Apparatus, method, and program

Abstract

Improve the technology for detecting people. [Solution] A door control device 1 comprises an imaging unit 11 that images the interior and exterior of a vehicle, and a control unit 13. The control unit 13 acquires images of the interior and exterior of the vehicle from the imaging unit 11, detects internal detection objects 2 which are detected objects inside the vehicle, and external detection objects 3 which are detected objects outside the vehicle from the images, determines whether the internal detection object 2 is located inside the vehicle and within an interior detection zone 4 located near the vehicle door, and if it is determined that the internal detection object 2 is located within the interior detection zone 4, stops the door opening and closing operation. The control unit 13 also determines whether the external detection object 3 is located outside the vehicle and within an exterior detection zone 5 located near the door, and if it is determined that the external detection object 3 is located within the exterior detection zone 5, stops the door closing operation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an apparatus, a method, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, technologies for detecting people are known. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for setting a plurality of detection areas on an image of a station platform.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Technologies for detecting people can be used in a system for determining the stop of door opening and closing. Human behavior differs between a person entering a vehicle and a person exiting a vehicle. Therefore, it is necessary to separately detect a person outside the vehicle and a person inside the vehicle. However, conventional systems detect only either inside or outside the vehicle.

[0005] In view of such circumstances, an object of the present disclosure is to improve a technique for detecting a person near a vehicle door.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] A door control device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure comprises an imaging unit for imaging the interior and exterior of a vehicle, and a control unit, wherein the control unit acquires images of the interior and exterior of the vehicle from the imaging unit, detects internal objects which are objects detected inside the vehicle and external objects which are objects detected outside the vehicle from the images, stops the opening and closing operation of the door if the internal object is located in an interior detection zone near the door inside the vehicle, and stops the closing operation of the door if the external object is located in an exterior detection zone near the door outside the vehicle.

[0007] A method according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is a method performed by a door control device comprising an imaging unit for imaging the interior and exterior of a vehicle and a control unit, wherein the control unit acquires images of the interior and exterior of the vehicle from the imaging unit; detects internal objects, which are objects detected inside the vehicle, and external objects, which are objects detected outside the vehicle, from the images; stops the opening and closing operation of the door if the internal object is located within an interior detection zone near the door inside the vehicle; and stops the closing operation of the door if the external object is located within an exterior detection zone near the door outside the vehicle.

[0008] A program according to one embodiment of the present disclosure causes a computer, which serves as a door control device, to perform the following operations: acquiring images of the interior and exterior of a vehicle from the imaging unit and a control unit; detecting internally detected objects, which are objects detected inside the vehicle, and externally detected objects, which are objects detected outside the vehicle, from the images; stopping the opening and closing operation of the door if the internally detected object is located within an interior detection zone near the door inside the vehicle; and stopping the closing operation of the door if the externally detected object is located within an exterior detection zone near the door outside the vehicle. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to one embodiment of this disclosure, the technology for detecting people is improved. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a door control device according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a flowchart showing the operation of the door control device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a schematic diagram showing examples of in-vehicle detection zones and out-of-vehicle detection zones in the first embodiment. [Figure 4] This is a flowchart showing the operation of the door control device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 5] This is a schematic diagram showing an example of an external vehicle detection zone in the second embodiment. [Figure 6] This is a schematic diagram showing a different external vehicle detection zone than that shown in Figure 5. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] The embodiments of this disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0012] (Summary of one embodiment) Referring to Figure 1, a door control device 1 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. The door control device 1 is a computer mounted on a vehicle.

[0013] The vehicle includes any vehicle such as automobiles, buses, and shuttle buses. The vehicle may be a gasoline vehicle, diesel vehicle, hydrogen vehicle, BEV (Battery Electric Vehicle), HEV (Hybrid Electric Vehicle), PHEV (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle), or FCEV (Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle). The vehicle may be driven by a driver or the driving may be automated to any level. The level of automation may be, for example, one of levels 1 to 5 in the SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) classification. The vehicle may be a vehicle specifically designed for MaaS (Mobility as a Service). The vehicle is equipped with controllers that control the operation of various parts of the vehicle, including the doors. In this embodiment, the doors are sliding doors. The doors may be any other type of door, such as hinged doors.

[0014] First, an overview of this embodiment will be described, and details will be described later. The door control device according to this embodiment comprises an imaging unit that images the inside and outside of a vehicle, and a control unit. The control unit acquires images of the inside and outside of the vehicle from the imaging unit. The control unit detects internally detected objects, which are objects detected inside the vehicle, and externally detected objects, which are objects detected outside the vehicle, from the images. If the internally detected object is located within the in-vehicle detection zone near the door inside the vehicle, the control unit stops the door opening and closing operation. If the externally detected object is located within the out-of-vehicle detection zone near the door outside the vehicle, the control unit stops the door closing operation.

[0015] According to this embodiment, since the detection zone has an in-vehicle detection zone and an out-of-vehicle detection zone, it is possible to separately detect people inside and outside the vehicle. When the door is opened or closed, the person near the door inside the vehicle is stationary, but the person outside the vehicle may attempt to rush in and board. Therefore, the person outside the vehicle needs to be detected faster than the person inside the vehicle. According to this embodiment, by setting the out-of-vehicle detection zone to be different from the in-vehicle detection zone, for example, wider, it is possible to detect the person outside the vehicle earlier. Also, according to this embodiment, by automatically stopping the door opening and closing operation, the burden on the driver's door operation is reduced, and it is possible to prevent a situation where a person is caught in the door due to the driver's oversight or the like.

[0016] According to this embodiment, it is possible to collectively detect people inside and outside the vehicle using only one image. Thereby, the number of cameras or other sensors required to detect a person near the door can be reduced, and the cost of door control can be reduced. As described above, according to this embodiment, the technology for detecting people is improved.

[0017] (Configuration of Door Control Device 1) Referring to FIG. 1, the configuration of the door control device 1 will be described. The door control device 1 includes an imaging unit 11, a communication unit 12, a control unit 13, and a storage unit 14. Each unit is communicably connected to each other via an in-vehicle network such as a CAN (Controller Area Network) or a dedicated line.

[0018] The imaging unit 11 is an arbitrary imaging module installed inside the vehicle and capable of imaging the inside and outside of the vehicle. The imaging module includes at least one camera. The imaging unit 11 is installed at a position where it can image the floor and the road near the door, for example, on the ceiling near the door. In one embodiment, the imaging unit 1 is an arbitrary imaging module installed inside the vehicle and capable of imaging the inside and outside of the vehicle. The imaging module includes at least one camera. The imaging unit 11 is installed at a position where it can image the floor and the road near the door, for example, on the ceiling near the door. In one embodiment, the imaging unit 11 images the inside and outside of the vehicle together with one image. The image may be a moving image or a still image.

[0019] The communication unit 12 includes at least one communication interface connected to the in-vehicle network. The communication interface corresponds to, for example, a CAN (Controller Area Network) communication standard, a mobile communication standard such as 4G (4th generation) or 5G (5th generation), a V2X (vehicle-to-everything) communication standard such as DSRC (dedicated short range communications) or cellular V2X, or a wireless LAN (local area network) communication standard such as IEEE802.11 (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers 802.11).

[0020] The control unit 13 includes at least one processor, at least one programmable circuit, at least one dedicated circuit, or a combination thereof. The control unit 13 controls the operation of the door control device 1. The control unit 13 may include an ECU (Electronic Control Unit). The control unit 13 controls each part of the door control device 1.

[0021] The storage unit 14 includes at least one memory. Each memory included in the storage unit 14 may function as, for example, a main storage device, an auxiliary storage device, or a cache memory. The storage unit 14 stores information used for the operation of the door control device 1 and information obtained as a result of the operation of the door control device 1. The storage unit 14 may store a system program, an application program, or embedded software. The information stored in the storage unit 14 may be updated with information acquired from the network via the communication unit 12.

[0022] The functions of the door control device 1 are realized by executing a program according to one embodiment using a processor as the control unit 13. In other words, the functions of the door control device 1 are realized by software. The program causes the computer to perform the operations of the door control device 1, thereby causing the computer to function as the door control device 1. That is, the computer functions as the door control device 1 by performing the operations of the door control device 1 according to the program.

[0023] (Operation flow of the door control device 1 according to the first embodiment) Referring to Figure 2, the operation of the door control device 1 according to the first embodiment of this disclosure will be described. In the following, communication between the various parts of the door control device 1 is performed via the communication unit 12 and the network.

[0024] S101: The control unit 13 acquires images of the interior and exterior of the vehicle from the imaging unit 11.

[0025] The imaging unit 11 captures images of the interior and exterior of the vehicle while the door is being opened and closed.

[0026] S102: The control unit 13 detects an object from the image.

[0027] The detected objects include internal objects 2, which are objects detected inside the vehicle, and external objects 3, which are objects detected outside the vehicle. The detected objects include people or luggage. The control unit 13 detects the objects from the image using any object detection technology such as YOLO (You Only Look Once) and CNN (Convolutional Neural Network).

[0028] S103: The control unit 13 determines whether the detected object is located inside the vehicle, that is, whether the detected object is an internal detected object 2 or an external detected object 3. If it is determined that the detected object is located inside the vehicle (S103-YES), the process proceeds to S104. If it is determined that the detected object is located outside the vehicle (S103-NO), the process proceeds to S106.

[0029] For example, the control unit 13 uses the position of the detected object detected by the object detection technology of S102 to determine whether or not the detected object is located inside the vehicle. For example, the control unit 13 uses the feature quantities of the detected object in the acquired video to determine whether or not the detected object is located inside the vehicle.

[0030] S104: The control unit 13 determines whether the internally detected object 2 is located within the in-vehicle detection zone 4. If it is determined that the internally detected object 2 is located within the in-vehicle detection zone 4 (S104-YES), the process proceeds to S105. If it is determined that the internally detected object 2 is not located within the in-vehicle detection zone 4 (S104-NO), the process terminates.

[0031] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing an example of an in-vehicle detection zone 4 and an out-vehicle detection zone 5. The in-vehicle detection zone 4 is located near the door inside the vehicle. The in-vehicle detection zone 4 is an area on the floor with any shape. In the first embodiment, the in-vehicle detection zone 4 has a rectangular shape extending from the door into the vehicle, as shown in Figure 3. In the first embodiment, the shape and area of ​​the in-vehicle detection zone 4 do not change. The control unit 3 may determine that the internally detected object 2 is located inside the in-vehicle detection zone 4 if part or all of it is located inside the in-vehicle detection zone 4.

[0032] S105: The control unit 13 stops the door opening and closing operation.

[0033] When the door opens, people inside the vehicle who are leaning against the door or exiting through the door may fall out due to the difference in height between the vehicle floor and the road. To prevent this fall, the control unit 13 stops the door opening operation. Also, when the door closes, people inside the vehicle may get their hands or belongings caught in the door and be injured. To prevent this injury, the control unit 13 stops the door closing operation.

[0034] S106: The control unit 13 determines whether the externally detected object 3 is located within the external detection zone 5. If it is determined that the externally detected object 3 is located within the external detection zone 5 (S108-YES), the process proceeds to S109. If it is determined that the externally detected object 3 is not located within the external detection zone 5 (S108-NO), the process terminates.

[0035] For example, the control unit 13 determines whether the externally detected object 3 is located within the external detection zone based on the feature quantities of the externally detected object 3 in the acquired video. The external detection zone 5 is located near the door outside the vehicle. The external detection zone 5 is an area on the road or sidewalk with any shape. In the first embodiment, as shown in Figure 3, the external detection zone 5 is a rectangular area extending from the door outwards from the vehicle. As shown in Figure 3, in the first embodiment, the shape and area of ​​the external detection zone 5 do not change. The control unit 3 may determine that the externally detected object 3 is located within the external detection zone 5 if part or all of the externally detected object 3 is located within the external detection zone 5.

[0036] S107: The control unit 13 stops the door closing operation.

[0037] When the door closes, a person outside the vehicle may get injured by having their hand or luggage caught in the door. To prevent this injury, the control unit 13 stops the door closing operation. On the other hand, when the door opens, a person outside the vehicle will not fall out of the door due to the difference in height between the floor and the road. Therefore, in the first embodiment, the control unit 13 does not stop the door opening operation as in S106. The control unit 13 may stop the door opening operation in S107.

[0038] (Operation flow of the door control device 1 according to the second embodiment) Referring to Figure 4, the operation of the door control device 1 according to the second embodiment of this disclosure will be described. Since steps S201 to S206 in the second embodiment are the same as steps S101 to S106 in the first embodiment, their description will be omitted. In the second embodiment, the control unit executes steps S206a to S206c before executing step S206.

[0039] S206a: Prior to S206, the control unit 13 derives the direction and speed of movement of the externally detected object 3 from the image.

[0040] The control unit 13 uses any image analysis technique to derive the direction and speed of movement of the externally detected object 3 from the image.

[0041] S206b: The control unit 13 determines whether the direction of movement of the externally detected object 3 is toward the door. If it is determined that the direction of movement is toward the door (S206b-YES), the process proceeds to S206c. If it is determined that the direction of movement is not toward the door (S206b-NO), the process proceeds to S206.

[0042] "Direction toward the door" means the direction in which the externally detected object 3 approaches the door, for example, the center of the door. If it is determined that the direction of movement is not toward the door, there is no risk of a person outside the vehicle rushing to board, so the process proceeds to S206. If it is determined that the direction of movement is not toward the door, the process may be terminated.

[0043] S206c: The control unit 13 sets the external detection zone 5 to be larger than when the external detection object 3 is moving at a high speed. The process then proceeds to S206.

[0044] When a person is running, the door closure needs to be stopped earlier than when a person is walking. In the second embodiment, the decision to close the door can be made earlier by increasing the area of ​​the external detection zone 5 according to the speed of movement. In S206c, the control unit may set the external detection zone 5 such that the area of ​​the external detection zone 5 increases as the speed of movement of the externally detected object 3 increases.

[0045] To avoid detecting people who are not in the vehicle, the area of ​​the external detection zone 5 may be set to be less than or equal to the area threshold. When the area of ​​the external detection zone 5 is equal to the area threshold, the control unit 13 may reduce the door closing speed compared to when the area of ​​the external detection zone is less than the area threshold.

[0046] The control unit 13 may maintain the area of ​​the external detection zone 5 at a preset size when the movement speed is less than the speed threshold, and may set the external detection zone 5 such that the area of ​​the external detection zone 5 increases as the movement speed of the externally detected object 3 increases when the movement speed is greater than or equal to the speed threshold.

[0047] In the second embodiment, the external detection zone 5 has a rectangular shape extending from the door outwards from the vehicle. The external detection zone 5 has a length D extending in a vertical direction perpendicular to the door and a width W extending in a direction perpendicular to the said vertical direction. In the second embodiment, as shown in Figure 5, the length D increases as the movement speed increases. This allows for earlier detection of external objects 3 moving at high speeds. Although not shown in Figure 5, the width W of the external detection zone 5 may also increase as the movement speed increases. This allows for earlier detection of external objects 3 approaching along the sidewalk.

[0048] The external detection zone 5 may have a shape that extends in an extending direction from the center of the door, for example, toward the external object 3. In Figure 6, the external detection zone 5 has a rod-like shape that extends in an extending direction. In Figure 6, when the travel speed is high, the length D1 of the external detection zone 5 along the extending direction is greater than when the travel speed is low. The greater the travel speed, the greater the length D1 of the external detection zone 5 along the extending direction may be. The external detection zone 5 may include multiple zones as shown in Figure 6. For example, the external detection zone 5 may include multiple individual zones. Each individual zone may extend in each extending direction from the door toward each of the multiple external objects 3. When the travel speed of each external object 3 is high, the length of each individual zone along each extending direction may be greater than when the travel speed is low. The greater the travel speed of each external object 3, the greater the length of each individual zone along each extending direction may be. Multiple individual zones allow for the individual detection of multiple external objects 3 according to their respective travel speeds.

[0049] As described above, the door control device according to this embodiment comprises an imaging unit that images the interior and exterior of a vehicle, and a control unit. The control unit acquires images of the interior and exterior of the vehicle from the imaging unit. The control unit detects internal detection objects 2, which are detected objects inside the vehicle, and external detection objects, which are detected objects outside the vehicle, from the images. If the internal detection object is located within the interior detection zone near the door inside the vehicle, the control unit stops the door opening and closing operation. If the external detection object is located within the exterior detection zone near the door outside the vehicle, the control unit stops the door closing operation.

[0050] According to this embodiment, since the detection zone has both an in-vehicle detection zone and an out-of-vehicle detection zone, it becomes possible to detect people inside and outside the vehicle separately. When the doors are opened and closed, people near the doors inside the vehicle remain stationary, but people outside the vehicle may rush to board. Therefore, people outside the vehicle need to be detected faster than people inside the vehicle. According to this embodiment, by setting the out-of-vehicle detection zone to be different from the in-vehicle detection zone, for example, by making it wider, people outside the vehicle can be detected earlier. Furthermore, according to this embodiment, since the door opening and closing operation is automatically stopped, the burden on the driver in operating the doors is reduced, and incidents where people are caught in the doors due to driver oversight can be prevented.

[0051] According to this embodiment, it is possible to detect people both inside and outside the vehicle using only a single image. This reduces the number of cameras or other sensors required to detect people near the doors, thereby lowering the cost of door control. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the technology for detecting people is improved.

[0052] While this disclosure has been described based on the drawings and embodiments, it should be noted that those skilled in the art may make various modifications and alterations based on this disclosure. Therefore, it should be noted that these modifications and alterations are within the scope of this disclosure. For example, the functions included in each component or step can be rearranged in a logically consistent manner, and multiple components or steps can be combined into one or separated. For example, in the embodiments described above, an embodiment is also possible in which the configuration and operation of the door control device are distributed among multiple computers that can communicate with each other.

[0053] In another embodiment, in order to start the vehicle earlier, the control unit 13 may reduce the door opening and closing speed in S105, S107, S205, or S207.

[0054] The door control device may further include an output unit 15. The output unit 15 may be an audio speaker, a display, or lighting embedded in the floor near the door. The control unit 13 may alert people inside or outside the vehicle based on the information output by the output unit 15. The output unit 15 can alert people near the door by outputting audio information through the audio speaker, or by displaying the in-vehicle detection zone 4 on a display or with lighting.

[0055] After S206a, the control unit 13 may determine whether the direction of movement of the externally detected object 3 is toward the door and whether its movement speed is greater than or equal to the speed threshold. If the direction of movement of the externally detected object 3 is toward the door and its movement speed is greater than or equal to the speed threshold, the control unit 13 may increase the area of ​​the in-vehicle detection zone 4 and alert the internally detected object 2 located within the in-vehicle detection zone 4 using the output unit 15.

[0056] People outside the vehicle may collide with people inside when rushing to board. Therefore, to prevent collisions, the area of ​​the vehicle detection zone 4 may be increased, and people inside the vehicle detection zone 4 may be alerted by outputting voice information such as "Someone is rushing to board. Please move away from the door" through the voice speaker, or by displaying the vehicle detection zone 4 on the display with illumination.

[0057] For example, an embodiment is also possible in which a general-purpose computer functions as a door control device according to the above-described embodiment. Specifically, a program describing the processing content that realizes each function of the door control device according to the above-described embodiment is stored in the memory of the general-purpose computer, and the processor reads and executes the program. Therefore, this disclosure can also be realized as a program that can be executed by a processor, or as a non-temporary computer-readable medium that stores said program.

[0058] Some embodiments of the present disclosure are described below. However, it should be noted that the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to these. [Note 1] A door control device comprising an imaging unit for imaging the interior and exterior of a vehicle, and a control unit, wherein the control unit is Images of the interior and exterior of the vehicle are acquired from the imaging unit. Using object detection technology, internal objects detected inside the vehicle and external objects detected outside the vehicle are detected from the image. If the internally detected object is located within the in-vehicle detection zone near the door inside the vehicle, the opening and closing operation of the door is stopped. A door control device that stops the closing operation of the door if the externally detected object is located within an external detection zone near the door outside the vehicle. [Note 2] The door control device described in Appendix 1, further, The movement speed and direction of the externally detected object are derived, A door control device that, when the direction of movement is toward the door, sets the external vehicle detection zone to be larger when the movement speed is high than when the movement speed is low. [Note 3] A door control device as described in Appendix 2, wherein the external detection zone extends in an extending direction from the door toward the externally detected object, and the length of the external detection zone along the extending direction is greater when the travel speed is high than when the travel speed is low. [Note 4] A door control device as described in Appendix 2 or 3, wherein the area of ​​the external detection zone is set to be less than or equal to an area threshold, and when the area of ​​the external detection zone is equal to the area threshold, the control unit reduces the closing speed of the door compared to when the area of ​​the external detection zone is less than the area threshold. [Note 5] A door control device according to any of the appendices 2 to 4, wherein the external detection zone includes a plurality of individual zones, each individual zone extends in each extending direction toward each of the plurality of external detection objects from the door, and the length of each individual zone along each extending direction is greater when the moving speed of each external detection object is large than when the moving speed is small. [Note 6] A door control device according to any of Appendix 2 to 5, further comprising an output unit, wherein the control unit increases the area of ​​the in-vehicle detection zone and alerts internally detected objects located within the in-vehicle detection zone using the output unit when the direction of movement is toward the door and the speed of movement is equal to or greater than a speed threshold. [Note 7] A door control device as described in Appendix 1 to 6, wherein the vehicle is an autonomous vehicle. [Note 8] A method performed by a door control device comprising an imaging unit for imaging the interior and exterior of a vehicle, and a control unit, The control unit, The imaging unit acquires images of the interior and exterior of the vehicle, Using object detection technology, internal objects detected inside the vehicle and external objects detected outside the vehicle are detected from the image. If the internally detected object is located within the in-vehicle detection zone near the door inside the vehicle, the opening and closing operation of the door will be stopped. If the externally detected object is located within the external detection zone near the door outside the vehicle, the closing operation of the door will be stopped. Methods that include... [Note 9] The method described in Appendix 8, wherein the control unit is To derive the movement speed and direction of the externally detected object, When the direction of movement is toward the door, the external vehicle detection zone is set to be larger when the movement speed is high than when it is low. Methods that further include this. [Note 10] A method according to Appendix 9, wherein the external detection zone extends in an extending direction from the door toward the externally detected object, and the length of the external detection zone along the extending direction is greater when the travel speed is high than when the travel speed is low. [Note 11] A method according to Appendix 9 or 10, wherein the area of ​​the external detection zone is set to be less than or equal to an area threshold, and when the area of ​​the external detection zone is equal to the area threshold, the control unit reduces the closing speed of the door compared to when the area of ​​the external detection zone is less than the area threshold. [Note 12] A method according to any of the appendices 9 to 11, wherein the external detection zone includes a plurality of individual zones, each individual zone extending in each extending direction toward each of the plurality of external detection objects from the door, and the length of each individual zone along each extending direction is greater when the moving speed of each external detection object is large than when the moving speed is small. [Note 13] The method described in any of the appendices 9 to 12, wherein the control unit is A method further comprising increasing the area of ​​the in-vehicle detection zone and drawing attention to internally detected objects located within the in-vehicle detection zone when the direction of movement is toward the door and the speed of movement is greater than or equal to a speed threshold. [Note 14] A method according to appendices 8 to 13, wherein the vehicle is an autonomous vehicle. [Note 15] A computer serving as a door control device includes an imaging unit for capturing images of the interior and exterior of a vehicle, and a control unit, The imaging unit acquires images of the interior and exterior of the vehicle, Using object detection technology, internal objects detected inside the vehicle and external objects detected outside the vehicle are detected from the image. If the internally detected object is located within the in-vehicle detection zone near the door inside the vehicle, the opening and closing operation of the door will be stopped. If the externally detected object is located within the external detection zone near the door outside the vehicle, the closing operation of the door will be stopped. A program that performs an action that includes the following: [Note 16] The program described in Appendix 15, wherein the operation is, To derive the movement speed and direction of the externally detected object, When the direction of movement is toward the door, the external vehicle detection zone is set to be larger when the movement speed is high than when it is low. A program that further includes this. [Note 17] The program described in Appendix 16, wherein the external detection zone extends in an extending direction from the door toward the externally detected object, and the length of the external detection zone along the extending direction is greater when the travel speed is high than when the travel speed is low. [Note 18] A program as described in Appendix 16 or 17, wherein the area of ​​the vehicle exterior detection zone is set to be less than or equal to an area threshold, and when the area of ​​the vehicle exterior detection zone is equal to the area threshold, the control unit reduces the closing speed of the door compared to when the area of ​​the vehicle exterior detection zone is less than the area threshold. [Note 19] A program as described in any of Appendix 16 to 17, wherein the external detection zone includes a plurality of individual zones, each individual zone extends in each extending direction toward each of the plurality of external detection objects from the door, and the length of each individual zone along each extending direction is greater when the moving speed of each external detection object is large than when the moving speed is small. [Note 20] A program as described in Appendix 15-19, wherein the vehicle is an autonomous vehicle. [Explanation of symbols]

[0059] 1. Door control device 11 Imaging Unit 12 Communications Department 13 Control Unit 14 Storage section 15 Output section 2. Internally detected objects 3. Externally detected objects 4 In-vehicle detection zones 5. External detection zone

Claims

1. A door control device comprising an imaging unit for imaging the interior and exterior of a vehicle, and a control unit, wherein the control unit is Images of the interior and exterior of the vehicle are acquired from the imaging unit. Using object detection technology, internal objects detected inside the vehicle and external objects detected outside the vehicle are detected from the image. If the internally detected object is located within the in-vehicle detection zone near the door inside the vehicle, the opening and closing operation of the door is stopped. A door control device that stops the closing operation of the door if the externally detected object is located within an external detection zone near the door outside the vehicle.

2. A door control device according to claim 1, further, The movement speed and direction of the externally detected object are derived, A door control device that, when the direction of movement is toward the door, sets the external vehicle detection zone to be larger when the movement speed is high than when the movement speed is low.

3. A door control device according to claim 2, wherein the external detection zone extends in an extending direction from the door toward the externally detected object, and the length of the external detection zone along the extending direction is greater when the moving speed is high than when the moving speed is low.

4. A door control device according to claim 2, wherein the area of ​​the external detection zone is set to be less than or equal to an area threshold, and when the area of ​​the external detection zone is equal to the area threshold, the control unit reduces the closing speed of the door compared to when the area of ​​the external detection zone is less than the area threshold.

5. A door control device according to claim 2, wherein the external detection zone includes a plurality of individual zones, each individual zone extends in each extending direction toward each of the plurality of external detection objects from the door, and the length of each individual zone along each extending direction is greater when the moving speed of each external detection object is large than when the moving speed is small.

6. A door control device according to claim 2, further comprising an output unit, wherein the control unit increases the area of ​​the in-vehicle detection zone and alerts internally detected objects located within the in-vehicle detection zone using the output unit when the direction of movement is toward the door and the speed of movement is equal to or greater than a speed threshold.

7. A door control device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the vehicle is an autonomous vehicle.

8. A method performed by a door control device comprising an imaging unit for imaging the interior and exterior of a vehicle, and a control unit, The control unit, The imaging unit acquires images of the interior and exterior of the vehicle, Using object detection technology, internal objects detected inside the vehicle and external objects detected outside the vehicle are detected from the image. If the internally detected object is located within the in-vehicle detection zone near the door inside the vehicle, the opening and closing operation of the door will be stopped. If the externally detected object is located within the external detection zone near the door outside the vehicle, the closing operation of the door will be stopped. Methods that include...

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the control unit is To derive the movement speed and direction of the externally detected object, When the direction of movement is toward the door, the external vehicle detection zone is set to be larger when the movement speed is high than when it is low. Methods that further include this.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein the external detection zone extends in an extending direction from the door toward the external object to be detected, and the length of the external detection zone along the extending direction is greater when the travel speed is high than when the travel speed is low.

11. A method according to claim 9, wherein the area of ​​the external detection zone is set to be less than or equal to an area threshold, and when the area of ​​the external detection zone is equal to the area threshold, the control unit reduces the closing speed of the door compared to when the area of ​​the external detection zone is less than the area threshold.

12. A method according to claim 9, wherein the external detection zone includes a plurality of individual zones, each individual zone extending in each extending direction toward each of the plurality of external detection objects from the door, and the length of each individual zone along each extending direction is greater when the moving speed of each external detection object is high than when it is low.

13. The method according to claim 9, wherein the control unit is A method further comprising increasing the area of ​​the in-vehicle detection zone and drawing attention to internally detected objects located within the in-vehicle detection zone when the direction of movement is toward the door and the speed of movement is greater than or equal to a speed threshold.

14. A method according to any one of claims 8 to 13, wherein the vehicle is an autonomous vehicle.

15. A computer serving as a door control device includes an imaging unit for capturing images of the interior and exterior of a vehicle, and a control unit, The imaging unit acquires images of the interior and exterior of the vehicle, Using object detection technology, internal objects detected inside the vehicle and external objects detected outside the vehicle are detected from the image. If the internally detected object is located within the in-vehicle detection zone near the door inside the vehicle, the opening and closing operation of the door will be stopped. If the externally detected object is located within the external detection zone near the door outside the vehicle, the closing operation of the door will be stopped. A program that performs an action that includes the following:

16. The program according to claim 15, wherein the operation is To derive the movement speed and direction of the externally detected object, When the direction of movement is toward the door, the external vehicle detection zone is set to be larger when the movement speed is high than when it is low. A program that further includes this.

17. A program according to claim 16, wherein the external detection zone extends in an extending direction from the door toward the externally detected object, and the length of the external detection zone along the extending direction is greater when the travel speed is high than when the travel speed is low.

18. A program according to claim 16, wherein the area of ​​the vehicle exterior detection zone is set to be less than or equal to an area threshold, and when the area of ​​the vehicle exterior detection zone is equal to the area threshold, the control unit reduces the closing speed of the door compared to when the area of ​​the vehicle exterior detection zone is less than the area threshold.

19. A program according to claim 16, wherein the external detection zone includes a plurality of individual zones, each individual zone extending in each extending direction toward each of the plurality of external detection objects from the door, and the length of each individual zone along each extending direction is greater when the moving speed of each external detection object is large than when the moving speed is small.

20. A program according to any one of claims 15 to 19, wherein the vehicle is an autonomous vehicle.

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