Vehicle exit support device and exit support method

Abstract

We will optimize the timing of the termination of the outbound support service. [Solution] A vehicle exit support device capable of executing exit support control to move a parked vehicle VH along a pre-stored movement path RT to a predetermined exit completion position PE, wherein, in a state before the vehicle VH reaches the exit completion position PE while the exit support control is being executed, if specific conditions are met such that there are no turning points on the movement path RT from the current position of the vehicle VH to the exit completion position PE, and the distance from the current position of the vehicle VH to the exit completion position PE is less than or equal to a predetermined threshold, the device notifies the occupant of the vehicle that the exit support control can be terminated by performing a predetermined operation, and terminates the exit support control when it detects that the predetermined operation has been performed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a vehicle departure support device and a departure support method.

Background Art

[0002] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an apparatus capable of setting a movement route for moving a parked vehicle to a target departure position and executing departure support control for automatically running the vehicle along the movement route. The apparatus described in Patent Document 1 uses, as an end permission condition, that a vehicle traveling along the movement route has passed a predetermined position where it is closest to an object, and continues the departure support control even if a driver's end request is detected until the end permission condition is satisfied. After the end permission condition is satisfied, when a driver's end request is detected, the departure support control is terminated.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

[0004] The apparatus described in Patent Document 1 assumes departure support in a general public parking lot or the like, and the movement route set at the time of departure is often a relatively short distance. On the other hand, a so-called route memory type departure support device that memorizes the movement route when a driver manually operates the vehicle for departure and automatically runs the vehicle along the memorized movement route when departing from the same parking section in subsequent times has been put into practical use.

[0005] In such a path-memory type parking assistance device, the travel path for assistance is complex, often containing turning points, and the assistance distance tends to be relatively long. Therefore, if the device, as described in Patent Document 1, allows the parking assistance to be terminated according to a predetermined operation after the vehicle has passed a predetermined position where it is closest to an object, there is a possibility that the assistance may be terminated at an undesirable time for the driver. Specifically, the parking assistance may be terminated when the remaining distance to the parking target position is long, or when there are turning points or other obstacles on the subsequent travel path, which could worsen the convenience for the driver.

[0006] This disclosure is made to solve the above-mentioned problems and aims to optimize the timing of the termination of outbound support.

[0007] The apparatus of this disclosure is A vehicle exit support device capable of performing exit support control to move a parked vehicle along a pre-stored movement path to a predetermined exit completion position, When the vehicle, while the vehicle is performing the exit support control, has not yet reached the exit completion position, and there are no turning points on the vehicle's movement path from its current position to the exit completion position where the vehicle's direction of travel needs to be changed, and the distance from the vehicle's current position to the exit completion position is less than or equal to a predetermined threshold, the vehicle's occupant is notified that the exit support control can be terminated by performing a predetermined operation, and the exit support control is terminated when it is detected that the predetermined operation has been performed. It is characterized by the following:

[0008] The methods of this disclosure A vehicle exit support method capable of performing exit support control to move a parked vehicle along a pre-stored movement path to a predetermined exit completion position, When the vehicle, while the vehicle is performing the exit support control, has not yet reached the exit completion position, and there are no turning points on the vehicle's movement path from its current position to the exit completion position where the vehicle's direction of travel needs to be changed, and the distance from the vehicle's current position to the exit completion position is less than or equal to a predetermined threshold, the vehicle's occupant is notified that the exit support control can be terminated by performing a predetermined operation, and the exit support control is terminated when it is detected that the predetermined operation has been performed. It is characterized by the following: [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram showing the hardware configuration of the outbound support device according to this embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a schematic diagram showing the software configuration of the outbound support device according to this embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of movement route information for outbound vehicle support. [Figure 4] This is a flowchart explaining the routine for completing the outbound support process. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] The vehicle exit support device and exit support method according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0011] [Hardware configuration] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the hardware configuration of the vehicle departure support device 1 according to this embodiment. The vehicle departure support device 1 is mounted on the vehicle VH and has an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 10. The ECU 10 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 11, ROM (Read Only Memory) 12, RAM (Random Access Memory) 13, and an interface device 14, etc. The CPU 11 is a processor that executes various programs stored in the ROM 12. The ROM 12 is a non-volatile memory that stores data necessary for the CPU 11 to execute various programs. The RAM 13 is a volatile memory that provides a work area that is expanded when various programs are executed by the CPU 11. The interface device 14 is a communication device for communicating with external devices.

[0012] ECU10 is a central device that performs automatic parking control to automatically park the vehicle VH in a parking lot and automatic exit control to automatically exit the vehicle VH from the parking lot where it is currently parked. In this embodiment, automatic parking control and automatic exit control are performed on parking lots that the driver has registered in advance, such as the driver's home parking lot, which is used relatively frequently. Hereinafter, registered parking lots will be referred to as "pre-registered parking lots". The target parking lots are not limited to parking lots with parking spaces demarcated by white lines, etc., but any parking lot where there is enough space for the vehicle VH to enter can be registered as a pre-registered parking lot. A pre-registered parking lot is registered by acquiring movement path information when the driver manually parks or exits the vehicle VH in the parking lot, and storing the acquired movement path information linked to the location information of the parking lot. Automatic parking control to a pre-registered parking lot and automatic exit control from a pre-registered parking lot are performed by driving the vehicle VH along the pre-stored movement path. Since automatic parking control and automatic exit control are basically the same process, automatic exit control will be described below.

[0013] The ECU10 is connected to the drive unit 20, steering unit 21, braking unit 22, transmission unit 23, internal sensor device 30, external sensor device 40, position information acquisition device 50, automatic exit switch 60, HMI (Human Machine Interface) 70, etc., in a communication manner.

[0014] The drive unit 20 generates driving force transmitted to the drive wheels of the vehicle VH. Examples of the drive unit 20 include an electric motor and an engine. In this embodiment, the vehicle VH may be a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV), a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), a fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV), a battery electric vehicle (BEV), or an engine-powered vehicle. The steering unit 21 applies steering force to the wheels of the vehicle VH. The braking unit 22 applies braking force to the wheels of the vehicle VH. The transmission unit 23 is configured to be selectively switchable between a parking range that locks the rotation of the drive wheels, a reverse range that allows the vehicle VH to move in reverse, a neutral range that cuts off power transmission, and a drive range that allows the vehicle VH to move forward.

[0015] The internal sensor device 30 consists of sensors that detect the state of the vehicle's VH. Specifically, the internal sensor device 30 includes a wheel speed sensor 31, an accelerator sensor 32, a brake sensor 33, a steering angle sensor 34, a shift sensor 35, etc. The wheel speed sensor 31 detects the vehicle's VH speed, i.e., vehicle speed. The accelerator sensor 32 detects the amount of accelerator pedal operation by the driver (not shown). The brake sensor 33 detects the amount of brake pedal operation by the driver (not shown). The steering angle sensor 34 detects the rotation angle of the steering wheel or steering shaft (not shown), i.e., the steering angle. The shift sensor 35 detects the shift position of the transmission 23 (parking P, reverse R, neutral N, drive D). The internal sensor device 30 transmits the state of the vehicle's VH detected by each of the sensors 31 to 35 to the ECU 10 at a predetermined interval.

[0016] The external sensor device 40 is a set of sensors that recognize target information regarding targets around the vehicle VH. Specifically, the external sensor device 40 includes a radar sensor 41, a sonar sensor 42, a camera sensor 43, etc. The radar sensor 41 includes a millimeter-wave radar and / or a lidar. The millimeter-wave radar emits radio waves in the millimeter-wave band and receives reflected waves reflected by targets within its radiation range to acquire the relative distance, relative speed, etc., between the vehicle VH and the target. The lidar sequentially scans pulsed laser light with a wavelength shorter than millimeter waves in multiple directions and receives reflected light reflected by targets to acquire the shape of the target, the relative distance, relative speed, etc., between the vehicle VH and the target. The sonar sensor 42 emits ultrasonic waves and receives reflected waves reflected by targets within its radiation range to acquire the relative distance, relative speed, etc., between the vehicle VH and the target. The camera sensor 43 is, for example, a stereo camera or a monocular camera, and a digital camera having an image sensor such as a CMOS or CCD can be used. The camera sensor 43 processes the captured image data to acquire the shape of the target, the relative distance between the vehicle VH and the target, the relative speed, etc. The external sensor device 40 transmits the acquired target information to the ECU 10 at a predetermined interval. The external sensor device 40 does not necessarily need to include all of the radar sensor 41, sonar sensor 42, and camera sensor 43; for example, it may include only the camera sensor 43.

[0017] The location information acquisition device 50 acquires the current location information of the vehicle VH. For example, the location information acquisition device 50 can use a GPS (Global Positioning System), GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System), or other system provided by a navigation device (not shown). The location information acquisition device 50 transmits the acquired current location information of the vehicle VH to the ECU 10 at predetermined intervals.

[0018] The automatic exit switch 60 is provided, for example, on the center console or instrument panel of the vehicle VH, and is a switch that is turned on and off by an occupant (e.g., the driver) of the vehicle VH. When the automatic exit switch 60 is turned on, the ECU 10 receives a request to start automatic exit. Note that the request to start automatic exit may also be received by operating a touch-type switch image displayed on a display device 71 described later, or by voice recognition using a sound collector (not shown).

[0019] The HMI 70 is an interface for inputting and outputting information between the ECU 10 and the driver, and includes an input device and an output device. Examples of the input device include a touch panel type liquid crystal display, a switch, a voice collection microphone, etc. Examples of the output device include a display device 71, a speaker 72, etc. The display device 71 is, for example, a center display, a multi-information display, etc. The speaker 72 is, for example, a speaker of an audio system or a navigation system.

[0020] [Software Configuration] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the software configuration of the exit assistance device 1 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2, the ECU 10 includes functional elements such as a movement path information acquisition unit 110, a registered parking lot storage unit 120, a supportable notification processing unit 130, an automatic exit control unit 140, a support end processing unit 150, etc. These functional elements 100 to 150 are realized by the CPU 11 of the ECU 10 reading out the program stored in the ROM 12 and executing it in the RAM 13. Note that all or part of the functional elements 100 to 150 can also be provided in another ECU separate from the ECU 10, or in an information processing device of a facility (such as a management center) that can communicate with the vehicle VH.

[0021] When the movement route information acquisition unit 110 receives a registration start request from the driver, it acquires the movement route information of the vehicle VH when the driver manually operates the vehicle VH to leave the parking lot (parking section) where the vehicle is parked, and temporarily stores the acquired movement route information in the RAM 13. The registration start request from the driver may be acquired, for example, by operating a touch-type switch image displayed on the display device 71, or by operating a physical switch provided separately from the display device 71, or by voice recognition using a sound collector, etc.

[0022] The movement route information acquired by the movement route information acquisition unit 110 includes not only the movement route actually traveled by the vehicle VH, but also operation information such as vehicle speed, steering angle, and shift position. The movement route of the vehicle VH refers to the movement locus of the vehicle position that changes as the vehicle VH travels. The vehicle position is, for example, a predetermined geometric center position in the plan view of the vehicle VH. Note that the vehicle position may be other positions of the vehicle VH (for example, the center position between the left and right front wheels, or the center position between the left and right rear wheels, etc.).

[0023] When the movement route information acquisition unit 110 receives a registration start request from the driver while the vehicle VH is in a stopped state, it sets the position information of the vehicle VH at that time as the start position of the movement route (departure start position). The position information of the vehicle VH may be acquired based on the detection result of the position information acquisition device 50. When the movement route information acquisition unit 110 sets the start position, for example, it sets a two-dimensional map with the start position as the origin, the front-rear direction of the vehicle VH as the X-axis, and the width direction of the vehicle VH as the Y-axis.

[0024] When the driver starts manually exiting the parking lot from the starting position, the movement path information acquisition unit 110 plots the movement trajectory of the vehicle position on a two-dimensional map at predetermined sampling intervals. This allows the movement path of the vehicle VH to be acquired. The movement trajectory may be calculated, for example, by odometry based on the detection results of the wheel speed sensor 31 and the steering angle sensor 34, or by using the position information of the vehicle VH acquired by the position information acquisition device 50, or by estimating it based on optical flow or the like from image data of the road surface surrounding the vehicle VH captured by the camera sensor 43. The predetermined sampling interval may be either a predetermined distance or a predetermined time.

[0025] When the movement path information acquisition unit 110 plots the movement trajectory of the vehicle position on a two-dimensional map, it acquires the vehicle speed, steering angle, shift position, etc., detected by the internal sensor device 30, and associates them with the vehicle position on the movement path. The movement path information acquisition unit 110 terminates the acquisition of movement path information when the driver stops the vehicle VH at a predetermined position after exiting the parking lot and switches the shift position to parking P. The movement path information acquisition unit 110 sets the vehicle position at the time the acquisition of movement path information is terminated as the end position of the movement path (exit completion position).

[0026] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of the movement path of vehicle VH acquired by the movement path information acquisition unit 110 when the vehicle VH is manually exited by the driver. In Figure 3, the symbol PA represents the parking lot where the vehicle VH is parked, and the symbol ST represents the passageway facing the parking lot PA. Figure 3 shows an example where the driver exits the parking lot PA by moving the vehicle VH forward. Note that the process is substantially the same when the vehicle VH is exited the parking lot PA by moving it backward, etc., so explanations for those cases are omitted.

[0027] The exit start position PS in Figure 3 is the vehicle position (stationary position) when the movement path information acquisition unit 110 receives a registration start request from the driver. As shown in Figure 3, suppose the driver moves the vehicle VH forward from the exit start position PS to the first turning position PC1 in the passage ST by creeping or accelerating while turning. Hereafter, the movement path of the vehicle VH from the exit start position PS to the first turning position PC1 will be referred to as the first movement path R1. The movement path information acquisition unit 110 acquires the first movement path R1 by plotting the movement trajectory of the vehicle VH from the exit start position PS to the first turning position PC1 on a two-dimensional map at predetermined sampling intervals. In addition, while the vehicle VH is traveling along the first movement path R1, the movement path information acquisition unit 110 acquires the vehicle speed, steering angle, brake operation amount, accelerator operation amount, shift position, etc. of the vehicle VH at predetermined sampling intervals, corresponding to the vehicle position on the first movement path R1.

[0028] When the driver switches the shift position from drive D to reverse R at the first turning position PC1, the movement path information acquisition unit 110 starts acquiring the second movement path R2. The second movement path R2 is the movement trajectory from when the driver reverses the vehicle VH from the first turning position PC to a predetermined position in the passage ST, and then stops the vehicle VH at the predetermined position.

[0029] The movement path information acquisition unit 110 acquires the second movement path R2 by plotting the movement trajectory of the vehicle VH from the first turning position PC1 on a two-dimensional map at predetermined sampling intervals. The movement path information acquisition unit 110 also acquires the vehicle speed, steering angle, brake operation amount, accelerator operation amount, shift position, etc. of the vehicle VH at predetermined sampling intervals while the vehicle VH is traveling along the second movement path R2, associating them with the vehicle's position on the second movement path R2. When the driver stops the vehicle VH at a predetermined position and switches the shift position from reverse R to drive D, the movement path information acquisition unit 110 sets the position information of the vehicle VH at that time to the second turning position PC2.

[0030] When the driver switches the shift position from reverse R to drive D at the second turning position PC2, the movement path information acquisition unit 110 starts acquiring the third movement path R3. The third movement path R3 is the trajectory of the movement from when the driver drives the vehicle VH forward from the second turning position PC2 to a predetermined position in the passage ST, and stops the vehicle VH at a predetermined exit completion position.

[0031] The movement path information acquisition unit 110 acquires the third movement path R3 by plotting the movement trajectory of the vehicle VH from the second turning position PC2 on a two-dimensional map at predetermined sampling intervals. The movement path information acquisition unit 110 also acquires the vehicle speed, steering angle, brake operation amount, accelerator operation amount, shift position, etc. of the vehicle VH at predetermined sampling intervals while the vehicle VH is traveling along the third movement path R3, associating them with the vehicle's position on the third movement path R3. When the driver stops the vehicle VH at a predetermined position and switches the shift position from drive D to parking P, the movement path information acquisition unit 110 sets the position information of the vehicle VH at that time to the exit completion position PE.

[0032] Referring again to Figure 2, the registered parking space storage unit 120 stores the movement paths R1 to R3 acquired by the movement path information acquisition unit 110 as target movement paths RT used for automatic exit control of the parking space PA. The registered parking space storage unit 120 also stores the target movement paths RT linked to the location information of the parking space PA. The location information of the parking space PA can be acquired based on the detection results of the location information acquisition device 50. If there are multiple registered parking spaces, the registered parking space storage unit 120 stores the target movement paths RT and location information for each registered parking space.

[0033] Based on the detection results of the location information acquisition device 50, the support notification processing unit 130 performs a notification process to inform the driver of vehicle VH that automatic driving mode is available for exiting the parking lot when the current location of vehicle VH is within a predetermined distance from the location of a registered parking lot. The notification to the driver may be given, for example, by display on the display device 71 or by sound from the speaker 72.

[0034] The automatic parking exit control unit 140 performs automatic parking exit control by automatically activating the vehicle VH's drive unit 20, steering unit 21, braking unit 22, and transmission unit 23 based on the target movement path RT stored in the registered parking space memory unit 120, when the supportable notification processing unit 130 performs notification processing and the automatic parking exit switch 60 is turned ON by the driver (occupant) of the vehicle VH. The automatic parking exit control is performed, for example, by feedback control of the operation of the drive unit 20, steering unit 21, etc., based on the deviation between the target movement path RT and the actual movement trajectory of the vehicle VH. The actual movement trajectory of the vehicle VH may be calculated by odometry based on the detection results of the wheel speed sensor 31 and the steering angle sensor 34, or it may be estimated based on optical flow or the like from image data of the road surface around the vehicle VH captured by the camera sensor 43.

[0035] After the automatic parking control unit 140 has started automatic parking control, the support termination processing unit 150 executes a termination notification to inform the driver that the parking assistance in automatic driving mode can be terminated by accelerator operation or brake operation (a predetermined operation in this disclosure) when the following termination conditions (1) and (2) are met. Termination condition (1): Vehicle VH has reached the exit completion position PE. Termination condition (2): The shift position is in drive D. Notification to the driver can be given, for example, by displaying information on the display device 71 or by sound from the speaker 72.

[0036] When termination conditions (1) and (2) are met and accelerator or brake operation by the driver is detected, the support termination processing unit 150 terminates the parking assistance in automatic driving mode and switches to manual driving mode, which entrusts the driving of vehicle VH to the driver. Accelerator operation can be obtained based on the detection result of the accelerator sensor 32, and brake operation can be obtained based on the detection result of the brake sensor 33.

[0037] Furthermore, if termination condition (1) is met but termination condition (2) is not met, that is, if vehicle VH has reached the exit completion position PE but the shift position is other than drive D (for example, reverse R), the support termination processing unit 150 will forcibly switch the shift position to parking P and then terminate the exit support in automatic driving mode.

[0038] Incidentally, in route-memory type parking assistance systems used in frequently used parking lots such as home parking lots, the assistance distance tends to be relatively long due to the need for U-turns and other maneuvers in the surrounding environment of the parking lot (such as aisle width). For this reason, if parking assistance is continued until the vehicle VH reaches the parking completion position PE, it may be inconvenient for the driver. To reduce such inconvenience, it is conceivable to terminate parking assistance when predetermined conditions are met, even before the vehicle VH reaches the parking completion position PE. However, if parking assistance is terminated when the vehicle VH passes the position closest to an object (obstacle), as in the device described in Patent Document 1, there may be cases where a U-turn position is included in the subsequent movement path, potentially resulting in the parking assistance ending in an inconvenient situation for the driver. In this embodiment, driver convenience is improved by optimizing the timing of termination of parking assistance.

[0039] Specifically, even before termination condition (1) is met, that is, before the vehicle VH reaches the exit completion position PE, if termination condition (2) is met and the following termination conditions (3) and (4) are met, the support termination processing unit 150 will execute a termination notification informing the driver that the exit assistance in automatic driving mode can be terminated by operating the accelerator or brake. Termination condition (3): There are no reversal points on the subsequent target travel path RT. Termination condition (4): The distance from the current position of vehicle VH to the exit completion position PE is less than or equal to a predetermined threshold.

[0040] When termination conditions (3) and (4) are met and the driver performs an accelerator or brake operation, the support termination processing unit 150 terminates the parking assistance in automatic driving mode and switches to manual driving mode, which entrusts the driving of the vehicle VH to the driver. This effectively prevents the parking assistance from ending prematurely, which would create an inconvenient situation for the driver, while also effectively preventing the parking assistance from continuing for a longer period than the driver deems necessary, thereby reliably improving driver convenience.

[0041] Next, the routine for the termination process of the vehicle dispatch support, executed by the CPU 11 of the ECU 10, will be explained based on the flowchart shown in Figure 4. This routine is started, for example, after receiving a request from the driver to start automatic vehicle dispatch by turning on the automatic vehicle dispatch switch 60, and after automatic vehicle dispatch control is executed.

[0042] In step S100, the ECU 10 determines whether the vehicle VH has reached the exit completion position PE, that is, whether the above-mentioned termination condition (1) is met. If the vehicle VH has reached the exit completion position PE (Yes), the ECU 10 proceeds to the process in step S110. On the other hand, if the vehicle VH has not reached the exit completion position PE (No), the ECU 10 proceeds to the process in step S200.

[0043] In step S110, the ECU 10 determines whether the shift position is in drive D, that is, whether the termination condition (2) described above is met. If the shift position is in drive D (Yes), the ECU 10 proceeds to the process in step S120. On the other hand, if the shift position is not in drive D (No), the ECU 10 proceeds to the process in step S140.

[0044] In step S120, the ECU 10 issues a termination notification to the driver, informing them that the automatic driving mode's parking assistance can be terminated by operating the accelerator or brake. Next, in step S130, the ECU 10 determines whether or not it has received an accelerator or brake operation from the driver. If it has received an accelerator or brake operation from the driver (Yes), the ECU 10 proceeds to the process in step S150. On the other hand, if it has not received either an accelerator or brake operation from the driver (No), the ECU 10 repeats the determination in step S130.

[0045] When the process moves from step S110 to step S140, the ECU10 forcibly switches the shift position to parking P and proceeds to step S150.

[0046] In step S150, ECU10 terminates the automatic driving mode for vehicle exit assistance, switches to manual driving mode which hands over the operation of vehicle VH to the driver, and then returns to this routine.

[0047] When the process proceeds from step S100 to step S200, the ECU 10 determines whether the shift position is in drive D, that is, whether the termination condition (2) described above is met. If the shift position is in drive D (Yes), the ECU 10 proceeds to step S210. On the other hand, if the shift position is not in drive D (No), the ECU 10 returns to step S100.

[0048] In step S210, the ECU 10 determines whether there are any turning points PC1 and PC2 on the target movement path RT from the current position of the vehicle VH to the exit completion position PE, that is, whether the above-mentioned termination condition (3) is met. If there are no turning points PC1 and PC2 (Yes), the ECU 10 proceeds to the process in step S220. On the other hand, if there is at least one turning point PC1 or PC2 (No), the ECU 10 returns to the process in step S100.

[0049] In step S220, the ECU 10 determines whether the distance from the current position of the vehicle VH to the exit completion position PE is less than or equal to a predetermined threshold, that is, whether the termination condition (4) described above is met. If the distance to the exit completion position PE is less than or equal to the predetermined threshold (Yes), the ECU 10 proceeds to the process in step S230. On the other hand, if the distance to the exit completion position PE is not less than or equal to the predetermined threshold (No), the ECU 10 returns to the process in step S100. Note that the processes in steps S210 and S220 are not in any particular order and may be processed simultaneously.

[0050] In step S230, the ECU 10 issues a termination notification to the driver, informing them that the automatic driving mode's parking assistance can be terminated by operating the accelerator or brake. Next, in step S240, the ECU 10 determines whether or not it has received an accelerator or brake operation from the driver. If it has received an accelerator or brake operation from the driver (Yes), the ECU 10 proceeds to step S250. On the other hand, if it has not received either an accelerator or brake operation from the driver (No), the ECU 10 returns to step S100.

[0051] In step S250, ECU10 terminates the automatic driving mode for vehicle exit assistance, switches to manual driving mode which hands over the operation of vehicle VH to the driver, and then returns to this routine.

[0052] This disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible as long as they do not deviate from the purpose of this disclosure.

[0053] For example, although the above embodiment described forward exit as an example, the technology of this disclosure can also be applied when a vehicle VH exits the parking lot in the rear. Furthermore, although the above embodiment described a route memory type exit support device as an example, the technology of this disclosure can also be applied to a so-called route setting type exit support device that sets the movement route each time the vehicle exits the parking lot.

Claims

1. A vehicle exit support device capable of performing exit support control to move a parked vehicle along a pre-stored movement path to a predetermined exit completion position, When the vehicle, while the vehicle is performing the exit support control, has not yet reached the exit completion position, and there are no turning points on the vehicle's movement path from its current position to the exit completion position where the vehicle's direction of travel needs to be changed, and the distance from the vehicle's current position to the exit completion position is less than or equal to a predetermined threshold, the vehicle's occupant is notified that the exit support control can be terminated by performing a predetermined operation, and the exit support control is terminated when it is detected that the predetermined operation has been performed. A vehicle exit assistance device characterized by the following features.

2. A vehicle exit support device according to claim 1, The fulfillment of the aforementioned specific condition further includes the shift position of the vehicle's transmission being in drive. A vehicle exit assistance device characterized by the following features.

3. A vehicle exit support device according to claim 1 or 2, The aforementioned predetermined operation is either a steering operation or a braking operation performed by the driver of the vehicle. A vehicle exit assistance device characterized by the following features.

4. A vehicle exit support method capable of performing exit support control to move a parked vehicle along a pre-stored movement path to a predetermined exit completion position, When the vehicle, while the vehicle is performing the exit support control, has not yet reached the exit completion position, and there are no turning points on the vehicle's movement path from its current position to the exit completion position where the vehicle's direction of travel needs to be changed, and the distance from the vehicle's current position to the exit completion position is less than or equal to a predetermined threshold, the vehicle's occupant is notified that the exit support control can be terminated by performing a predetermined operation, and the exit support control is terminated when it is detected that the predetermined operation has been performed. A method for assisting the departure of a vehicle from a parking lot, characterized by the features described above.

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