Vehicle door control device

Abstract

To provide a vehicle door control device that can control vehicle doors based on the key position without requiring prior user registration. [Solution] When the CPU of the vehicle door control device detects that a portable device 41 is within a threshold distance Lth range 45 from the vehicle 2, it determines whether or not a person is present at the location of the detected portable device 41. If the CPU determines that a person is present at the location of the portable device 41, it executes a control to open the door of the vehicle 2.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle door control device for controlling a vehicle door.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 below describes a door unlock method for unlocking a vehicle door and opening the door based on face authentication. In the door unlock method of Patent Document 1, the distance between an object outside the vehicle and an infrared distance measurement sensor is continuously acquired by the infrared distance measurement sensor. Next, in response to the acquired distance gradually decreasing and the duration for which the distance becomes less than or equal to a first distance threshold reaching a first time threshold, an image acquisition module installed in the vehicle is controlled to collect a video stream. Then, face recognition is performed based on the image of the collected video stream, and the vehicle door lock is unlocked in response to successful face recognition.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the door unlock method of Patent Document 1 above, the user can unlock the door by approaching the vehicle and having their face imaged by the vehicle. However, in face authentication verification, it is necessary to pre - register the face of the user to be verified by face authentication. For this reason, unregistered users, such as users other than those who normally use the vehicle, cannot succeed in face authentication and cannot unlock the vehicle door.

[0005] The present invention was made to solve the aforementioned problems of the conventional system, and aims to provide a vehicle door control device that can control the vehicle doors based on the position of the key without requiring prior user registration. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] To achieve the above objective, the vehicle door control device according to the present invention comprises: a position detection unit for detecting the position of a vehicle key; a person detection unit for detecting a person present in the vicinity of the vehicle; and a control unit that, based on the detection by the position detection unit that the vehicle key is within a predetermined distance from the vehicle, and the detection by the person detection unit that a person is present at the position of the vehicle key detected by the position detection unit, executes control to open the door of the vehicle. Furthermore, in this specification, the term "control for opening a door" includes the concept of control that performs the following actions: unlocking the door, opening the door, or both. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the vehicle door control device of the present invention having the above configuration, the system detects that a key is within a predetermined distance from the vehicle and that a person is present at the key's location, and then executes control to open the door. As a result, the vehicle owner or their family can have the vehicle execute control to open the door simply by approaching the vehicle with the key. The vehicle door can be controlled based on the key's location without the need to pre-register facial data for facial recognition. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram of the vehicle according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a block diagram showing the configuration of a vehicle door control device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a flowchart of the door control processing program according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4]This is a plan view showing the behavior of users carrying mobile devices and the range of threshold distances from vehicles. [Figure 5] This is a plan view showing the positional relationship between a vehicle parked on the home's property, the vehicle owner (user), and the portable device. [Figure 6] This is a plan view showing the positional relationship between a vehicle parked on the home's property, the vehicle owner (user), and the portable device. [Figure 7] This is a plan view showing the positional relationship between a vehicle parked on the home's property, the vehicle owner (user), and the portable device. [Figure 8] This is a flowchart of the door control processing program according to the second embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] (First Embodiment) Hereinafter, one embodiment of the vehicle door control device according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. First, a vehicle 2 equipped with the vehicle door control device 1 according to the first embodiment will be described below. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the vehicle 2 according to the first embodiment. Figure 2 is a block diagram of the vehicle door control device 1 according to the first embodiment. In the following description, the front-rear direction, the left-right direction, and the up-down direction of the vehicle 2 will be simply referred to as the front-rear direction, the left-right direction, and the up-down direction, respectively. In addition, devices on the right side of the vehicle 2 may be denoted with R, and devices on the left side of the vehicle 2 may be denoted with L. Furthermore, in addition to the components shown in Figures 1 and 2, the vehicle 2 also has other basic components as a vehicle 2, but in the following description, the configuration related to the control of opening and closing the doors, and the control related to said configuration will be mainly described.

[0010] As shown in Figure 1, vehicle 2 is, for example, a vehicle with a steering wheel 3 on the right side, and comprises a body 11, a driver's side front door 12R, a passenger side front door 12L, a driver's side rear door 13R, a passenger side rear door 13L, and a back door 14. Hereafter, when the front doors 12R, 12L, rear doors 13R, 13L, and back door 14 are described collectively, they may be referred to as "each door." Each door is, for example, a swing-type door. Vehicle 2 also has door lock devices 15A, 15B, 15C, 15D, 15E that control the lock of each door, and door opening and closing devices 16A, 16B, 16C, 16D, 16E that open and close each door. The door lock devices 15A to 15E control the locks of the front doors 12R, 12L, rear doors 13R, 13L, and back door 14, respectively, in that order. The door lock devices 15A to 15E are devices that switch each door between a locked state (locked) and an unlocked state (unlocked). The door opening and closing devices 16A to 16E are devices that open and close the front doors 12R, 12L, rear doors 13R, 13L, and back door 14, respectively, in this order. The door opening and closing devices 16A to 16E are equipped with a motor as a drive source, for example, and open and close each door by driving the motor.

[0011] Note that the configuration of vehicle 2 shown in Figure 1 is just one example. For example, vehicle 2 is not limited to a vehicle with the handle 3 on the right side, but may also be a vehicle with the handle 3 on the left side. Also, each door is not limited to a swing-type door, but may be a door with other opening and closing methods such as a sliding door. Furthermore, each door may have a different opening and closing method. Therefore, only the rear doors 13R and 13L may be sliding doors. Also, the drive source for the door opening and closing devices 16A to 16E is not limited to a motor, but may also be a drive source such as a hydraulic cylinder. Furthermore, vehicle 2 may be an internal combustion engine vehicle driven by an internal combustion engine (engine, etc.), an electric vehicle driven by an electric motor, a fuel cell vehicle, etc., or a hybrid vehicle having multiple drive sources such as these. Furthermore, there are no particular limitations on the type of vehicle 2, the number of wheels, etc. Also, vehicle 2 may be a vehicle capable of manual driving, a vehicle capable of automatic driving, or a vehicle capable of switching between both types of driving.

[0012] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the vehicle door control device 1 includes a front camera 5, side cameras 6R and 6L, a rear camera 7, various sensors 8, a wireless communication device 9, and a vehicle control ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 10. Hereinafter, the front camera 5, side cameras 6R and 6L, and rear camera 7 may be collectively referred to as "each camera."

[0013] Each camera is an imaging device having a solid-state image sensor such as a CCD, and captures images of the area around the vehicle. The front camera 5 is mounted, for example, above the front bumper of the vehicle 2 or behind the rearview mirror, and is installed with its optical axis facing forward of the vehicle 2. The side cameras 6R and 6L are mounted, for example, on the left and right side mirrors of the vehicle 2, and are installed with their optical axes facing sideways of the vehicle 2. The rear camera 7 is mounted, for example, above the license plate mounted on the rear of the vehicle 2, and is installed with its optical axis facing rearward of the vehicle 2. Each camera is an example of the human detection unit described herein.

[0014] The various sensors 8 are sensors that realize various functions of the vehicle 2. For example, sensors 8 can include ultrasonic sensors, millimeter-wave radar, and laser sensors, which can be used to detect obstacles around the vehicle. Alternatively, sensors 8 can include vehicle speed sensors, acceleration sensors, gyro sensors, steering sensors, and shift position sensors, which can be used as sensors for the driving of the vehicle 2.

[0015] The wireless communication device 9 is a device that communicates wirelessly with the portable device 41. The portable device 41 is, for example, a so-called electronic key. Alternatively, the portable device 41 may be a smartphone used in a digital key system, or another communication terminal capable of wireless communication with the vehicle 2. The portable device 41 has buttons for operating the door lock devices 15A to 15E and the door opening and closing devices 16A to 16E. The portable device 41 is an example of a key as described herein.

[0016] (Regarding the Vehicle Control ECU 10) The vehicle control ECU (hereinafter simply referred to as ECU) 10 is an electronic control unit that comprehensively controls the entire vehicle 2 including the vehicle door control device 1, and includes a CPU 31 as an arithmetic unit and a control unit, a RAM 32 used as a working memory when the CPU 31 executes various arithmetic processes, a ROM 33 in which, in addition to control programs, a door control processing program (see FIG. 3) described later, etc. are recorded, and an internal storage device such as a flash memory 34 that stores programs and flag values read from the ROM 33.

[0017] The ECU 10 realizes various functional units by executing programs with the CPU 31. For example, the position detection unit 31A is a functional unit that detects the position of the key of the vehicle 2. The person detection unit 31B is a functional unit that detects a person existing around the vehicle 2. The control unit 31C is a functional unit that executes control to open the door based on the fact that the position detection unit 31A has detected that the key of the vehicle 2 exists within a predetermined distance range from the vehicle 2, and the person detection unit 31B has detected that a person exists at the position of the key of the vehicle 2 detected by the position detection unit 31A. That is, the vehicle control ECU 10 is an example of the position detection unit, the person detection unit, and the control unit in this specification.

[0018] Also, a usage intention information DB 35 is stored in the flash memory 34. In the usage intention information DB 35, information (threshold values for judging operations, information for judging from imaging data, etc.) for judging whether a user around the vehicle has an intention to use the vehicle 2 is stored.

[0019] Also, the ECU

[0020] Furthermore, the ECU 10 drives the door lock devices 15A to 15E and the door opening / closing devices 16A to 16E to control the locking (keying) and opening / closing of each door. The ECU 10 also communicates wirelessly with the portable device 41 via the wireless communication device 9 and performs key authentication, unlocking of each door, opening / closing of doors, etc., in response to buttons operated on the portable device 41. Note that key authentication and door locking may also be performed by a device other than the ECU 10, such as the wireless communication device 9.

[0021] (Regarding the door control processing program) Next, the door control processing program executed by the ECU 10 in the vehicle door control device 1 having the above configuration will be described with reference to Figure 3. Figure 3 is a flowchart of the door control processing program according to the first embodiment. Here, for example, when the ECU 10 detects radio waves from the portable device 41 while the engine of the vehicle 2 is stopped and all doors are locked, it starts the door control processing program. The door control processing program is a program that detects the presence of a user in the key position and, when it is determined that the user intends to use the vehicle 2 (hereinafter referred to as "intent to use"), executes control to open the door that the user is expected to open (hereinafter referred to as "target door"). In the following description, the case in which control is executed to unlock and open the target door will be described as control to open the door.

[0022] In this specification, "control to open a door" may refer to either control to unlock each door or control to open each door. Therefore, in step S9 of Figure 3, which will be described later, the ECU 10 may execute only the control to unlock the target door. Furthermore, the conditions for starting the execution of the door control program are not limited to the conditions described above. For example, the ECU 10 may execute the process in Figure 3 when the engine of the vehicle 2 is stopped and all doors are unlocked. In this case, in step S9, the ECU 10 may execute only the control to open the target door that has already been unlocked. That is, in this specification, "control to open a door" may refer only to the control to open the target door. Alternatively, the ECU 10 may start the process in Figure 3 when it detects a change in the position of the portable device 41. The ECU 10 may also start the process in Figure 3 at predetermined intervals. Furthermore, the program shown in the flowchart in Figure 3 is stored in the RAM 32 and ROM 33 of the vehicle door control device 1 and executed by the CPU 31.

[0023] First, in step 1 of Figure 3 (hereinafter abbreviated as S), the CPU 31 determines whether the portable device 41 has approached the vehicle 2 to within a predetermined threshold distance Lth or less. As long as the portable device 41 has not approached within the threshold distance Lth, that is, as long as the distance between the vehicle 2 and the portable device 41 is longer than the threshold distance Lth, the CPU 31 makes a negative determination in S1 (S1: NO) and repeatedly executes the determination process of S1. Then, when the CPU 31 detects that the portable device 41 has approached within the threshold distance Lth or less (S1: YES), it executes S2 and activates each camera (front camera 5, side cameras 6R, 6L, rear camera 7). For example, until S2 is executed, the CPU 31 stops the power supply to each camera and keeps each camera in a stopped state. Then, in S2, the CPU 31 starts supplying power to each camera, makes it ready to capture images, and acquires image data from each camera.

[0024] The threshold distance Lth is, for example, a few meters. As described later, after the portable device 41 approaches to within the threshold distance Lth (S1:YES), the CPU 31 determines whether or not a person is present at the location of the portable device 41 based on the image data from each activated camera. If a person is present at the location of the portable device 41 and intends to use it, the CPU 31 executes control to open the target door. For this reason, the threshold distance Lth is preferably a distance such as 5m to 3m that allows sufficient time to confirm the person's location, confirm their intention to use the device, and estimate the target door. As a method for acquiring the location information of the portable device 41, for example, a method can be employed in which the location of the portable device 41 is acquired using triangulation based on the distance between the multiple wireless antennas of the wireless communication device 9 and the portable device 41. Alternatively, the location of the portable device 41 may be detected from the location information of the smartphone of the digital key system. Furthermore, after the CPU 31 detects the radio waves from the portable device 41 and starts the processing shown in Figure 3, if the portable device 41 does not approach within a threshold distance Lth and the negative judgment in S1 is repeated for a certain period of time (S1: NO), the CPU 31 may terminate the processing shown in Figure 3. In this case, the CPU 31 may resume the processing shown in Figure 3 after a certain period of time has elapsed or if the position of the portable device 41 has changed.

[0025] After activating each camera in S2, the CPU 31 determines in S3 whether or not a person is present at the location of the portable device 41. For example, the CPU 31 determines whether or not a person is present at the location of the portable device 41 based on the image data captured by each camera. Based on the location information of the portable device 41, the CPU 31 processes the image data capturing the location of the portable device 41 and determines whether or not a person is present at the location of the portable device 41. For example, the CPU 31 may perform image processing to extract image features and determine whether or not a person is present by detecting the movement or shape of a person from the image. Alternatively, the CPU 31 may use AI (artificial intelligence) technology to analyze the image and determine whether or not a person is present at the location of the portable device 41. Note that the method for determining whether or not a person is present at the location of the portable device 41 is not limited to using the image data from each camera. For example, the CPU 31 may use point cloud data from a millimeter-wave radar mounted on the vehicle 2 to determine whether or not a person is present at the location of the portable device 41. Therefore, the person detection unit in this specification may be a millimeter-wave radar. Furthermore, the CPU 31 may use both the camera and the millimeter-wave radar to determine whether or not a person is present at the location of the handheld device 41. The CPU 31 may also limit which cameras are activated depending on the location of the handheld device 41. For example, if the handheld device 41 is located in front of the vehicle 2, the rear camera 7 does not need to be activated. Power saving can be achieved by changing which cameras are activated depending on the location of the handheld device 41.

[0026] If the CPU 31 cannot detect a person from the image data capturing the location of the portable device 41 (S3: NO), it executes S5. In S5, the CPU 31 determines whether the portable device 41 has remained within a certain range Rth for a predetermined reference time Tth or longer. If the CPU 31 determines that the portable device 41 has remained within a certain range Rth for a predetermined reference time Tth or longer (S5: YES), it executes S7. In S7, the CPU 31 stops each camera and maintains the lock on each door. For example, the CPU 31 stops the power supplied to each camera, thereby stopping each camera. The reference time Tth and the certain range Rth in S5 are the time and range necessary to determine, as will be described later, a state in which the user has accidentally dropped the portable device 41 and left it unattended, or a state in which the user has no intention of using the vehicle 2 and is standing near the vehicle 2. Therefore, the reference time Tth and the certain range Rth in S5 are the time and range that can detect the state in which the dropped portable device 41 is left unattended or the state in which a user with the portable device 41 is staying in a certain location.

[0027] After executing the process in S7, the CPU 31 terminates the process shown in Figure 3. Figure 4 is a plan view showing the actions of user 43 holding the portable device 41 and the range of the threshold distance Lth from vehicle 2. The hatched dashed circle range 45 in Figure 4 indicates the range of the threshold distance Lth from vehicle 2. For example, as shown by arrow 47 in Figure 4, if the portable device 41 (user 43 holding the portable device 41) moves from outside the range 45 of the threshold distance Lth from vehicle 2 into the range 45, the CPU 31 starts the process in Figure 3, makes an affirmative judgment in S1 (S1: YES), and executes S2. After this, if user 43 stops for a reference time Tth or longer and within a certain range Rth (S5: YES), the process in Figure 3 terminates.

[0028] Furthermore, if the CPU 31 detects that the position of the portable device 41 has changed after completing the process in Figure 3, it may restart the process in Figure 3. For example, if user 43 moves into range 45 once, then remains still within a certain range Rth for a reference time Tth or longer, and after the process in Figure 3 is completed (S5:YES, S7), user 43 starts moving from that location, the CPU 31 may restart the process in Figure 3. Also, if the CPU 31 detects not only that the position of the portable device 41 has changed, but also that the portable device 41 has started moving toward vehicle 2 after completing the process in Figure 3, it may restart the process in Figure 3. For example, as shown by arrow 48, if user 43 holding the portable device 41 moves into range 45 and stops, then after a reference time Tth has elapsed, starts moving again, and moves toward vehicle 2, the CPU 31 may restart the process in Figure 3. In this case, the CPU 31 makes an affirmative decision in S1 (S1:YES) and executes S2. On the other hand, as shown by arrow 49, if it is detected that user 43 holding the portable device 41 has moved into range 45 and stopped, and then started moving again after a reference time Tth has elapsed, and is moving away from vehicle 2, then the processing in Figure 3 does not need to be restarted. Therefore, the CPU 31 may activate each camera (S2) and execute S3 and subsequent steps if it detects that the portable device 41 has moved into range 45 from outside range 45 at a predetermined distance (threshold distance Lth) from vehicle 2, or that the portable device 41, which is already within range 45, is moving towards vehicle 2.

[0029] On the other hand, if the reference time Tth has not elapsed (S5:NO), CPU 31 executes S3 again. Also, if the portable device 41 moves outside a certain range Rth before the reference time Tth has elapsed (S5:NO), for example, if user 43 who was standing still within range 45 starts moving again before the reference time Tth has elapsed, CPU 31 executes S3 again. If the portable device 41 moves outside a certain range Rth before the reference time Tth has elapsed (if the position of the portable device 41 changes), CPU 31 resets the measured elapsed time and determines the elapsed time and the certain range Rth based on the changed position (S5).

[0030] Furthermore, if the CPU 31 detects a person from the image data capturing the position of the portable device 41, that is, if a person is present at the location of the portable device 41, it makes an affirmative judgment in S3 (S3: YES) and executes S4. In S4, the CPU 31 determines whether the person present at the location of the portable device 41 (hereinafter referred to as user 43) has the intention to use it (S4). For example, in S4, the CPU 31 determines whether the user has the intention to use it based on the movement of user 43's shoulders. The CPU 31 detects the angle of user 43's shoulders (such as the angle formed by the straight line connecting both of user 43's shoulders relative to the side of vehicle 2) from the image data of each camera (overhead view image, etc.). The CPU 31 determines that user 43 has the intention to use it if it detects that user 43 is facing towards vehicle 2 and is approaching vehicle 2 based on the detected shoulder angle and user 43's position. For example, the intention to use information DB 35 (see Figure 2) stores threshold angles for determining whether the detected shoulder angle is an angle indicating intention to use it. Furthermore, the method for determining the intention to use is not limited to the method using the shoulder angle described above. For example, the CPU 31 may determine whether or not the user 43 intends to use the device based on information such as whether or not the user 43 is carrying luggage, the orientation of the user 43's face, the location and amount of deceleration of the user 43's movement speed, the location where the user 43 is likely to stop, the location where the user 43 has stopped, the direction of the user 43's movement, and the user 43's line of sight.

[0031] If CPU 31 determines that there is no intention to use the vehicle (S4: NO), it executes S7 and terminates the process shown in Figure 3. This prevents the doors of vehicle 2 from opening automatically when user 43 has no intention of using vehicle 2, for example, when they happen to pass by vehicle 2 or come to retrieve something that is near vehicle 2.

[0032] Furthermore, if the CPU 31 determines that there is an intention to use the vehicle (S4: YES), it executes S8. In S8, the CPU 31 estimates the target door that user 43 is expected to open for user 43, who has been determined to have an intention to use the vehicle. For example, the CPU 31 estimates the target door based on the position of user 43 at the time when it determines that there is an intention to use the vehicle based on a change in the movement of user 43's shoulders. In this specification, the intention to use the vehicle is not limited to the intention to open each door and get in, but also includes the intention to open the door and load luggage, the intention to unload luggage, and other intentions to perform tasks without getting in by opening each door. For this reason, the back door 14 is included in the term "door" in this specification.

[0033] For example, the CPU 31 estimates the door closest to the user 43's position at the moment it determines that the user intends to use a door based on a change in shoulder movement. However, the method for estimating the target door is not limited to the method described above. For example, in addition to or instead of shoulder movement, the CPU 31 may estimate the target door based on information such as the user 43's direction of movement, deceleration position, gaze, body orientation, and luggage. For example, the CPU 31 may predict the user 43's direction of movement and estimate the door ahead in that direction as the target door. Alternatively, the CPU 31 may calculate the sum of values ​​obtained by multiplying each of the above-mentioned pieces of information (such as luggage and gaze) by a weighting coefficient for each door of the vehicle 2, and estimate the door whose calculated sum exceeds a predetermined threshold as the target door.

[0034] When the CPU 31 estimates the target door in S8, it executes control to open the target door estimated in S8 in S9. The CPU 31 unlocks the door lock of the target door and executes control to open the door. For example, if the target door is the front door 12R, the CPU 31 controls the door lock device 15A to unlock the door lock of the front door 12R, and then controls the door opening / closing device 16A to open the front door 12R. As a result, the user 43 can open the door they want to open in the vehicle 2 simply by approaching the vehicle 2 with the portable device 41. After executing the process in S9, the CPU 31 terminates the process shown in Figure 3.

[0035] Figures 5 to 7 show, as an example, a plan view illustrating the positional relationship between a vehicle 2 parked within the grounds 52 of a home 51, the user 43 who owns the vehicle 2, and the portable device 41. For example, as indicated by arrow 53 in Figure 5, suppose user 43 moves a bag (not shown) containing the portable device 41 within the home 51 to a chair 55 in the dining room. As a result, the portable device 41 moves to a position where radio waves can be detected by the vehicle 2, moving from outside the range 45 to inside the range 45. Next, as indicated by arrow 57 in Figure 6, suppose user 43 leaves the bag containing the portable device 41 on the chair 55 and moves to another location. In this case, it can be considered that user 43 has only moved the bag within the home 51 and has no intention of using the vehicle 2, or does not intend to use it immediately.

[0036] If user 43 performs the actions indicated by arrows 53 and 57 above, the CPU 31 activates each camera as the portable device 41 approaches (S1: YES, S2), and in S3 determines whether or not a person is present at the location of the portable device 41 (in this case, the location and direction of the chair 55). User 43 has moved to another location after placing the portable device 41 on the chair 55. Also, the portable device 41 is placed indoors, and there are walls and windows of the house 51 between the vehicle 2 and the portable device 41. Therefore, the CPU 31 cannot detect a person from the image data of the location of the portable device 41. The CPU 31 makes a negative determination in S3 (S3: NO) and executes S5. Note that by adjusting the threshold, etc., that the CPU 31 uses to determine whether or not a person was detected from the image data, even if user 43 is captured through a window and part of the human body is detected, the system can adjust it to treat it as if no person was detected. In other words, the criteria for determining whether or not a person is present at the location of the portable device 41 in S3 can be changed as appropriate. Specifically, the CPU 31 may determine in S3 that there is no person at the location of the portable device 41 if there is an object other than a person, such as a wall or window, between the vehicle 2 and the person at the location of the portable device 41 (S3: NO), or it may determine that a person is present if it can detect the entire body of a person from the imaging data (S3: YES).

[0037] If the CPU 31 determines that the portable device 41 has remained on the chair 55 for a reference time Tth or longer (S5: YES), it executes S7 and terminates the process shown in Figure 3. This allows the process shown in Figure 3 to be terminated before determining the user's intention to use the device (before executing S4) if the user 43 does not intend to use it. Also, as shown in Figure 6, suppose the user 43 moves to another location while leaving the portable device 41 on the chair 55, and with all the cameras on the vehicle 2 activated (S2, S3: NO, S5: NO), a stranger 58 who is not the owner of the vehicle 2 approaches the vehicle 2. In S3, the CPU 31 determines that even if a person (stranger 58) is within range 45, there is no person at the location of the portable device 41, so it makes a negative determination in S3 (S3: NO). As a result, as shown in Figure 7, even if the stranger 58 approaches the vehicle 2, and even if they take an action that indicates an intention to use it, the lock on the vehicle 2 will not be released, and they will not be able to board. This makes it possible to prevent theft of the vehicle 2. This prevents another person 58 from approaching vehicle 2 and opening the door without the owner of vehicle 2 (user 43)'s intention.

[0038] Furthermore, suppose that user 43 accidentally drops the portable device 41A near vehicle 2, as shown by the dashed line in Figure 7. In this case as well, the CPU 31 makes a negative judgment in S3 (S3: NO) because there is no person at the location of the portable device 41A. After activating each camera (S2), the CPU 31 terminates the process in Figure 3 if the portable device 41A is left in the same location for a reference time Tth or longer, thereby suppressing theft of vehicle 2. Power consumption can also be reduced by stopping each camera (S7). In this way, the CPU 31 can appropriately open and close the doors of vehicle 2 based on the relative positions of the portable device 41 (the key to vehicle 2) and user 43.

[0039] (Effects of the first embodiment) As described in detail above, the first embodiment provides the following effects. (1) According to the vehicle door control device 1 and the computer program executed by the vehicle door control device 1 according to the first embodiment, the CPU 31 of the ECU 10 detects that the portable device 41 is within a range 45 of a threshold distance Lth from the vehicle 2 (S1:YES), and based on the detection that a person is present at the location of the detected portable device 41 (S3:YES), executes control to open the target door (S9).

[0040] According to this, even if a portable device 41 is located within a predetermined distance (threshold distance Lth) range 45 from vehicle 2, the control to open each door will not be executed unless a person (user 43) is present at the location of the portable device 41. This prevents other people 58 who are not the owner of vehicle 2 from approaching vehicle 2 and opening the doors of vehicle 2. Furthermore, the owner of vehicle 2 (user 43) or their family members can cause vehicle 2 to open the target door simply by approaching vehicle 2 with the portable device 41 in their possession.

[0041] (2) Furthermore, the CPU 31 activates each camera (S2) when it detects either that the portable device 41 has moved from outside the threshold distance Lth range 45 from the vehicle 2 into the range 45 (arrow 47 in Figure 4), or that the portable device 41, which is within the threshold distance Lth range 45 from the vehicle 2, has moved toward the vehicle 2 (arrow 48 in Figure 4). This reduces power consumption by keeping each camera off until a person approaches the vehicle 2, or until a person who has already approached approaches again. Note that the CPU 31 may be configured to detect only one of the movements indicated by arrow 47 or arrow 48. For example, the CPU 31 may be configured not to start the process shown in Figure 3 after the portable device 41 has moved into the range 45, until the portable device 41 moves out of the range 45.

[0042] Furthermore, after activating each camera (S2), the CPU 31 stops each camera (S7) if the portable device 41 whose position has been detected remains within a certain range Rth for a predetermined reference time Tth or longer (S5: YES). This allows for the stopping of activated cameras and reduction of power consumption in cases such as when the portable device 41 is left in a key storage location or when the portable device 41 is dropped near the vehicle 2. The CPU 31 may also activate and deactivate the human detection unit 31B in conjunction with the activation and deactivation of each camera.

[0043] (3) Furthermore, if the CPU 31 detects that the portable device 41 is within a threshold distance Lth range 45 from the vehicle 2, but does not detect that a person is present at the location of the detected portable device 41 (S3: NO), it maintains the locked state of each door of the vehicle 2 (S5: YES, S7).

[0044] According to this, if the portable device 41 is placed near the vehicle 2 inside the home 51, or if the portable device 41 is dropped near the vehicle 2, the vehicle 2 can remain locked. Even if the cameras of the vehicle 2 are activated and authentication of S3 is performed, the lock state can be maintained because there is no person at the location of the portable device 41, thereby preventing theft of the vehicle 2.

[0045] (4) The CPU 31 also detects that the portable device 41 is within a threshold distance Lth range 45 from the vehicle 2, and if it detects that a person is present at the location of the detected portable device 41 (S3: YES), it determines whether the detected person intends to use the vehicle 2 (S4). If the CPU 31 determines that the person intends to use the vehicle (S4: YES), it opens the target door (S9).

[0046] According to this, by checking whether a person is present at the location of the portable device 41 using each camera before determining the intention to use vehicle 2, it is possible to deter others 58 from approaching vehicle 2 and using it illegally without the owner's intention. Furthermore, by confirming that the user 43 possessing the portable device 41 has approached vehicle 2 to a certain distance (threshold distance Lth) (S1:YES, S3:YES) before determining the intention to use (S4), the accuracy of determining the intention to use can be improved.

[0047] (Second Embodiment) Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the first embodiment described above, as shown in Figure 3, the CPU 31 determined whether or not there was an intention to use the portable device 41 if a person was present at the location of the portable device 41 (S3: YES) (S4). In contrast, the CPU 31 of the second embodiment differs from the first embodiment described above in that, as shown in Figure 8, it determines whether or not a person is present at the location of the portable device 41 (S3) if it has determined that there is an intention to use the device (S4: YES). In the following description of the second embodiment, the same reference numerals will be used to describe components that are the same as those in the first embodiment described above.

[0048] As shown in Figure 8, the CPU 31 executes S1 and S2 in the same manner as in the first embodiment, and then executes S4, unlike in the first embodiment. The CPU 31 determines whether a person has the intention to use the device based on the movement of their shoulders, for example, within a threshold distance Lth range 45 from the vehicle 2 (S4). If multiple people are within the range 45, the CPU 31 may determine the intention to use the device for each of the multiple people. If the CPU 31 determines that the person has the intention to use the device (S4: YES), it executes S3; if it determines that the person does not have the intention to use the device (S4: NO), it executes S5. The CPU 31 also determines in S3 whether a person is present at the location of the portable device 41. The CPU 31 determines, for example, whether a person who was determined to have the intention to use the device in S4 is present at the location of the portable device 41. If a person is present at the location of the portable device 41 (S3: YES), the CPU 31 executes S8 and subsequent steps to open the target door (S9). If no person is present at the location of the portable device 41 (S3: NO), the CPU 31 executes S5.

[0049] The CPU 31 executes S4 again if the reference time Tth has not elapsed (S5:NO) or if the portable device 41 moves outside a certain range Rth before the reference time Tth has elapsed (S5:NO). As in the second embodiment shown in Figure 8, even in a configuration where the intention to use is determined in advance, theft of the vehicle 2 by another person 58 (see Figures 6 and 7) can be suppressed. Furthermore, when the user 43, who is the owner of the vehicle 2, approaches the vehicle 2 with the portable device 41 in possession, the CPU 31 can determine the intention to use and open the target door.

[0050] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various improvements and modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, the content and execution order of each process in the door control processing program shown in Figures 3 and 8 are examples and can be changed as appropriate. For example, CPU 31 does not have to execute processes S1 or S5. For example, CPU 31 may start the process in Figure 3 when it detects a radio signal from the portable device 41, and without executing (omitting) S1, execute S2 to activate each camera. Also, for example, in the first embodiment of Figure 3, if CPU 31 makes a negative judgment in S3 (S3:NO), it may execute S3 again without executing S5, and if S3 is executed for a certain period of time (S3:NO), it may terminate the process in Figure 3. Similarly, for example, in the second embodiment of Figure 8, if CPU 31 makes a negative judgment in S4 (S4:NO), it may execute S4 again without executing S5, and if S4 is executed for a certain period of time (S4:NO), it may terminate the process in Figure 8. Furthermore, the specified distance in this specification is not limited to the threshold distance Lth. For example, the specified distance in this specification may be the distance at which the radio waves from the portable device 41 can be detected from the vehicle 2. Furthermore, the CPU 31 does not have to perform the determination of intent to use S4 in each embodiment. For example, in the first embodiment, if the CPU 31 finds that a person is present at the location of the portable device 41 in S3 (S3: YES), it may open the target door without performing S4 (S8, S9). Furthermore, in each embodiment, the CPU 31 does not need to perform the process of estimating the target door in S8. For example, in the first embodiment, if the CPU 31 determines in S4 that there is an intention to use the door (S4: YES), it may not execute S8 and instead unlock all doors in S9. Furthermore, in the first embodiment, as shown in Figure 3, it was determined whether or not a person was present at the location of the portable device 41 (S3: YES), and then whether or not there was an intention to use it (S4). Furthermore, in the second embodiment, as shown in Figure 8, it was determined whether or not there was an intention to use it (S4: YES), and then whether or not a person was present at the location of the portable device 41 (S3). However, it is also possible to determine whether or not a person is present at the location of the portable device 41 both before and after determining the intention to use it.

[0051] Furthermore, although the above embodiments performed processing on a walking user 43, the system is not limited to this. For example, even if a user 43 is in a wheelchair, the system may control the target door depending on whether or not a person is present at the location of the portable device 41. Therefore, movement in this specification is not limited to walking, but may also include movement by wheelchair. Furthermore, in each of the above embodiments, the ECU 10 of the vehicle door control device 1 executes the processing of the door control processing program (Figures 3 and 8), but the execution entity can be changed as appropriate. For example, the processing in Figures 3 and 8 may be executed by the control unit of the car navigation system or other in-vehicle devices. The configuration of the vehicle door control device 1 is not limited to the configurations of the embodiments described above. For example, the vehicle door control device 1 may be configured to include only the ECU 10, or to include only the ECU 10 and each camera.

[0052] Next, we will describe the technical ideas derived from the above embodiment. (i) The control unit is If the position detection unit detects that the vehicle key is within a predetermined distance from the vehicle, it determines whether or not a person in the vicinity of the vehicle intends to use the vehicle. A vehicle door control device according to claim 1 or 2, which, if it is determined that there is an intention to use the vehicle, determines whether or not a person is present at the location of the vehicle key detected by the position detection unit.

[0053] According to this, it is possible to determine whether or not a person is present at the key's location only if it is determined that there is an intention to use it. Then, if a person is present, the control to open the door can be executed. [Explanation of symbols]

[0054] 1 Vehicle door control device, 2 Vehicle, 5 Front camera (person detection unit), 6R, 6L Side cameras (person detection unit), 7 Rear camera (person detection unit), 10 Vehicle control ECU (position detection unit, person detection unit, control unit), 12R, 12L Front door (door), 13R, 13L Rear door (door), 14 Back door (door), 31A Position detection unit, 31B Person detection unit, 31C Control unit, 41, 41A Portable device (key), 43 User (person), 45 Range, Lth Threshold distance (predetermined distance), Tth Reference time, Rth Range.

Claims

1. A position detection unit that detects the position of the vehicle key, A person detection unit that detects people present in the vicinity of the vehicle, A control unit that, based on the detection by the position detection unit that the vehicle key is located within a predetermined distance from the vehicle, and the detection by the person detection unit that a person is located at the position of the vehicle key detected by the position detection unit, executes control to open the doors of the vehicle. A vehicle door control device equipped with the following features.

2. The control unit, If the position detection unit detects that the vehicle key has moved from outside a predetermined distance range from the vehicle into the range range, or that the vehicle key, which is within a predetermined distance range from the vehicle, has moved toward the vehicle, the person detection unit is activated. The vehicle door control device according to claim 1, wherein, after activating the person detection unit, if the vehicle key detected by the position detection unit remains within a certain range for a predetermined reference time or longer, the person detection unit is stopped.

3. The control unit, A vehicle door control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the position detection unit detects that the vehicle key is within a predetermined distance from the vehicle, and the person detection unit does not detect that a person is present at the location of the vehicle key detected by the position detection unit, the door of the vehicle is kept locked.

4. The control unit, The position detection unit detects that the vehicle key is located within a predetermined distance from the vehicle, and the person detection unit detects that a person is present at the location of the vehicle key detected by the position detection unit, then the person detection unit determines whether the person detected intends to use the vehicle. A vehicle door control device according to claim 1 or 2, which, if it is determined that there is an intention to use the door, executes control to open the door.

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