Parking support system, parking support method, and program

Abstract

To improve convenience by simplifying operation.SOLUTION: A parking support system comprises a control device which executes automatic parking control to automatically park a vehicle in a parking section or to cause the vehicle to automatically exit from the parking section, on the basis of a parking method selected by a user out of a plurality of parking methods. The control device comprises: a storage section which stores a parking method selected by a first user upon parking the vehicle in a specific parking section or causing the vehicle to exit from the specific parking section, in association with positional information on the specific parking section; a determination section which, when a second user parks the vehicle in a predetermined parking section or causes the vehicle to exit from the predetermined parking section, determines whether the predetermined parking section is the specific parking section; and a proposal processing section which, when the determination section determines that the predetermined parking section is the specific parking section, executes proposal processing to propose, to the second user, the parking method stored in the storage section in association with the positional information on the specific parking section.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 17

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a parking assistance system, a parking assistance method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] There is known a parking assistance system that automatically drives a vehicle to park (enter) a predetermined parking space or to withdraw from the parking space. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a device that performs a process of identifying a driver, a process of learning driver parameters during the parking process by the driver and attributing them to the identified driver, and a process of determining parking parameters based on the learned driver parameters, and controls the parking process of the vehicle performed by the parking assistance system based on the determined parking parameters. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-500259 Summary of the Invention

[0004] As in the device described in Patent Document 1, if the driver parameters learned during parking are attributed to a specific driver and stored in the system as parking parameters to be used for parking assistance control, convenience for that specific driver can be improved. However, in cases where a vehicle is shared by multiple users, a user using the parking assistance system for the first time must perform the selection operation himself / herself, even when parking the vehicle in a parking space where another user has already performed the selection operation for the parking method, which may be inconvenient. In other words, there is room for further improvement in convenience.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to improve convenience in parking assistance by simplifying operations.

[0006] The technology of the present disclosure is A parking assistance system including a control device that executes automatic parking control to automatically park a vehicle in a parking space or automatically remove a vehicle from a parking space based on a parking method selected by a user from among a plurality of parking methods, The control device a storage unit that stores a parking method selected by a first user when parking the vehicle in a specific parking space or when causing the first user to exit the specific parking space by the automatic parking control, in association with position information of the specific parking space; a determination unit that, when a second user parks the vehicle in a predetermined parking space or leaves the predetermined parking space by the automatic parking control, determines whether the predetermined parking space is the specific parking space based on current position information of the vehicle and position information of the specific parking space stored in the storage unit; a proposal processing unit that, when the determination unit determines that the predetermined parking space is the specific parking space, executes a proposal processing to propose to the second user a parking method that is stored in the storage unit in association with the location information of the specific parking space. It is characterized by: [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of a parking assistance system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the software configuration of the parking assistance system according to the present embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a power operation screen according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which a vehicle is parked in a parking space. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a delivery plan selection screen according to the present embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a target delivery route according to the present embodiment. [Figure 7]FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a delivery plan confirmation screen according to the present embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a shipping operation screen according to the present embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a delivery completion confirmation screen according to the present embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of an overhead image screen according to the present embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a warehousing plan selection screen according to the present embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a target storage route according to the present embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a warehousing plan confirmation screen according to the present embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a warehousing operation screen according to the present embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a warehousing completion confirmation screen according to the present embodiment. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a save confirmation screen according to the embodiment. [Figure 17] 4 is a flowchart illustrating a routine for automatic retrieval control and setting suggestion processing according to the present embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] Hereinafter, a parking assistance system, a parking assistance method, and a program according to this embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0009] [Hardware configuration] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the hardware configuration of a parking assistance system according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the parking assistance system includes a vehicle control device 1, an electronic key 2, and a mobile terminal 3. The vehicle control device 1 is mounted on a vehicle VH and has an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 10. The ECU 10 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 11, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 12, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 13, and an interface device 14. The CPU 11 is a processor that executes various programs stored in the ROM 12. The ROM 12 is a non-volatile memory that stores data and the like required for the CPU 11 to execute the various programs. The RAM 13 is a volatile memory that provides a working area into which the various programs are expanded when the CPU 11 executes them. The interface device 14 is a communication device for communicating with external devices.

[0010] The ECU 10 is a central device that performs automatic entry control, which causes the vehicle VH to automatically enter a parking space, and automatic exit control, which causes the vehicle VH to automatically exit a parking space (hereinafter, the automatic entry control and automatic exit control may be collectively referred to as "automatic parking control"). The ECU 10 is communicatively connected to a transceiver 16, a verification device 17, a drive device 20, a steering device 21, a braking device 22, an internal sensor device 30, an external sensor device 40, a position information acquisition device 50, a map database 60, a communication device 70, an automatic parking switch 80, an HMI (Human Machine Interface) 90, and the like.

[0011] The transceiver 16 is a communication module for performing short-distance wireless communication with the mobile terminal 3. In this embodiment, for example, short-distance wireless communication is performed using Bluetooth (registered trademark).

[0012] The mobile terminal 3 is a device carried by the user and used by the user to remotely operate the vehicle VH. The mobile terminal 3 is, for example, a smartphone, but is not limited to this as long as it is a terminal on which an application described below can be installed, and may be, for example, a tablet terminal. The mobile terminal 3 includes an ECU (not shown) and a communication unit capable of transmitting and receiving Bluetooth (registered trademark) signals.

[0013] In order for the user to use the mobile terminal 3 as a device to remotely control the vehicle VH, the following operations are performed in advance. Specifically, first, an application for executing automatic parking control is installed on the mobile terminal 3 (hereinafter, this application is also referred to as the "remote parking application"). Next, the mobile terminal 3 and the vehicle control device 1 are paired (authenticated connection between devices compatible with the Bluetooth (registered trademark) standard). Next, the vehicle VH to be operated is registered in the remote parking application. As a result, the mobile terminal 3 is associated with the transceiver 16 as a terminal capable of wireless communication.

[0014] The verification device 17 is paired with the electronic key 2 and realizes so-called smart entry by wirelessly communicating with the electronic key 2, for example, via Bluetooth (registered trademark). Note that the electronic key 2 is not limited to a smart key system, and may also be a digital key system that uses a user's smartphone as a key.

[0015] The drive device 20 generates a drive force to be transmitted to the drive wheels of the vehicle VH. Examples of the drive device 20 include an electric motor and an engine. In this embodiment, the vehicle VH may be a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV), a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), a fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV), an electric vehicle (BEV), or an engine vehicle. The steering device 21 applies a steering force to the wheels of the vehicle VH. The braking device 22 applies a braking force to the wheels of the vehicle VH.

[0016] The internal sensor device 30 is a group of sensors that detect the state of the vehicle VH. Specifically, the internal sensor device 30 includes a wheel speed sensor 31, an accelerator sensor 32, a brake sensor 33, a steering angle sensor 34, and the like. The wheel speed sensor 31 detects the traveling speed of the vehicle VH, i.e., the vehicle speed. The accelerator sensor 32 detects the amount of operation of an accelerator pedal (not shown) by the driver. The brake sensor 33 detects the amount of operation of a brake pedal (not shown) by the driver. The steering angle sensor 34 detects the rotation angle of a steering wheel or steering shaft (not shown), i.e., the steering angle. The internal sensor device 30 transmits the state of the vehicle VH detected by each of the sensors 31 to 34 to the ECU 10 at a predetermined interval.

[0017] The external sensor device 40 is a type of sensor that recognizes target information related to targets around the vehicle VH. Specifically, the external sensor device 40 includes a radar sensor 41, a sonar sensor 42, a camera sensor 43, and the like.

[0018] The radar sensor 41 includes a millimeter-wave radar and / or a lidar. The millimeter-wave radar emits millimeter-wave radio waves and receives reflected waves from targets within its emission range to acquire the relative distance, relative speed, etc. between the vehicle VH and the target. The lidar sequentially scans pulsed laser light with a shorter wavelength than millimeter waves in multiple directions and receives the reflected light from the target to acquire the shape of the target, the relative distance, relative speed, etc. between the vehicle VH and the target. The sonar sensor 42 emits ultrasonic waves and receives reflected waves from targets within its emission range to acquire the relative distance, relative speed, etc. between the vehicle VH and the target. The camera sensor 43 is, for example, a stereo camera or a monocular camera, and can be a digital camera with an imaging element such as a CMOS or CCD. The camera sensor 43 processes the captured image data to acquire the shape of the target, the relative distance, relative speed, etc. between the vehicle VH and the target. The external sensor device 40 transmits the acquired target information to the ECU 10 at a predetermined interval. The external sensor device 40 does not necessarily have to include all of the radar sensor 41, the sonar sensor 42, and the camera sensor 43, and may include only the camera sensor 43, for example.

[0019] The position information acquisition device 50 acquires current position information of the vehicle VH. For example, a GPS (Global Positioning System) or a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) provided in a navigation device (not shown) can be used as the position information acquisition device 50. The position information acquisition device 50 transmits the acquired current position information of the vehicle VH to the ECU 10 at a predetermined interval.

[0020] The map database 60 is a database of map information and is stored in a storage device (hard disk, flash memory, etc.) provided in the vehicle VH. The map information includes, for example, location information of public parking lots, etc. The map database 60 may be stored in an external server that can communicate with the vehicle VH. In this case, the vehicle VH can obtain the map information from the external server via the communication device 70.

[0021] The communication device 70 performs V2X communication. Specifically, the communication device 70 performs V2I (Vehicle to Infrastructure) communication between the vehicle VH and infrastructure. The communication device 70 can acquire information about the surroundings of the vehicle VH through V2X communication. The surrounding information includes, for example, location information of public parking lots. The communication device 70 transmits the acquired surrounding information to the ECU 10 at a predetermined interval.

[0022] The automatic parking switch 80 is provided, for example, on the center console or instrument panel of the vehicle VH, and is a switch that is turned on and off by an occupant of the vehicle VH (for example, the driver). When the automatic parking switch 80 is turned on, the ECU 10 accepts a parking assistance request. Note that the automatic parking switch 80 is not limited to a physical switch, and may be a screen display type in which a button displayed on a display device 91 (described later) is selected by touch operation or dial operation, or may be a voice recognition type in which the driver's voice is picked up by a voice pickup microphone mounted in the vehicle or on the mobile terminal 3.

[0023] The HMI 90 is an interface for inputting and outputting information between the ECU 10 and the driver, and includes an input device and an output device. Examples of the input device include a touch panel, a switch, and a voice pickup microphone. Examples of the output device include a display device 91 and a speaker 92. The display device 91 is, for example, a center display, a multi-information display, a head-up display, etc. The speaker 92 is, for example, a speaker of an audio system or a navigation system.

[0024] [Software configuration] Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the software configuration of the parking assistance system according to this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 2, the ECU 10 includes, as functional elements, an automatic parking control unit 100, an entry / exit parking space storage unit 110, a registered parking space determination unit 120, a proposal processing unit 130, an overwrite processing unit 140, and the like. These functional elements 100 to 140 are realized by the CPU 11 of the ECU 10 reading a program stored in the ROM 12 into the RAM 13 and executing it. Note that all or part of the functional elements 100 to 140 may be provided in another ECU separate from the ECU 10, or in an information processing device in a facility (such as a management center) that can communicate with the vehicle VH.

[0025] The automatic parking control unit 100 executes automatic parking control, which automatically drives the vehicle VH to enter or exit a predetermined parking space. Details of the automatic parking control will be described below, starting with the automatic exit control and the automatic entry control. Regarding the automatic exit control, the parking assistance system of this embodiment can execute forward exit and rearward exit. However, the following description will focus on forward exit, and a description of rearward exit will be omitted. Regarding the automatic entry control, the parking assistance system of this embodiment can execute perpendicular parking and parallel parking. However, the following description will focus on perpendicular parking, and a description of parallel parking will be omitted. In the following description, the term "user" is not limited to the driver who actually drives the vehicle VH, but also includes other passengers who ride with the driver in the vehicle VH, valet parking service staff, etc.

[0026] [Automatic retrieval control] When a user carrying the electronic key 2 and the mobile terminal 3 approaches within a predetermined distance (e.g., several meters) of the vehicle VH, unlocks the door using the electronic key 2 (or a smartphone in the case of a digital key system), and launches a remote parking application on the mobile terminal 3, the automatic parking control unit 100 causes the transceiver 16 to display a power operation screen G1 shown in FIG. 3 on the display of the mobile terminal 3. This power operation screen G1 includes a power button B1. When the user touches the power button B1, the automatic parking control unit 100 turns on the power to the vehicle VH.

[0027] When the power supply of the vehicle VH is turned on, the automatic parking control unit 100 acquires the position of the vehicle VH relative to the parking space where the vehicle VH is parked, etc., based on the detection results of the external sensor device 40. For example, when the vehicle VH is parked in a parking space PA as shown in FIG. 4, the automatic parking control unit 100 acquires the position of the vehicle VH relative to the parking space PA, etc. After acquiring the position of the vehicle VH relative to the parking space PA, the automatic parking control unit 100 acquires the direction in which the vehicle VH can be exited (hereinafter referred to as the possible exit direction) based on the detection results of the external sensor device 40.

[0028] When the automatic parking control unit 100 acquires the available exit directions, it causes the display of the mobile terminal 3 via the transceiver 16 to display the exit plan selection screen G2 shown in FIG. 5. This exit plan selection screen G2 includes multiple exit direction selection buttons B2, B3, B4, and B5, and an exit direction confirmation button B6. In the illustrated example, the exit direction selection buttons displayed are the forward selection button B2 indicating forward exit, the backward selection button B3 indicating backward exit, the left front selection button B4 indicating left front exit, and the right front selection button B5 indicating right front exit. The exit direction confirmation button B6 is a button for confirming the exit direction selected by the user. For example, if the user touches the left front selection button B4 and then touches the exit direction confirmation button B6, the automatic parking control unit 100 sets the left front as the specified exit direction. Hereinafter, the touch operations of the leaving direction selection buttons B2, B3, B4, and B5 and the leaving direction confirmation button B6 performed by the user will be referred to as "leaving plan setting operations."

[0029] Once the designated exit direction is set, the automatic parking control unit 100 sets a target exit route R1 based on the detection results of the external sensor device 40. As shown in Figure 6, the target exit route R1 is a route that the vehicle VH travels from the parking space PA to the target exit stop position PS1 in the designated exit direction. Figure 6 shows an example in which the left front is set as the designated exit direction.

[0030] When the automatic parking control unit 100 sets the target exit route R1, it causes the display of the mobile terminal 3 via the transceiver 16 to display the exit plan confirmation screen G3 shown in FIG. 7. This exit plan confirmation screen G3 includes, for example, the target exit route R1 and an exit plan confirmation button B7. When the user touches the exit plan confirmation button B7, the automatic parking control unit 100 ends the exit plan setting process.

[0031] When the automatic parking control unit 100 completes the process of setting the leaving plan, it causes the display of the mobile terminal 3 via the transceiver 16 to display the leaving operation screen G4 shown in FIG. 8. This leaving operation screen G4 includes a message M1 notifying the user, an arrow A visually indicating the operation content, a remaining distance display M2, and a get-in button B8. For example, the message M1 may display a sentence such as "Please check the safety of the surrounding area and move the vehicle." The remaining distance display M2 is the distance from the current position of the vehicle VH to the target leaving stop position PS1. The get-in button B8 is a button that the user uses to indicate their intention to end the leaving assistance and get into the vehicle VH.

[0032] When a user touches the display of the mobile terminal 3 and moves their finger in a circular motion along the arrow A, the automatic parking control unit 100 controls the operation of the drive unit 20, the steering unit 21, and the braking unit 22 based on the detection results of the internal sensor unit 30 and the external sensor unit 40, thereby starting the outbound driving control to automatically drive the vehicle VH along the target outbound route R1. When the automatic parking control unit 100 starts the outbound driving control, it sequentially calculates the movement trajectory of the vehicle VH. Furthermore, based on the movement trajectory sequentially calculated during the execution of the outbound driving control, the automatic parking control unit 100 calculates the remaining distance until the vehicle VH reaches the target outbound stop position PS1, and displays it on the remaining distance display M2. The movement trajectory may be calculated, for example, by odometry based on the detection results of the wheel speed sensor 31 and the steering angle sensor 34. Alternatively, it may be estimated based on optical flow or the like from image data of the road surface around the vehicle VH captured by the camera sensor 43.

[0033] The automatic parking control unit 100 interrupts the pulling-out driving control when the user stops moving their finger or removes their finger from the display of the mobile terminal 3 while the pulling-out driving control is being executed. When the user stops moving their finger or removes their finger from the display of the mobile terminal 3 and then touches the entry button B8, the automatic parking control unit 100 displays the pulling-out completion confirmation screen G5 shown in FIG. 9 on the display of the mobile terminal 3 via the transceiver 16. This pulling-out completion confirmation screen G5 includes a pulling-out completion button B9. When the user touches the pulling-out completion button B9, the automatic parking control unit 100 ends the automatic pulling-out control.

[0034] [Automatic warehousing control] When the user turns on the automatic parking switch 80 after stopping the vehicle VH near the desired parking space (for example, in front of the parking space), the automatic parking control unit 100 displays an overhead image screen G6 of the surroundings of the vehicle VH generated based on image data from the camera sensor 43 on the display device 91, as shown in Fig. 10. Note that when the user activates a remote parking application on the mobile terminal 3, the automatic parking control unit 100 may also display the overhead image screen G6 on the display of the mobile terminal 3.

[0035] When the automatic parking control unit 100 displays the overhead image screen G6, it detects a parking space where the vehicle VH can be parked (hereinafter referred to as a parking space) based on the detection result of the external sensor device 40. Furthermore, when the automatic parking control unit 100 detects a parking space, it displays the parking space on the overhead image screen G6. In the example shown in Fig. 10, two parking spaces PA1 and PA2 are displayed on the overhead image screen G6.

[0036] For example, when the user touches the available parking section PA1 on the overhead image screen G6, the automatic parking control unit 100 sets the available parking section PA1 as the parking section where the user wants to park the vehicle VH (hereinafter referred to as the designated parking section PAS). After setting the designated parking section PAS, the automatic parking control unit 100 displays the entry plan selection screen G7 shown in FIG. 11 on the display device 91. This entry plan selection screen G7 includes a parallel parking button B10 for parallel parking the vehicle VH in the designated parking section PAS, a parallel parking button B11 for parallel parking the vehicle VH in the designated parking section PAS, and an entry method confirmation button B12 for confirming the entry method. If the user has launched a remote parking application on the mobile terminal 3, the automatic parking control unit 100 may display the entry plan selection screen G7 on the display of the mobile terminal 3.

[0037] For example, if the user touches the parallel parking button B10 and then taps the entry method confirmation button B12, the automatic parking control unit 100 sets the entry method for the vehicle VH to parallel parking. After setting the entry method, the automatic parking control unit 100 displays a message (not shown) on the display device 91 prompting the user to get out of the vehicle. Hereinafter, the touch operations of the parking available sections PA1 and PA2 and the touch operations of the parallel parking button B10 and the parallel parking button B11 performed by the user will be referred to as the "entry plan setting operation."

[0038] When the user gets out of the vehicle VH carrying the electronic key 2 and the mobile terminal 3, the automatic parking control unit 100 sets a target entrance route R2 based on the detection results of the external sensor device 40. As shown in FIG. 12, the target entrance route R2 is a route that the vehicle VH will travel to the target entrance stop position PS2 in the designated parking space PAS. After setting the target entrance route R2, the automatic parking control unit 100 causes the display of the mobile terminal 3 via the transceiver 16 to display an entrance plan confirmation screen G8 shown in FIG. 13. The entrance plan confirmation screen G8 includes, for example, the target entrance route R2 and a warehousing entry plan confirmation button B13. When the user touches the warehousing entry plan confirmation button B13, the automatic parking control unit 100 ends the warehousing entry plan setting process.

[0039] When the automatic parking control unit 100 completes the process of setting the entry plan, it causes the display of the mobile terminal 3 via the transceiver 16 to display the entry operation screen G9 shown in Fig. 14. This entry operation screen G9 includes a message M3 notifying the user, an arrow A visually indicating the operation content, and a remaining distance display M4. The remaining distance display M4 is the distance from the current position of the vehicle VH to the target entry stop position PS2.

[0040] When the user moves their finger in a circular motion along the arrow A while touching the display of the mobile terminal 3, the automatic parking control unit 100 starts the yard entry driving control, which causes the vehicle VH to automatically travel along the target yard entry route R2, by controlling the operation of the drive unit 20, steering unit 21, and braking unit 22 based on the detection results of the internal sensor unit 30 and the external sensor unit 40. If the user stops moving their finger or removes their finger from the display of the mobile terminal 3 while the yard entry driving control is being executed, the automatic parking control unit 100 interrupts the yard entry driving control.

[0041] When the automatic parking control unit 100 starts the yard entry driving control, it sequentially calculates the movement trajectory. Furthermore, based on the movement trajectory calculated sequentially during the execution of the yard entry driving control, the automatic parking control unit 100 calculates the remaining distance until the vehicle VH reaches the target yard entry stop position PS2 and displays it on the remaining distance display M4. The movement trajectory may be calculated, for example, by odometry based on the detection results of the wheel speed sensor 31 and the steering angle sensor 34, or it may be estimated based on optical flow or the like from image data of the road surface around the vehicle VH captured by the camera sensor 43.

[0042] The automatic parking control unit 100 determines whether the vehicle VH has reached the target entry stop position PS2 based on the movement trajectory calculated sequentially during execution of the entry drive control. When the automatic parking control unit 100 determines that the vehicle VH has reached the target entry stop position PS2, it causes the transceiver 16 to display a entry completion confirmation screen G10 shown in FIG. 15 on the display of the mobile terminal 3. This entry completion confirmation screen G10 includes a entry completion button B14. When the user touches the entry completion button B14, the automatic parking control unit 100 ends the automatic entry control.

[0043] Consider a case where the user uses the parking assistance system to enter or exit a parking space where the vehicle VH has previously been entered or exited using the parking assistance system. Even if the user performed the entry plan setting operation or the exit plan setting operation described above when entering or exiting the parking space, the user may be inconvenienced if the same selection operation is required for the same parking space every time. For example, in a case where the vehicle VH is used by multiple users, such as when the vehicle VH is shared by a family or by an unspecified number of users in a car sharing system, if the setting information for the entry plan setting operation or the exit plan setting operation performed by a specific user could be shared with other users, it would be possible to reduce the effort required for other users.

[0044] The parking assistance system of this embodiment improves user convenience by performing a setting proposal process that proposes the setting information of the entry plan setting operation and the exit plan setting operation performed by a predetermined user the next time the vehicle VH enters or leaves the same parking space. Below, details of the entry / exit parking space storage unit 110, the registered parking space determination unit 120, the proposal processing unit 130, and the overwrite processing unit 140, which are functional elements that realize the setting proposal process, will be described.

[0045] [Settings proposal process] The entry / exit parking space storage unit 110 stores the position information (three-dimensional position coordinates in the world coordinate system) of a parking space into which the user first enters or exits the vehicle VH using the parking assistance system, and image data of the parking space, linked to the setting information of the entry plan setting operation and the exit plan setting operation performed by the user at that time. Here, the setting information refers to the entry method (perpendicular parking, parallel parking, etc.) selected by the user on the entry plan selection screen G7 when the parking assistance system performs automatic entry control, or to the exit direction (forward, backward, left front, right front, etc.) selected by the user on the exit plan selection screen G2 when the parking assistance system performs automatic exit control. The position information of the parking space may be the position information of the vehicle VH acquired by the position information acquisition device 50, or, if the parking space is a public parking lot, may be acquired via the map database 60, V2I communication, or the like. The image data of the parking space may be image data of the parking space captured by the camera sensor 43. Hereinafter, the parking spaces stored in the entrance / exit parking space storage unit 110 will be referred to as registered parking spaces.

[0046] When a user uses the parking assistance system to cause the vehicle VH to enter or exit a specific parking space (hereinafter referred to as a target parking space), the registered parking space determination unit 120 determines whether the target parking space is a registered parking space. Specifically, when the user causes the vehicle VH to enter the target parking space, the registered parking space determination unit 120 performs this determination when the user stops the vehicle VH and turns on the automatic parking switch 80 or starts the remote parking application on the mobile terminal 3. When the user causes the vehicle VH to exit the target parking space, the registered parking space determination unit 120 performs this determination when the user unlocks the door using the electronic key 2 (or a smartphone in the case of a digital key system) and starts the remote parking application on the mobile terminal 3. Whether the target parking space is a registered parking space or not can be determined by comparing the current position information of the vehicle VH acquired by the position information acquisition device 50 with the position information of the registered parking space, and by matching feature points of the image data of the target parking space captured by the camera sensor 43 with feature points of the image data of the registered parking space. The registered parking space determination unit 120 transmits the determination result to the proposal processing unit 130.

[0047] When the registered parking space determination unit 120 determines that the target parking space is a registered parking space, the proposal processing unit 130 executes a proposal process to propose to the user the setting information that is associated with the registered parking space and stored in the entry / exit parking space storage unit 110. Here, the users that are the targets of the proposal process include the user who actually performed the first entry plan setting operation or exit plan setting operation for the parking space (first user of the present disclosure), as well as other users (second users of the present disclosure) who intend to enter or exit the vehicle VH into the parking space from the next time onwards.

[0048] When the user parks the vehicle VH in the target parking space, the proposal processing unit 130 displays an entry plan confirmation screen G8 (see FIG. 13) corresponding to the setting information of the registered parking space on the display of the mobile terminal 3 via the transceiver 16. In the example shown in FIG. 13, perpendicular parking is displayed as the setting information (entry method) of the registered parking space. When the user touches the entry plan confirmation button B13 on the entry plan confirmation screen G8, the proposal processing unit 130 ends the proposal processing. When the proposal processing unit 130 ends the proposal processing, the automatic parking control unit 100 displays an entry operation screen G9 (see FIG. 14) on the display of the mobile terminal 3 via the transceiver 16. In other words, the user can immediately start the entry operation. This allows the user to quickly confirm the entry plan without having to go through a selection operation on the entry plan selection screen G7 (FIG. 11), thereby improving convenience.

[0049] When the user causes the vehicle VH to leave the target parking space, the proposal processing unit 130 displays an exit plan confirmation screen G3 (see FIG. 7) corresponding to the setting information of the registered parking space on the display of the mobile terminal 3 via the transceiver 16. In the example shown in FIG. 7, the left front is displayed as the setting information (exit direction) of the registered parking space. When the user touches the exit plan confirmation button B7 on the exit plan confirmation screen G3, the proposal processing unit 130 ends the proposal processing. When the proposal processing unit 130 ends the proposal processing, the automatic parking control unit 100 displays an exit operation screen G4 (see FIG. 8) on the display of the mobile terminal 3 via the transceiver 16. In other words, the user can immediately start the exit operation. This allows the user to quickly confirm the exit plan without having to go through a selection operation on the exit plan selection screen G2 (FIG. 5), thereby improving convenience.

[0050] If the user does not approve the entry plan or exit plan proposed by the proposal processing unit 130, the overwrite processing unit 140 performs an overwrite process to store the new entry plan or exit plan in the entry / exit parking space memory unit 110 in association with the already registered parking space.

[0051] If the user does not approve the proposed warehousing plan, that is, if the user does not touch the warehousing plan confirmation button B13 on the warehousing plan confirmation screen G8, the automatic parking control unit 100 displays the warehousing plan selection screen G7 (see FIG. 11) on the display device 91 or the display of the mobile terminal 3. If the user selects a new warehousing plan (entry method) different from the proposed warehousing plan, the automatic parking control unit 100 executes the above-mentioned automatic warehousing control based on the new warehousing plan. At this time, the overwrite processing unit 140 displays a save confirmation screen G11 shown in FIG. 16 on the display of the mobile terminal 3 via the transceiver 16. When the user touches the save button B15 on the save confirmation screen G11, the overwrite processing unit 140 associates the new warehousing plan (entry method) with the position information of the already registered parking space and stores it in the entry / exit parking space storage unit 110.

[0052] If the user does not approve the proposed leaving plan, that is, if the user does not touch the leaving plan confirmation button B7 on the leaving plan confirmation screen G3, the automatic parking control unit 100 displays the leaving plan selection screen G2 (see FIG. 5) on the display of the mobile terminal 3 via the transceiver 16. If the user selects a new leaving plan (leaving direction) different from the proposed leaving plan, the automatic parking control unit 100 executes the above-mentioned automatic leaving control based on the new leaving plan. At this time, the overwrite processing unit 140 displays a save confirmation screen G11 shown in FIG. 16 on the display of the mobile terminal 3 via the transceiver 16. When the user touches the save button B15 on the save confirmation screen G11, the overwrite processing unit 140 associates the new leaving plan (leaving direction) with the position information of the already registered parking space and stores it in the entry / exit parking space storage unit 110.

[0053] In this way, when the user selects a new entry plan or exit plan, the setting information of the already registered parking space is overwritten with the new entry plan or exit plan, making it possible to effectively respond to changes in the surrounding environment of the already registered parking space, etc. Also, by asking the user whether or not to save the plan before overwriting, it is possible to effectively prevent unnecessary overwriting when the entry plan or exit plan is changed for exceptional reasons, such as when another vehicle happens to be parked at the time of entry or exit.

[0054] Next, the automatic leaving control and setting suggestion processing routine executed by the CPU 11 of the ECU 10 will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in Figure 17. The automatic entering control has substantially the same flow as the automatic leaving control, so a description thereof will be omitted. This routine starts when the user unlocks the door of the vehicle VH using the electronic key 2 (or a smartphone) and starts the remote parking application on the mobile terminal 3.

[0055] In step S100, the ECU 10 displays a power operation screen G1 on the display of the mobile terminal 3 via the transceiver 16. When the user touches the power button B1 on the power operation screen G1, the ECU 10 proceeds to the process of step S110 and turns on the power of the vehicle VH.

[0056] In step S120, the ECU 10 acquires the current position information of the vehicle VH based on the detection result of the position information acquisition device 50. Next, in step S130, the ECU 10 determines whether the target parking space where the vehicle VH is currently parked is a registered parking space. If the target parking space is a registered parking space (Yes), the ECU 10 proceeds to processing of step S140. On the other hand, if the target parking space is not a registered parking space (No), the ECU 10 proceeds to processing of step S160.

[0057] When the process proceeds from step S130 to step S160, the ECU 10 acquires the possible exit directions in which the vehicle VH can be exited, based on the detection results of the external sensor device 40. Next, in step S170, the ECU 10 displays the exit plan selection screen G2 on the mobile terminal 3 via the transceiver 16. When the user touches the exit direction selection buttons B2, B3, B4, and B5 on the exit plan selection screen G2 and then touches the exit direction confirmation button B6, the ECU 10 proceeds to the process of step S180.

[0058] In step S180, the ECU 10 sets a target delivery route R1 based on the detection result of the external sensor device 40, and displays a delivery plan confirmation screen G3 on the display of the mobile terminal 3 via the transceiver 16. When the user touches the delivery plan confirmation button B7 on the delivery plan confirmation screen G3, the ECU 10 proceeds to the processing of step S200.

[0059] In step S200, the ECU 10 displays the leaving operation screen G4 on the display of the mobile terminal 3 via the transceiver 16. When the user starts the operation while touching the display of the mobile terminal 3, the ECU 10 proceeds to the process of step S210 and executes leaving driving control to automatically drive the vehicle VH along the target leaving route R1. In step S220, the ECU 10 determines whether the user has touched the boarding button B8 on the leaving operation screen G4. If the user has touched the boarding button B8 (Yes), the ECU 10 proceeds to the process of step S230 and ends the leaving driving control. On the other hand, if the user has not touched the boarding button B8 (No), the ECU 10 continues the process of step S210.

[0060] When the processing proceeds from step S130 to step S140, the ECU 10 sets a target exit route R1 based on the detection results of the external sensor device 40, and displays on the display of the mobile terminal 3 an entry plan confirmation screen G8 corresponding to the setting information of the already registered parking space stored in the entry / exit parking space memory unit 110.

[0061] In step S150, the ECU 10 determines whether or not the user has touched the shipping plan confirmation button B7 on the shipping plan confirmation screen G3. If the user has touched the shipping plan confirmation button B7 (Yes), the ECU 10 proceeds to the processing of step S200, assuming that the user has approved the proposal. That is, the ECU 10 proceeds to display the shipping operation screen G4 without going through the shipping plan selection screen G2. This reduces the amount of work required by the user, and improves convenience. If the user has not touched the shipping plan confirmation button B7 (No), the ECU 10 proceeds to the processing of step S160, assuming that the user has not approved the proposal.

[0062] When the process proceeds from step S230 to step S240, the ECU 10 determines whether the exit direction of the automatic exit control executed this time is the same as the setting information (exit direction) associated with the registered parking space and stored. If the current exit direction is the same as the setting information (exit direction) (Yes), the ECU 10 returns this routine. On the other hand, if the current exit direction is different from the setting information (exit direction) (No), the ECU 10 proceeds to the process of step S250.

[0063] In step S250, the ECU 10 displays a save confirmation screen G11 on the display of the mobile terminal 3 via the transceiver 16. Next, in step S260, the ECU 10 determines whether or not the user has touched the save button B16 on the save confirmation screen G11. If the user has not touched the save button B16 (No), the ECU 10 returns from this routine. On the other hand, if the user has touched the save button B16 (Yes), the ECU 10 proceeds to the processing of step S270. In step S270, the ECU 10 executes an overwrite process to associate a new exit plan (exit direction) with the position information of the already registered parking space and store the plan, and then returns from this routine.

[0064] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0065] For example, if the vehicle VH is used by an unspecified number of users through car sharing or the like, a switching function may be provided that enables the above-described setting suggestion process only in public parking lots. With such a function, when a specific user parks in a private parking lot or the like, it becomes possible to effectively prevent the personal information of that user from being known to other users.

[0066] Furthermore, although the parking assistance system of the above embodiment has been described as performing setting suggestion processing without identifying the user, it may be configured to have a function for identifying the user and store each user's setting information (exit direction, entry method) in association with each identified user. In this case, too, by proposing the setting information stored in association with a specific user to other users, it is possible to improve convenience for the other users. Users may be identified based on the type of electronic key 2 or mobile terminal 3 possessed by each user, etc.

[0067] Furthermore, the parking assistance system of the above embodiment stores the entry method and exit direction as setting information, which saves memory compared to storing a large amount of information, but it can also be applied to a so-called route-memory type parking assistance system that stores the movement route of the vehicle VH when entering or leaving the parking lot and uses it for assistance control from the next time onwards. In this case, the movement route can be included in the setting information that is stored in association with the parking space.

[0068] In addition, in the above embodiment, so-called remote parking, in which a user remotely operates a vehicle VH, was described as an example, but the technology disclosed herein can also be applied to a system that provides parking assistance while the user is in the vehicle VH.

[0069] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, it has been explained that the user basically performs touch operations on the display device 91 or the mobile terminal 3, but it is also possible to perform at least some or all of the operations using voice recognition using a voice pickup microphone.

[0070] The technology of the present disclosure can also be applied to autonomous vehicles in which some or all of the driving operations are performed automatically.

Claims

1. A parking assistance system including a control device that executes automatic parking control to automatically park a vehicle in a parking space or automatically remove a vehicle from a parking space based on a parking method selected by a user from among a plurality of parking methods, The control device a storage unit that stores a parking method selected by a first user when parking the vehicle in a specific parking space or when causing the vehicle to leave the specific parking space by the automatic parking control, in association with position information of the specific parking space; a determination unit that, when a second user parks the vehicle in a predetermined parking space or leaves the predetermined parking space by the automatic parking control, determines whether the predetermined parking space is the specific parking space based on current position information of the vehicle and position information of the specific parking space stored in the storage unit; and a proposal processing unit that, when the determination unit determines that the predetermined parking space is the specific parking space, executes a proposal processing to propose to the second user a parking method that is stored in the storage unit in association with the location information of the specific parking space. A parking assistance system characterized by:

2. 2. The parking assistance system according to claim 1, The vehicle further includes an overwrite processing unit that executes an overwrite process to store the new parking method in association with the position information of the specific parking space when the second user does not select the parking method proposed by the proposal processing unit and selects a new parking method different from the proposed parking method. A parking assistance system characterized by:

3. 3. The parking assistance system according to claim 2, The overwrite processing unit executes the overwrite process when the second user approves the storage of the new parking method. A parking assistance system characterized by:

4. 2. The parking assistance system according to claim 1, When the second user does not select the parking method proposed by the proposal processing unit and selects a new parking method different from the proposed parking method, the control device executes the automatic parking control based on the new parking method. A parking assistance system characterized by:

5. 2. The parking assistance system according to claim 1, Further, a mobile terminal on which a predetermined application is installed and which is capable of communicating with the control device is provided. The control device is configured to be able to execute, as the automatic parking control, remote parking control that automatically parks the vehicle in a parking space or automatically removes the vehicle from a parking space in response to a command transmitted from the mobile terminal by the user using the application. A parking assistance system characterized by:

6. A parking assistance method for performing automatic parking control to automatically park a vehicle in a parking space or automatically withdraw a vehicle from a parking space based on a parking method selected by a user from among a plurality of parking methods, a parking method selected by a first user when parking the vehicle in a specific parking space or when causing the vehicle to leave the specific parking space by the automatic parking control, the parking method being associated with location information of the specific parking space; When a second user parks the vehicle in a predetermined parking space or leaves the predetermined parking space by the automatic parking control, the second user determines whether the predetermined parking space is the specific parking space based on the current position information of the vehicle and the position information of the specific parking space stored in the memory unit; When the predetermined parking space is determined to be the specific parking space, a suggestion process is executed to suggest to the second user a parking method that is stored in association with the location information of the specific parking space. A parking assistance method comprising:

7. A parking assistance system computer is provided which is equipped with a control device capable of executing automatic parking control for automatically parking a vehicle in a parking space or automatically withdrawing a vehicle from a parking space based on a parking method selected by a user from among a plurality of parking methods, a process of storing a parking method selected by a first user when parking the vehicle in a specific parking space or when causing the vehicle to leave the specific parking space by the automatic parking control, in association with position information of the specific parking space; When a second user parks the vehicle in a predetermined parking space or leaves the predetermined parking space by the automatic parking control, a process of determining whether the predetermined parking space is the specific parking space based on current position information of the vehicle and position information of the specific parking space stored in the storage unit; and when the predetermined parking space is determined to be the specific parking space, a process of proposing to the second user a parking method that is stored in association with the location information of the specific parking space is executed. A program characterized by:

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