Obstacle determination device

Abstract

To provide an obstacle determination device capable of suppressing a wrong determination on an opening / closing object in opening operation as an obstacle.SOLUTION: A door control device 70 comprises an obstacle determination part 75 which determines whether there is an obstacle in a detection area A1 based upon the detection result of an object detection part 50 when a back door 30 is in opening operation, and a storage part 72 which stores the relation between the opening of the back door 30 and an effective detection area. The obstacle determination part 75 determines whether there is the obstacle in the effective detection area corresponding to the opening of the back door 30 based upon the information stored in the storage part 72 when the back door 30 is in opening operation.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an obstacle determination device.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a vehicle including a vehicle body having a door opening at the rear, a back door that opens and closes the door opening, a door drive unit that drives the back door, a lidar provided on the back door, and a control unit that controls the door drive unit. The control unit stops the back door in front of an obstacle when an obstacle exists in the operating direction of the back door during the opening operation based on the detection result of the lidar.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In a vehicle as described above, the lidar may be provided on the vehicle body. In this case, when the back door during the opening operation enters the detection area of the lidar, the back door during the opening operation may be erroneously detected as an obstacle.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] The obstacle determination device for solving the above problems is an obstacle determination device applied to a vehicle including a vehicle body having an opening, an object detection unit installed on the vehicle body for detecting an object existing around the opening based on transmitted waves and received waves, an opening / closing body swingably supported with respect to the vehicle body for opening and closing the opening while entering the detection area of the object detection unit, and an opening / closing body drive unit for driving the opening / closing body to perform opening and closing operations. The obstacle determination device includes an obstacle determination unit for determining whether or not an obstacle exists in the detection area based on the detection result of the object detection unit when the opening / closing body is in an opening operation, and a storage unit for storing at least one of the relationship between the opening degree of the opening / closing body and the invalid detection area that becomes unable to detect the obstacle due to being blocked by the opening / closing body in the detection area and the relationship between the opening degree and the effective detection area which is the area obtained by removing the invalid detection area from the detection area. The obstacle determination unit determines whether or not the obstacle exists in the effective detection area corresponding to the opening degree based on the information stored in the storage unit when the opening / closing body is in an opening operation.

Effect of the Invention

[0006] The obstacle determination device can suppress misjudging the opening / closing body in an opening operation as an obstacle.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0007]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Embodiment for Carrying Out the Invention

[0008] Hereinafter, an embodiment in which the obstacle determination device is embodied in the door control device will be described. In the following description, the front-rear direction, the width direction, and the vertical direction of the vehicle are simply referred to as the front-rear direction, the width direction, and the vertical direction.

[0009] <Configuration of this Embodiment> As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle 10 includes a vehicle body 20, a back door 30, a door drive unit 40, an object detection unit 50, a wireless communication device 60, and a door control device 70.

[0010] <Vehicle Body 20> The vehicle body 20 has a rear bumper 21 disposed at the lower rear end of the vehicle body 20. The vehicle body 20 has a door opening 22 that opens above the rear bumper 21. The door opening 22 opens at the rear of the vehicle body 20. For example, the door opening 22 has a rectangular shape with the width direction as the longitudinal direction and the vertical direction as the short side direction. The door opening 22 is a part through which luggage passes when loading and unloading luggage with respect to the luggage compartment.

[0011] <Back Door 30> The back door 30 has a shape corresponding to the door opening 22. The base end portion of the back door 30 is swingably supported above the upper portion of the door opening 22 via a door hinge or the like. The swing axis of the back door 30 is located above the upper end of the door opening 22. In this way, the back door 30 is displaced between a fully closed position where the door opening 22 is fully closed and a fully open position where the door opening 22 is fully open by swinging around an axis passing through the base end portion of the back door 30 in the width direction. In a side view in the width direction, when the back door 30 opens and closes the door opening 22, the tip of the back door 30 describes an arc-shaped locus.

[0012] In the following description, the degree of opening of the back door 30 is referred to as the opening degree of the back door 30. The opening degree of the back door 30 is minimum when the back door 30 is in the fully closed position, and maximum when the back door 30 is in the fully open position. Further, the direction in which the back door 30 moves from the fully closed position to the fully open position is referred to as the opening direction, and the direction in which the back door 30 moves from the fully open position to the fully closed position is referred to as the closing direction. The back door 30 corresponds to an "opening and closing body".

[0013] <Door drive unit 40> The door drive unit 40 is rod-shaped. The door drive unit 40 is an electric cylinder that can expand and contract in the axial direction. The door drive unit 40 includes an electric motor 41, a rotation angle sensor 42, and a telescopic mechanism 43. The rotation angle sensor 42 outputs a number of pulse signals corresponding to the amount of rotation of the output shaft of the electric motor 41 to the door control device 70. The telescopic mechanism 43 expands and contracts in response to the rotation of the output shaft of the electric motor 41. The first end in the longitudinal direction of the door drive unit 40 is connected to the vehicle body 20 so as to be relatively rotatable. The second end in the longitudinal direction of the door drive unit 40 is connected to the back door 30 so as to be relatively rotatable. Then, the door drive unit 40 opens the back door 30 by extending. On the other hand, the door drive unit 40 closes the back door 30 by contracting. The door drive unit 40 corresponds to an "opening and closing body drive unit".

[0014] <Object detection unit 50> The object detection unit 50 is a sensor for detecting an object existing around the door opening 22. The object detection unit 50 may be any sensor that can use transmitted waves and received waves to acquire position information of an object existing within the detection area A1. For example, the object detection unit 50 may be a millimeter-wave sensor. Depending on the size of the object, the object detection unit 50 outputs a plurality of position information for one object. Further, in the following description, the position information output by the object detection unit 50 is referred to as a detection point P. When an object exists within the detection area A1, the object detection unit 50 outputs at least one detection point.

[0015] The object detection unit 50 is installed at the central part in the width direction of the rear bumper 21 of the vehicle body 20. The detection area A1 of the object detection unit 50 is an area behind the object detection unit 50. The detection area A1 expands in the width direction and the vertical direction as it goes backward from the rear bumper 21. Since the position of the object detection unit 50 does not move according to the opening and closing operation of the back door 30, the detection area A1 also does not change according to the opening and closing operation of the back door 30.

[0016] <Wireless communication device 60 and portable device 100> As shown in FIG. 1, the wireless communication device 60 determines whether the portable device 100 located around the vehicle 10 is a portable device 100 associated with the vehicle 10 by performing wireless communication with the portable device 100. The portable device 100 may be a so-called electronic key, a smartphone, or other communication terminals.

[0017] The portable device 100 has a switch that is operated when opening, closing, or stopping the back door 30. When the switch is operated in the portable device 100, the wireless communication device 60 outputs an opening operation command signal, a closing operation command signal, and a stop command signal according to the operated switch. The opening operation command signal is a command signal for opening the back door 30, and the closing operation command signal is a command signal for closing the back door 30. The stop command signal is a command signal for stopping the back door 30 during the opening and closing operation.

[0018] <Door control device 70> The door control device 70 is an electronic control device including a CPU and a memory. By the CPU executing the program stored in the memory, various controls are performed. The door control device 70 includes a gesture determination unit 71, a storage unit 72, a drive control unit 73, an opening degree acquisition unit 74, and an obstacle determination unit 75. The door control device 70 corresponds to an "opening and closing system control device".

[0019] <Gesture determination unit 71> The gesture determination unit 71 determines whether the user has performed a gesture defined in advance. A gesture refers to the user moving a body part in order to open and close the back door 30. That is, the user can open and close the back door 30 by performing a gesture instead of operating the switch of the mobile device 100. The gesture for opening the back door 30 and the gesture for closing the back door 30 may be the same or different. The gesture determination unit 71 determines whether the user has performed a gesture based on the detection result of the object detection unit 50. For this reason, in the present embodiment, the detection area A1 of the object detection unit 50 is an area behind the vehicle 10. The area for determining whether the user has performed a gesture may be any area within the detection area A1. In the following description, the gesture for opening the back door 30 is simply referred to as a gesture. In the present embodiment, the gesture is an action of the user swinging the toes.

[0020] The gesture determination unit 71 determines whether the user has performed a gesture within the detection area A1. For example, the gesture determination unit 71 may determine whether the user has performed a gesture by comparing the change in the moving direction of the object within the detection area A1 with the gesture pattern. Here, the gesture pattern defines the order of change in the moving direction of the body part when the user performs a gesture. Then, based on the detection result of the object detection unit 50, when the object moves within the detection area A1 in the same manner as the gesture pattern, the gesture determination unit 71 determines that the user has performed a gesture within the detection area A1.

[0021] <Memory unit 72> As shown in FIG. 1, when the back door 30 is opened and closed, the back door 30 opens and closes the door opening 22 while entering the detection area A1 of the object detection unit 50. In other words, the operating area when the back door 30 opens and closes the door opening 22 overlaps with the detection area A1 of the object detection unit 50. In the following description, an area in the detection area A1 of the object detection unit 50 that is blocked by the back door 30 and thus cannot detect the obstacle Ob is referred to as the invalid detection area A2. Also, the area obtained by removing the invalid detection area A2 from the detection area A1 is referred to as the valid detection area A3. The amount by which the back door 30 blocks the detection area A1 changes according to the opening degree of the back door 30. Hereinafter, the relationship between the opening degree of the back door 30, the invalid detection area A2, and the valid detection area A3 will be described.

[0022] As shown by the solid line in FIG. 2, when the back door 30 is arranged at the fully closed position, in other words, when the opening degree of the back door 30 is the smallest, the detection area A1 is not blocked by the back door 30. Therefore, when the back door 30 is arranged at the fully closed position, there is no invalid detection area A2. That is, the detection area A1 and the valid detection area A3 coincide.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 3, when the back door 30 is opened from the fully closed position, the detection area A1 is blocked by the back door 30. As a result, an invalid detection area A2 is generated. As shown in FIG. 3, both the invalid detection area A2 and the valid detection area A3 are fan-shaped areas. The invalid detection area A2 is an area above the valid detection area A3. In the present embodiment, the invalid detection area A2 includes the area on the opposite side of the back door 30 and the area on the front side of the back door 30 as viewed from the object detection unit 50.

[0024] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, when the opening degree of the back door 30 increases from the opening degree corresponding to the fully closed position, the invalid detection area A2 becomes larger and the valid detection area A3 becomes smaller. At this time, the boundary between the invalid detection area A2 and the valid detection area A3 moves downward. Note that FIG. 3 shows the position of the back door 30 when the invalid detection area A2 is maximum, in other words, when the valid detection area A3 is minimum. In the following description, the opening degree of the back door 30 shown in FIG. 3 is referred to as the maximum shielding opening degree. The maximum shielding opening degree can vary depending on the swing radius of the back door 30 and the positional relationship between the back door 30 and the object detection unit 50. In the state shown in FIG. 3, the object detection unit 50 can output a detection point Pd assuming that an object exists in the invalid detection area A2. However, the detection point Pd is the detection point P output due to the presence of the back door 30 as an object in the invalid detection area A2.

[0025] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, when the opening degree of the back door 30 increases from the maximum shielding opening degree, the invalid detection area A2 becomes smaller and the valid detection area A3 becomes larger. At this time, the boundary between the invalid detection area A2 and the valid detection area A3 moves upward. Also in the state shown in FIG. 4, the object detection unit 50 can output a detection point Pd assuming that an object exists in the invalid detection area A2. However, the detection point Pd is the detection point P output due to the presence of the back door 30 as an object in the invalid detection area A2.

[0026] As shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 2, when the back door 30 is arranged at the fully open position, in other words, when the opening degree of the back door 30 is maximum, the detection area A1 is not blocked by the back door 30. Therefore, when the back door 30 is arranged at the fully open position, the invalid detection area A2 does not exist. That is, the detection area A1 and the valid detection area A3 coincide.

[0027] As described above, the opening degree of the back door 30 is related to the invalid detection area A2, and the opening degree of the back door 30 is related to the valid detection area A3. That is, if the current opening degree of the back door 30 can be obtained, it is possible to determine whether the detection point P output by the object detection unit 50 is the detection point P caused by the back door 30 or the detection point P caused by the obstacle Ob. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the storage unit 72 stores the relationship between the opening degree of the back door 30 and the valid detection area A3. In other embodiments, the storage unit 72 may store the relationship between the opening degree of the back door 30 and the invalid detection area A2.

[0028] <Drive control unit 73> The drive control unit 73 opens and closes the back door 30 by controlling the door drive unit 40. Specifically, the drive control unit 73 starts the opening operation of the back door 30 when an opening operation command signal is transmitted from the portable device 100 and when it is determined that the user has made a gesture within the detection area A1. The drive control unit 73 opens the back door 30 based on a target opening degree that determines how far to open the back door 30. That is, the drive control unit 73 stops the back door 30 when the opening degree of the back door 30 reaches the target opening degree. The target opening degree is usually set to the opening degree corresponding to the fully open position.

[0029] The drive control unit 73 closes the back door 30 to the fully closed position when a closing operation command signal is transmitted from the portable device 100 and when it is determined that the user has made a gesture for closing the back door 30 within the detection area A1. Also, the drive control unit 73 stops the back door 30 when a stop command signal is transmitted from the portable device 100.

[0030] <Opening degree acquisition unit 74> As described above, the back door 30 is driven by the door drive unit 40. Here, the amount of expansion and contraction of the door drive unit 40 is proportional to the opening degree of the back door 30. Also, the amount of expansion and contraction of the door drive unit 40 is proportional to the number of pulse signals output by the rotation angle sensor 42. Therefore, the opening degree acquisition unit 74 can acquire the opening degree of the back door 30 by counting the pulse signals output from the rotation angle sensor 42 when the door drive unit 40 expands and contracts. The opening degree acquisition unit 74 acquires the opening degree of the back door 30 every time a pulse signal is output from the rotation angle sensor 42.

[0031] <Obstacle determination unit 75> Based on the opening degree of the back door 30 acquired by the opening degree acquisition unit 74, the obstacle determination unit 75 acquires a valid detection area A3 corresponding to the current opening degree of the back door 30. Subsequently, the obstacle determination unit 75 determines whether or not an object exists within the valid detection area A3 based on the detection result of the object detection unit 50. In other words, the obstacle determination unit 75 does not determine whether or not an object exists within the invalid detection area A2. And when an object exists within the valid detection area A3, the obstacle determination unit 75 determines that the object is the obstacle Ob. That is, when the obstacle determination unit 75 can acquire the detection point P existing within the valid detection area A3, it determines that the obstacle Ob exists at the position indicated by the detection point P.

[0032] The obstacle determination unit 75 resets the target opening degree according to whether or not the obstacle Ob exists within the valid detection area A3. First, when the obstacle Ob does not exist within the valid detection area A3, the obstacle determination unit 75 does not reset the target opening degree. That is, in this case, the target opening degree is the opening degree corresponding to the fully open position. On the other hand, when the obstacle Ob exists within the valid detection area A3, the obstacle determination unit 75 determines whether or not the height of the obstacle Ob is lower than the height Hs of the object detection unit 50.

[0033] When the height of the obstacle Ob is lower than the height Hs of the object detection unit 50, even if the back door 30 is opened to the fully open position, the back door 30 will not contact the obstacle Ob. Therefore, when the height of the obstacle Ob is lower than the height Hs of the object detection unit 50, the obstacle determination unit 75 does not reset the target opening degree. In other words, when the height of all the detection points P existing in the effective detection area A3 is lower than the height Hs of the object detection unit 50, the obstacle determination unit 75 does not reset the target opening degree.

[0034] On the other hand, when the height of the obstacle Ob is higher than the height Hs of the object detection unit 50, the back door 30 that is opened may contact the obstacle Ob. That is, there is a possibility that an obstacle Ob such as a pole extends from the ground to the operating area of the back door 30. Therefore, when the height of the obstacle Ob is higher than the height Hs of the object detection unit 50, the obstacle determination unit 75 resets the target opening degree to the opening degree in front of the obstacle Ob. In other words, when the height of one or more detection points P existing in the effective detection area A3 is higher than the height Hs of the object detection unit 50, the obstacle determination unit 75 resets the target opening degree to the opening degree in front of the obstacle Ob. In this way, the obstacle determination unit 75 determines whether or not the obstacle Ob extends from the ground to the operating area of the back door 30 based on the position information of the obstacle Ob existing in the effective detection area A3.

[0035] Note that the height Hs of the object detection unit 50 may be the height of the transmission unit that transmits the transmission wave or the height of the reception unit that receives the reception wave in the object detection unit 50. <Processing content implemented by the door control device 70> Hereinafter, the flow of the process implemented by the door control device 70 to open the back door 30 will be described.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 5, the door control device 70 determines whether the vehicle 10 is stopped (S11). For example, the door control device 70 may determine whether the vehicle 10 is stopped based on the vehicle body speed acquired from a running control device that controls the running of the vehicle 10. If the vehicle 10 is not stopped (S11: NO), the door control device 70 ends this process. On the other hand, if the vehicle 10 is stopped (S11: YES), the door control device 70 determines whether there is a request for an opening operation of the back door 30 from the user (S12). If there is no request for an opening operation of the back door 30 from the user (S12: NO), the door control device 70 ends this process. If there is a request for an opening operation of the back door 30 from the user (S12: YES), the door control device 70 sets the target opening degree to an opening degree corresponding to the fully open position (S13). Thereafter, the door control device 70 starts the opening operation of the back door 30 by controlling the door drive unit 40 (S14).

[0037] The door control device 70 acquires the opening degree of the back door 30 based on the detection result of the rotation angle sensor 42 of the door drive unit 40 (S15). Subsequently, the door control device 70 sets a valid detection area A3 corresponding to the current opening degree of the back door 30 (S16). Then, the door control device 70 determines whether there is an obstacle Ob in the valid detection area A3 based on the detection result of the object detection unit 50 (S17). In other words, the door control device 70 determines whether there is one or more detection points P in the valid detection area A3. If there is no obstacle Ob in the valid detection area A3 (S17: NO), that is, if there is no detection point P in the valid detection area A3, the door control device 70 determines whether the opening degree of the back door 30 is equal to or greater than the target opening degree (S20). If the opening degree of the back door 30 is equal to or greater than the target opening degree (S20: YES), the door control device 70 ends the opening operation of the back door 30 (S21). That is, the door control device 70 stops the door drive unit 40. Thereafter, the door control device 70 ends this process. On the other hand, if the opening degree of the back door 30 is less than the target opening degree (S20: NO), the door control device 70 transfers the process to step S15.

[0038] In step S17, when an obstacle Ob exists within the valid detection area A3 (S17: YES), the door control device 70 determines whether the height of the obstacle Ob is higher than the height Hs of the object detection unit 50 (S18). In other words, when one or more detection points P exist within the valid detection area A3, the door control device 70 determines whether there is even one detection point P that exists at a position higher than the height Hs of the object detection unit 50.

[0039] When there is no obstacle Ob at a position higher than the height Hs of the object detection unit 50 (S18: NO), that is, when there is no detection point P at a position higher than the height Hs of the object detection unit 50, the door control device 70 proceeds to step S20. On the other hand, when there is an obstacle Ob at a position higher than the height Hs of the object detection unit 50 (S18: YES), the door control device 70 resets the target opening degree to an opening degree at which the back door 30 does not contact the obstacle Ob (S19). That is, when there is a detection point P at a position higher than the height Hs of the object detection unit 50, the door control device 70 resets the target opening degree so that the target opening degree becomes smaller. Thereafter, the door control device 70 proceeds to step S20.

[0040] <Operation of this Embodiment> The operation of the door control device 70 when the back door 30 is opened will be described. When there is a request from the user to open the back door 30, the door control device 70 starts the opening operation of the back door 30. As shown in FIG. 6, the area for determining whether an obstacle Ob exists is the valid detection area A3 obtained by subtracting the invalid detection area A2 of the back door 30 from the detection area A1 of the object detection unit 50. For this reason, in order to determine whether an obstacle Ob exists in the valid detection area A3 that changes according to the opening degree of the back door 30, the door control device 70 is less likely to misjudge the back door 30 existing in the detection area A1 as an obstacle Ob.

[0041] As shown by the solid line in FIG. 6, the case where a low obstacle Ob1 occurs during the opening operation of the back door 30 will be described. When an obstacle Ob1 occurs during the opening operation of the back door 30, the door control device 70 acquires a plurality of detection points P1 indicating the position of the obstacle Ob1 within the effective detection area A3. The height of each of the plurality of detection points P1 indicating the position of the low obstacle Ob1 is lower than the height Hs of the object detection unit 50. Therefore, assuming that there is no obstacle Ob1 within the operating range of the back door 30, the door control device 70 continues the opening operation of the back door 30. In this case, the back door 30 is opened to the fully open position.

[0042] As shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 6, the case where a high obstacle Ob2 occurs during the opening operation of the back door 30 will be described. When an obstacle Ob2 occurs during the opening operation of the back door 30, the door control device 70 acquires a plurality of detection points P2 indicating the position of the obstacle Ob2 within the effective detection area A3. Among the plurality of detection points P2 indicating the position of the high obstacle Ob2, there is a detection point P2 at a position higher than the object detection unit 50. Therefore, assuming that there may be an obstacle Ob2 within the operating range of the back door 30, the door control device 70 restricts the opening operation of the back door 30. Specifically, the door control device 70 stops the back door 30 at a position in front of the obstacle Ob2.

[0043] <Effects of the present embodiment> (1) The door control device 70 determines whether an obstacle Ob exists, targeting the effective detection area A3 obtained by excluding the invalid detection area A2 of the opening / closing body from the detection area A1 of the object detection unit 50. Therefore, the door control device 70 can suppress misjudging the back door 30 existing in the detection area A1 as an obstacle Ob.

[0044] (2) In the present embodiment, the door opening 22 that opens to the rear of the vehicle body 20 corresponds to the "opening", and the back door 30 corresponds to the "opening / closing body". Therefore, the door control device 70 can determine whether an obstacle Ob exists behind the back door 30.

[0045] (3) When an obstacle Ob exists at a position lower than the object detection unit 50 during the opening operation of the back door 30, there is a high possibility that the back door 30 during the opening operation will not contact the obstacle Ob. On the other hand, when an obstacle Ob exists at a position higher than the object detection unit 50 during the opening operation of the back door 30, the back door 30 during the opening operation may contact the obstacle Ob. In this regard, when an obstacle Ob exists at a position higher than the object detection unit 50 during the opening operation of the back door 30, the door control device 70 determines that an obstacle Ob exists in the operating direction of the back door 30. Therefore, the door control device 70 can estimate whether an obstacle Ob exists in the operating direction of the back door 30 based on the detection result of the object detection unit 50 installed on the vehicle body 20.

[0046] <Modified Example> This embodiment can be implemented with the following modifications. This embodiment and the following modified examples can be implemented in combination with each other within a technically non - conflicting range.

[0047] · Even when an obstacle Ob exists at a position higher than the height Hs of the object detection unit 50, if the obstacle Ob exists at a position lower than the lower end of the door opening 22, the possibility that the obstacle Ob will contact the back door 30 during the opening operation is low. Therefore, when an obstacle Ob is detected within the effective detection area A3, the obstacle determination unit 75 may determine whether the height of the obstacle Ob is lower than the lower end of the door opening 22. That is, in step S18 of the flowchart shown in FIG. 5, the object to be compared with the obstacle Ob may be the lower end of the door opening 22.

[0048] · As shown in FIG. 6, when there is an obstacle Ob extending from the ground to the operating area of the back door 30, the detection point P2 of the obstacle Ob can be detected near the boundary between the invalid detection area A2 and the valid detection area A3 in the valid detection area A3. Therefore, when there is an obstacle Ob near the boundary between the invalid detection area A2 and the valid detection area A3 in the valid detection area A3, the obstacle determination unit 75 may determine that there is an obstacle Ob in the operating direction of the back door 30. On the other hand, when there is no obstacle Ob at the boundary between the invalid detection area A2 and the valid detection area A3 in the valid detection area A3, the obstacle determination unit 75 may determine that there is no obstacle Ob in the operating direction of the back door 30.

[0049] · The obstacle determination unit 75 may determine whether an object exists in the detection area A1 based on the detection result of the object detection unit 50. Then, the obstacle determination unit 75 may discriminate whether the object is the back door 30 or the obstacle Ob according to whether the position of the object is located in the invalid detection area A2 or the valid detection area A3.

[0050] · When the back door 30 is opened in a situation where there is no obstacle Ob, the storage unit 72 may store a plurality of detection points Pd corresponding to the back door 30 output by the object detection unit 50 in association with the opening degree. For example, the storage unit 72 stores two detection points Pd in association with the opening degree of the back door 30 shown in FIG. 2, and stores three detection points Pd in association with the opening degree of the back door 30 shown in FIG. 3. Then, when the back door 30 is in the process of opening, the obstacle determination unit 75 may make the following determination. When the object detection unit 50 outputs a detection point P whose position information is equal to any one of the plurality of detection points Pd stored in the storage unit 72 in association with the current opening degree of the back door 30, the obstacle determination unit 75 may determine that the detection point P is the back door 30. On the other hand, when the object detection unit 50 outputs a detection point P whose position information is different from any of the plurality of detection points Pd stored in the storage unit 72 in association with the current opening degree of the back door 30, the obstacle determination unit 75 may determine that the detection point P is the back door 30.

[0051] In the above modification example, the door control device 70 stores, in association with the opening degree, a plurality of detection points Pd indicating the position information of the back door 30 during the opening operation of the back door 30. Then, when the door control device 70 detects a detection point P whose position information is equal to any of the plurality of detection points Pd stored in the storage unit 72, it determines that the back door 30 is present at the position indicated by the detection point P. On the other hand, when the door control device 70 detects a detection point P indicating position information different from the plurality of detection points Pd stored in the storage unit 72, it determines that an obstacle Ob is present at the position indicated by the detection point P. Therefore, by updating the information of the plurality of detection points Pd stored in the storage unit 72, the door control device 70 can cope with changes in the relationship between the opening degree of the back door 30 and the invalid detection area A2 even when the relationship changes due to aging of the vehicle 10 or the like.

[0052] · Depending on the detection accuracy of the object detection unit 50, the detection point P output by the object detection unit 50 may deviate from the original position. For example, the detection point P output by the object detection unit 50 may deviate to a position below the original position. Therefore, in step S18, the door control device 70 may set the height to be compared with the height of the obstacle Ob to a reference height slightly lower than the height Hs of the object detection unit 50. The degree to which the reference height is lower than the height Hs of the object detection unit 50 may be determined according to the detection accuracy of the object detection unit 50. From the above, in step S18, the door control device 70 may determine whether the height of the obstacle Ob is higher than the reference height. In other words, the door control device 70 may determine whether there is at least one detection point P existing at a position higher than the reference height.

[0053] · The door control device 70 can also be embodied as an obstacle determination device that does not include the drive control unit 73. · The back door 30 may be supported so as to be swingable about an axis extending in the vertical direction at the right end or the left end of the door opening 22. In this case, in terms of the change in the invalid detection area A2 of the back door 30 from the above embodiment, the effective detection area A3 of the object detection unit 50 also changes from the above embodiment.

[0054] · The back door 30 may be another opening / closing body that is swingably supported by the vehicle body 20. The opening / closing body referred to herein may be, for example, a swing door such as a front door, or a bonnet panel.

[0055] · The door control device 70 is not limited to a processing circuit that includes a CPU and a ROM and executes software processing. For example, the door control device 70 may include a dedicated hardware circuit that executes at least a part of the various processes executed in the above-described embodiment. Examples of the dedicated hardware circuit include an ASIC. ASIC is an abbreviation for "Application Specific Integrated Circuit". That is, the door control device 70 may have any of the following configurations (a) to (c).

[0056] (a) A processing circuit including a processing device that executes all of the above processes according to a program, and a program storage device such as a ROM that stores the program. (b) A processing circuit including a processing device and a program storage device that execute a part of the above processes according to a program, and a dedicated hardware circuit that executes the remaining processes.

[0057] (c) A processing circuit including a dedicated hardware circuit that executes all of the above processes. Here, there may be a plurality of software execution devices including a processing device and a program storage device, and dedicated hardware circuits.

[0058] <Technical idea> The technical idea that can be grasped from the above embodiment and modification examples will be described. [Aspect 1] An obstacle determination device applicable to a vehicle including a vehicle body having an opening, an object detection unit installed on the vehicle body and detecting objects present around the opening based on transmitted waves and received waves, an opening / closing body supported to be swingable on the vehicle body and opening and closing the opening while entering a detection area of ​​the object detection unit, and an opening / closing body drive unit for opening and closing the opening / closing body, the obstacle determination unit determining whether or not an obstacle is present within the detection area based on a detection result from the object detection unit when the opening / closing body is in an opening operation, and a memory unit storing at least one of a relationship between an opening degree of the opening / closing body and the invalid detection area that changes depending on the opening degree, and a relationship between the opening degree and an effective detection area that is the detection area excluding the invalid detection area, when an area of ​​the detection area where the obstacle cannot be detected because it is blocked by the opening / closing body is defined as an invalid detection area, and the obstacle determination unit determines whether or not the obstacle is present within the effective detection area corresponding to the opening degree based on the information stored in the memory unit when the opening / closing body is in an opening operation.

[0059] [Aspect 2] The obstacle determination device according to aspect 1, in which the opening is open to the rear of the vehicle body, the opening / closing body is a back door that swings about an axis located above the upper end of the opening and extending in the width direction, and the object detection unit is located below the lower end of the opening.

[0060] [Aspect 3] The obstacle determination unit according to aspect 2, in which, when the opening / closing body is in an opening operation and the obstacle is located at a position higher than the object detection unit, the obstacle determination unit determines that the obstacle is present in the operating direction of the opening / closing body.

[0061] [Aspect 4] When an object exists in the detection area, the object detection unit outputs a detection point including position information corresponding to the object. When the opening / closing body is opened in a situation where no obstacle exists, the storage unit stores a plurality of the detection points corresponding to the opening / closing body output by the object detection unit in association with the opening degree. When the opening / closing body is in the opening operation, if the object detection unit outputs a detection point whose position information is equal to any of the plurality of detection points stored in the storage unit in association with the current opening degree, the obstacle determination unit determines that the detection point is the opening / closing body. If the object detection unit outputs a detection point whose position information is different from any of the plurality of detection points stored in the storage unit in association with the current opening degree, the obstacle determination unit determines that the detection point is an obstacle. The obstacle determination device according to any one of Aspects 1 to 3.

[0062] [Aspect 5] The obstacle determination device according to Aspect 3, and a drive control unit that controls the opening / closing body drive unit to open the opening / closing body based on a user's opening operation request to open the opening / closing body. When opening the opening / closing body, if it is determined that an obstacle exists in the operating direction of the opening / closing body, the drive control unit stops the opening / closing body in front of the obstacle. An opening / closing body control device.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0063] A1… Detection area, A2… Invalid detection area, A3… Valid detection area, Ob(Ob1,Ob2)… Obstacle, P(P1,P2,Pd)… Detection point, 10… Vehicle, 20… Vehicle body, 22… Door opening (opening), 30… Back door (opening / closing body), 40… Door drive unit (opening / closing body drive unit), 50… Object detection unit, 70… Door control device (obstacle determination device), 72… Storage unit, 73… Drive control unit, 75… Obstacle determination unit

Claims

1. An obstacle determination device for use in a vehicle, the obstacle determination device comprising: a vehicle body having an opening; an object detection unit that is installed on the vehicle body and detects objects present around the opening based on transmitted waves and received waves; an opening / closing body that is swingably supported on the vehicle body and opens and closes the opening while entering a detection area of ​​the object detection unit; and an opening / closing body drive unit that operates the opening / closing body, an obstacle determination unit that determines whether or not an obstacle is present within the detection area based on a detection result from the object detection unit when the opening / closing body is in an opening operation; When an area of ​​the detection area in which the obstacle cannot be detected because it is blocked by the opening / closing body is defined as an invalid detection area, a storage unit that stores at least one of a relationship between an opening degree of the opening / closing body and the invalid detection area that changes depending on the opening degree, and a relationship between the opening degree and an effective detection area that is an area excluding the invalid detection area from the detection area, The obstacle determining unit determines whether or not the obstacle is present within the effective detection area corresponding to the opening degree, based on the information stored in the storage unit, when the opening / closing body is in an opening operation. Obstacle detection device.

2. The opening portion opens to a rear portion of the vehicle body, The opening / closing body is a back door that swings about an axis that is located above an upper end of the opening and extends in the width direction, The object detection unit is located below the lower end of the opening. The obstacle determination device according to claim 1 .

3. The obstacle determination unit determines that the obstacle is present in the operating direction of the opening / closing body when the opening / closing body is in an opening operation and the obstacle is present at a position higher than the object detection unit. The obstacle determination device according to claim 2 .

4. the object detection unit outputs a detection point including position information corresponding to an object when the object is present in the detection area; the storage unit stores a plurality of detection points corresponding to the opening / closing body output by the object detection unit in association with the opening degree when the opening / closing body is opened in a situation where the obstacle is not present; When the opening / closing body is in an opening operation, the obstacle determination unit When the object detection unit outputs a detection point having position information equal to any one of the plurality of detection points stored in the storage unit in association with the current opening degree, the detection point is determined to be the opening / closing object; When the object detection unit outputs a detection point whose position information is different from any of the detection points stored in the storage unit in association with the current opening degree, the detection point is determined to be the obstacle. The obstacle determination device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

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