Vehicle control apparatus, vehicle control method, and program therefor

Abstract

To provide an apparatus and method that can lower the frequency of a driver feeling that obstacle contact avoidance control is annoying.SOLUTION: A vehicle control apparatus includes a controller 10 which executes obstacle contact avoidance control that includes at least one of an alarm to the driver of a vehicle and behavior control for changing a behavior of the vehicle, in a case where a vehicle is moving within a specific place and when the vehicle approaches a steady object, which is an object steadily existing in the specific place. The controller stores the steady objects as distinguished as a common response steady object or a response-suppressed steady object, executes obstacle contact avoidance control when a distance between the vehicle and the common response steady object has become equal to or less than a first distance threshold, and executes obstacle contact avoidance control when the distance between the vehicle and the response-suppressed steady article has become equal to or less than a second distance threshold smaller than the first distance threshold.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle control device, a vehicle control method, and a program therefor that perform vehicle control (e.g., obstacle contact avoidance control including warning and / or behavior control that changes the vehicle behavior) to avoid contact between the vehicle and an object when the vehicle approaches the object. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventional devices distinguish between immovable objects (i.e., stationary objects such as fences and walls) that a vehicle must always approach whenever the vehicle is parked in a specific location, and movable objects (i.e., non-stationary objects such as bicycles and motorcycles) based on the difference between a previous captured image of the vehicle's surroundings and a current captured image of the vehicle's surroundings. Furthermore, conventional devices perform obstacle contact avoidance control when the distance between the vehicle and the non-stationary object becomes equal to or less than a set distance for non-stationary objects. The obstacle contact avoidance control includes at least one of issuing an alert to the driver and behavior control that changes the behavior of the vehicle (e.g., automatic braking control that brakes the vehicle). In addition, conventional devices perform obstacle contact avoidance control when the distance between the vehicle and the stationary object becomes equal to or less than a "set distance for stationary objects that is shorter than the set distance for non-stationary objects." As a result, when a vehicle is parked in a specific location, obstacle contact avoidance control is not performed unless the vehicle gets very close to a stationary object (i.e., unless the distance between the vehicle and the stationary object is less than the set distance for stationary objects), thereby reducing the frequency with which the driver finds obstacle contact avoidance control annoying (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-232845 Summary of the Invention

[0004] As shown in FIG. 3A, stationary objects include "objects such as wheel chocks WS, for which obstacle contact avoidance control does not need to be executed until the vehicle approaches significantly (hereinafter also referred to as "responsive suppression stationary objects")," and "objects such as walls WL, for which obstacle contact avoidance control needs to be executed when the vehicle approaches to a certain extent (hereinafter also referred to as "normal response stationary objects")." However, conventional devices perform obstacle contact avoidance control without distinguishing between responsive suppression stationary objects and normal response stationary objects, which still poses a problem that the driver finds obstacle contact avoidance control executed for responsive suppression stationary objects to be bothersome. The present invention has been made to address this problem.

[0005] A vehicle control device according to one embodiment of the present invention includes: When a vehicle is moving within a specific location and approaches a stationary object that is a body that is constantly present in the specific location, the vehicle is provided with a controller (10) that executes obstacle contact avoidance control including at least one of issuing an alert to the driver of the vehicle and behavior control that changes the behavior of the vehicle.

[0006] Further, the controller The stationary objects are classified into normal corresponding stationary objects and corresponding suppressed stationary objects and stored (S455); When the distance between the vehicle and the normal stationary object becomes equal to or less than a first distance threshold, the vehicle control is executed (S525, S530). When the distance between the vehicle and the corresponding inhibited stationary object becomes equal to or less than a second distance threshold which is smaller than the first distance threshold, the obstacle contact avoidance control is executed (S535, S540). It is structured as follows.

[0007] According to this aspect, for a normal response stationary object for which it is desirable to execute the obstacle contact avoidance control early, the obstacle contact avoidance control is executed "when the vehicle approaches the normal response stationary object to a first distance threshold value." In contrast, for a response suppression stationary object for which the driver feels annoyed if the obstacle contact avoidance control is executed early, the obstacle contact avoidance control is executed only "when the vehicle approaches the response suppression stationary object to a second distance threshold value that is smaller than the first distance threshold value." Therefore, it is possible to reduce the frequency with which the driver feels the obstacle contact avoidance control is annoyed.

[0008] In the above aspect, the controller an image in which the stationary object is superimposed on a viewpoint image of the vehicle viewed from a predetermined viewpoint above the vehicle is displayed on a display (93) provided in the vehicle (S455); The driver is prompted to select a stationary object displayed on the display and to set whether the selected stationary object is the normal corresponding stationary object or the corresponding suppressed stationary object (S445). It is structured as follows.

[0009] According to this aspect, the driver can set the normal response stationary object and the response suppression stationary object by himself, so that the obstacle contact avoidance control can be executed at a timing according to the driver's desire.

[0010] In the above aspect, the controller When the vehicle is moving within the specific location, the obstacle contact avoidance control is executed when the distance between the vehicle and a non-stationary object other than the stationary object becomes equal to or less than a third distance threshold which is equal to or greater than the first distance threshold (S545, S550). It is structured as follows.

[0011] According to this aspect, for a non-stationary object for which it is desirable to execute obstacle contact avoidance control early, the obstacle contact avoidance control is executed "when the vehicle approaches the non-stationary object to the third distance threshold value." Therefore, it is possible to reduce the possibility of the vehicle coming into contact with a non-stationary object that is difficult for the driver to predict.

[0012] In the above description, to facilitate understanding of the present invention, the names and / or symbols used in the embodiments described below are enclosed in parentheses for the configurations of the invention corresponding to those embodiments. However, the components of the present invention are not limited to the embodiments defined by the names and / or symbols. The present invention also covers a vehicle control method and a program therefor executed by the vehicle control device. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a vehicle control device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] 1 is a plan view of a vehicle equipped with a vehicle control device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] (A) is a side view showing an example of the positional relationship between a vehicle, a corresponding suppression stationary object, and a normal corresponding stationary object, and (B) is a side view showing an example of the positional relationship between a vehicle, a corresponding suppression stationary object, a normal corresponding stationary object, and a non-stationary object. [Figure 4] This is a routine executed by the CPU of the driving assistance ECU shown in FIG. [Figure 5] This is a routine executed by the CPU of the driving assistance ECU shown in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 2A is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on the touch panel display shown in FIG. 1, and FIGS. 2B to 2D are diagrams showing the relationship between a vehicle and a threshold distance. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] <Configuration> A vehicle control device (hereinafter referred to as "embodiment device") according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied to (mounted on) a vehicle (host vehicle) HV shown in Figures 2 and 3(A), etc. The vehicle HV may be any of a vehicle powered by an internal combustion engine, a vehicle powered by an electric motor (i.e., an electric vehicle), a hybrid vehicle, etc.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 1, the embodiment device includes a driving assistance ECU 10, a navigation ECU 20, a power train ECU 30, a brake ECU 40, a steering ECU 50, and an alarm ECU 60.

[0016] In this specification, an "ECU" is an electronic control device (control unit) equipped with a microcomputer including a CPU (processor), ROM, RAM, writable non-volatile memory, and an interface (I / F). An ECU is also called a controller or a computer. The above-mentioned "multiple ECUs" are connected to each other via a CAN so that they can exchange information. Some or all of these multiple ECUs may be integrated into a single ECU. Furthermore, one of these multiple ECUs may be composed of multiple ECUs.

[0017] The driving assistance ECU 10 includes a CPU 10a, a ROM 10b, a RAM 10c, and a non-volatile memory 10d. The driving assistance ECU 10 acquires signals from the front camera 71, the rear camera 72, the right side camera 73, the left side camera 74, the first to sixth front sonars 80F, the first to sixth rear sonars 80R, a vehicle state sensor 91, and a parking assistance switch 92 at predetermined intervals. The driving assistance ECU 10 is connected to a touch panel display 93 and controls the images displayed on the display 93.

[0018] Each of the cameras 71-74, the mounting positions of which are shown in FIG. 2, has a wide-angle lens. The front camera 71 captures the scene ahead of the vehicle and generates wide-angle front image data. The rear camera 72 captures the scene behind the vehicle and generates rear wide-angle image data. The right side camera 73 captures the scene to the right of the vehicle and generates right wide-angle image data. The left side camera 74 captures the scene to the left of the vehicle and generates left wide-angle image data.

[0019] The driving assistance ECU 10 generates a peripheral image showing the periphery of the vehicle every predetermined time based on the image data acquired from each of the cameras 71-74, and displays the peripheral image on the display 93. The peripheral image includes a viewpoint image (including an overhead image) of the vehicle HV viewed from a predetermined viewpoint above the vehicle HV, and an image in the traveling direction of the vehicle HV (traveling direction image).

[0020] The driving assistance ECU 10 performs image analysis processing on the peripheral image to detect (recognize) feature points contained in the peripheral image and group the feature points by structure, group of patterns on the road surface, group of lane markings on the road surface, etc. Furthermore, the driving assistance ECU 10 acquires the "shape and positional relationship with the vehicle HV" of the "grouped feature points" as feature point information and stores it in the non-volatile memory 10d.

[0021] The first through sixth front sonars 80F include first through sixth front sonars 81F-86F disposed at the front of the vehicle HV shown in Fig. 2. The first through sixth rear sonars 80R include first through sixth rear sonars 81R-86R disposed at the rear of the vehicle HV shown in Fig. 2. The target detection areas (ultrasound emission areas) of these sonars are labeled 81Fa-86Fa and 81Ra-86Ra. For example, the area labeled 81Fa is the target detection area of ​​the first front sonar 81F.

[0022] Each sonar transmits ultrasonic waves to a corresponding target detection area and receives reflected waves generated when the ultrasonic waves are reflected by the target. Furthermore, each sonar transmits sonar information including the time from transmitting the ultrasonic waves to receiving the reflected waves to the driving assistance ECU 10. The driving assistance ECU 10 acquires sonar target information indicating the position of the reflection point relative to the vehicle HV based on the sonar information from each sonar and triangulation.

[0023] The driving assistance ECU 10 integrates (fuses) the feature point information and the sonar target information to obtain the final position of the target relative to the vehicle HV (hereinafter also referred to as "target position relative to the vehicle") (see, for example, Patent Publication No. 2021-135191).

[0024] The vehicle state sensor 91 includes various sensors that acquire parameters that represent the state of the vehicle HV. For example, the vehicle state sensor 91 includes a vehicle speed sensor that detects the vehicle speed (host vehicle speed) Vh, a shift position sensor, a steering angle sensor, a steering torque sensor, an accelerator pedal operation amount sensor, and a brake pedal operation amount sensor. The parking assist switch 92 is operated by the driver of the vehicle HV when the driver requests various parking assistance provided by the driving assistance ECU 10 when parking the vehicle HV. The touch panel display 93 displays touch-operable buttons and various images, including the peripheral image described above.

[0025] The navigation ECU 20, together with the GPS receiver 21 and the map information storage device 22, constitutes a well-known navigation system. The navigation ECU 20 acquires the "current location of the vehicle HV" represented by latitude and longitude based on the GPS signal (i.e., the signal from a positioning satellite) received by the GPS receiver 21.

[0026] The powertrain ECU 30 controls a drive system 31 including a power source of the vehicle HV, thereby adjusting the drive force of the vehicle HV. The brake ECU 40 controls a braking system 41 of the vehicle HV, thereby adjusting the braking force applied to the vehicle HV. The steering ECU 50 controls a steering system 51 of the vehicle HV, thereby changing the steering assist force and the steering angle of the vehicle HV.

[0027] In response to instructions from the driving assistance ECU 10, the warning ECU 60 causes the warning sound generator 61 to generate a warning sound (alert sound) and causes the warning display 62, which is arranged in a position visible from the driver's seat, to display a warning mark (alert icon).

[0028] (Overview of operation) A vehicle HV is repeatedly parked in a parking space in a specific location, such as a parking lot at home or a parking lot at work, and is started from a parking space in the specific location. In such a specific location, there are often "stationary objects that do not move (i.e., have fixed positions)," such as a wall WL, a fence FE, and a hedge HD, as shown in FIG. 6(A).

[0029] On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 3(A), stationary objects include "response-suppression stationary objects, such as wheel chocks WS, for which it is not necessary to execute obstacle contact avoidance control such as warnings and braking until the vehicle approaches considerably," and "normal response stationary objects, such as walls WL, for which it is necessary to execute obstacle contact avoidance control when the vehicle approaches to a certain extent."

[0030] However, conventional systems do not distinguish between stationary objects that are suppressed by the collision and those that are normal by the collision, and perform obstacle contact avoidance control when the vehicle approaches these stationary objects within a certain distance. As a result, the driver may find the obstacle contact avoidance control performed for stationary objects that are suppressed by the collision to be bothersome.

[0031] Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6A, the embodied device displays stationary objects present at the specific location on the display 93 and prompts the driver to specify (set) whether the stationary object is a "response-suppressed stationary object or a normal-response stationary object." That is, the embodied device prompts the driver to set the type of stationary object. The embodied device then stores the type of stationary object. Thereafter, when the vehicle HV travels through the specific location again, the embodied device executes obstacle contact avoidance control when the distance between the vehicle HV and the stored normal-response stationary object becomes equal to or less than a first distance threshold, and executes obstacle contact avoidance control when the distance between the vehicle HV and the stored normal-response stationary object becomes equal to or less than a "second distance threshold shorter than the first distance threshold." This ensures that obstacle contact avoidance control for normal-response stationary objects is performed reliably, while reducing the frequency with which unnecessary obstacle contact avoidance control for response-suppressed stationary objects is performed.

[0032] (Specific operation) 1. Setting the type of stationary object The CPU 10a (hereinafter simply referred to as "CPU") of the driving assistance ECU 10 executes the routine shown in the flowchart of FIG. 4 every time a predetermined time elapses. Therefore, at a predetermined timing, the CPU starts processing from step (hereinafter abbreviated as "S") 400 in FIG. 4 and proceeds to S405, where it determines whether the vehicle HV is located within the "peripheral area of ​​the registered parking position (i.e., a specific location)." More specifically, the CPU determines whether the vehicle HV is located within the specific location by determining whether the distance between the current location of the vehicle HV obtained based on the GPS signal and the "registered parking position represented by latitude and longitude that identifies the registered parking position" registered in non-volatile memory is within a predetermined distance. The method of registering registered parking positions and registered parking positions will be described later.

[0033] If the vehicle HV is located within the surrounding area (specific location) of the registered parking position, the CPU determines "Yes" in S405, performs the following processes "S410 to S420" in order, and proceeds to S425.

[0034] S410: The CPU acquires feature point information based on image data from the cameras 71-74. S415: The CPU acquires sonar target information based on the sonar information from the first to sixth front sonars 80F and the first to sixth rear sonars 80R. S420: The CPU acquires the "target position relative to the vehicle" based on the feature point information and the sonar target information, and stores the acquired "target position relative to the vehicle" in the RAM.

[0035] In S425, the CPU determines whether the vehicle HV has completed parking. More specifically, the CPU determines whether the current time is immediately after the vehicle speed Vh is "0" and the shift position has changed from a range other than the parking (P) range to the parking (P) range. If the vehicle HV has not completed parking, the CPU proceeds directly from S425 to S495 and temporarily ends this routine. As a result, if the vehicle HV is located within the peripheral area of ​​the registered parking position but has not completed parking, the processing of S410 to S420 is executed every time a predetermined time elapses, and the "target position relative to the vehicle" is stored in RAM every time a predetermined time elapses.

[0036] If the vehicle HV has completed parking when the CPU proceeds to S425, the CPU proceeds from S425 to S430, where it identifies the "target position relative to the position of the vehicle in a parked state (hereinafter referred to as the "parking position")" based on the "target position relative to the vehicle" stored in RAM by the processing of S410 to S420. Furthermore, the CPU stores the identified "target position relative to the parking position" in the non-volatile memory 10d. This "target position relative to the parking position" stored in the non-volatile memory 10d is also referred to as the "current target position."

[0037] Next, the CPU proceeds to S435, where it determines whether or not the "target position relative to the parking position" was stored in the nonvolatile memory 10d at a time before the "current target position" was stored in the nonvolatile memory 10d. That is, the CPU determines whether or not a past target position was stored in the nonvolatile memory 10d. If a past target position was not stored in the nonvolatile memory 10d, the CPU proceeds directly from S435 to S495, where it temporarily ends this routine.

[0038] If the past target positions are stored in the non-volatile memory 10d, the CPU proceeds from S435 to S440, where it identifies "objects that do not move, i.e., stationary objects" based on the current target position and the past target positions. More specifically, the CPU identifies as stationary objects objects whose positions have not changed between the current target position and the past target position.

[0039] Next, the CPU proceeds to S445 and displays the "stationary object identified in S440" on the display 93, as shown in (A) of FIG. 6. At this time, the CPU displays the stationary object so that the driver can understand the position of the stationary object relative to the "vehicle HV in the parking position." In this example, the stationary object is displayed so as to be superimposed on an overhead image of the vehicle HV. Note that the stationary object may also be displayed so as to be superimposed on a viewpoint image of the vehicle HV viewed from a predetermined viewpoint above the vehicle HV.

[0040] Furthermore, in S445, the CPU causes the driver of the vehicle HV to set the type of the “stationary object displayed on the display 93.” That is, the CPU allows the driver to designate one of the “stationary objects displayed on the display 93” by touching the display 93, and to set whether the designated stationary object is a “response-suppressing stationary object” or a “normal-response stationary object.” In the example shown in FIG. 6A, the driver uses the outline arrow (cursor) to select a wheel chock WS, which is one of the stationary objects. Then, the driver sets the type of the wheel chock WS to a “response-suppressing stationary object” by selecting (touching) button B1 of buttons B1 and B2. That is, the driver selects one of the displayed stationary objects (wall WL, fence FE, hedge HD, pole PL, etc.) by touching it, and then sets the “type of the displayed stationary object” by touching either button B1 or button B2 for the selected stationary object. Note that stationary objects for which a type is not set are automatically set to a “normal-response stationary object.”

[0041] Next, the CPU proceeds to S450 and determines whether setting of the type of the displayed stationary object has been completed. More specifically, when the driver touches the "Setting Completed Button B3" shown in (A) of Figure 6, the CPU determines that setting of the type of the displayed stationary object has been completed. Furthermore, if a certain amount of time has passed since the display 93 started to display the "stationary object identified in S440," the CPU determines that setting of the type of the stationary object has been completed even if the "Setting Completed Button B3" has not been touched.

[0042] If the setting of the type of the displayed stationary object has not been completed, the CPU returns from S450 to S445. On the other hand, if the CPU determines that the setting of the type of the displayed stationary object has been completed, the CPU proceeds from S450 to S455. In S455, the CPU associates information specifying whether each stationary object is a "corresponding suppression stationary object" or a "normal corresponding stationary object" (hereinafter also referred to as "stationary object type specification information") in the non-volatile memory 10d with the position of each stationary object, in accordance with the setting of the type of stationary object performed in S445. Thereafter, the CPU proceeds to S495.

[0043] If the CPU determines "No" in any of steps S405, S425, and S435, it proceeds directly from the step where it determined "No" to step S495.

[0044] 2. Vehicle control to avoid contact with obstacles (obstacle contact avoidance control) The CPU executes the routine shown in the flowchart of Fig. 5 every time a predetermined time elapses. Therefore, at the predetermined timing, the CPU starts processing from S500 in Fig. 5 and proceeds to S505, where it determines whether the vehicle HV is currently traveling in the vicinity of a registered parking position, similar to S405. That is, the CPU determines whether the vehicle HV is located within a specific location.

[0045] If the vehicle is currently traveling in the vicinity of the registered parking position, the CPU determines "Yes" in S505, performs the following processes "S510 to S520" in order, and proceeds to S525.

[0046] S510: As in S410, the CPU acquires feature point information based on image data from the cameras 71-74. S515: As in S415, the CPU acquires sonar target information based on sonar information from the first to sixth front sonars 80F and the first to sixth rear sonars 80R. S520: As in S420, the CPU acquires the "target position relative to the vehicle" based on the feature point information and sonar target information, and stores the "target position relative to the vehicle" in the RAM.

[0047] At S525, the CPU determines whether or not there is a normal-corresponding stationary object whose distance to the vehicle HV is equal to or less than the first threshold distance D1th, based on the target position relative to the vehicle and the stationary object position and stationary object type identification information stored in non-volatile memory 10d at S455 in Fig. 4. That is, the CPU determines whether or not there is a normal-corresponding stationary object within area Ar1 indicated by the dashed line in Fig. 6(B). If there is no normal-corresponding stationary object whose distance to the vehicle HV is equal to or less than the first threshold distance D1th, the CPU proceeds directly from S525 to S535.

[0048] On the other hand, if there is a normal-corresponding stationary object whose distance from the vehicle HV is equal to or less than the first threshold distance D1th, the CPU proceeds from S525 to S530, where it causes the alarm sound generator 61 to generate an alarm sound and the alarm display 62 to display an alarm mark via the alarm ECU 60. That is, the CPU issues an alarm. Note that, in S530, the CPU may also execute behavior control to stop the vehicle by applying braking force to the vehicle HV via the brake ECU 40. That is, in S530, the CPU executes vehicle control (obstacle contact avoidance control) including at least one of issuing an alarm to the driver of the vehicle HV and behavior control that changes the behavior of the vehicle HV. The CPU then proceeds to S535.

[0049] At S535, the CPU determines whether or not there is a corresponding inhibited stationary object whose distance to the vehicle HV is equal to or less than the second threshold distance D2th, based on the target position relative to the vehicle and the stationary object position and stationary object type identification information stored in non-volatile memory 10d at S455 in FIG. 4. That is, the CPU determines whether or not there is a corresponding inhibited stationary object within area Ar2 indicated by the dashed line in FIG. 6C. The second threshold distance D2th is shorter than the first threshold distance D1th. If there is no corresponding inhibited stationary object whose distance to the vehicle HV is equal to or less than the second threshold distance D2th, the CPU proceeds directly from S535 to S545.

[0050] On the other hand, if there is a corresponding inhibited stationary object whose distance from the vehicle HV is equal to or less than the second threshold distance D2th, the CPU proceeds from S535 to S540, and executes vehicle control (obstacle contact avoidance control) including at least one of an alarm and behavior control, as in S530. Then, the CPU proceeds to S545.

[0051] At S545, the CPU identifies a non-stationary object (a target that is neither a correspondence-suppressed stationary object nor a normal correspondence stationary object) based on the target position relative to the vehicle and the stationary object position and stationary object type identification information stored in non-volatile memory 10d at S455 in FIG. 4. Then, the CPU determines whether or not there is a non-stationary object (e.g., a bicycle BY shown in FIG. 3B) whose distance from the vehicle HV is equal to or less than the third threshold distance D3th. That is, the CPU determines whether or not there is a non-stationary object within area Ar3 indicated by the dashed line in FIG. 6D. The third threshold distance D3th is equal to or greater than the first threshold distance D1th. If there is no non-stationary object whose distance from the vehicle HV is equal to or less than the third threshold distance D3th, the CPU proceeds directly from S545 to S595 and temporarily ends this routine.

[0052] On the other hand, if there is a non-stationary object whose distance from the vehicle HV is equal to or less than the third threshold distance D3th, the CPU proceeds from S545 to S550, and executes vehicle control (obstacle contact avoidance control) including at least one of an alarm and behavior control, as in S530. Thereafter, the CPU proceeds to S595.

[0053] 3. How to register a parking spot and how to park in a registered parking spot The driving assistance ECU 10 includes, as its functions, a parking path generation unit, a parking assistance execution unit, and a target parking point registration unit.

[0054] When the parking assist switch 92 is operated while the host vehicle speed Vh is zero or near zero, the parking path generation unit searches for a space where the vehicle HV can park based on vehicle surroundings information such as the above-mentioned "feature point information, sonar target information, and / or radar target information acquired by a millimeter-wave radar sensor (not shown)." The parking path generation unit sets a "candidate target parking space" at a predetermined location within the searched "space where parking can occur." The parking path generation unit displays an image on the display 93 in which the candidate target parking space is superimposed on the above-mentioned overhead image and travel direction image.

[0055] When the driver operates the display 93 to determine one of the candidate target parking spaces as the "parking space to which the vehicle should reach (target parking space)," the parking path generation unit generates a path from the vehicle's current position to the target parking space as the target parking path.

[0056] When the parking assistance start button displayed on the display 93 is operated while the target parking path has been generated, the parking assistance execution unit instructs the driver to operate the accelerator pedal, brake pedal, shift lever, and steering wheel so that the vehicle HV travels along the target parking path.

[0057] When the target parking point registration unit determines that parking of the vehicle HV is complete after the parking assistance start button is operated and the driver operates the parking position registration button displayed on the display 93, the target parking point registration unit acquires the current position (latitude and longitude) of the parked vehicle from the navigation ECU 20. The target parking point registration unit registers (stores) the current position of the vehicle as a "registered parking point" in the non-volatile memory 10d of the driving assistance ECU 10.

[0058] The target parking point registration unit associates the above-mentioned feature point information acquired during the parking assistance period from the time the parking assistance start button is operated to the time the parking position registration button is operated with the registered parking point and stores it in the nonvolatile memory 10d. The target parking point registration unit may also store the "target position for the vehicle obtained by integrating the feature point information and the sonar target information" acquired during the parking assistance period in the nonvolatile memory 10d. As a result, the space occupied by the vehicle HV parked at the registered parking point is stored in the nonvolatile memory 10d as a "registered parking position" associated with the feature point information and the registered parking point.

[0059] After the registered parking spot and the registered parking position are registered, if the driver wishes to park the vehicle HV by automatic parking from "the vicinity of the registered parking position (a position within the vicinity area of ​​the registered parking position)" to "the registered parking position for the registered parking spot," the driver inputs an instruction to that effect using the display 93. When this instruction is input, the parking assistance execution unit executes parking assistance control (automatic parking) after the registered parking spot is registered.

[0060] More specifically, the parking assist execution unit acquires feature point information from the driving assist ECU 10 as "actual feature point information" every time a predetermined time period elapses. The parking assist execution unit compares the registered feature point information with the actual feature point information, and moves the vehicle HV to the registered parking position by driving the vehicle HV so that the "positional relationship between the vehicle HV and the grouped feature points represented by the actual feature point information" matches the "positional relationship between the vehicle HV and the grouped feature points represented by the registered feature point information." In this case, the parking assist execution unit sends instruction signals to the powertrain ECU 30, the brake ECU 40, and the steering ECU 50.

[0061] For convenience, this type of “parking assistance control after the registration of a parking spot” is also referred to as “route memory type automatic parking control.” Route memory type automatic parking control is also well known and is described in detail in, for example, Japanese Patent No. 7176421 and Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2023-176547.

[0062] After the registered parking spot and the registered parking position are registered, the driver can manually drive the vehicle HV to the registered parking position. More specifically, after the registered parking spot and the registered parking position are registered, if the driver wishes to manually drive and park the vehicle from "the vicinity of the registered parking position (a position within the vicinity of the registered parking position)" to "the registered parking position for the registered parking spot," the driver inputs an instruction to that effect using the display 93. When this instruction is input, the parking assistance execution unit instructs the driver to operate the "accelerator pedal, brake pedal, shift lever, and steering wheel" so that the actual feature point information matches the registered feature point information.

[0063] As described above, according to the present embodiment, for a normal correspondence stationary object for which early execution of obstacle contact avoidance control is desirable, the obstacle contact avoidance control is executed "when the vehicle approaches the normal correspondence stationary object to the first distance threshold D1th." In contrast, for a response-suppressed stationary object for which early execution of obstacle contact avoidance control would be annoying to the driver, the obstacle contact avoidance control is executed only "when the vehicle approaches the normal correspondence stationary object to the second distance threshold D2th, which is smaller than the first distance threshold." This reduces the frequency with which the driver feels annoyed by the obstacle contact avoidance control. Furthermore, because the driver can set the normal correspondence stationary object and the response-suppressed stationary object, the obstacle contact avoidance control can be executed at a timing desired by the driver.

[0064] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be adopted within the scope of the present invention. For example, the present invention is applicable to an autonomous vehicle HV in which the driving mode has transitioned from autonomous driving to driver driving. Furthermore, the CPU may determine in S425 whether the vehicle HV has moved to a predetermined departure position (i.e., whether departure has been completed). [Explanation of symbols]

[0065] 10... Driving assistance ECU, 20 Navigation ECU, 40... Brake ECU, 41... Braking device, 60... Alarm ECU, 61... Alarm sound generator, 62... Alarm display, 1... Front camera, 72... Rear camera, 73... Right side camera, 74... Left side camera, 80F... 1st to 6th front sonars, 80R... 1st to 6th rear sonars, 93... Touch panel display.

Claims

1. A vehicle control device including a controller that executes obstacle contact avoidance control including at least one of issuing an alarm to a driver of the vehicle and behavior control that changes a behavior of the vehicle when the vehicle approaches a stationary object that is a body that is stationarily present in the specific location while the vehicle is moving within the specific location, The controller storing the stationary objects separately as normal corresponding stationary objects and corresponding suppressed stationary objects; When the distance between the vehicle and the normal stationary object becomes equal to or less than a first distance threshold, the obstacle contact avoidance control is executed; When the distance between the vehicle and the corresponding inhibited stationary object becomes equal to or less than a second distance threshold which is smaller than the first distance threshold, the obstacle contact avoidance control is executed. A vehicle control device configured as above.

2. 2. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, The controller displaying an image in which the stationary object is superimposed on a viewpoint image of the vehicle viewed from a predetermined viewpoint above the vehicle on a display provided in the vehicle; The driver is prompted to select a stationary object displayed on the display and to set whether the selected stationary object is the normal corresponding stationary object or the corresponding suppressed stationary object. A vehicle control device configured as above.

3. 3. The vehicle control device according to claim 2, The controller When the vehicle is moving within the specific location, the obstacle contact avoidance control is executed when a distance between the vehicle and a non-stationary object that is an object other than the stationary object becomes equal to or less than a third distance threshold that is equal to or greater than the first distance threshold. A vehicle control device configured as above.

4. 1. A vehicle control method including a step of executing obstacle contact avoidance control including at least one of issuing an alert to a driver of the vehicle and behavior control that changes a behavior of the vehicle when the vehicle approaches a stationary object that is a body that is stationarily present in the specific location while the vehicle is moving within the specific location, a step of storing the stationary objects by classifying them into normal corresponding stationary objects and corresponding suppressed stationary objects; executing the obstacle contact avoidance control when a distance between the vehicle and the normal corresponding stationary object becomes equal to or less than a first distance threshold; executing the obstacle contact avoidance control when the distance between the vehicle and the corresponding inhibited stationary object becomes equal to or less than a second distance threshold which is smaller than the first distance threshold; A vehicle control method comprising:

5. A program to be executed by a computer mounted on a vehicle, The program is written to the computer. a step of classifying and storing stationary objects, which are objects that are constantly present at a specific location, into normal corresponding stationary objects and corresponding suppressed stationary objects; When the distance between the vehicle and the normal corresponding stationary object becomes equal to or less than a first distance threshold, executing obstacle contact avoidance control including at least one of issuing an alert to a driver of the vehicle and behavior control that changes the behavior of the vehicle; executing the obstacle contact avoidance control when the distance between the vehicle and the corresponding inhibited stationary object becomes equal to or less than a second distance threshold which is smaller than the first distance threshold; A program that executes.

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