Vehicle control device and vehicle control method

Abstract

To provide a vehicle control device that suppresses erroneous detection of a mobile object behind a vehicle when the vehicle tows a towed vehicle.SOLUTION: The vehicle control device that controls an operation of a vehicle 100 includes: a mobile object detection part 331 that detects a mobile object behind the vehicle; an operation part 334 that performs a contact avoidance operation including at least one of restricting opening of a door and issuing a warning to an occupant of the vehicle when it is estimated that the mobile object detected by the mobile object detection part passes beside the door of the vehicle; and a towing determination part 333 that determines whether a towed vehicle 200 is connected to the vehicle. The operation part suppresses the contact avoidance operation when it is determined that the towed vehicle is connected to the vehicle, compared to when being determined that the towed vehicle is not connected to the vehicle.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a vehicle control device and a vehicle control method. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there are known devices that detect other vehicles around a vehicle and, when the detected other vehicle is approaching the vehicle, notify the occupant of the approaching other vehicle (Patent Documents 1 and 2). In particular, the device described in Patent Document 1 notifies the occupant when a sensor that detects an object located behind the vehicle detects an approaching vehicle. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2023-163805 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-045838 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, when a vehicle is towing a towed vehicle, if a sensor is used to detect an object behind the vehicle, reflections from the surface of the towed vehicle may cause an object located in a different location behind the vehicle to be mistakenly detected as an object located behind the vehicle. This may result in unnecessary notifications being sent to the occupants, which may be annoying to the occupants.

[0005] In view of the above-mentioned problems, an object of the present disclosure is to prevent a moving object behind a vehicle from being erroneously detected when the vehicle is towing a towed vehicle. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The gist of the present disclosure is as follows.

[0007] (1) A vehicle control device for controlling the operation of a vehicle, a moving object detection unit that detects a moving object behind the vehicle; an operation unit that performs a contact avoidance operation including at least one of restricting opening of the door and issuing a warning to an occupant of the vehicle when it is estimated that the moving object detected by the moving object detection unit will pass beside a door of the vehicle; a towing determination unit that determines whether a towed vehicle is connected to the vehicle, A vehicle control device in which the operation unit suppresses the contact avoidance operation when it is determined that a towed vehicle is connected to the vehicle, compared to when it is determined that a towed vehicle is not connected to the vehicle. (2) The vehicle control device according to (1) above, wherein the operation unit does not perform the contact avoidance operation when it is determined that a towed vehicle is connected to the vehicle. (3) A vehicle control device as described in (1) above, wherein the operating unit warns the occupants of the vehicle when it determines that a towed vehicle is connected to the vehicle, but does not restrict the opening of the door. (4) A vehicle control device as described in (1) above, wherein when it is determined that a towed vehicle is connected to the vehicle, the operation unit does not perform the contact avoidance operation until the moving body comes close to the vehicle, compared to when it is determined that a towed vehicle is not connected to the vehicle. (5) A vehicle control method for controlling the operation of a vehicle, comprising: Detecting a moving object behind the vehicle; When it is estimated that the detected moving object will pass beside a door of the vehicle, executing a contact avoidance operation including at least one of restricting opening of the door and issuing a warning to an occupant of the vehicle; determining whether a towed vehicle is connected to the vehicle; A vehicle control method in which, when it is determined that a towed vehicle is connected to the vehicle, the contact avoidance operation is suppressed compared to when it is determined that a towed vehicle is not connected to the vehicle. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to prevent a moving body behind a vehicle from being erroneously detected when the vehicle is towing a towed vehicle. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a vehicle and a towed vehicle equipped with a vehicle control system 1. As shown in FIG. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the vehicle control system. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of the processor of the ECU. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a moving object detected by the moving object detection unit. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the situation around a vehicle when an oncoming vehicle is traveling in front of the vehicle in the lane adjacent to the lane in which the vehicle is stopped. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the flow of the control process according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the flow of control processing according to the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the following description, like components are designated by like reference numerals.

[0011] First embodiment <Vehicle control system configuration> The configuration of a vehicle control system 1 equipped with a vehicle control device according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing a vehicle 100 and a towed vehicle 200 equipped with the vehicle control system 1.

[0012] As shown in Figure 1, the vehicle 100 is configured to be able to tow a towed vehicle 200. The vehicle 100 has fittings for attaching the towed vehicle 200, and the fittings of the towed vehicle 200 are attached to these fittings.

[0013] In this embodiment, vehicle 100 is not a vehicle whose main purpose is towing, such as a trailer head, but a vehicle whose main purpose is not towing, such as a passenger car. Also, towed vehicle 200 is, for example, a camper trailer that provides a living space, as shown in Fig. 1. However, towed vehicle 200 may be any towed vehicle that can be towed by a passenger car, such as a boat trailer for carrying watercraft, a bike trailer for carrying bikes, or a multi-trailer that can carry a variety of items.

[0014] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle control system 1. The vehicle control system 1 is mounted on a vehicle 100 and controls the operation of the vehicle 100. As shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle control system 1 includes a distance measurement sensor 11, an exterior camera 12, a door sensor 13, a connector 14, a human-machine interface (HMI) 15, a door actuator 21, and an electronic control unit (hereinafter referred to as "ECU") 30. The distance measurement sensor 11, the exterior camera 12, the door sensor 13, the connector 14, the HMI 15, and the ECU 30 are communicatively connected via, for example, an in-vehicle network 20. The in-vehicle network 20 is a network that complies with a standard such as CAN (Controller Area Network). The ECU 30 is also connected to the door actuator 21 via a signal line.

[0015] The ranging sensor 11 is an example of a surrounding environment sensor that detects the environment or situation around the vehicle 100 and generates surrounding environment data that represents the environment or situation around the vehicle 100. The ranging sensor 11 measures the distance to an object existing around the vehicle 100. In this embodiment, the ranging sensor 11 can also measure the direction of the object existing around the vehicle 100. The ranging sensor 11 is, for example, a radar such as a millimeter-wave radar, a LiDAR, or a sonar. In this embodiment, the ranging sensor 11 measures the distance to an object existing behind the vehicle 100. The ranging sensor 11 outputs the measurement results of the distance to the surrounding object to the ECU 30 via the in-vehicle network 20 at predetermined intervals.

[0016] The exterior camera 12 is an example of a surrounding environment sensor. The exterior camera 12 captures images of the surroundings of the vehicle 100, and in this embodiment, captures images of the area behind the vehicle 100. The exterior camera 12 is, for example, a CMOS camera or a CCD camera that is sensitive to visible light. The exterior camera 12 captures images of the area ahead of the vehicle 100 at predetermined imaging intervals and generates image data showing the area ahead. The exterior camera 12 may be a monocular camera or a stereo camera. When a stereo camera is used as the exterior camera 12, the exterior camera 12 also functions as the distance measurement sensor 11.

[0017] The door sensor 13 is an example of a sensor that detects the state of the doors of the vehicle 100. The door sensor detects whether or not an occupant has performed an operation to open a door, whether or not the door is locked, and the like. The door sensor 13 is provided on each door of the vehicle 100 and outputs whether or not an operation to open the corresponding door has been performed and whether or not the corresponding door is locked. The door sensor 13 outputs the detection result for each door of the vehicle 100 to the ECU 30 via the in-vehicle network 20 at predetermined intervals.

[0018] The connector 14 is a connector that is connected to the connector of the towed vehicle 200 when the towed vehicle 200 is connected to the vehicle 100. Various signals are transmitted to the towed vehicle 200 from the ECU 30 of the vehicle 100 via the connector 14, and power is also supplied to the towed vehicle 200. As a result, for example, the turn signals of the towed vehicle 200 flash and the brake lights turn on in accordance with the operation of the driver of the vehicle 100. The connector 14 is connected to the ECU 30 via the in-vehicle network 20, and is used to transmit signals transmitted from the ECU 30 to the towed vehicle 200.

[0019] The HMI 15 is an interface for inputting and outputting information between the driver or passenger and the vehicle control system 1. The HMI 15 includes an information providing device for providing various information to the driver or passenger, and an input device for the driver or passenger to perform input operations.

[0020] Specifically, the HMI 15, as an information providing device, includes a display 16 for displaying text information and image information. The display 16 is an example of a display device that displays images. The display 16 is a display device of any type, such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display. The display 16 is disposed, for example, on an instrument panel, meter panel, or the like of the vehicle 100. The display 16 receives an image signal from the ECU 30 via the in-vehicle network 20 and displays an image in accordance with the image signal.

[0021] The HMI 15 also has a speaker 17 as an information providing device. The speaker 17 is an example of a device that outputs audio. The speaker 17 receives an audio signal from the ECU 30 via the in-vehicle network 20 and outputs audio in accordance with this audio signal. Note that the HMI 15 may also include devices (e.g., a vibration device) other than the display 16 and the speaker 17 as an information providing device that provides various types of information to the driver or passengers.

[0022] The door actuator 21 controls the state of the doors of the vehicle 100. The door actuator 21 is provided in each door and controls the state of each door in accordance with a control signal transmitted from the ECU 30 via a signal line. The door actuator 21, for example, controls the locking of the doors of the vehicle 100. The door actuator 21 also controls the opening of the doors, for example. For example, when the door sensor 13 detects that an occupant has performed a door opening operation, the door actuator 21 opens the door in accordance with the control signal from the ECU 30.

[0023] <Configuration of vehicle control device> The ECU 30 functions as a vehicle control device that controls the operation of the vehicle 100, particularly the operation of the door actuator 21 and the HMI 15 of the vehicle 100. The ECU 30 also executes a vehicle control method for controlling the operation of the vehicle 100. As shown in FIG. 2 , the ECU 30 includes a communication interface 31, a storage unit 32, and a processor 33.

[0024] The communication interface 31 is a circuit for connecting the ECU 30 to the in-vehicle network 20 .

[0025] The storage unit 32 is an example of a non-transitory storage medium for storing data. The storage unit 32 includes, for example, at least one of a volatile semiconductor memory, a non-volatile semiconductor memory, a hard disk drive (HDD), and a solid state drive (SSD). The storage unit 32 stores computer programs executed by the processor 33 of the ECU 30. The storage unit 32 also stores data used in the computer programs executed by the processor 33, such as data transmitted from various sensors.

[0026] The processor 33 has one or more central processing units (CPUs) and their peripheral circuits. The processor 33 may further have other arithmetic circuits such as a logic operation unit or a numerical operation unit. The processor 33 executes various processes based on computer programs stored in the storage unit 32.

[0027] 3 is a functional block diagram of the processor 33 of the ECU 30. As shown in FIG. 3, the processor 33 includes a moving object detection unit 331, a side passage estimation unit 332, a towing determination unit 333, and an operation unit 334. Each of these units included in the processor 33 is a functional module realized by, for example, a computer program running on the processor 33. Alternatively, each unit included in the processor 33 may be implemented in the ECU 30 as an independent integrated circuit, microprocessor, or firmware.

[0028] The moving object detection unit 331 detects a moving object behind the vehicle 100. The moving object detection unit 331 detects a moving object behind the vehicle 100 based on surrounding environment data generated by the distance measurement sensor 11 or the exterior camera 12. In this embodiment, the moving object detection unit 331 detects the relative position of the moving object moving behind the vehicle 100 with respect to the vehicle 100, the moving direction of the moving object, and the moving speed of the moving object.

[0029] In this embodiment, the moving object detection unit 331 detects the relative position, moving direction, and moving speed of the moving object represented in the detection data or image data by sequentially inputting the detection data received from the distance measurement sensor 11 or the image data received from the outside camera 12 to a classifier. The classifier is, for example, a convolutional neural network (CNN) having multiple convolution layers connected in series from the input side to the output side.

[0030] In particular, in this embodiment, the moving object detection unit 331 detects a moving object located to the rear side of the vehicle 100, as shown in FIG. 4. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining moving objects detected by the moving object detection unit 331. In the example shown in FIG. 4, the vehicle 100 is parked in a parking space provided on the roadway RW. Also, on the roadway RW, another vehicle X1 is traveling in a driving lane adjacent to the parking space where the vehicle 100 is parked, in a direction approaching the vehicle 100 from behind the vehicle 100. In addition, another vehicle X2 is parked in the parking space behind the vehicle 100. Also, on the sidewalk SW adjacent to the parking space where the vehicle 100 is parked, a bicycle X3 is traveling in a direction approaching the vehicle 100 from behind the vehicle 100. In addition, another bicycle X4 is traveling behind the vehicle 100, in a direction away from the vehicle 100.

[0031] In this embodiment, the moving object detection unit 331 detects moving objects located in the shaded areas in Fig. 4, i.e., the area DL to the left rear of the vehicle 100 and the area DR to the right rear of the vehicle 100. In the example shown in Fig. 4, the bicycle X3 is located within the left rear detection area DL, and therefore the bicycle X3 is detected as a moving object by the moving object detection unit 331. In addition, the other vehicle X1 is located within the right rear detection area DR, and therefore the other vehicle X1 is detected as a moving object by the moving object detection unit 331.

[0032] The side passing estimation unit 332 estimates whether or not the moving object detected by the moving object detection unit 331 will pass by the side of the vehicle 100, in particular, beside the door of the vehicle 100. In this embodiment, the side passing estimation unit 332 estimates whether or not the moving object will pass by the side of the vehicle 100 while the vehicle 100 is stopped. In addition, when it is estimated that the moving object will pass by the door of the vehicle 100, the side passing estimation unit 332 estimates the amount of time that is expected to be required for the moving object to pass.

[0033] In this embodiment, the side passing estimation unit 332 estimates whether or not the moving object will pass beside the door of the vehicle 100, based on the relative position and movement direction of the moving object detected by the moving object detection unit 331. When the moving object detected by the moving object detection unit 331 is moving in a direction toward the side of the door of the vehicle 100, the side passing estimation unit 332 estimates that the moving object will pass beside the door of the vehicle 100. Furthermore, based on the relative distance between the vehicle 100 and the moving object and the movement speed of the moving object, the side passing estimation unit 332 estimates the amount of time that is expected to be required for the moving object to pass beside the door of the vehicle.

[0034] The towing determination unit 333 determines whether or not a towed vehicle 200 is connected to the vehicle 100. In this embodiment, the towing determination unit 333 determines whether or not the connector of the towed vehicle 200 is connected to the connector 14 of the vehicle 100. If it is determined that the connector of the towed vehicle 200 is connected to the connector 14 of the vehicle 100, the towing determination unit 333 determines that the towed vehicle 200 is connected to the vehicle 100. On the other hand, if it is determined that the connector of the towed vehicle is not connected to the connector 14 of the vehicle 100, the towing determination unit 333 determines that the towed vehicle 200 is not connected to the vehicle 100.

[0035] Note that the towing determination unit 333 may make its determination based on a device other than the connector 14, as long as it can determine whether the towed vehicle 200 is connected to the vehicle 100. For example, the towing determination unit 333 may determine whether the towed vehicle 200 is connected to the vehicle 100 based on an image acquired from the exterior camera 12 that captures an image of the area behind the vehicle 100. In this case, the image acquired from the exterior camera 12 is input to a classifier that identifies the presence or absence of the towed vehicle 200. Alternatively, the towing determination unit 333 may determine whether the towed vehicle 200 is connected to the vehicle 100 based on input information input by the driver via the input device of the HMI 15. In this case, when the driver inputs via the input device of the HMI 15 that the towed vehicle 200 is connected to the vehicle 100, the towing determination unit 333 determines that the towed vehicle 200 is connected to the vehicle 100.

[0036] When it is estimated that a moving object detected by the moving object detection unit 331 will pass beside the door of the vehicle 100, the operation unit 334 restricts the opening of the door and issues a warning to the occupants of the vehicle 100 (hereinafter, these operations are also collectively referred to as "contact avoidance operation"). In this embodiment, when it is estimated by the side passage estimation unit 332 that a moving object will pass beside the door of the vehicle 100 within a predetermined reference time, the operation unit 334 performs the contact avoidance operation. The reference time may be a predetermined fixed time, or may be a time that changes depending on the value of any parameter, such as the moving speed of the detected moving object. For example, the reference time is set shorter as the moving speed of the detected moving object is faster. The reason for setting the reference time in this manner is that, in general, the faster a moving object is, the higher the braking performance is.

[0037] Specifically, for example, when it is estimated that a moving object will pass beside a door of the vehicle 100 within a reference time, the operation unit 334 controls the door actuator 21 of the door so that the door will not be opened. That is, the operation unit 334 locks the door in such a case. Alternatively, the operation unit 334 controls the door opening mechanism so that the corresponding door will not be opened even if an occupant operates a door opening lever. Furthermore, for example, when it is estimated that a moving object will pass beside a door of the vehicle 100 within the reference time, the operation unit 334 warns the occupant of the vehicle 100 that the moving object is expected to pass beside the door. Specifically, in such a case, the operation unit 334 displays on the display 16 a message that a moving object is expected to pass beside the door and outputs a sound to that effect from the speaker 17.

[0038] In this embodiment, when it is estimated that a moving object will pass beside a door of the vehicle 100 within a reference time, the operation unit 334 restricts the opening of the door and issues a warning to the occupant. However, in such a case, the operation unit 334 may perform only one of restricting the opening of the door and issuing a warning to the occupant as a contact avoidance operation.

[0039] <Operation when connecting towed vehicle> FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the situation around vehicle 100 when oncoming vehicle X is traveling in front of vehicle 100 in the lane adjacent to the lane in which vehicle 100 is stopped. When millimeter-wave radar is used as distance measurement sensor 11, depending on the shape and material of the front of the towed vehicle 200, some of the millimeter waves emitted from distance measurement sensor 11 will be reflected by the front of the towed vehicle 200, as shown by the solid arrow in FIG. 5. The millimeter waves reflected by the front of the towed vehicle 200 may then be reflected by oncoming vehicle X, and reflected again by the front of the towed vehicle 200, before reaching the distance measurement sensor. In this case, oncoming vehicle X will be detected by distance measurement sensor 11 as being located to the rear side of vehicle 100, as shown by the dashed line X' in FIG. 5.

[0040] When the detection wave emitted from the distance measuring sensor 11 is reflected by the front of the towed vehicle 200 in this way, the distance measuring sensor 11 will mistakenly detect a moving object that is not located to the rear side of the vehicle 100 as being located behind the vehicle 100. As a result, opening of the doors of the vehicle 100 will be unnecessarily restricted and an unnecessary warning will be given to the occupants, which may be annoying to the occupants.

[0041] Therefore, in this embodiment, when the towing determination unit 333 determines that the towed vehicle 200 is connected to the vehicle 100, the operation unit 334 suppresses the contact avoidance operation compared to when it is determined that the towed vehicle 200 is not connected to the vehicle 100. For example, when the towing determination unit 333 determines that the towed vehicle 200 is not connected to the vehicle 100, the operation unit 334 performs the contact avoidance operation as described above when the side passing estimation unit 332 estimates that the moving object will pass beside the door of the vehicle 100 within the reference time. On the other hand, when the towing determination unit 333 determines that the towed vehicle 200 is connected to the vehicle 100, the operation unit 334 does not perform the contact avoidance operation even if the side passing estimation unit 332 estimates that the moving object will pass beside the door of the vehicle 100 within the reference time. Therefore, the operation unit 334 does not restrict the opening of the door, nor does it issue a warning to the occupants of the vehicle 100. As a result, unnecessary restrictions on the opening of the doors of the vehicle 100 are suppressed, and unnecessary warnings to the occupants are suppressed, thereby reducing the possibility that the occupants will feel annoyed.

[0042] 6 is a flowchart showing the flow of a control process for controlling a contact avoidance operation. The illustrated control process is performed by the processor 33 of the ECU 30 when the doors of the vehicle 100 are locked.

[0043] When the control process starts, first, the operation unit 334 detects whether or not the doors of the vehicle 100 have been unlocked based on the detection result from the door sensor 13 (step S11). If it is determined in step S11 that none of the doors of the vehicle 100 have been unlocked, step S11 is repeated.

[0044] If it is determined in step S11 that the doors of the vehicle 100 have been unlocked, the operation unit 334 determines whether it is estimated that the moving object detected by the moving object detection unit 331 will pass beside the door that has been unlocked by the side passage estimation unit 332 within a reference time (step S12). If it is determined in step S12 that the moving object is not estimated to pass within the reference time, the operation unit 334 determines whether the unlocked door has been relocked by the occupant and whether a predetermined time (e.g., three minutes) has elapsed since it was determined in step S11 that the doors were unlocked (step S13). If it is determined in step S13 that the unlocked door has not been relocked by the occupant and the predetermined time has not elapsed since it was determined that the doors were unlocked, step S12 is repeated. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S13 that the unlocked door has been relocked by the occupant or if it is determined that the predetermined time has elapsed since it was determined that the doors were unlocked, the control process is terminated.

[0045] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S12 that the moving object is estimated to pass within the reference time, the towing determination unit 333 determines whether or not the towed vehicle 200 is connected (step S14). If it is determined in step S14 that the towed vehicle 200 is connected, the operation unit 334 determines whether or not the door has been locked again by the occupant and whether or not a predetermined time has passed since the door was unlocked (step S13). Therefore, no restriction is placed on opening the door, and no warning is given to the occupant.

[0046] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S14 that the towed vehicle 200 is not connected, the operation unit 334 determines whether the door is closed and whether the occupant has operated to open the door, based on the detection result from the door sensor 13 (step S15). If it is determined in step S15 that the occupant has operated to open the door, the operation unit 334 causes the door actuator 21 to restrict the opening of the corresponding door (step S16). Therefore, even if the occupant operates to open the door, the door will not open. Furthermore, the operation unit 334 warns the occupant of the vehicle 100 that a moving object is expected to pass beside the door (step S16). Specifically, the operation unit 334 displays such information on the display 16 and outputs a sound to that effect from the speaker 17.

[0047] Next, the operation unit 334 determines whether the door is currently open based on the detection result from the door sensor 13 (step S17). If it is determined in step S17 that the door is currently open, the operation unit 334 warns the occupant of the vehicle 100 that a moving object is expected to pass by the door (step S18). Thereafter, the operation unit 334 determines whether the door has been locked again by the occupant and whether a predetermined time has elapsed since the door was unlocked (step S13).

[0048] Second embodiment Next, a vehicle control system 1 according to a second embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 7. The configuration and control of the vehicle control system 1 according to the second embodiment are similar to the configuration and control of the vehicle control system 1 according to the first embodiment. The following description will focus on the differences from the vehicle control system 1 according to the first embodiment.

[0049] In the vehicle control system 1 according to the first embodiment, the operation unit 334 stops restricting the opening of the doors and warning the occupants when the towing determination unit 333 determines that the towed vehicle 200 is connected to the vehicle 100. In contrast, in the present embodiment, when the operation unit 334 determines that the towed vehicle 200 is connected to the vehicle 100, it warns the occupants of the vehicle 100 but does not restrict the opening of the doors.

[0050] Specifically, in this embodiment as well, when the towing determination unit 333 determines that the towed vehicle 200 is not connected to the vehicle 100, the operation unit 334 performs the contact avoidance operation as described above when the side passage estimation unit 332 estimates that the moving object will pass beside the door of the vehicle 100 within the reference time. Therefore, the operation unit 334 restricts the opening of the door and issues a warning to the occupants of the vehicle 100. On the other hand, when the operation unit 334 determines that the towed vehicle 200 is not connected to the vehicle 100, the operation unit 334 does not restrict the opening of the door even if it is estimated that the moving object will pass beside the door of the vehicle 100 within the reference time. However, when the operation unit 334 determines that the towed vehicle 200 is not connected to the vehicle 100, the operation unit 334 issues a warning to the occupants of the vehicle 100 when it estimates that the moving object will pass beside the door of the vehicle 100 within the reference time.

[0051] Here, when comparing unnecessary restriction on door opening with unnecessary warning to the occupants, unnecessary restriction on door opening is more likely to be an annoyance to the occupants. In this embodiment, when the towed vehicle 200 is connected to the vehicle 100, the restriction on door opening is stopped, thereby preventing the occupants from feeling more annoyed, while still warning the occupants so that the occupants are notified of the approach of a moving object if there is no erroneous detection.

[0052] Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing the flow of control processing according to the second embodiment. The illustrated control processing is performed by the processor 33 of the ECU 30. Note that steps S21 to S28 in Fig. 7 are similar to steps S11 to S18 in Fig. 6, and therefore description thereof will be omitted.

[0053] If it is determined in step S24 that the towed vehicle 200 is connected, the operation unit 334 determines whether the door is closed and whether an occupant has operated to open the door, based on the detection result from the door sensor 13 (step S29). If it is determined in step S29 that an occupant has operated to open the door, the operation unit 334 warns the occupant of the vehicle 100 that a moving object is expected to pass beside the door (step S30). However, at this time, the operation unit 334 does not restrict the opening of the corresponding door. Thereafter, the operation unit 334 determines whether the door is open (step S27), and if it is determined that the door is open, it warns the occupant (step S28).

[0054] Variations Next, a modification of the vehicle control system 1 according to the first and second embodiments will be described.

[0055] In one modified example, the operation unit 334 may perform a contact avoidance action even when it is determined that the towed vehicle 200 is connected to the vehicle 100. Therefore, even in such a case, the opening of the doors of the vehicle 100 may be restricted and a warning may be issued to the vehicle 100. However, in this case, when it is determined that the towed vehicle 200 is connected to the vehicle 100, the operation unit 334 does not perform a contact avoidance action until the moving object comes close to the vehicle 100, compared to when it is determined that the towed vehicle 200 is not connected to the vehicle 100. Specifically, in this embodiment, when it is determined that the towed vehicle 200 is connected to the vehicle 100, the reference time for performing a contact avoidance action is made shorter than when it is determined that the towed vehicle 200 is not connected to the vehicle 100.

[0056] As shown in FIG. 5, when the oncoming vehicle X is far away from the front of the towed vehicle 200, the millimeter waves are reflected at an acute angle by the front of the towed vehicle 200, resulting in an erroneous detection. On the other hand, as the oncoming vehicle X approaches the front of the towed vehicle 200, the millimeter waves must be reflected at a larger angle by the front of the towed vehicle 200 in order to cause an erroneous detection, and as a result, erroneous detection becomes less likely to occur. In other words, as the oncoming vehicle X approaches the front of the towed vehicle 200, erroneous detection becomes less likely to occur. In the above-described modified example, if it is determined that the towed vehicle 200 is connected to the vehicle 100, contact avoidance operation is not performed until the moving object comes close to the vehicle 100. This makes it possible to prevent unnecessary contact avoidance operation, while still restricting door opening and warning occupants as necessary.

[0057] Note that, when it is determined that the towed vehicle 200 is connected to the vehicle 100, the operation unit 334 may suppress the contact avoidance operation in a manner different from that of the first embodiment, the second embodiment, or the modified example, as long as the operation unit 334 suppresses the contact avoidance operation compared to when it is determined that the towed vehicle 200 is not connected to the vehicle 100. For example, when it is determined that the towed vehicle 200 is connected to the vehicle 100, the operation unit 334 may reduce the opening degree by which the door can be opened compared to when it is determined that the towed vehicle 200 is not connected to the vehicle 100.

[0058] Although preferred embodiments according to the present disclosure have been described above, the present disclosure is not limited to these embodiments, and various modifications and changes can be made within the scope of the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0059] 1. Vehicle control system 11 Distance measurement sensor 12. Exterior camera 13 Door Sensor 14 Connector 15 HMI 21 Door actuator 30 ECU 33 processors 100 vehicles 200 Towed vehicle

Claims

1. A vehicle control device for controlling the operation of a vehicle, a moving object detection unit that detects a moving object behind the vehicle; an operation unit that performs a contact avoidance operation including at least one of restricting opening of the door and issuing a warning to an occupant of the vehicle when it is estimated that the moving object detected by the moving object detection unit will pass beside a door of the vehicle; a towing determination unit that determines whether a towed vehicle is connected to the vehicle, A vehicle control device in which the operation unit suppresses the contact avoidance operation when it is determined that a towed vehicle is connected to the vehicle, compared to when it is determined that a towed vehicle is not connected to the vehicle.

2. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 , wherein the operation unit does not perform the contact avoidance operation when it is determined that a towed vehicle is connected to the vehicle.

3. 2. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein when it is determined that a towed vehicle is connected to the vehicle, the operation unit issues a warning to an occupant of the vehicle but does not restrict opening of the door.

4. 2. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein when it is determined that a towed vehicle is connected to the vehicle, the operation unit does not perform the contact avoidance operation until the moving body comes close to the vehicle, compared to when it is determined that a towed vehicle is not connected to the vehicle.

5. A vehicle control method for controlling an operation of a vehicle, comprising: Detecting a moving object behind the vehicle; When it is estimated that the detected moving object will pass beside a door of the vehicle, executing a contact avoidance operation including at least one of restricting opening of the door and issuing a warning to an occupant of the vehicle; determining whether a towed vehicle is connected to the vehicle; A vehicle control method in which, when it is determined that a towed vehicle is connected to the vehicle, the contact avoidance operation is suppressed compared to when it is determined that a towed vehicle is not connected to the vehicle.

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