Vehicle-purpose periphery monitoring device

Abstract

To accurately grasp a presence and a position of a moving object in a periphery of a vehicle using information transmitted from an appliance capable of communicating with the vehicle, and to ensure a safety of the vehicle and a surrounding of the vehicle.SOLUTION: A vehicle-purpose periphery monitoring device is provided which monitors a periphery of a vehicle by using information acquired from a portable type appliance that can communicate with the vehicle, and comprises: a communication unit that receives positional information of the appliance output from the appliance; and a control unit that monitors the appliance based on the positional information and controls the vehicle based on a monitoring result. The control unit detects the appliance when the appliance enters a region that is less than a predetermined distance from the vehicle, and obtains a predicted position of the appliance after a predetermined time when the appliance is moving. When the detected position or the predicted position of the appliance is located in a region in front of the vehicle, the control unit limits the forward travel of the vehicle, and when the detected position or the predicted position of the appliance is located behind the vehicle in the region, the control unit restricts a travel of the vehicle in a backward direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle surroundings monitoring device that monitors the surroundings of a vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art When a moving object such as another vehicle or a pedestrian approaches a vehicle, various techniques have been proposed to prevent the vehicle from coming into contact with or colliding with the moving object. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a rear monitoring device for a vehicle that, when another vehicle is approaching from the rear side of a parked vehicle and detects the opening of a door on the other vehicle, displays a no-entry area on the road surface on the other vehicle's side or controls a speaker to provide information to the driver of the other vehicle. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-85869 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, various moving objects, including not only other vehicles but also pedestrians, animals, etc., can approach a vehicle from all directions. For this reason, it is difficult to say that simply providing information such as displaying no-entry areas is sufficient for all moving objects, and in order to prevent contact or collision with a moving object (hereinafter referred to as contact, etc.), it is preferable for the vehicle to perform avoidance operations against contact, etc. However, if the movement of a moving object cannot be predicted or if the driver cannot see the moving object because the moving object is located in the vehicle's blind spot, the driver will not be able to grasp the existence or location of the moving object, making it difficult for the driver to take evasive action even if there is a risk of contact.

[0005] For example, if a passenger who was riding in the vehicle gets out and the driver is no longer able to see the passenger, the driver may recognize that the passenger is no longer around the vehicle and resume driving. In this case, even if the passenger who got out is actually around the vehicle, if the driver cannot see the passenger because he or she is in the blind spot of the vehicle, the driver will continue driving without taking any avoidance action.

[0006] Therefore, even if a moving object is present in a position around the vehicle that cannot be seen by the occupants, such as in a blind spot of the vehicle, it is necessary to ensure the safety of the vehicle and its surroundings by accurately detecting the presence and position of the moving object and preventing contact between the vehicle and the moving object, etc.

[0007] The present invention addresses such a situation by accurately determining the presence and location of moving objects around the vehicle using information transmitted from devices capable of communicating with the vehicle, thereby ensuring the safety of the vehicle and its surroundings. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above problems, a vehicle surroundings monitoring device according to the present invention has the following configuration. That is, one aspect of the present invention provides a vehicle periphery monitoring device that monitors the periphery of a vehicle using information obtained from a portable device capable of communicating with the vehicle, the device comprising: a communication unit that receives position information of the device output from the device; and a control unit that monitors the device based on the position information and controls the vehicle based on the monitoring results, wherein the control unit detects the device that has entered an area less than a predetermined distance from the vehicle, and if the device is moving, calculates a predicted position that predicts the location of the device after a predetermined time, and restricts the vehicle from traveling forward when the detected position or the predicted position of the device is located in front of the vehicle in the area, and restricts the vehicle from traveling backward when the detected position or the predicted position of the device is located behind the vehicle in the area. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] A vehicle surroundings monitoring device with these characteristics can accurately grasp the presence and location of moving objects around the vehicle by using information emitted from equipment capable of communicating with the vehicle, thereby ensuring the safety of the vehicle and its surroundings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle control system including a vehicle surroundings monitoring device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a case where a user carrying a device is present in the vicinity of a vehicle. [Figure 3] 3 is a flowchart showing a monitoring process of an apparatus in the vehicle surroundings monitoring device according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] 4 is a flowchart showing the vehicle control process in step S18 of FIG. 3, illustrating the control process for the vehicle based on the monitoring results of the devices in the vehicle surroundings monitoring device according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] 10 is a flowchart showing a modified example of the monitoring process of the device in the vehicle surroundings monitoring device according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] 6 is a flowchart showing the vehicle control process in step S29 of FIG. 5, illustrating a modified example of the control process for the vehicle based on the monitoring results of the devices in the vehicle surroundings monitoring device according to the embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same reference numerals in different drawings denote parts with the same functions, and duplicated descriptions in each drawing will be omitted as appropriate.

[0012] 1, a vehicle periphery monitoring device (periphery monitoring ECU 11) according to this embodiment functions as a part of a vehicle control system 1 mounted on a vehicle 100. The vehicle control system 1 includes a plurality of sensors that acquire various information indicating the running state of the vehicle 100 and the environment inside and outside the vehicle, various electronic devices required for running the vehicle 100, and a plurality of ECUs (Electronic Control Units) that control these sensors and electronic devices.

[0013] The sensors, electronic devices, and ECUs are interconnected so as to be able to communicate with each other via an in-vehicle network 3 such as a CAN (Controller Area Network) or a LIN (Local Interconnect Network) and a central gateway (CGW) 4 as a relay device.

[0014] In the vehicle control system 1, information acquired by each sensor is output to the in-vehicle network 3, and information indicating the operating state of an electronic device to be controlled (hereinafter referred to as a controlled device) is output from each ECU to the in-vehicle network 3. Furthermore, each ECU controls the operation of the controlled device based on information acquired from each sensor and other ECUs via the in-vehicle network 3.

[0015] Each ECU includes a processor, such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), which executes various processes. Each ECU also includes volatile storage elements, such as RAM (Random Access Memory) that temporarily processes data used by the processor, and non-volatile storage elements, such as ROM (Read Only Memory) that stores programs executed by the processor. Note that some or all of the operations executed by each ECU can also be implemented by hardware, such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or GPU (Graphics Processing Unit).

[0016] 1 illustrates only a periphery monitoring ECU 11, a communication control ECU 21, a drive control ECU 31, a door control ECU 41, and an alarm control ECU 51, which are a vehicle periphery monitoring device, among the multiple ECUs, and omits the illustration of other ECUs. Also, among the multiple sensors, a steering angle sensor 321 that detects the steering angle of a steering wheel (not shown) of the vehicle 100, a shift sensor 322 that detects the position of a shift lever (not shown), a brake sensor 323 that detects the operation of a brake (not shown), and a side brake sensor 324 that detects the operation of a side brake (not shown), and omits the illustration of other sensors and devices. In this embodiment, detailed explanations and illustrations of ECUs, sensors, and electronic devices that are not involved in the function and operation of the periphery monitoring ECU 11 will be omitted even if they are included in the vehicle control system 1.

[0017] The periphery monitoring ECU 11, the communication control ECU 21, the drive control ECU 31, the door control ECU 41, and the notification control ECU 51 shown in FIG. 1 will be described.

[0018] The periphery monitoring ECU 11 receives device information transmitted from the device D and uses the received device information to monitor the periphery of the vehicle 100. That is, the periphery monitoring ECU 11 monitors the position and movement of the device D in the periphery of the vehicle 100 using the device information transmitted from the device D, and controls the vehicle 100 based on the monitoring results, that is, outputs a control signal for controlling the vehicle 100.

[0019] Here, the device D may be, for example, a portable and small communication device capable of short-range wireless communication such as UWB (Ultra Wideband) wireless communication, Wi-Fi (registered trademark), or Bluetooth (registered trademark).The device D may be a dedicated communication device for communicating with the vehicle 100, or a general-purpose communication device such as a smartphone or a smartwatch.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 1, the periphery monitoring ECU 11 includes a CPU 111, a ROM 112, a RAM 113, and an I / F 114, and monitors the periphery of the vehicle 100 by the CPU 111 executing various processes based on programs stored in the ROM 112. The ROM 112 provided as a non-volatile storage element stores a program for monitoring the device D and controlling the vehicle 100 in accordance with the monitoring results, as well as various data required to execute this program.

[0021] The RAM 113, which is provided as a volatile storage element, is used as a work area when the CPU 111 executes various processes. Therefore, various pieces of information output from the ECUs and sensors on the in-vehicle network 3 are temporarily stored in the RAM 113 as needed.

[0022] The I / F 114 controls the input and output of various information and control signals used in the periphery monitoring ECU 11. That is, the I / F 114 accepts input of device information of device D received by the communication device 22 and output from the communication control ECU 21 to the in-vehicle network 3, and various information output from other ECUs and various sensors to the in-vehicle network 3. The I / F 114 also outputs control signals generated by the CPU 111 to an output destination according to the control content. Note that the I / F 114 may be configured to enable wireless communication, and may directly receive device information transmitted from device D without going through the in-vehicle network 3.

[0023] The CPU 111 then loads the program stored in the ROM 112 into a memory such as the RAM 113 and executes it to monitor the device D and control the vehicle 100 based on the monitoring results.

[0024] The communication control ECU 21 is connected to the communication device 22 and controls the transmission and reception of signals in the communication device 22. The communication device 22 communicates with the device D and receives device information including location information indicating the location of the device D and identification information of the device D output from the device D. The communication control ECU 21 outputs the device information received by the communication device 22 to the periphery monitoring ECU 11 via the in-vehicle network 3. Note that the communication device 22 is configured to communicate with various devices in addition to the device D, including, for example, communication devices mounted on other vehicles, external servers, and electronic keys of the vehicle 100.

[0025] The drive control ECU 31 controls the vehicle drive unit 32. That is, the power train system, brake system, steering system, and the like (none of which are shown) that constitute the vehicle drive unit 32 are driven (steered, accelerated, decelerated, stopped, etc.) and controlled in accordance with control signals output from the drive control ECU 31.

[0026] The drive control ECU 31 receives detection information indicating the detection results of the steering angle sensor 321, the shift sensor 322, the brake sensor 323, and the parking brake sensor 324. The drive control ECU 31 also receives a control signal based on the monitoring results of device D from the periphery monitoring ECU 11, which will be described later. The drive control ECU 31 controls the drive of the vehicle drive unit 32 based on detection information indicating the detection results of each sensor and control signals from the periphery monitoring ECU 11, thereby performing operations related to driving and parking / stopping of the vehicle 100.

[0027] The door control ECU 41 controls a door opening / closing mechanism 421 and a door locking mechanism 422 provided for each of the multiple doors 42. For example, the door control ECU 41 controls the door locking mechanism 422 in accordance with a locking signal or an unlocking signal based on the operation of a switch provided in the vehicle cabin or a locking signal or an unlocking signal from an electronic key received via the communication control ECU 21, thereby locking or unlocking the door 42. Furthermore, when the door control ECU 41 receives a locking signal or an unlocking signal for the door 42 from the periphery monitoring ECU 11, it controls the door locking mechanism 422 based on the signal. The open / closed state and locked / unlocked state of the door 42 can be monitored by a door open / close sensor (not shown) and a door lock sensor (not shown).

[0028] The notification control ECU 51 controls the notification unit 52 to notify the driver of the vehicle 100 of information for assisting the driving of the vehicle 100, such as navigation information and the state of the vehicle. In addition, the notification control ECU 51 controls the notification unit 52 to notify the driver of information regarding device D when device D enters an area less than a predetermined distance from the vehicle 100 (the "warning area WA" described later) in accordance with a control signal from the periphery monitoring ECU 11.

[0029] The information about device D notified to the driver by the notification unit 52 includes information that the driver should pay attention to regarding device D, such as information indicating that device D has approached the vehicle 100, that device D is in the alert area, the direction of movement of device D, and the position of device D. The notification control ECU 51 controls the notification unit 52 to notify the driver of predetermined information from among these pieces of information. The notification unit 52 includes a display unit 521, a speaker 522, and a vibrator 523, and notifies the driver of various information in accordance with the control of the notification control ECU 51.

[0030] Here, for example, a HUD (Head-Up Display) or a CID (Center Information Display) can be used as the display unit 521. The position of device D can be displayed on the display unit 521 to notify the driver. The speaker 522 can also be used as a speaker of an in-vehicle audio device or a navigation system (not shown), and can notify the driver that device D is present in the vicinity of the vehicle 100 by voice or warning sound. The vibrator 523 can be a seat vibrator that vibrates the driver's seat in which the driver sits, or a steering vibrator that vibrates the steering wheel. By vibrating the vibrator 523, the driver can be notified that device D is present in the vicinity of the vehicle 100.

[0031] Next, the monitoring of the device D by the periphery monitoring ECU 11 and the control of the vehicle 100 based on the monitoring results will be described. In the vehicle control system 1, the communication device 22 communicates with the device D at a predetermined cycle to receive device information from the device D, and outputs the received device information to the periphery monitoring ECU 11.

[0032] Therefore, by having a user who wants to know whether a user is getting on or off the vehicle 100 or their location before or after getting off carry device D, the periphery monitoring ECU 11 can monitor the user's movements and location by using the device information emitted from device D. In other words, the periphery monitoring ECU 11 can monitor whether a user carrying device D is present in the vicinity of the vehicle 100, and the user's position and movements.

[0033] Therefore, for example, when parking vehicle 100, if a passenger other than the driver gets off first near the parking lot, by having the passenger carry device D, it is possible to accurately determine whether the passenger has left vehicle 100 and moved to a location that will not interfere with parking.

[0034] The periphery monitoring ECU 11 detects the presence of device D and monitors its movement as follows. The periphery monitoring ECU 11 receives device information transmitted from device D via the communication control ECU 21 at regular intervals through the I / F 114, and inputs the received device information to the CPU 111. The CPU 111 determines the position of device D based on the device information, and detects device D that has entered an area within a predetermined distance from the vehicle 100.

[0035] An area less than a predetermined distance from vehicle 100 is, for example, an area less than one to several meters from vehicle 100, and is an area where blind spots of vehicle 100 are likely to occur when viewed from the driver's seat. In such an area, obstacles, including people and animals, around vehicle 100 cannot be seen by the driver, and the driver must be vigilant to ensure safety around vehicle 100. Hereinafter, an area less than a predetermined distance from vehicle 100 is referred to as a warning area WA. If a person or animal is present in such a warning area WA, the driver must exercise due caution even when starting vehicle 100 from a parked or stopped state or when traveling at an extremely slow speed while parked or stopped. In FIG. 2, an area less than a predetermined distance from vehicle 100, i.e., the warning area WA of vehicle 100, is shown by a dashed dotted line.

[0036] When the CPU 111 detects that device D has entered the alert area WA, the CPU 111 may control the notification unit 52 to notify the driver of the vehicle 100 of either or both of the fact that device D has entered the alert area WA and the detected position of device D. Specifically, the CPU 111 outputs a control signal to the notification control ECU 51 to notify the driver of the fact that device D has entered the alert area WA, along with information indicating the detected position of device D. The notification control ECU 51 notifies the driver that device D has been detected in the alert area WA using at least one of the display unit 521, speaker 522, and vibrator 523, in accordance with the information and control signal received from the periphery monitoring ECU 11.

[0037] By issuing such a notification, the driver's attention can be drawn and the driver can recognize that device D is present in the alert area WA of the vehicle 100, so that the driver can brake the vehicle 100 by operating the brake or side brake (braking operation). On the other hand, when it is determined from the detection result by the brake sensor 323 or the side brake sensor 324 that the driver has not performed a braking operation, the CPU 111 may control the vehicle 100 to automatically brake. With the vehicle 100 in a braked state, the CPU 111 monitors the position of device D relative to the vehicle 100 as follows.

[0038] When the CPU 111 detects that the device D has entered the security area WA, it calculates the detected position indicated by the position information of the device D at the time of detection. Furthermore, if the detected device D is moving, the CPU 111 obtains a predicted position that predicts the location of the device D after a predetermined time. The predicted position can be obtained by calculation based on the moving direction and moving speed of the device D. Note that the CPU 111 may also calculate the moving path of the device D based on the moving direction and moving speed of the device D.

[0039] The CPU 111 monitors the position of the device D relative to the vehicle 100 using the detected position when the device D is stopped or the predicted position when the device D is moving, and controls the vehicle 100 based on the monitoring results. That is, when the device D is stopped, the CPU 111 restricts the vehicle 100 from traveling forward if the detected position is in front of the vehicle 100 in the security area WA, and restricts the vehicle 100 from traveling backward if the detected position is behind the vehicle 100 in the security area WA. Furthermore, when the device D is moving, the CPU 111 restricts the vehicle 100 from traveling forward if the predicted position is in front of the vehicle 100 in the security area WA, and restricts the vehicle 100 from traveling backward if the predicted position is behind the vehicle 100 in the security area WA.

[0040] When restricting the travel of vehicle 100 as described above, CPU 111 may predict the direction of travel of vehicle 100 within the alert area WA, and if the detected position or predicted position of device D is located in the direction of travel of vehicle 100, restrict travel in accordance with the direction of travel of vehicle 100. That is, when the detected or predicted position of device D is located in front of vehicle 100 in the alert area WA and the vehicle 100 is traveling in the forward direction, forward travel of vehicle 100 is restricted. Also, when the detected or predicted position of device D is located behind vehicle 100 in the alert area WA and the vehicle 100 is traveling in the backward direction, backward travel of vehicle 100 is restricted.

[0041] In this way, even if the detected position or predicted position of device D is in front of or behind vehicle 100 in the alert area WA, if the traveling direction of vehicle 100 is neither forward nor backward, traveling in the traveling direction of vehicle 100 is not restricted. Therefore, for example, if a user carrying device D near vehicle 100 is waiting to see vehicle 100 depart, as long as the user is not located in the traveling direction of vehicle 100, the departure of vehicle 100 will not be impeded, and both safety and convenience can be achieved.

[0042] The direction of travel of the vehicle 100 can be predicted, for example, by determining whether the vehicle 100 is moving forward or backward based on the position of the shift lever detected by the shift sensor 322. When the vehicle 100 is parked or stopped due to a braking operation performed by the driver, the traveling direction is predicted based on the position of the shift lever before the braking operation was performed. On the other hand, when the vehicle 100 is parked or stopped due to automatic braking performed by the CPU 111, the traveling direction is predicted based on the current position of the shift lever.

[0043] When predicting the traveling direction, the CPU 111 may detect the steering angle of the vehicle 100 using the steering angle sensor 321 and predict the turning direction of the vehicle 100. In this case, by performing a predetermined calculation process based on the position of the shift lever and the steering angle, the traveling direction of the vehicle 100 can be predicted or calculated in more detail.

[0044] When the detected position or predicted position of device D is to the side of the vehicle 100 in the security area WA, the CPU 111 restricts the opening of the door 42 of the vehicle 100 that corresponds to the detected position or predicted position of device D. In other words, the CPU 111 outputs a control signal to the door control ECU 41 to restrict the opening of the door 42 that corresponds to the detected position or predicted position of device D, and the door control ECU 41 controls the door opening / closing mechanism 421 or the door lock mechanism 422 to restrict the opening of the door 42.

[0045] The opening of the door 42 can be restricted, for example, by controlling the door opening / closing mechanism 421 to disable the opening operation of the door 42 inside the passenger compartment of the vehicle 100, thereby prohibiting the opening of the door 42, or by controlling the door lock mechanism 422 to lock the door 42.

[0046] An example in which a user carrying device D is present in the vicinity of vehicle 100 will be described using Fig. 2. In Fig. 2, the position of device D is shown as the position of the user carrying device D. Also in Fig. 2, a warning area WA, which is an area within a predetermined distance from vehicle 100, is shown by a dashed-dotted line, and for convenience of explanation, the warning area WA is divided into four partial areas by dashed lines. Of these four partial areas, the partial area in front of vehicle 100 is called a forward warning area WF, the partial area behind vehicle 100 is called a rear warning area WB, the partial area to the left of vehicle 100 is called a left warning area WL, and the partial area to the right of vehicle 100 is called a right warning area WR.

[0047] In Figure 2, when device D is located outside the alert area WA (D1, D2), communication is performed with vehicle 100, but the perimeter monitoring ECU 11 does not notify the driver of the presence or location of device D, nor does it restrict braking or driving of vehicle 100 due to the presence of device D.

[0048] For example, when device D (D1) moves along arrow A1 and enters the right security area WR, the periphery monitoring ECU 11 calculates the detection position (D3) based on the device information of device D. At this time, if device D remains at the detection position (D3), the periphery monitoring ECU 11 restricts the opening of the right door 42 of the vehicle 100 based on the detection position (D3) of device D.

[0049] On the other hand, if device D (D3) continues to move, for example, along arrow A2, a predicted position (D4) of device D (D3) is calculated based on the direction and speed of movement of device D (D3). In the example of FIG. 2, the predicted position (D4) is in the forward warning area WF, so forward travel of vehicle 100 is restricted based on predicted position (D4). At this time, if the shift lever of vehicle 100 is in reverse R, reverse travel of vehicle 100 may not be restricted and vehicle 100 may be allowed to travel backward. Furthermore, opening of door 42 is not restricted.

[0050] Similarly, for example, when device D (D3) is moving along arrow A3, the predicted position (D5) of device D is calculated based on the direction and speed of movement of device D (D3). In the example of FIG. 2, the predicted position (D5) is in the rear warning area WB, so the reverse movement of vehicle 100 is restricted based on the predicted position (D5). At this time, when the shift lever of vehicle 100 is in forward position D, the forward movement of vehicle 100 may not be restricted and vehicle 100 may be allowed to travel forward. Furthermore, opening of door 42 is not restricted.

[0051] Furthermore, when device D (D3) is moving along arrow A5, a predicted position (D6) of device D is calculated based on the direction and speed of movement of device D (D3). In this example, since the predicted position (D6) is in the same right-side security area WR as before the movement, the periphery monitoring ECU 11 restricts the opening of the right door 42 of the vehicle 100 corresponding to the predicted position (D6) based on the predicted position (D6).

[0052] In addition, if device D (D3) moves along arrow A4 and the calculated predicted position (D2) of device D is outside the alert area WA, the perimeter monitoring ECU 11 does not alert the driver about device D (D2), does not restrict the vehicle 100 from moving due to the presence of device D (D2), or restricts the opening of door 42.

[0053] The monitoring process of the device D in the periphery of the vehicle 100 by the periphery monitoring ECU 11 configured as above and the control process for the vehicle 100 based on the monitoring results will be described below with reference to the flowcharts of Figures 3 and 4. Figure 3 is a flowchart showing the monitoring process of the device D by the periphery monitoring ECU 11, and Figure 4 is a flowchart showing the process of step S18 in Figure 3, which is the control process for the vehicle 100 based on the monitoring results of the device D.

[0054] A series of processes from "START" to "END" in the flowcharts shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 is repeated at a predetermined cycle (time interval) when the monitoring mode for device D is turned on.

[0055] 3, when the monitoring mode for device D is ON, the periphery monitoring ECU 11 acquires device information transmitted from device D at a predetermined cycle via the communication control ECU 21 and monitors whether device D is within the alert area WA (step S11). When device D enters the alert area WA (YES in step S11), the periphery monitoring ECU 11 notifies the driver of information related to device D, such as the fact that device D has entered the alert area WA (step S12).

[0056] Next, the periphery monitoring ECU 11 checks whether the vehicle 100 is running, that is, whether the driver has applied the brakes on the vehicle 100, based on the detection results of the brake sensor 323 and the side brake sensor 324 (step S13). If the driver has not applied the brakes and the vehicle 100 is still running (YES in step S13), the periphery monitoring ECU 11 automatically applies the brakes on the vehicle 100 (step S14).

[0057] When the vehicle 100 is in a braked state, the device D is monitored for movement based on the device information transmitted from the device D (step S15), and if the device D is not moving (NO in step S15), the vehicle control process is performed using the detection position when the device D is detected in the alert area WA (step S18).

[0058] On the other hand, if device D is moving (YES in step S15), the speed and direction of movement of device D are calculated based on device information when device D was detected in the alert area WA and device information acquired thereafter, and a predicted position of device D after a predetermined time is determined based on this (step S16). If the predicted position is within the alert area WA (YES in step S17), vehicle control processing is performed using the predicted position (step S18), and if the predicted position is outside the alert area WA (NO in step S17), the above processing is terminated.

[0059] Next, the vehicle control process in step S18 in FIG. 3 will be described in detail with reference to the flowchart in FIG. The surroundings monitoring ECU 11 performs control processing of the vehicle 100 according to the monitoring results obtained by the monitoring processing of device D shown in the flowchart of Figure 3, using the detected position of device D if device D is not moving, and using the predicted position if device D is moving.

[0060] The periphery monitoring ECU 11 checks the detected position or predicted position of the device D, and if the detected position or predicted position is in front of the vehicle 100 (YES in step S181), restricts the forward movement of the vehicle 100 (step S182). If the detected position or predicted position is not in front of the vehicle 100 (NO in step S181), it checks whether the detected position or predicted position is behind the vehicle 100 (step S183), and if the detected position or predicted position is behind the vehicle 100 (YES in step S183), restricts the backward movement of the vehicle 100 (step S184). If the detected position or predicted position is neither in front nor behind the vehicle 100 (NO in step S181, NO in step S183), it is assumed that the detected position or predicted position is to the side of the vehicle 100.

[0061] For this reason, among the multiple doors 42 of the vehicle 100, the door 42 at a position corresponding to the detected position or the predicted position, i.e., the door 42 to be restricted from opening, is identified (step S185), and the opening of the identified door 42 is restricted (step S186). Thereafter, it is monitored whether device D remains in the alert area WA (step S187), and if device D remains in the alert area WA, the above restriction is continued (NO in step S187), and if device D leaves the alert area WA (YES in step S187), the above restriction is lifted (step S188).

[0062] (Variation) In this modified example, a process for predicting the direction of travel of vehicle 100 is added to the monitoring process of device D in the vicinity of vehicle 100 described above and the control process for vehicle 100 based on the monitoring results (Figures 3 and 4), and vehicle control is performed taking into account the direction of travel of vehicle 100.

[0063] The monitoring process of device D in this modified example and the control process for vehicle 100 based on the monitoring results will be described below using the flowcharts in Figures 5 and 6. Figure 5 is a flowchart showing the monitoring process of device D by the periphery monitoring ECU 11, and Figure 6 is a flowchart showing the process of step S29 in Figure 5, which is the control process for vehicle 100 based on the monitoring results of device D. In this modified example, the explanations for the parts that overlap with the processes in Figures 3 and 4 described above will be simplified or omitted.

[0064] 5, when the monitoring mode for device D is ON, the periphery monitoring ECU 11 monitors whether device D is within the warning area WA based on device information transmitted from device D (step S21). When the periphery monitoring ECU 11 detects that device D is present in the warning area WA (YES in step S21), it notifies the driver that device D is present in the warning area WA (step S22).

[0065] The periphery monitoring ECU 11 checks whether or not the driver has applied the brakes to the vehicle 100 based on the detection results of the brake sensor 323 and the side brake sensor 324 (step S23). If the driver has not applied the brakes and the vehicle 100 is still traveling (NO in step S23), the periphery monitoring ECU 11 automatically applies the brakes to the vehicle 100 (step S24).

[0066] With the vehicle 100 braked, the periphery monitoring ECU 11 predicts the traveling direction of the vehicle 100 based on the detection result of the shift sensor 322 (step S25). Next, the periphery monitoring ECU 11 monitors whether the device D is moving based on the device information of the device D (step S26), and if the device D is not moving (NO in step S26), performs vehicle control processing using the detection position when the device D was detected in the alert area WA (step S29).

[0067] On the other hand, if device D is moving (YES in step S26), the predicted position of device D after a predetermined time is calculated based on the moving speed and direction of device D (step S27). If the predicted position is within the warning area WA (YES in step S28), vehicle control processing is performed using the predicted position (step S29). If the predicted position is outside the warning area WA, the above processing is terminated (NO in step S28).

[0068] Next, the vehicle control process in step S29 in FIG. 5 will be described in detail with reference to the flowchart in FIG. The surroundings monitoring ECU 11 performs control processing of the vehicle 100 according to the monitoring results obtained by the monitoring processing of device D shown in the flowchart of Figure 5, using the detected position of device D if device D is not moving, and using the predicted position if device D is moving.

[0069] The periphery monitoring ECU 11 checks the detected position or predicted position of device D, and if the detected position or predicted position is in front of the vehicle 100 (YES in step S291) and the vehicle 100 is traveling in the forward direction (YES in step S292), it restricts the forward movement of the vehicle 100 (step S293).

[0070] If the detected position or predicted position is behind the vehicle 100 (NO in step S291, YES in step S294) and the vehicle 100 is traveling backward (YES in step S295), the reverse movement of the vehicle 100 is restricted (step S296).

[0071] If the detected position or predicted position is neither in front nor behind the vehicle 100 (NO in step S291, NO in step S294), the detected position or predicted position is assumed to be on the side of the vehicle 100. Therefore, among the multiple doors 42 of the vehicle 100, the door 42 at the position corresponding to the detected position or predicted position, i.e., the door 42 to be restricted from opening, is identified (step S297), and the opening of the identified door 42 is restricted (step S298).

[0072] Thereafter, it is monitored whether device D remains in the alert area WA (step S299), and if device D remains in the alert area WA, the above restriction is continued (NO in step S299), and if device D leaves the alert area WA (YES in step S299), the above restriction is lifted (step S300).

[0073] As described above, according to the embodiment and its modifications of the present invention, the position of device D relative to vehicle 100 is accurately determined, and when device D is located in front of or behind vehicle 100, travel of vehicle 100 in a forward or backward direction is restricted. Therefore, even if device D is in a blind spot of vehicle 100, vehicle 100 can be controlled according to the position of device D. Therefore, by having a specific user who wishes to monitor the position and movement around vehicle 100 carry device D capable of communicating with the vehicle, the presence and position of moving objects around the vehicle can be accurately determined based on information emitted from device D, and the safety of the vehicle and the area around the vehicle can be ensured.

[0074] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail with reference to the drawings, the specific configurations are not limited to these embodiments, and the present invention also includes design changes within the scope of the present invention. Furthermore, the above-described embodiments can be combined by utilizing each other's technologies as long as there are no particular contradictions or problems in their purposes, configurations, etc. [Explanation of symbols]

[0075] 1: Vehicle control system, 3: In-vehicle network, 4: CGW 11: Periphery monitoring ECU, 21: Communication control ECU, 22: Communication device 31: Drive control ECU, 32: Vehicle drive unit, 41: Door control ECU, 42: Door 51: Notification control ECU, 52: Notification unit, 100: Vehicle 111: CPU, 112: ROM, 113: RAM, 114: I / F 321: Steering angle sensor, 322: Shift sensor, 323: Brake sensor 324: Handbrake sensor, 421: Door opening / closing mechanism, 422: Door lock mechanism 521: Display unit, 522: Speaker, 523: Vibrator, D: Equipment

Claims

1. A vehicle surroundings monitoring device that monitors the surroundings of a vehicle using information acquired from a portable device that can communicate with the vehicle, a communication unit that receives the location information of the device output from the device; a control unit that monitors the device based on the location information and controls the vehicle based on the monitoring result, The control unit Detecting the device that has entered an area less than a predetermined distance from the vehicle, and if the device is moving, calculating a predicted position of the device that is predicted to be located after a predetermined time; restricting forward travel of the vehicle when the detected position or the predicted position of the device is located in front of the vehicle in the area; A vehicle surroundings monitoring device that restricts rearward travel of the vehicle when the detected position or the predicted position of the device is located rearward of the vehicle in the area.

2. The control unit predicting or calculating a direction of travel of the vehicle in the area; restricting forward travel of the vehicle when the detected position or the predicted position of the device is located in front of the vehicle in the area and the traveling direction of the vehicle is forward; 2. The vehicle surroundings monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein the device restricts the vehicle from traveling backward when the detected position or the predicted position of the device is located behind the vehicle in the area and the vehicle is traveling backward.

3. The control unit 3. The vehicle surroundings monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein when the device is detected to have entered the area, the device controls a notification unit provided in the vehicle to notify an occupant of the vehicle of at least one of the device's entry into the area and the detected position.

4. The control unit 3. The vehicle surroundings monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein when the detected position or the predicted position of the device is to the side of the vehicle in the area, opening of a door of the vehicle corresponding to the detected position or the predicted position of the device is restricted.

5. The control unit 5. The vehicle surroundings monitoring device according to claim 4, wherein when an opening operation is performed on the door within the vehicle compartment, the opening operation is invalidated and the opening of the door is temporarily prohibited.

6. The control unit 3. The vehicle surroundings monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle is automatically braked when the device is detected to have entered the area.

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