Control device, control method, and control program

Abstract

To provide a control device, a control method, and a control program that enable occupants to get off a vehicle, and that also allow resumption of automatic parking, when a vehicle is moved automatically to a parking area.SOLUTION: A control device 30 for automatically parking a vehicle 1 at a prescribed parking position comprises: an acquisition section 31 for acquiring peripheral information of the vehicle 1; a reception section 32 for receiving specification of a parking position from a user of the vehicle; and a control section 33 for automatically moving the vehicle 1 to the parking position, on the basis of the acquired peripheral information and the specified parking position. In moving the vehicle 1 to a parking position when a stopping request has arrived from a user of the vehicle 1, the control section 33 causes the vehicle 1 to stop temporarily, and sets the doors of the vehicle 1 in an openable state from an opening disabled state, and then, if a prescribed operation has been received from the user of the vehicle, movement to the parking position is resumed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a control device, a control method, and a control program. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, efforts to provide access to sustainable transport systems that take into consideration vulnerable transport participants have been gaining momentum. As part of these efforts, research and development is being conducted on driver assistance technologies and autonomous driving technologies for automobiles and other vehicles in order to further improve road safety and convenience.

[0003] For example, conventionally, there is known a device that performs parking assistance control to automatically move a vehicle into a parking area. As an example of such a device, Patent Document 1 below discloses a technology that assists the driver in parking into a parking area when the driver specifies a parking space indicating the parking area on a touch panel. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-203214 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, conventional technology has not considered situations such as when an occupant gets out of a vehicle while the vehicle is being automatically moved to a parking area (or parking position), and there is room for improvement in this regard.

[0006] The present invention provides a control device, a control method, and a control program that enable occupants to get out of a vehicle while the vehicle is being automatically moved to a parking area and enable automatic parking to be resumed. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] One aspect of the present invention is A control device that automatically parks a vehicle in a predetermined parking position, an acquisition unit that acquires surrounding information of the vehicle; a reception unit that receives a designation of a parking position from a user of the vehicle; a control unit that automatically moves the vehicle to the parking position based on the acquired surrounding information and the designated parking position, The control unit When the user of the vehicle requests the vehicle to stop while the vehicle is being moved to the parking position, the vehicle is temporarily stopped, the door of the vehicle is changed from an unopenable state to an openable state, and when a predetermined operation is received from the user of the vehicle, the vehicle resumes moving to the parking position.

[0008] Another aspect of the present invention is A computer that automatically parks a vehicle in a designated parking spot Acquire surrounding information of the vehicle; Accepting a parking location designation from a user of the vehicle; automatically moving the vehicle to the parking position based on the acquired surrounding information and the designated parking position; When the user of the vehicle requests the vehicle to stop while the vehicle is being moved to the parking position, the vehicle is temporarily stopped, the door of the vehicle is changed from an unopenable state to an openable state, and when a predetermined operation is received from the user of the vehicle, the vehicle is caused to resume moving to the parking position.

[0009] Another aspect of the present invention is A computer that automatically parks a vehicle in a designated parking spot. Acquire surrounding information of the vehicle; Accepting a parking location designation from a user of the vehicle; automatically moving the vehicle to the parking position based on the acquired surrounding information and the designated parking position; When the user of the vehicle requests the vehicle to stop while the vehicle is being moved to the parking position, the vehicle is temporarily stopped, the door of the vehicle is changed from an unopenable state to an openable state, and when a predetermined operation is received from the user of the vehicle, the vehicle is caused to resume moving to the parking position. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, when a vehicle is being automatically moved to a parking area, it is possible to allow occupants to get out of the vehicle and resume automatic parking, thereby improving traffic safety and contributing to the development of a sustainable transportation system. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle 1 equipped with a control device 30 according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] 4 is a flowchart showing an example of a process (parking assistance process) executed by a control device 30 according to an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] An embodiment of a vehicle control device of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The following embodiment does not limit the present invention, and not all of the elements described in the following embodiment are necessarily essential to the present invention. Furthermore, two or more elements described in the following embodiment may be arbitrarily combined without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Note that, below, identical or similar elements are denoted by identical or similar reference numerals, and their description may be omitted or simplified.

[0013] [Vehicles equipped with control devices] First, the vehicle of this embodiment will be described. Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a vehicle 1 equipped with a control device 30 of this embodiment. The vehicle 1 is an automobile equipped with a drive source (not shown) and wheels (not shown) including drive wheels driven by the power of the drive source and steerable wheels. As an example, the vehicle 1 can be a four-wheeled automobile having a pair of front wheels and a pair of rear wheels on the left and right.

[0014] The drive source of vehicle 1 may be an electric motor, an internal combustion engine such as a gasoline engine or a diesel engine, or a combination of an electric motor and an internal combustion engine. The drive source of vehicle 1 may drive a pair of left and right front wheels, a pair of left and right rear wheels, or a pair of left and right front and rear wheels, i.e., four wheels. Either one of the front wheels or the rear wheels of vehicle 1 may be steerable wheels, or both may be steerable wheels.

[0015] The vehicle 1 is capable of autonomous driving and driving assistance, which automatically controls driving operations to drive the vehicle. Autonomous driving, as defined here, refers to the vehicle system performing all driving operations, such as recognizing or monitoring the driving environment and surrounding information (surrounding conditions), as well as starting, accelerating / decelerating, steering, and stopping. Driving assistance refers to the vehicle system performing some of the driving operations, such as starting, accelerating / decelerating, steering, and stopping, and includes, for example, an automatic parking system (APS), a lane keep assist system (LKAS), and adaptive cruise control (ACC). In the following embodiment, an example will be described in which the vehicle 1 is automatically parked in a predetermined parking area or parking position.

[0016] The vehicle 1 includes a sensor group 10, a navigation device 20, a control device 30, an electric power steering (EPS) system 40, a driving force control system 50, a braking force control system 60, a communication unit 70, an operation input unit 80, and a door lock device 90.

[0017] The sensor group 10 includes an external sensor 11 that acquires information about the surroundings of the vehicle 1, and a vehicle sensor 12 that acquires information about the vehicle 1. Information acquired by each sensor included in the sensor group 10 (in other words, detected values) is output to the control device 30.

[0018] The external sensor 11 includes, for example, a camera 111, a sonar 112, and a radar 113. The camera 111 is a digital camera that captures an image of the surroundings of the vehicle 1 including the area ahead of the vehicle 1, and outputs image data of the obtained surrounding image to the control device 30. As the camera 111, for example, a digital camera using an imaging element such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) or a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) can be used.

[0019] Sonar 112 emits sound waves around vehicle 1 (for example, in front of, behind, and to the sides of vehicle 1) and receives reflected sound from objects around vehicle 1, thereby detecting the distance and direction of the objects. Radar 113 emits radio waves around vehicle 1, including in front of vehicle 1, and receives reflected waves from objects around vehicle 1, thereby detecting the distance and direction of the objects. For example, a millimeter wave radar can be used as radar 113.

[0020] The external sensor 11 may be configured to include a LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) instead of or in addition to the sonar 112 or the radar 113. In this case, the LiDAR emits laser light to the periphery of the vehicle 1 including the area ahead of the vehicle 1, and receives reflected light from an object present around the vehicle 1 to detect the distance and direction to the object.

[0021] The vehicle sensor 12 includes, for example, a wheel sensor 121, a vehicle speed sensor 122, an inertial measurement unit (IMU) 123, an occupant camera 124, an operation detection unit 125, and a steering touch sensor 126.

[0022] The wheel sensor 121 detects the rotation angle of one or more wheels of the vehicle 1. As an example, the wheel sensor 121 detects the rotation angle of each of the left rear wheel and the right rear wheel. As the wheel sensor 121, for example, an angle sensor or a displacement sensor can be adopted.

[0023] The vehicle speed sensor 122 detects the vehicle speed, which is the running speed (in other words, the moving speed of the vehicle body) of the vehicle 1. For example, the vehicle speed sensor 122 detects the vehicle speed based on the number of rotations of a countershaft (not shown) provided in the vehicle 1.

[0024] The inertial measurement unit 123 detects angular velocities in the pitch, roll, and yaw directions of the vehicle 1, and accelerations in the front-to-rear, left-to-right, and up-to-down directions of the vehicle 1. Note that instead of the inertial measurement unit 123, the vehicle sensor 12 may be configured to include an acceleration sensor that detects acceleration in a predetermined direction of the vehicle 1 and a gyro sensor that detects angular velocity in a predetermined direction of the vehicle 1.

[0025] The occupant camera 124 is a digital camera that captures an image of the interior of the vehicle 1 and outputs image data of the obtained interior image to the control device 30. For example, the occupant camera 124 can be a so-called "driver monitor camera" that is provided so as to be able to capture an image of the head of the driver sitting in the driver's seat of the vehicle 1 from the front (in other words, to be able to capture an image of the face). As with the camera 111, a digital camera using an imaging element such as a CCD or CMOS can be used as the occupant camera 124. Note that in this embodiment, the image data of the interior image obtained by the occupant camera 124 capturing an image of the interior of the vehicle serves as information that can identify the direction of the driver's line of sight.

[0026] The operation detection unit 125 detects operations performed using the operation input unit 80 that is operable by occupants including the driver. In this embodiment, the operation input unit 80 includes, for example, an operation switch (not shown) that accepts an operation to switch automatic parking, which will be described later, on (in other words, activated) and off (in other words, not activated). In this case, the operation detection unit 125 can detect an operation to turn automatic parking on and off. The operation input unit 80 may also include, for example, a door (shown) that an occupant operates when getting out of the vehicle 1. In this case, the operation detection unit 125 can detect a door operation, such as pulling the door handle, by the occupant.

[0027] The steering touch sensor 126 detects whether the steering wheel 46 of the vehicle 1 is being properly gripped. For example, the steering touch sensor 126 is realized by a capacitance sensor or the like. In this case, the capacitance sensor is provided at a portion where the driver touches the steering wheel 46 when the steering wheel 46 is being properly gripped.

[0028] The navigation device 20 includes, for example, a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver 21, a touch panel 22, and a speaker 23. The navigation device 20 also has a storage unit (not shown) configured with a flash memory or the like. The storage unit of the navigation device 20 stores a map information database (DB) 24 and the like.

[0029] The GNSS receiver 21 identifies the current position of the vehicle 1 (for example, the latitude and longitude of the location where the vehicle 1 is located) based on the signals received from the GNSS satellites. Note that the navigation device 20 may acquire, for example, detection results from the vehicle sensors 12 (for example, the wheel sensors 121 and the vehicle speed sensor 122) via the control device 30, and identify or complement the current position of the vehicle 1 by an INS (Inertial Navigation System) that uses the detection values ​​of the vehicle sensors 12.

[0030] The touch panel 22 functions as an input device that accepts input of various information to the control device 30, and as a display device controlled by the control device 30. The touch panel 22 is configured by combining a display device such as a liquid crystal display or an OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) with a pointing device (e.g., a touchpad). The speaker 23 is configured to be able to output audio to an occupant of the vehicle 1 (e.g., the driver).

[0031] For example, the navigation device 20 searches for a route from the current position of the vehicle 1 to a destination set by the driver using the touch panel 22 by referring to the map information database 24. Then, the navigation device 20 provides route guidance using the touch panel 22 and the speaker 23 based on the searched route. The navigation device 20 may also cause the touch panel 22 to display a predetermined display in accordance with an instruction from the control device 30. Specific displays will be described later. Furthermore, the navigation device 20 may output predetermined information to the control device 30, such as information indicating the identified current position of the vehicle 1 or information indicating an operation received via the touch panel 22.

[0032] The control device 30 is a computer that has, for example, a processor that performs various calculations, a storage unit having a non-transitory storage medium that stores various information, an input / output unit that controls input and output of data between the inside and outside of the control device 30, and the like (none of which are shown), and that performs overall control of the vehicle 1. For example, the control device 30 is realized by one ECU (Electronic Control Unit) or by multiple ECUs working together. Note that the control device 30 performs driving assistance such as controlling the vehicle on behalf of the driver, and therefore can also be called a control device in a so-called advanced driver assistance system (ADAS ECU). Specific examples of control by the control device 30 will be described later, so description thereof will be omitted here.

[0033] The EPS system 40 includes, for example, a steering angle sensor 41, a torque sensor 42, an EPS motor 43, a resolver 44, and an EPS ECU 45.

[0034] The steering angle sensor 41 detects the steering angle θst of the steering wheel 46 and outputs information indicating the detected steering angle θst to the EPS ECU 45. The torque sensor 42 detects the steering torque TQ, which is the torque applied to the steering wheel 46 of the vehicle 1, and outputs information indicating the detected steering torque TQ to the EPS ECU 45.

[0035] The EPS motor 43 applies a driving force or a reaction force to a steering column 47 connected to the steering wheel 46 in accordance with instructions from the EPS ECU 45, thereby assisting the driver in operating the steering wheel 46. The resolver 44 detects a rotation angle θm of the EPS motor 43, and outputs information indicating the detected rotation angle θm to the EPS ECU 45.

[0036] The EPS ECU 45 is a computer that includes, for example, a processor that performs various calculations, a storage unit that has a non-transitory storage medium that stores various information, and an input / output unit that controls input and output of data between the inside and outside of the EPS ECU 45 (none of which are shown), and controls the EPS system 40 (e.g., the EPS motor 43), and is realized by one or more ECUs. For example, the EPS ECU 45 controls the EPS system 40 (e.g., the EPS motor 43) based on the steering angle θst detected by the steering angle sensor 41, the steering torque TQ detected by the torque sensor 42, the rotation angle θm detected by the resolver 44, etc.

[0037] Furthermore, the EPS system 40 (for example, the EPS ECU 45) may output information indicating the steering angle θst detected by the steering angle sensor 41, the steering torque TQ detected by the torque sensor 42, the rotation angle θm detected by the resolver 44, etc. to the control device 30. Furthermore, the EPS system 40 (for example, the EPS ECU 45) may output information indicating the steering speed ω of the steering wheel 46 to the control device 30. In this case, the steering speed ω can be obtained, for example, by differentiating the steering angle θst with respect to time.

[0038] The driving force control system 50 includes a driving ECU 51 and is configured to control the driving force of the vehicle 1. The driving ECU 51 is a computer that controls the driving force control system 50 and includes, for example, a processor that performs various calculations, a storage unit having a non-transitory storage medium that stores various information, and an input / output unit that controls input and output of data between the inside and outside of the driving ECU 51 (all of which are not shown). The driving ECU 51 is implemented by one or more ECUs. For example, the driving ECU 51 controls the driving force output from a driving source of the vehicle 1 based on the operation amount of an accelerator pedal 52 provided in the vehicle 1 and the detection value of a shift position sensor 53 that detects the shift position Ps of a shift device (e.g., a shift lever or a shift switch) (not shown). Note that the driving source is an internal combustion engine or a motor, as described above, and the driving ECU 51 controls the output of the internal combustion engine or the motor based on the operation amount of the accelerator pedal 52 and the shift position Ps. The driving ECU 51 can also control the driving force control system 50 (e.g., the driving source) in accordance with instructions from the control device 30.

[0039] The braking force control system 60 includes a braking ECU 61 and is configured to be able to control the braking force of the vehicle 1. The braking ECU 61 is a computer that controls the braking force control system 60 and includes, for example, a processor that performs various calculations, a storage unit having a non-transitory storage medium that stores various information, and an input / output unit that controls input and output of data between the inside and outside of the braking ECU 61 (all of which are not shown). The braking ECU 61 is realized by one or more ECUs. For example, the braking ECU 61 controls the braking force of the vehicle 1 by controlling a brake device (not shown) provided in the vehicle 1 based on operation of a brake pedal 62 provided in the vehicle 1. Here, the brake device includes, for example, a brake caliper, a cylinder that transmits hydraulic pressure to the brake caliper, and an electric motor that generates hydraulic pressure in the cylinder. The braking ECU 61 controls the electric motor of the brake device so as to generate a braking force corresponding to operation of the brake pedal 62. The braking ECU 61 can also control the braking force control system 60 according to instructions from the control device 30.

[0040] The communication unit 70 is a communication interface that communicates with the external device 2 in accordance with control instructions from the control device 30. That is, the control device 30 can communicate with the external device 2 via the communication unit 70. Examples of the external device 2 include a driver's terminal device (e.g., a smartphone) and a server device managed by the manufacturer of the vehicle 1. Note that communication between the vehicle 1 and the external device 2 can be achieved using, for example, a mobile communication network such as a cellular line, Wi-Fi (registered trademark), or Bluetooth (registered trademark).

[0041] The door lock device 90 is a device that locks and unlocks the doors of the vehicle 1 under control of the control device 30. The door lock device 90 includes a door lock ECU 91. The door lock ECU 91 is a computer that controls the door lock device 90 and is implemented by one or more ECUs, and includes, for example, a processor that performs various calculations, a storage unit having a non-transitory storage medium that stores various information, and an input / output unit that controls input and output of data between the inside and outside of the door lock ECU 91 (all of which are not shown). For example, the door lock ECU 91 locks the doors based on the vehicle speed of the vehicle 1, or unlocks the doors when the shift position Ps is in park (P). Furthermore, when a parking assistance process (described later) is executed, the door lock ECU 91 controls the doors to an openable state or an unopenable state according to instructions from the control device 30.

[0042] [Control device] Next, the control device 30 will be described in detail. The control device 30 executes, for example, various programs stored in a storage unit of the control device 30. In this embodiment, the control device 30 is configured to execute control of automatic parking (hereinafter also referred to as "automatic parking") in which the vehicle 1 is automatically parked at a predetermined parking position (or parking area) designated by a user (hereinafter also referred to as "user") including a driver or other occupants. That is, the control device 30 automatically controls the drive source, the braking device, and the steering of the steering wheel 46, and performs automatic parking with the predetermined parking position (hereinafter also referred to as "parking position") designated by the user as the target parking position.

[0043] Here, a basic overview of automatic parking will be described. As described above, automatic parking automatically moves the vehicle 1 to a designated parking position. The start of this movement (i.e., the start of automatic parking) is triggered, for example, by the operation of an operation switch that switches automatic parking on and off, which is provided at a predetermined position on the vehicle 1, or by the operation of a display device such as the touch panel 22. When automatic parking starts, the shift position Ps of the shift device is set to parking (P). Once automatic parking is complete, the control device 30 sets the shift position Ps to drive (D) or reverse (R), and starts moving the vehicle 1. Then, once the vehicle 1 has moved to the designated parking position, the control device 30 returns the shift position Ps to parking (P), ending automatic parking. Note that the trigger for starting the execution of the above-described automatic parking can also be based on other factors, such as the operation of a mobile terminal such as a smartphone when the user is outside the vehicle. However, in this embodiment, automatic parking is started by the operation of an operation switch provided on the vehicle 1 or the operation of a display device such as the touch panel 22.

[0044] In a conventionally known example of automatic parking performed in this manner, if the user opens the door of the vehicle 1 or sets the shift position Ps to parking (P) while automatic parking is being performed, the automatic parking is canceled. On the other hand, while automatic parking is being performed, the user may want to exit the vehicle due to user circumstances (e.g., an emergency such as going to the restroom) or the environment of the parking position (e.g., the parking position is narrow). Therefore, in this embodiment, if the user requests to stop the vehicle while automatic parking is being performed, the user is allowed to exit the vehicle if certain conditions are met. The user's circumstances and the environment of the parking position will be described in detail later.

[0045] Specifically, the control device 30 executes, as an example of a program stored in the storage unit, a parking assistance processing program that assists in automatic parking when it detects the start of automatic parking execution via operation of an operation switch in the operation input unit 80. The control device 30 includes, as functional units realized by executing the program, an acquisition unit 31, a reception unit 32, a control unit 33, and a notification control unit 34. Note that, hereinafter, the processes described as being performed by the acquisition unit 31, the reception unit 32, the control unit 33, and the notification control unit 34 are processes realized by the control device 30.

[0046] The acquisition unit 31 acquires information about the surroundings of the vehicle 1. For example, the acquisition unit 31 performs sensor fusion processing on detection values ​​from some or all of the camera 111, sonar 112, and radar 113 included in the external sensor 11, and acquires information about the surroundings of the vehicle 1 based on the processing results. More specifically, the acquisition unit 31 recognizes the position, type, speed, acceleration, etc. of objects present around the vehicle 1. At this time, the acquisition unit 31 recognizes the position of the object as a position on absolute coordinates with a representative point of the vehicle 1 (e.g., the center of gravity or the center of the drive shaft) as the origin. This makes it possible to recognize the relative positions of the vehicle 1 and the objects present around it. Furthermore, on the absolute coordinates, the position of the object may be represented using a representative point such as the center of gravity or a corner of the object, or may be represented as an area.

[0047] The acquisition unit 31 can also acquire surrounding information including, for example, obstacles present around the vehicle 1. Here, the obstacles may be, for example, other traffic participants (for example, other vehicles or pedestrians) present around the vehicle 1, objects fallen on the road, and the like.

[0048] The acquisition unit 31 also recognizes, for example, the position and posture of the vehicle 1 while it is traveling. For example, the acquisition unit 31 acquires the position of the vehicle 1 by acquiring road dividing lines around the vehicle 1, parking areas, and demarcation lines indicating parking spaces at each parking position from images captured by the camera 111. The acquisition unit 31 also recognizes the position and posture of the vehicle 1 based on, for example, the distance from the road dividing lines and parking space dividing lines, and the angle formed with the road dividing lines and parking space dividing lines. Note that the acquisition unit 31 may recognize the position and posture of the vehicle 1 by recognizing not only road dividing lines and parking space dividing lines, but also boundaries with the road and boundaries with the parking area, including road shoulders, curbs, block walls, guardrails, etc.

[0049] The reception unit 32 receives a parking position designation from the user of the vehicle 1. Specifically, the reception unit 32 receives an instruction signal that instructs the operation of the vehicle 1, input by the user via the touch panel 22 of the navigation device 20. For example, when the user designates a specific parking position from parking position candidates displayed on the touch panel 22, the reception unit 32 receives a signal output from the touch panel 22 in response to the designation as an instruction signal to park the vehicle 1. Note that the specific parking position may be designated (i.e., selected) by the user from among the parking position candidates designated by the control device 30, or may be determined by the user designating the parking position themselves on a map displayed on the touch panel 22 of the navigation device 20, rather than from among the candidates.

[0050] The control unit 33 automatically moves the vehicle 1 to the specified parking position based on the acquired information about the surroundings of the vehicle 1 and the specified parking position. Specifically, the control unit 33 performs drive control, braking control, and steering control of the vehicle 1 via the drive ECU 51, brake ECU 61, and EPS ECU 45, and performs automatic parking with the specified parking position as the target parking position.

[0051] Furthermore, when the control unit 33 receives a stop request from the user of the vehicle 1 while the vehicle 1 is being moved to a designated parking position, the control unit 33 temporarily stops the vehicle 1 and makes the door of the vehicle 1 openable. Here, a stop request refers to, for example, when the shift position Ps in the shift device of the vehicle 1 is in parking (P), that is, when the shift position Ps detected by the shift position sensor 53 is in parking (P), the control unit 33 determines that a stop request has been made by the user. Such a stop request from the user may be based on, for example, the user's convenience or the environment of the parking position. An example of a user's convenience may be when an occupant in the passenger seat or a back seat needs to get out of the vehicle while automatic parking is being performed because they urgently need to go to the restroom and cannot wait until automatic parking is complete. In addition, the environment of the parking position may be such that, for example, the parking width at the parking position is narrow, and when vehicle 1 is parked, the distance to adjacent vehicles is too close, making it difficult for occupants to get out of the vehicle, or there may be puddles or mud on the ground at the parking position, making it difficult for occupants to get out of the vehicle.

[0052] When such a stop request is received from the user of the vehicle 1, the control unit 33 stops the vehicle 1 at its current position and puts the doors into a state where they can be opened. That is, the control unit 33 temporarily stops the vehicle and suspends the automatic parking that is currently being performed. Then, the control unit 33 unlocks the doors of the vehicle 1 (i.e., releases the door locks) via the door lock ECU 91 of the door lock device 90, and puts the vehicle 1 into a state where the user can get out of the vehicle 1. That is, when a stop request is received, the control unit 33 temporarily stops the vehicle 1 and puts the vehicle 1 into a state where the user can get out of the vehicle 1 without the vehicle 1 having completed moving to the parking position. This allows the user to get out of the vehicle 1 without suspending the automatic parking.

[0053] Furthermore, when the control unit 33 receives a predetermined operation from the user of the vehicle 1 while the vehicle 1 is stopped in response to a stop request from the user, the control unit 33 resumes the movement of the vehicle 1 to the parking position. That is, when the control unit 33 receives a predetermined operation for resuming suspended automatic parking through the function of the reception unit 32, the control unit 33 resumes automatic parking and moves the vehicle 1 to the specified parking position. Such a situation may occur, for example, when an occupant needs to get out of the vehicle to go to the restroom, for example, and automatic parking is resumed once the occupant has gotten out of the vehicle. The predetermined operation may be, for example, an operation of the touch panel 22 of the navigation device 20 or an operation switch for automatic parking. When the control unit 33 receives the predetermined operation from the user, the control unit 33 resumes the movement of the vehicle 1 to the parking position. That is, automatic parking is resumed.

[0054] As a premise, when the vehicle 1 is being moved to a parking position, the control unit 33 controls the doors of the vehicle 1 to be in a state where they cannot be opened until a stop request is received. That is, the control unit 33 controls the doors of the vehicle 1 to be in a locked state via the door lock ECU 91 so that the doors cannot be opened by a user operation unless a stop request is received.

[0055] The notification control unit 34 provides a predetermined notification to the user of the vehicle 1. For example, when the notification control unit 34 stops the vehicle 1 in response to a stop request from the user of the vehicle 1 while the vehicle 1 is being moved to a parking position specified by the user, the notification control unit 34 provides a notification that automatic parking of the vehicle 1 is being suspended. Specifically, the notification control unit 34 provides a notification that a message indicating that the automatic parking is being suspended (for example, "Automatic parking suspended") is displayed on a display device such as the touch panel 22. This allows the user of the vehicle 1, for example, to understand that automatic parking is suspended by looking at the message.

[0056] Furthermore, when the vehicle 1 is stopped in response to a user's request to stop, the notification control unit 34 issues a notification to prompt the user to perform the predetermined operation (in other words, a notification to prompt the user to resume automatic parking). That is, after automatic parking has been temporarily suspended, the notification control unit 34 issues a notification to prompt the user to resume moving the vehicle 1 to the designated parking position because the vehicle 1 has not yet completed moving to the parking position. For example, the notification control unit 34 issues a notification to display a message prompting the user to resume automatic parking (e.g., "Please perform an operation to resume automatic parking") on a display device such as the touch panel 22. Note that this notification may be issued simultaneously with the suspension of automatic parking, or may be issued after a predetermined time (e.g., 30 seconds) has elapsed (i.e., if automatic parking has not been resumed for the predetermined time).

[0057] Furthermore, if the user performs a door opening operation while the vehicle 1 is being moved to a parking position, the notification control unit 34 notifies the user of the means for interrupting automatic parking of the vehicle 1. As described above, in this embodiment, the control device 30 can interrupt automatic parking of the vehicle 1 while the control device 30 is performing the automatic parking. However, some users may not understand the means for interrupting automatic parking and may perform a door opening operation (for example, pulling the door handle). As described above, as a premise, when the vehicle 1 is being moved by automatic parking, the doors of the vehicle 1 are controlled to a state where they cannot be opened except when there is a request to stop the vehicle. Therefore, if the user performs a door opening operation while the vehicle 1 is being moved to a parking position, the notification control unit 34 notifies the user of the means for interrupting automatic parking of the vehicle 1. For example, the notification control unit 34 notifies the user of the means for interrupting automatic parking of the vehicle 1 by displaying a message (for example, "Please set the shift position Ps to Park (P)") on a display device such as the touch panel 22 to prompt the user to notify the user of the interruption operation means. As a result, for example, the user of the vehicle 1 can understand the means for interrupting automatic parking by looking at the message. The determination as to whether or not a door opening operation has been performed is made by the operation detection unit 125, for example.

[0058] The notification control unit 34 may notify the user via the speaker 23 of the navigation device 20 in addition to displaying the information on a display device such as the touch panel 22 described above.

[0059] [Example of processing performed by the control device] Next, an example of the parking assistance process executed by the control device 30 will be described using a flowchart. Fig. 2 is a flowchart showing an example of the process, and the process is executed, for example, when an operation switch for performing automatic parking is turned on. As described above, when automatic parking starts, the shift position Ps of the shift device is set to parking (P), and when automatic parking starts, the shift position Ps is set to drive (D) or reverse (R). Furthermore, when automatic parking starts, the doors of the vehicle 1 cannot be opened unless a predetermined operation is performed.

[0060] First, the control device 30 acquires information about the surroundings of the vehicle 1 (step S1). That is, the control device 30 recognizes the surrounding information acquired by the camera 111, the sonar 112, the radar 113, etc., using the functions of the acquisition unit 31.

[0061] Next, the control device 30 acquires the parking position of the vehicle 1 (step S2). That is, the control device 30 acquires the predetermined parking position designated by the user by operating the touch panel 22 or the like, using the function of the reception unit 32. The control device 30 receives a signal output from the touch panel 22 in response to the designation as an instruction signal to park the vehicle 1.

[0062] Next, the control device 30 starts moving the vehicle 1 to the parking position (step S3). That is, the control device 30 starts moving the vehicle 1 to the parking position acquired in step S2 (automatic parking) by using the function of the control unit 33. Specifically, the control device 30 performs drive control, braking control, and steering control of the vehicle 1 via the drive ECU 51, brake ECU 61, and EPS ECU 45, and starts automatic parking with the specified parking position as the target parking position.

[0063] Next, the control device 30 determines whether the movement of the vehicle 1 started in step S3 has reached the parking position (step S4). That is, the control device 30 determines whether automatic parking has been completed using the function of the control unit 33. For example, the control device 30 identifies the position and posture of the vehicle 1 based on detection by the camera 111 or the like using the function of the acquisition unit 31. If the vehicle 1 is located within the parking space of the designated parking position and the posture of the vehicle 1 is parallel to the line indicating the parking space, the control device 30 determines that the vehicle 1 has reached the parking position, i.e., that automatic parking has been completed. If the control device 30 determines in step S4 that the vehicle 1 has reached the parking position (Yes in step S4), the control device 30 stops the vehicle 1 (step S5). That is, the control device 30 shifts the shift position Ps of the shift device to parking (P) to complete automatic parking of the vehicle 1. When the shift position Ps of the shift device is in parking (P), the control device 30 ends the processing of the flowchart shown in FIG. 2.

[0064] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S4 that the vehicle 1 has not reached the parking position (No in step S4), the control device 30 determines whether or not there is a request to stop the vehicle 1 (step S6). That is, the control device 30 determines, for example, whether the shift position Ps of the vehicle 1 is in parking (P) using the function of the control unit 33, and if it determines that the shift position Ps is in parking (P) (Yes in step S6), the process proceeds to step S7. The shift position Ps is determined based on a signal input to the control device 30 from the shift position sensor 53, for example.

[0065] In step S7, the control device 30 temporarily stops the vehicle 1. That is, the control device 30 stops the vehicle 1 at its current position using the function of the control unit 33. Then, the control unit 33 controls the doors of the vehicle 1 to be in an openable state (step S8). That is, the control device 30 uses the function of the control unit 33 to unlock the doors of the vehicle 1 via the door lock ECU 91 of the door lock device 90, allowing the user to get out of the vehicle 1.

[0066] Next, the control device 30 notifies the user that the automatic parking is being suspended (step S9). That is, the control device 30 uses the function of the notification control unit 34 to notify a display device such as the touch panel 22 that the automatic parking is being suspended.

[0067] Next, the control device 30 issues a notification of a predetermined operation to resume the suspended automatic parking (step S10). That is, the control device 30 uses the function of the notification control unit 34 to issue a notification of a predetermined operation (for example, operation of the touch panel 22 of the navigation device 20 or operation of an automatic parking operation switch) to prompt the user to resume automatic parking on a display device such as the touch panel 22. Then, the control device 30 determines whether or not the predetermined operation has been accepted (step S11).

[0068] For example, when it is determined that an operation of the touch panel 22, an operation switch, or the like has not yet been accepted (No in step S11), the control device 30 waits until the predetermined operation is accepted.

[0069] On the other hand, if it is determined that an operation of the touch panel 22, an operation switch, or the like has been accepted (Yes in step S11), the control device 30 controls the doors of the vehicle 1 to an unopenable state (step S12). That is, the control device 30 accepts a predetermined operation to resume automatic parking, and thereby makes the doors that were made openable in step S8 into an unopenable state. This is to ensure the safety of occupants and the like by making the doors unable to open while automatic parking is being performed.

[0070] Next, the control device 30 resumes the movement of the vehicle 1 to the parking position (step S13). That is, the control device 30, using the functions of the control unit 33, performs drive control, braking control, and steering control of the vehicle 1 via the drive ECU 51, brake ECU 61, and EPS ECU 45, and resumes automatic parking with the specified parking position as the target parking position. After the control device 30 resumes the movement of the vehicle 1 to the parking position, the process returns to step S4.

[0071] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S6 above that there is no request from the user to stop the vehicle 1 (No in step S6), the control device 30 determines whether a door of the vehicle 1 has been opened (step S14). As described above, some users may not know how to interrupt automatic parking and may perform a door-opening operation, such as pulling the door handle. Therefore, if the control device 30 determines that a door-opening operation has been performed (Yes in step S14), the process proceeds to step S15, and the control device 30 notifies the user of the means for interrupting automatic parking.

[0072] Specifically, in step S15, the control device 30 performs the notification by causing a display device such as the touch panel 22 to display a message urging the driver to notify the driver of an operation to interrupt automatic parking of the vehicle 1, using the function of the notification control unit 34. Alternatively, the notification may be performed via the speaker 23. Note that, if the control device 30 determines in step S14 that no door opening operation has been performed (No in step S14), the process returns to step S4.

[0073] As described above, in this embodiment, when a stop request is received from the user while automatic parking is being performed, the control device 30 temporarily stops the vehicle 1 and places the vehicle 1 in a state where the doors can be opened. That is, when a stop request is received, the control device 30 stops the vehicle, thereby suspending the execution of automatic parking, unlocking the doors via the door lock ECU 91, and placing the vehicle in a state where a user, such as a passenger, can exit the vehicle. As a result, for example, when the user wants to exit the vehicle during automatic parking due to user reasons such as going to the restroom or the parking position environment, such as the presence of a puddle of water in the parking position, the user can exit the vehicle 1 without canceling automatic parking. By executing such processing, the control device 30 can ultimately improve traffic safety and contribute to the development of sustainable transportation systems.

[0074] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the control device 30 receives a predetermined operation from the user, such as an operation on the touch panel 22 or an operation switch, while the vehicle is stopped in response to a stop request, it resumes the suspended movement to the parking position. This reduces the inconvenience to the user of having to start the process from the beginning, compared to a configuration in which automatic parking is stopped and automatic parking is restarted from the beginning when a stop request is received. Furthermore, because automatic parking can be restarted from the same state as after the interruption, the processing load on the control device 30 can be reduced compared to restarting automatic parking from the beginning.

[0075] In this embodiment, the above-described stop request is based on, for example, an operation of setting the shift position Ps of the shift device to parking (P). Normally, when stopping the vehicle, the user operates the shift device to set the shift position Ps to parking (P). Therefore, even while automatic parking is being performed, the user can make a stop request with such a simple operation.

[0076] In this embodiment, the control device 30 prevents the doors from being opened until a stop request is received while the vehicle 1 is being moved to a parking position. This prevents the doors from being opened even if a door opening operation is performed while the vehicle 1 is being moved, thereby ensuring the safety of the user and the vehicle 1.

[0077] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the control device 30 stops the vehicle 1 in response to a stop request from the user of the vehicle 1 while the vehicle 1 is being moved to a parking position, the control device 30 notifies the user that automatic parking is being suspended via a display device such as the touch panel 22 or the speaker 23. This allows the user to understand that the current situation is that automatic parking is being suspended.

[0078] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the vehicle 1 is stopped in response to a stop request from the user, the control device 30 issues a notification prompting the user to perform a predetermined operation (i.e., a notification prompting the user to resume automatic parking) via a display device such as the touch panel 22 or the speaker 23. As a result, even if the user forgets to resume automatic parking, for example, the user can resume automatic parking by receiving the notification.

[0079] Furthermore, in this embodiment, if the user opens a door while the vehicle 1 is being moved to a parking position, the control device 30 notifies the user of an operation to interrupt automatic parking via a display device such as the touch panel 22 or the speaker 23. As a result, even if the user does not know how to interrupt automatic parking and opens a door, the user can know how to interrupt automatic parking by receiving the notification.

[0080] [others] Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above with reference to the drawings, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. It is clear that a person skilled in the art can conceive of various modifications or alterations within the scope of the claims, and it is understood that these also naturally fall within the technical scope of the present invention.

[0081] For example, examples of the above-mentioned stop request from the user may include when the shift position Ps of the shift device is set to parking (P), or when the parking brake is applied.

[0082] The control method described in the above-described embodiment can be realized by executing a prepared control program on a computer. The control program is recorded on a computer-readable storage medium and executed by being read from the storage medium. The control program may be provided in a form stored on a non-transitory storage medium such as a flash memory, or may be provided via a network such as the Internet. The computer that executes the control program may be included in a control device, or may be included in an electronic device such as a smartphone, tablet, or personal computer that can communicate with the control device, or may be included in a server device that can communicate with these control devices and electronic devices.

[0083] This specification describes at least the following: Note that the components in parentheses correspond to those in the above-described embodiments, but are not limited to these.

[0084] (1) A control device (control device 30) that automatically parks a vehicle (vehicle 1) in a predetermined parking position, an acquisition unit (acquisition unit 31) that acquires surrounding information of the vehicle; a reception unit (reception unit 32) that receives a designation of a parking position from a user of the vehicle; a control unit (control unit 33) that automatically moves the vehicle to the parking position based on the acquired surrounding information and the designated parking position, The control unit When a stop request is received from a user of the vehicle while the vehicle is being moved to the parking position, the vehicle is temporarily stopped, a door of the vehicle is changed from an unopenable state to an openable state, and when a predetermined operation is received from the user of the vehicle, the vehicle is resumed from being moved to the parking position. Control device.

[0085] According to (1), for example, if the user wants to get out of the vehicle while automatic parking is being performed due to user convenience, such as going to the restroom, or the parking location environment, such as there being a puddle of water in the parking location, the user can get out of the vehicle without canceling automatic parking. Also, by restarting movement to the parking location when a predetermined operation is received from the user, it is possible to reduce the inconvenience to the user of having to start automatic parking from the beginning, compared to a configuration in which automatic parking is canceled and automatic parking is restarted from the beginning.

[0086] (2) The control device according to (1), The stop request is an operation to set the shift position (shift position Ps) of the vehicle to parking. Control device.

[0087] According to (2), when stopping the vehicle, the user usually operates the shift device to put the shift position into park, so even when automatic parking is being performed, a request to stop the vehicle can be made with such a simple operation.

[0088] (3) The control device according to (1), The control unit When the vehicle is being moved to the parking position, the door is set to a state in which it cannot be opened until the stop request is received. Control device.

[0089] According to (3), even if a door opening operation is performed while the vehicle is moving, the door will not open, thereby ensuring the safety of the user and the vehicle, etc.

[0090] (4) The control device according to (1), The vehicle further includes a notification control unit (notification control unit 34) that issues a predetermined notification to a user of the vehicle. The notification control unit When the vehicle is being moved to the parking position and the vehicle is stopped in response to a stop request from a user of the vehicle, a notification is given that automatic parking for automatically parking the vehicle is being suspended. Control device.

[0091] According to (4), the user can understand that the current situation is that automatic parking is being suspended.

[0092] (5) The control device according to (1), The vehicle further includes a notification control unit (notification control unit 34) that issues a predetermined notification to a user of the vehicle. The notification control unit When the vehicle is stopped in response to the stop request, a notification prompting the user to perform the predetermined operation is given. Control device.

[0093] According to (5), even if the user forgets to resume automatic parking, the user can resume automatic parking by receiving the notification.

[0094] (6) The control device according to (1), The vehicle further includes a notification control unit (notification control unit 34) that issues a predetermined notification to a user of the vehicle. The notification control unit When the user performs an operation to open the door while the vehicle is being moved to the parking position, a notification is sent to an automatic parking interruption operation means that automatically parks the vehicle. Control device.

[0095] According to (6), even if the user does not know how to interrupt automatic parking and opens the door, the user can know how to interrupt automatic parking by receiving the notification.

[0096] (7) A computer that automatically parks a vehicle (vehicle 1) in a designated parking position Acquire surrounding information of the vehicle; Accepting a parking location designation from a user of the vehicle; automatically moving the vehicle to the parking position based on the acquired surrounding information and the designated parking position; When a stop request is received from a user of the vehicle while the vehicle is being moved to the parking position, the vehicle is stopped, a door of the vehicle is changed from an unopenable state to an openable state, and when a predetermined operation is received from the user of the vehicle, the vehicle is resumed from moving to the parking position. Control method.

[0097] According to (7), for example, if the user wants to get out of the vehicle while automatic parking is being performed due to user convenience, such as going to the restroom, or the parking location environment, such as there being a puddle of water in the parking location, the user can get out of the vehicle without canceling automatic parking. Also, by restarting movement to the parking location when a predetermined operation is received from the user, it is possible to reduce the inconvenience to the user of having to start automatic parking from the beginning, compared to a configuration in which automatic parking is canceled and automatic parking is restarted from the beginning.

[0098] (8) A computer that automatically parks a vehicle (vehicle 1) in a predetermined parking position. Acquire surrounding information of the vehicle; Accepting a parking location designation from a user of the vehicle; automatically moving the vehicle to the parking position based on the acquired surrounding information and the designated parking position; When a stop request is received from a user of the vehicle while the vehicle is being moved to the parking position, the vehicle is stopped, a door of the vehicle is changed from an unopenable state to an openable state, and when a predetermined operation is received from the user of the vehicle, the vehicle is resumed from moving to the parking position. Control program.

[0099] According to (8), for example, if the user wants to get out of the vehicle while automatic parking is being performed due to user convenience, such as going to the restroom, or the parking location environment, such as there being a puddle of water in the parking location, the user can get out of the vehicle without canceling automatic parking. Also, by restarting movement to the parking location when a predetermined operation is received from the user, it is possible to reduce the inconvenience to the user of having to start automatic parking from the beginning, compared to a configuration in which automatic parking is canceled and automatic parking is restarted from the beginning. [Explanation of symbols]

[0100] 1 vehicle 30 Control device 31 Acquisition Department 32 Reception Department 33 Control Unit 34 Notification control section Ps Shift position

Claims

1. A control device that automatically parks a vehicle in a predetermined parking position, an acquisition unit that acquires surrounding information of the vehicle; a reception unit that receives a designation of a parking position from a user of the vehicle; a control unit that automatically moves the vehicle to the parking position based on the acquired surrounding information and the designated parking position, The control unit When a stop request is received from a user of the vehicle while the vehicle is being moved to the parking position, the vehicle is temporarily stopped, a door of the vehicle is changed from an unopenable state to an openable state, and when a predetermined operation is received from the user of the vehicle, the vehicle is resumed from being moved to the parking position. Control device.

2. The control device according to claim 1, The stop request is an operation to put the shift position of the vehicle into parking. Control device.

3. The control device according to claim 1, The control unit When the vehicle is being moved to the parking position, the door is set to a state in which it cannot be opened until the stop request is received. Control device.

4. The control device according to claim 1, a notification control unit that issues a predetermined notification to a user of the vehicle; The notification control unit When the vehicle is being moved to the parking position and the vehicle is stopped in response to a stop request from a user of the vehicle, a notification is given that automatic parking for automatically parking the vehicle is being suspended. Control device.

5. The control device according to claim 1, a notification control unit that issues a predetermined notification to a user of the vehicle; The notification control unit When the vehicle is stopped in response to the stop request, a notification prompting the user to perform the predetermined operation is given. Control device.

6. The control device according to claim 1, a notification control unit that issues a predetermined notification to a user of the vehicle; The notification control unit When the user performs an operation to open the door while the vehicle is being moved to the parking position, a notification is sent to an automatic parking interruption operation means that automatically parks the vehicle. Control device.

7. A computer that automatically parks a vehicle in a designated parking spot Acquire surrounding information of the vehicle; Accepting a parking location designation from a user of the vehicle; automatically moving the vehicle to the parking position based on the acquired surrounding information and the designated parking position; When a stop request is received from a user of the vehicle while the vehicle is being moved to the parking position, the vehicle is temporarily stopped, a door of the vehicle is changed from an unopenable state to an openable state, and when a predetermined operation is received from the user of the vehicle, the vehicle is resumed from moving to the parking position. Control method.

8. A computer that automatically parks a vehicle in a designated parking spot. Acquire surrounding information of the vehicle; Accepting a parking location designation from a user of the vehicle; automatically moving the vehicle to the parking position based on the acquired surrounding information and the designated parking position; When a stop request is received from a user of the vehicle while the vehicle is being moved to the parking position, the vehicle is temporarily stopped, a door of the vehicle is changed from an unopenable state to an openable state, and when a predetermined operation is received from the user of the vehicle, the vehicle is resumed from moving to the parking position. Control program.

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