unit 322 calculates a first straight line indicating the detection distance (post-movement distance) to the object based on the detection time after the vehicle moves, and a second straight line indicating the detection distance (pre-movement distance) to the object based on the detection time before the vehicle moves, and can determine that an object is located on the estimated straight line 50 when the angle θ between the first straight line and the second straight line is equal to or smaller than a predetermined angle.
[0026] According to this determination method, a first and a second straight line indicating the detected distance to the object before and after the movement of the vehicle are calculated, and from the angle formed by these straight lines, it is possible to easily determine whether or not an object is located on the estimated straight line 50. Note that this predetermined angle can also be set arbitrarily, but the smaller the value (the closer to 0 degrees), the more accurately it is possible to determine whether or not an object is located on the estimated straight line 50.
[0027] Furthermore, in each of the above-described determination methods, the smaller the detection distance (pre-movement distance and post-movement distance), the smaller the allowable blur width can be kept, enabling more accurate determination.
[0028] Returning to FIG. 4, the description will be continued. When it is determined by the above-mentioned determination method that an object is located on the estimated straight line 50, the first coordinate calculation unit 323 calculates coordinates indicating the position of the object. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 8, the first coordinate calculation unit 323 calculates an intersection 53 between the estimated straight line 50 and an arc-shaped trajectory 51 obtained from the detection time after the movement of the vehicle as a coordinate indicating the position of the detected object. This arc-shaped trajectory 51 is generated by connecting a plurality of positions where the object may exist, and is calculated as an arc estimated when the sonar device 10 after the movement is set as the center and the detection distance (post-movement distance) to the object based on the detection time after the movement is set as the radius. In this embodiment, the first coordinate calculation unit 323 calculates an intersection 53 between the estimated straight line 50 and the above-mentioned trajectory 51 after the movement of the vehicle as a coordinate indicating the position of the detected object, so that the position of the object can be detected based on the direction in which the object may exist and the distance to the object.
[0029] In the object detection using the sonar device 10 described above, the intersection of an arc-shaped trajectory obtained from the detection time before the vehicle moves and an arc-shaped trajectory obtained from the detection time after the vehicle moves can be calculated as a coordinate indicating the position of the object. However, since the detection distance to the object based on the detection time of the sonar device 10 is prone to some error, the above-mentioned error affects the accuracy of detecting the position of the object in the method of calculating the intersection of the arc-shaped trajectories before and after the vehicle moves as a coordinate indicating the position of the object. For example, when the positions of the sonar device 10 before and after the vehicle moves and the object are aligned on a straight line, it is expected that the above-mentioned error will have a large effect on the detection accuracy of the object's position.
[0030] For example, as shown in FIG. 9, when the detection distance (post-movement distance) to the object based on the detection time after the vehicle moves is detected as shorter than the actual distance, the arc-shaped trajectory 52 obtained from the detection time before the vehicle moves and the arc-shaped trajectory 51 obtained from the detection time after the vehicle moves do not intersect, so that it is difficult to calculate coordinates indicating the position of the object by the above method. In contrast, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9, the first coordinate calculation unit 323 calculates an intersection 53 between an estimated straight line 50 and an arc-shaped trajectory 51 obtained from the detection time after the vehicle moves as a coordinate indicating the position of the detected object. Although this intersection 53 is located closer to the vehicle than the actual position of the object, it is located on the estimated straight line 50, so that the position of the object can be detected with high accuracy.
[0031] Also, for example, as shown in FIG. 10, when the detection distance (post-movement distance) to the object based on the detection time after the movement of the vehicle is detected as being longer than the actual position, an intersection 54 between an arc-shaped trajectory 52 obtained from the detection time before the movement of the vehicle and an arc-shaped trajectory 51 obtained from the detection time after the movement of the vehicle is generated with a large deviation from the actual position of the object. The intersection 54 is generated on both sides of the estimated straight line 50, and the deviation amount of the intersection 54 from the actual position of the object increases as the detection distance (pre-movement distance and post-movement distance) increases. In contrast, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9, the first coordinate calculation unit 323 calculates an intersection 53 between the estimated straight line 50 and the arc-shaped trajectory 51 obtained from the detection time after the movement of the vehicle as a coordinate indicating the position of the detected object. Although the intersection 53 is located farther from the vehicle than the actual position of the object, it is located on the estimated straight line 50, so that the position of the object can be detected with high accuracy.
[0032] In this manner, in this embodiment, even if the positions of the sonar device 10 before and after the movement of the vehicle and the object are aligned in a straight line, the influence of detection errors can be suppressed and the position of the object can be detected with high accuracy.
[0033] Returning to FIG. 4, the description will be continued. The second coordinate calculation unit 324 mainly calculates coordinates indicating the position of an object when it is determined by the above-mentioned determination method that the object is not located on the estimated straight line 50. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 11, the second coordinate calculation unit 324 calculates an intersection 54 of an arc-shaped trajectory 52 obtained from the detection time before the vehicle moves and an arc-shaped trajectory 51 obtained from the detection time after the vehicle moves as a coordinate indicating the position of the object. In this configuration, the positions of the sonar device 10 before and after the vehicle moves and the object are not aligned on a straight line. For this reason, even if the detection distance (post-movement distance) to the object based on the detection time after the vehicle moves is detected as shorter (or longer) than the actual distance, the error in the detection distance does not significantly affect the detection accuracy of the object's position, and the object's position can be detected with high accuracy.
[0034] In this manner, in this embodiment, the method of calculating the coordinates indicating the position of an object is different between when it is determined that an object is located on the estimated straight line 50 and when it is determined that an object is not located on the estimated straight line 50, so that the positions of objects around the vehicle can be detected with high accuracy. Note that the second coordinate calculation unit 324 may perform an operation of calculating an intersection 54 of the arc-shaped trajectories 51, 52 obtained from the detection times before and after the movement of the vehicle, regardless of the determination result, other than when it is determined that an object is not located on the estimated straight line 50.
[0035] Returning to FIG. 4, the description will be continued. In this embodiment, as described above, when it is determined that an object is located on the estimated straight line 50, the first coordinate calculation unit 323 calculates the intersection 53 of the estimated straight line 50 and the arc-shaped trajectory 51 obtained from the detection time after the vehicle moves as a coordinate indicating the position of the detected object. However, it has been found that even when it is determined that an object is located on the estimated straight line 50, the actual object may not be located on the estimated straight line 50. For this reason, when the coordinate calculated by the second coordinate calculation unit 324 satisfies a predetermined condition, the selection unit 325 selects the coordinate calculated by the second coordinate calculation unit 324 at the position after the movement, regardless of the determination result of whether or not the object is located on the estimated straight line 50.
[0036] For convenience of explanation, the coordinates calculated by the first coordinate calculation unit 323 are referred to as the first coordinates, and the coordinates calculated by the second coordinate calculation unit 324 are referred to as the second coordinates. When the first coordinate calculation unit 323 and the second coordinate calculation unit 324 each calculate coordinates multiple times over time, the calculation at the position after the movement is referred to as the current calculation, the calculation one time before this, and the calculation at the position before the movement are referred to as the previous calculation. When the second coordinates calculated by the second coordinate calculation unit 324 this time and the second coordinates calculated previously are within a predetermined distance, the selection unit 325 selects the second coordinates calculated this time by the second coordinate calculation unit 324 regardless of the determination result of whether or not an object is located on the estimated straight line 50. Here, the predetermined distance is a value that is arbitrarily set, but since it is a distance for determining whether or not the positional relationship of the two second coordinates is in the vicinity, it is preferable to set the value to be at least smaller than the amount of movement before and after the movement of the vehicle (sonar device 10).
[0037] 12, when it is determined that an object is located on an estimated straight line 50 connecting the positions of the sonar device 10 before and after the vehicle moves, the first coordinate calculation unit 323 calculates, as a first coordinate, an intersection 53 between the estimated straight line 50 and an arc-shaped trajectory 51 obtained from the detection time after the vehicle moves. Therefore, the object is detected as being located at the first coordinate (intersection 53).
[0038] On the other hand, the second coordinate calculation unit 324 calculates an intersection 54A between the arc-shaped trajectory 52A obtained from the detection time 2 before the vehicle moves and the arc-shaped trajectory 52B obtained from the detection time 1 before the vehicle moves as a second coordinate indicating the position of the object. Furthermore, the second coordinate calculation unit 324 calculates an intersection 54B between the arc-shaped trajectory 52B obtained from the detection time 1 before the vehicle moves and the arc-shaped trajectory 51 obtained from the detection time after the vehicle moves as a second coordinate indicating the position of the object. Then, when the second coordinate (intersection 54B) calculated this time by the second coordinate calculation unit 324 and the second coordinate (intersection 54A) calculated last time are within a predetermined distance, the selection unit 325 selects the second coordinate (intersection 54B) calculated this time by the second coordinate calculation unit 324 regardless of the result of the determination as to whether or not the object is located on the estimated straight line 50.
[0039] According to this configuration, even if an erroneous determination occurs that an object is located on the estimated straight line 50, the position of the object can be detected with high accuracy.
[0040] Continuing with the explanation of FIG. 4. The surrounding map creation unit 330 creates a map of the surroundings of the vehicle using the coordinates calculated by the side object detection unit 320. The side collision determination unit 340 performs a (side) collision determination of the vehicle using the created map information. The parking space creation unit 350 creates a parking space in which the vehicle can be parked using the created map information. The vehicle control unit 360 performs control to activate the brakes of the vehicle when it is determined that a collision will occur (when the vehicle approaches a coordinate that exists in the traveling direction of the vehicle). In addition, the vehicle control unit 360 performs control to operate the vehicle so as to park the vehicle in the created parking space. The above is a specific configuration of the vehicle control device 30 of this embodiment.
[0041] Next, the operation of the side object detection unit 320 will be described with reference to FIG. 13. First, the second coordinate calculation unit 324 calculates the second coordinate (step S1). The second coordinate calculation unit 324 calculates an intersection 54 of an arc-shaped trajectory 52 obtained from the detection time before the vehicle moves and an arc-shaped trajectory 51 obtained from the detection time after the vehicle moves as a second coordinate indicating the position of the object. The second coordinate calculation unit 324 calculates the above-mentioned second coordinate at every predetermined time in accordance with the movement of the vehicle, and stores at least the second coordinate calculated this time and the second coordinate calculated last time.
[0042] Next, the determination unit 322 determines whether or not an object is present on the estimated straight line 50 connecting the sonar device 10 before and after the vehicle moves (step S2). Specifically, the straight line calculation unit 321 calculates an estimated straight line connecting the positions of the sonar device 10 before and after the vehicle moves. Then, the determination unit 322 determines that an object is present on the estimated straight line 50 when, for example, the difference between the detection distance to the object based on the detection time before the vehicle moves (pre-movement distance) and the detection distance to the object based on the detection time after the vehicle moves (post-movement distance), and the sonar movement amount before and after the vehicle moves, are equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value.
[0043] In this judgment, if it is determined that there is an object on the estimated straight line 50 (step S2; Yes), the processing proceeds to step S3, and if it is determined that there is no object on the estimated straight line 50 (step S2; No), the processing proceeds to step S6.
[0044] Next, the second coordinate calculation unit 324 determines whether the current second coordinate calculated in step S1 and the previous second coordinate are close to each other, for example, within a predetermined distance (step S3). The second coordinate calculation unit 324 reads out the stored current second coordinate and previous second coordinate, and determines whether they are within a predetermined distance (for example, at least within the amount of sonar movement before and after the movement of the vehicle).
[0045] In this determination, if the distance between the current second coordinate and the previous second coordinate is not within a predetermined distance (step S3; No), the process proceeds to step S4, and if the distance between the current second coordinate and the previous second coordinate is within a predetermined distance (step S3; Yes), the process proceeds to step S6.
[0046] Next, the first coordinate calculation unit 323 calculates the first coordinate (step S4). Specifically, the first coordinate calculation unit 323 calculates the intersection 53 of the estimated straight line 50 calculated in step S2 and the arc-shaped trajectory 51 obtained from the detection time after the vehicle moves as the first coordinate indicating the position of the detected object. Then, the first coordinate calculated as the position of the object is adopted (step S5), and the process ends.
[0047] Moreover, the selection unit 325 adopts the calculated second coordinates as the position of the object (step S6). Specifically, if it is determined that there is no object on the estimated line 50 (step S2; No), or if the distance between the current second coordinates and the previous second coordinates is equal to or smaller than a predetermined distance (step S3; Yes), the selection unit 325 selects the current (after movement) second coordinates calculated in step S1, adopts the second coordinates as the position of the object, and ends the process.
[0048] As described above, the vehicle control device 30 of the present embodiment is mounted on the vehicle and controls the vehicle based on the detection time indicating the distance measured by the sonar device 10 that measures the distance to an object around the vehicle by transmitting and receiving sound waves, and includes a straight line calculation unit 321 that calculates an estimated straight line 50 connecting each position of the sonar device 10 before and after the movement of the vehicle, a determination unit 322 that determines whether an object is located on the calculated estimated straight line 50, and a first coordinate calculation unit 323 that calculates an intersection 53 between the estimated straight line 50 and a circular arc-shaped trajectory 51 obtained from the detection time after the movement of the vehicle as a coordinate indicating the position of the object when it is determined that the object is located on the estimated straight line 50. According to this configuration, even if each position of the sonar device 10 before and after the movement of the vehicle and the object are aligned on the estimated straight line 50, the position of the object can be detected based on the direction in which the object may exist and the distance to the object. This can improve the accuracy of collision determination.
[0049] Furthermore, the vehicle control device 30 of this embodiment includes a second coordinate calculation unit 324 that, when it is determined that the object is not located on the straight line, calculates an intersection 54 of an arc-shaped trajectory 52 obtained from the detection time before the vehicle moves and an arc-shaped trajectory 51 obtained from the detection time after the vehicle moves as a coordinate indicating the position of the object. With this configuration, when the positions of the sonar device 10 before and after the vehicle moves and the object are not aligned on the estimated straight line 50, the position of the object can be detected with high accuracy.
[0050] Furthermore, in the vehicle control device 30 of this embodiment, the determination unit 322 determines that an object is located on the estimated straight line 50 when the difference between the pre-movement distance to the object based on the detection time before the vehicle moves and the post-movement distance to the object based on the detection time after the vehicle moves, and the movement amount of the sonar device 10 before and after the vehicle moves, is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value. With this configuration, it is possible to easily determine whether or not an object is located on the estimated straight line 50.
[0051] Furthermore, in the vehicle control device 30 of this embodiment, the determination unit 322 determines that an object is located on the estimated straight line 50 when the angle θ between a first straight line indicating the post-movement distance to the object based on the detection time after the vehicle moves and a second straight line indicating the pre-movement distance to the object based on the detection time before the vehicle moves is equal to or smaller than a predetermined angle. With this configuration, it is possible to easily determine whether or not an object is located on the estimated straight line 50.
[0052] Furthermore, the vehicle control device 30 of this embodiment includes a selection unit 325 that selects the second coordinate currently calculated by the second coordinate calculation unit 324 when the second coordinate currently calculated and the second coordinate previously calculated are within a predetermined distance, regardless of the determination result of the determination unit 322. With this configuration, even if an erroneous determination is made that an object is located on the estimated straight line 50, the position of the object can be detected with high accuracy.
[0053] Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, the above-mentioned embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the claims. These new embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. These new embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and gist of the present disclosure, and are included in the claims and their equivalents.
[0054] Furthermore, the effects of the embodiments described in this specification are merely examples and are not limiting, and other effects may also be obtained.
[0055] In addition, the notation "... part" in the above-mentioned embodiments may be replaced with other notations such as "... circuitry", "... assembly", "... device", "... unit", or "... module".
[0056] In the above embodiment, the present disclosure has been described as an example configured using hardware, but the present disclosure can also be realized by software in cooperation with hardware.
[0057] Moreover, each functional block used in the description of the above embodiment is typically realized as an LSI (Large Scale Integrated Circuit), which is an integrated circuit. The integrated circuit controls each functional block used in the description of the above embodiment and may have input terminals and output terminals. These may be individually integrated into one chip, or may be integrated into one chip that includes some or all of them. Here, it is referred to as an LSI, but depending on the degree of integration, it may also be called an IC, a system LSI, a super LSI, or an ultra LSI.
[0058] The method of integration is not limited to LSI, but may be realized using a dedicated circuit or a general-purpose processor and memory. After LSI manufacture, a field programmable gate array (FPGA) that can be programmed, or a reconfigurable processor that can reconfigure the connections or settings of circuit cells inside the LSI may be used.
[0059] Furthermore, if a new integrated circuit technology that can replace LSI appears due to the progress of semiconductor technology or a derivative technology, it is possible to integrate the functional blocks using that technology. The application of biotechnology is also a possibility. [Explanation of symbols]
[0060] 1 Vehicle Control System 10 Sonar equipment (ranging equipment) 20 Vehicle information detection device 30 Vehicle control device 50 Estimated straight line (straight line) 51, 52, 52A, 52B locus 53, 54, 54A, 54B intersection 310 Vehicle information calculation unit (vehicle information calculation circuit) 320 Side object detection unit (side object detection circuit) 321 Straight line calculation unit (straight line calculation circuit) 322 Judgment unit (judgment circuit) 323 First coordinate calculation unit (first coordinate calculation circuit) 324 second coordinate calculation unit (second coordinate calculation circuit) 325 Selection Section 330 Surrounding Area Map Creation Department 340 Side collision determination section 350 Parking Space Creation Department 360 Vehicle control unit
Claims
1. A vehicle control device that is mounted on a vehicle and controls the vehicle based on a detection time indicating a distance measured by a distance measuring device that measures a distance to an object around the vehicle by transmitting and receiving a sound wave, the vehicle control device has a processor and a memory, The processor: receiving an input of a first detection time after the vehicle has moved; When an intersection point is obtained between an estimated line connecting the positions of the distance measuring device before and after the movement of the vehicle and a first trajectory based on the first detection time, the intersection point is output as a coordinate indicating the position of the object. Vehicle control device.
2. The processor, Further, a second detection time before the vehicle moves is received, If an intersection between the estimated straight line and the first trajectory cannot be obtained, outputting an intersection of a second trajectory based on the second detection time and the first trajectory as a coordinate indicating the position of the object; The vehicle control device according to claim 1 .
3. The processor: Further, a second detection time before the vehicle moves is received, determining that the object is located on the estimated straight line when a difference between a second distance to the object based on the second detection time and a first distance to the object based on the first detection time and a movement amount of the distance measuring device before and after the movement of the vehicle is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value; The vehicle control device according to claim 1 .
4. The processor: Further, a second detection time before the vehicle moves is received, determining that the object is located on the estimated line when an angle formed by a first line indicating a first distance to the object based on the first detection time and a second line indicating a second distance to the object based on the second detection time is equal to or smaller than a predetermined angle; The vehicle control device according to claim 1 .
5. The processor: Further, a second detection time before the vehicle moves is received, When a first coordinate that is an intersection of the estimated straight line and a first trajectory based on the first detection time and a second coordinate that is an intersection of the estimated straight line and a second trajectory based on the second detection time are within a predetermined distance, the first coordinate is output as the position of the object. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 .
6. A vehicle control method using a vehicle control device that controls a vehicle based on a detection time indicating a distance measured by a distance measuring device that is mounted on the vehicle and measures a distance to an object around the vehicle by transmitting and receiving sound waves, the method comprising: receiving an input of a first detection time after the vehicle has moved; When an intersection point is obtained between an estimated line connecting the positions of the distance measuring device before and after the movement of the vehicle and a first trajectory based on the first detection time, the intersection point is output as a coordinate indicating the position of the object. Vehicle control method.
7. Further, receiving an input of a second detection time before the vehicle moves, If an intersection between the estimated straight line and the first trajectory cannot be obtained, outputting an intersection of a second trajectory based on the second detection time and the first trajectory as a coordinate indicating the position of the object; The vehicle control method according to claim 6.
8. Further, receiving an input of a second detection time before the vehicle moves, determining that the object is located on the estimated straight line when a difference between a second distance to the object based on the second detection time and a first distance to the object based on the first detection time and a movement amount of the distance measuring device before and after the movement of the vehicle is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value; The vehicle control method according to claim 6.
9. Further, receiving an input of a second detection time before the vehicle moves, determining that the object is located on the estimated line when an angle formed by a first line indicating a first distance to the object based on the first detection time and a second line indicating a second distance to the object based on the second detection time is equal to or smaller than a predetermined angle; The vehicle control method according to claim 6.
10. Further, receiving an input of a second detection time before the vehicle moves, When a first coordinate that is an intersection of the estimated straight line and a first trajectory based on the first detection time and a second coordinate that is an intersection of the estimated straight line and a second trajectory based on the second detection time are within a predetermined distance, the first coordinate is output as the position of the object. The vehicle control method according to claim 6.
11. A vehicle control program that controls a vehicle by a computer based on a detection time indicating a distance measured by a distance measuring device that is mounted on a vehicle and measures a distance to an object around the vehicle by transmitting and receiving sound waves, the program comprising: receiving an input of a first detection time after the vehicle has moved; When an intersection point is obtained between an estimated line connecting the positions of the distance measuring device before and after the movement of the vehicle and a first trajectory based on the first detection time, the intersection point is output as a coordinate indicating the position of the object. Vehicle control program.