Vehicle door control device

Abstract

To provide a vehicle door control device that can determine which door the user wants to open based on multiple conditions and control that door accordingly. [Solution] The vehicle door control device 1 calculates usage intent values ​​V1 to V4 for each of several conditions 1 to 4, which are based on different sources of calculation, indicating the likelihood that a user 43 in the vicinity of the vehicle 2 will use the vehicle 2 (S4). Based on the calculated usage intent values ​​V1 to V4, the vehicle door control device 1 estimates which door of the vehicle 2 is expected to be opened by the user 43 (S6). The vehicle door control device 1 unlocks the estimated target door and executes control to open it (S7).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle door control device that controls a vehicle door.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 below describes a vehicle that determines the operation of a user existing behind the vehicle and unlocks the back door of the vehicle based on the determination result. The control device of the vehicle in Patent Document 1 captures an image of a user behind the vehicle with a camera mounted on the vehicle, and detects the operation of the user with respect to a predetermined horizontal plane based on the captured camera image. When the control device detects an operation in which the user moves the right foot to the right direction from a state where both legs and both knees of the user are stationary and then returns the right foot moved to the right direction to the original position, the control device unlocks the back door of the vehicle.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In order to unlock the back door of the vehicle, the control device of Patent Document 1 above requires the user to perform the above-described predetermined operation. Therefore, the user needs to accurately perform the determined operation in order to unlock the door. In addition, there are various types of vehicle doors, such as swing doors and slide doors, but the position of the user before opening the door and the orientation of the user with respect to the vehicle differ depending on the type of the door and the opening direction. Therefore, if it is determined whether to open the vehicle door only under specific conditions, there is a risk of reducing user convenience.

[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 determine which door a user wants to open based on multiple conditions and control that door. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] To achieve the above objective, the vehicle door control device according to the present invention comprises: a usage intent value calculation unit that calculates usage intent values ​​indicating the likelihood that a user present in the vicinity of the vehicle will use the vehicle, for each of a plurality of conditions with different sources for calculation; a target door estimation unit that estimates a target door among the doors of the vehicle that is expected to be opened by the user, based on the usage intent values ​​calculated by the usage intent value calculation unit; and a control unit that executes control to open the target door estimated by the target door estimation unit. Furthermore, the "source of calculation" in this specification refers to any object that can be used to calculate the intended use value, such as vehicle-related objects like vehicle parking facilities, or user-related objects like user movement patterns. The source of calculation is also an object whose type and value affect the increase or decrease in the intended use value, thereby changing the estimated target door. In other words, the source of calculation is an object that can be used to estimate the target door that a user is expected to open, via the intended use value. Moreover, "calculation" in this specification includes not only the process of calculating a value using mathematical formulas, but also the process of determining and setting a suitable setting value from among several pre-set setting values. Furthermore, "control for opening a door" in this specification includes control that unlocks the door, controls that open the door, or controls that perform both. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the vehicle door control device of the present invention having the above configuration, an intent to use value is calculated for each of several conditions in which the source of calculation differs, and control is performed to open the target door estimated based on the calculated intent to use value. This makes it possible to determine the target door that the user wants to open based on several different conditions and to control that target door. In the process of determining which door the user wants to open, it is possible to suppress being limited to specific conditions and estimate the target door from multiple perspectives, thereby improving the accuracy of target door estimation and improving usability. [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 diagram shows the flow from the calculation of the intended use value to the determination based on the threshold according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] This figure shows a vehicle parked according to the first embodiment and an example of a user's travel route. [Figure 6] This is a flowchart of the door control processing program according to the second embodiment. [Figure 7] This is a flowchart of the door control processing program according to the second embodiment. [Figure 8] This figure shows a vehicle parked according to the second embodiment and an example of a user's travel route. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] (First Embodiment) Hereinafter, a first embodiment, which is a concrete example 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, a vehicle control ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 10, and a position information acquisition device 17. 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 it images 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 on the rear of the vehicle 2, and is installed with its optical axis facing backward of the vehicle 2.

[0014] The various sensors 8 are sensors for realizing various functions of the vehicle 2. As the sensor 8, for example, an ultrasonic sensor, a millimeter-wave radar, a laser sensor, etc. can be adopted as sensors for detecting obstacles around the vehicle. Alternatively, as the sensor 8, a vehicle speed sensor, an acceleration sensor, a gyro sensor, a steering sensor, a shift position sensor, etc. can be adopted as sensors used for the running of the vehicle 2.

[0015] The wireless communication device 9 is a device that performs wireless communication 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 other communication terminals 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 / closing devices 16A to 16E.

[0016] The position information acquisition device 17 includes, for example, a receiver that receives radio waves from GPS (Global Positioning System) satellites. The position information acquisition device 17 acquires the position information of the vehicle 2 from the radio waves received at predetermined intervals. The vehicle control ECU 10 can detect the current position, moving speed, etc. of the vehicle 2 based on the position information of the position information acquisition device 17. Incidentally, the vehicle control ECU 10 may acquire the position information of the vehicle 2 from other devices such as a car navigation system.

[0017] (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 device and a control device, a RAM 32 used as a working memory when the CPU 31 executes various arithmetic processes, in addition to a control program, a ROM 33 in which 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.

[0018] The ECU 10 realizes various functional units by executing programs on the CPU 31. For example, the usage intention value calculation unit 31A is a functional unit that calculates usage intention values indicating the possibility that a user existing around the vehicle uses the vehicle for each of a plurality of conditions with different calculation sources. The target door estimation unit 31B is a functional unit that estimates a target door, which is a door among the doors of the vehicle that is expected to be opened by the user, based on the usage intention value calculated by the usage intention value calculation unit 31A. The control unit 31C is a functional unit that executes control for opening the door with respect to the target door estimated by the target door estimation unit 31B. The obstacle detection unit 31D is a functional unit that detects obstacles existing around the vehicle. That is, the vehicle control ECU 10 is an example of the usage intention value calculation unit, the target door estimation unit, the control unit, and the obstacle detection unit in this specification.

[0019] Further, a calculation information DB 35 is stored in the flash memory 34. In the calculation information DB 35, information necessary for the usage intention value calculation unit 31A to calculate the usage intention value is stored, such as values used for calculation for each of a plurality of conditions. Further, in the calculation information DB 35, weight coefficients for multiplying the usage intention values for each of a plurality of conditions calculated by the usage intention value calculation unit 31A are stored for each of the plurality of conditions. Further, in the calculation information DB 35, for example, weight coefficients for each state of the user described later are stored. Further, a facility flag value 36 is stored in the flash memory 34. The facility flag value 36 is a flag value for determining whether the facility where the vehicle 2 is parked is the target facility for estimating the target door from the usage intention value.

[0020] Further, the ECU 10 is connected to the above-described door lock devices 15A to 15E, door opening / closing devices 16A to 16E, each camera (front camera 5, etc.), various sensors 8, wireless communication device 9, and position information acquisition device 17 via an in-vehicle network such as CAN. The ECU 10 executes various calculations based on the information input from each camera and each sensor 8 and controls the vehicle 2. For example, the ECU 10 displays an aerial image or an overhead image on a monitor (not shown) of the vehicle 2 based on the imaging data captured by each camera and executes driving support.

[0021] 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.

[0022] (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 calculates an intent to use value (hereinafter referred to as intent to use value V) indicating the possibility (probability) that the user will use the vehicle, for multiple conditions with different sources of calculation, estimates the door that the user is expected to open (hereinafter referred to as the target door) based on the calculated intent to use value V, and executes control to open the estimated 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.

[0023] The target of the calculation will be described later in S4. Also, "control to open the door" in this specification may refer to control to unlock each door, or control to open each door. For this reason, in S7 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. The ECU 10 may execute the process in Figure 3 when the engine of the vehicle 2 is running and the portable device 41 is inside the vehicle. For example, the ECU 10 may start the process in Figure 3 for a user who does not have the portable device 41 when the engine of the vehicle 2 is running and all the doors of the vehicle 2 are locked, and the ECU 10 detects that a user has approached a predetermined distance from the vehicle 2. Alternatively, the ECU 10 may execute the process in Figure 3 when the engine of the vehicle 2 is stopped and all the doors are locked, and the ECU 10 detects that all the doors have been unlocked by the portable device 41. In this case, the ECU 10 may execute control to open the target door, which is already unlocked, if the user intends to use the vehicle 2. That is, the "control to open the door" in this specification may only be the control to open the target door. Furthermore, the intention to use the vehicle in this specification is not limited to the intention to open each door and get in, but also includes the intention to open the doors and load or unload luggage, etc., when working with the doors without getting in. For this reason, the back door 14 is included in the term "door" in this specification. In addition, the program shown in the flowchart in Figure 3 below is stored in the RAM 32 and ROM 33 of the vehicle door control device 1 and executed by the CPU 31.

[0024] First, in step 1 of Figure 3 (hereinafter abbreviated as S), the CPU 31 determines whether the facility where the vehicle 2 is parked is a facility to be executed from S2 onwards (hereinafter referred to as the target facility), that is, whether it is a facility to be executed for calculation of the intended use value V, estimation of the target door, and control of the estimated target door. In S1, the CPU 31 determines whether the parked facility is a target facility based on the facility flag value 36 stored in the flash memory 34.

[0025] The CPU 31 stores a facility flag value 36 based on, for example, the location information from the last time the vehicle 2 was parked. When the vehicle 2's engine is stopped and the accessory power is turned off during parking, the CPU 31 acquires location information from the location information acquisition device 17 and detects the facility where the vehicle 2 is parked based on the acquired location information and map information. This map information may be information acquired from a car navigation system installed in the vehicle 2, information stored in ROM 33, or information acquired from an external server.

[0026] For example, some users may want to exclude their home from the door control process shown in Figure 3, since they often walk around the area when not using vehicle 2, and therefore prefer to open the doors manually (using an electronic key, etc.) when vehicle 2 is parked at home. Alternatively, some users may want to exclude specific facilities, such as their workplace or a hospital. Therefore, the CPU 31 receives information about facilities to be excluded from the door control process. The method for receiving information about excluded facilities is not particularly limited and may include using the car navigation system or other user interfaces of vehicle 2.

[0027] When the engine of vehicle 2 is stopped during parking, CPU 31 determines whether the facility where vehicle 2 is parked is an excluded facility, that is, whether the parking facility is an excluded facility. For example, if the parking facility is an excluded facility, CPU 31 stores the value "1" in the facility flag value 36, and if the parking facility is an excluded facility, it stores the value "0" in the facility flag value 36. Then, after starting the process shown in Figure 3, in S1, CPU 31 checks the facility flag value 36 that was stored during the previous parking and determines whether the parking facility is an excluded facility.

[0028] If the facility flag value 36 is "1", the CPU 31 determines that the parking facility is a target facility (S1: YES) and executes S2. On the other hand, if the facility flag value 36 is "0", the CPU 31 determines that the parking facility is an excluded facility (S1: NO) and terminates the process shown in Figure 3. This allows excluded facilities to be registered according to the user's request, improving usability. In this case, there is no need to execute the process in Figure 3 until the vehicle 2 moves and the parking facility is changed, etc. Therefore, the CPU 31 does not need to execute the process in Figure 3 until conditions such as a change in the current location, an update of the facility flag value 36, a change in registered facilities, or engine start are met.

[0029] In S2, the CPU 31 determines whether the user has approached the vehicle 2 to within a predetermined threshold distance Lth or less. The CPU 31 makes a negative determination in S2 (S2: NO) as long as the user does not approach within the threshold distance Lth, i.e., the distance between the vehicle 2 and the user holding the portable device 41 is longer than the threshold distance Lth, and repeatedly executes the determination process in S2. Then, when the CPU 31 detects that the user has approached within the threshold distance Lth or less (S2: YES), it executes S3 and activates each camera (front camera 5, side cameras 6R, 6L, rear camera 7). For example, until S3 is executed, the CPU 31 stops supplying power to each camera and keeps each camera in a stopped state. Then, in S3, the CPU 31 starts supplying power to each camera, makes it ready to capture images, and acquires image data from each camera.

[0030] The threshold distance Lth is, for example, a few meters. As described later, after the user approaches to within the threshold distance Lth (S2:YES), the CPU 31 calculates the intended use value V based on the image data from each activated camera, estimates the target door from the calculated intended use value V, and executes control to open it. For this reason, the threshold distance Lth is preferably a distance such as 5m to 3m that allows sufficient time for calculation and estimation, and time for the user approaching the vehicle 2 not to enter the swing range of the target door. Furthermore, as a method for determining whether the user has approached within the threshold distance Lth from the vehicle 2, for example, a method of determination from the location information of the portable device 41 can be adopted. For example, the location of the portable device 41 (user) may be detected 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. Or, the user's location may be detected using the millimeter-wave radar mounted on the vehicle 2. The CPU 31 may also limit the cameras that are activated according to the user's location. For example, if the user is in front of vehicle 2, it is not necessary to activate the rear camera 7. Power saving can be achieved by changing which camera is activated depending on the user's position.

[0031] After executing S3, CPU 31 executes S4 and calculates the intended use value V for multiple conditions with different sources. Figure 4 shows the flow from the calculation of the intended use value V to the determination by the threshold TH. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, in the first embodiment, as an example, we will describe the case where four conditions, conditions 1 to 4, are used. In the following description, the intended use values ​​V for conditions 1 to 4 will be referred to as intended use values ​​V1 to V4 in this order, and when referring to intended use values ​​V1 to V4 collectively, we will refer to them as intended use value V. Also, as shown in Figure 4, CPU 31 calculates the intended use values ​​V1 to V4 for conditions 1 to 4 in proportions, for example, from 0% to 100%. CPU 31 calculates the intended use values ​​V1 to V4 for multiple conditions, for each door. In addition, CPU 31 determines whether the movement path is restricted from information on obstacles around the vehicle, and if it is restricted, it changes (adjusts) the calculation method of the intended use values ​​V1 to V4 for each condition. First, we will explain the case where there is no restriction on the movement path due to obstacles. Furthermore, the number of conditions specified herein is not limited to four; it may be two, three, or five or more.

[0032] (Condition 1: Combination of facilities and luggage) First, let's explain Condition 1. In calculating the intended use value V1 under Condition 1, the calculation targets are information about the "facility" where the vehicle 2 is parked and information about the "luggage" the user is carrying. The intended use value V1 is calculated by combining these two pieces of information. Facility information may be obtained, for example, from location information from the location information acquisition device 17 or map information from the car navigation system. Luggage information may be obtained, for example, from the user's image data captured by each camera. In addition, luggage information may also be obtained from information other than cameras, for example, from point cloud data from millimeter-wave radar.

[0033] For example, if the facility is an airport and the luggage consists of a suitcase, the user is likely to have returned from a trip and will likely use vehicle 2, which is parked in the airport parking lot. Therefore, in this combination, the CPU 31 increases the intended use value V1 calculated in condition 1. On the other hand, if the facility is a home and the user has no luggage, the user may be walking around the area surrounding vehicle 2, which is parked in the home's parking lot, for purposes other than getting in and out of the car, and the likelihood of using the car is not necessarily high. Therefore, in this combination, the CPU 31 decreases the intended use value V1 calculated in condition 1.

[0034] Furthermore, if the luggage is the size of a tote bag, user 43 may open the back door 14 or the rear doors 13R, 13L. Also, if the luggage is a large suitcase, user 43 is more likely to open the back door 14. For this reason, the CPU 31 may increase the intended use value V1 in the order of front doors 12R, 12L, rear doors 13R, 13L, and back door 14, for example, as the size of the luggage increases.

[0035] The calculation information DB35 contains, for example, usage intent values ​​V1 for each combination of facility, baggage type, and door type. The CPU 31 can set the usage intent value V1 for each door by searching the calculation information DB35 for combinations that match the detected facility and baggage information. Alternatively, correction coefficients to adjust the usage intent value V1 based on, for example, the size and number of baggage items may be set in the calculation information DB35. The CPU 31 may then adjust the usage intent value V1 for condition 1 based on these correction coefficients. For example, the larger the baggage, the more likely the user is to use vehicle 2. Therefore, the CPU 31 may perform a correction to increase the usage intent value V1 for each door by multiplying it by the correction coefficient as the baggage size increases. Similarly, the more baggage items a user has, the more likely they are to use vehicle 2. Therefore, the CPU 31 may perform a correction to increase the usage intent value V1 as the number of baggage items increases. For other conditions 2 to 4, correction coefficients and other necessary calculations may also be set in the calculation information DB35, similar to condition 1.

[0036] Furthermore, the combinations in Condition 1 described above are just examples, and the relationship between the facility and the luggage can be changed as appropriate. For example, if the facility is the user's home and the luggage is a tote bag, the user may have gone shopping and returned home by means other than vehicle 2, such as a bicycle, and the likelihood of using vehicle 2 is not necessarily high. For this reason, CPU 31 may reduce the intended use value V1 in such a combination. On the other hand, if the facility is a shopping mall and the luggage is a tote bag, the user may have returned to vehicle 2 after finishing their shopping, and the likelihood of using vehicle 2 is high. For this reason, CPU 31 may increase the intended use value V1 in such a combination. In this way, Condition 1 allows for the calculation method of the intended use value V1 by assuming and verifying various user situations according to different types of facilities and luggage.

[0037] (Condition 2: Combination of movement path and speed changes) Next, we will explain Condition 2. In the following explanations of Conditions 2 to 4, explanations of content similar to that of Condition 1 above will be omitted as appropriate. In calculating the intent to use value V2 under Condition 2, the data to be used for calculation are the user's "movement path" towards Vehicle 2 and the user's "speed change" information. The intent to use value V2 is calculated by combining these two pieces of information. The movement path and speed change information may be obtained from the image data of each camera.

[0038] For example, if a user is moving in a straight line towards vehicle 2 and their movement speed suddenly decreases near any door, they are likely to use vehicle 2. Therefore, in such a combination, the CPU 31 increases the intent to use value V2 calculated in condition 2. Also, if a user is walking in a straight line towards any door, they are likely to open that door. Therefore, the CPU 31 increases the intent to use value V2 for the door at the destination of the straight line of movement relatively more than the intent to use value V2 for other doors.

[0039] On the other hand, if, for example, the user moves forward of vehicle 2 and decelerates, moves parallel to the side of vehicle 2 at a constant speed, or moves away from vehicle 2, the likelihood of using vehicle 2 decreases. For this reason, the CPU 31 reduces the intended use value V2 for condition 2 in such combinations. The CPU 31 also reduces the intended use value V2 for all doors, for example. The calculation information DB 35 contains, for example, the intended use value V2 for each combination of user position, direction of movement, speed increase / decrease, and door type.

[0040] (Condition 3: Combination of position and body orientation) In calculating the intent to use value V3 under Condition 3, the calculation targets are the user's "location" information and the user's "body orientation" information, and the intent to use value V3 is calculated by combining these two pieces of information. The location and body orientation information may be obtained from the image data of each camera. The body orientation may be detected from the user's direction of movement and movement trajectory, or from the movement of the user's shoulders, hands, feet, etc.

[0041] The CPU 31 calculates the intent to use value V3 based on a combination of position and body orientation, such as where the user stops relative to the vehicle 2 and what body orientation the user is facing relative to the vehicle 2. Alternatively, the CPU 31 may calculate the intent to use value V3 from a combination of position and body orientation when the user has slowed down enough to stop. Figure 5 shows an example of the vehicle 2 in a parked state and the user 43's movement path. For example, when getting into the vehicle or loading luggage, user 43 may stop in the areas 45A to 45C shown in Figure 5. Area 45A is the area where user 43 stops when opening the front door 12R, area 45B is the area where user 43 stops when opening the rear door 13R, and area 45C is the area where user 43 stops when opening the back door 14. Such areas can be set in advance by verifying their positions according to the vehicle type, etc. The CPU 31 increases the intended use value V3 if the location where user 43 stopped is within or close to area 45A-45C.

[0042] Furthermore, if the location where user 43 stopped is area 45A, the CPU 31 sets the intended use value V3 of the front door 12R to be greater than the intended use value V3 of the other doors. For example, as shown in the percentage notation in Figure 5, the calculation information DB 35 has a setting that sets the intended use value V3 of the front door 12R to 70% and the intended use value V3 of the rear door 13R, which is closer to the front door 12R, to 40% if user 43 stopped in area 45A. Also, the calculation information DB 35 has a setting that sets the intended use value V3 of the back door 14 to 30% if user 43 stopped in area 45A. In other words, using the front door 12R, which corresponds to area 45A where user 43 stopped, as a reference, the intended use value V3 of the back door 14, which is located further from the front door 12R than the rear door 13R, is set to a lower value than the intended use value V3 of the rear door 13R. Furthermore, in the calculation information DB35, if user 43 stops in area 45A, the intended use value V3 for the front door 12L and rear door 13L, which are located on the opposite side of the vehicle 2 from the front door 12R in the left-right direction, is set to 1%. As a result, the CPU 31 can calculate the intended use value V3 by referring to the calculation information DB35 and set the intended use value V3 for each door according to the position where user 43 stopped. Similarly, if user 43 stops in area 45B, the CPU 31 refers to the calculation information DB35 and sets the intended use value V3 for the rear door 13R to the largest value, and relatively decreases the intended use value V3 for the other doors according to the distance from the rear door 13R.

[0043] Furthermore, even if user 43 stops in area 45A, the likelihood of opening each door decreases depending on the orientation of the user's body, such as if the body is facing away from the door. For example, the dashed lines in Figure 5 show the movable ranges when the front door 12R and the back door 14 are opened and closed. For example, if user 43 is to enter vehicle 2 through the front door 12R, it is expected that the front door 12R will open within the movable range shown by the dashed line, so it is likely that user 43 will stop in area 45A and stand with their body facing diagonally forward to the left (towards the inside of the vehicle). For this reason, when CPU 31 detects such a combination of position and body orientation, it increases the intended use value V3 for the front door 12R. On the other hand, if user 43 stops in area 45A, and user 43 is standing with their body facing the rear of vehicle 2 or facing the right side of vehicle 2, the likelihood of user 43 entering the vehicle decreases. For this reason, the value of the intended use value V3 in the calculation information DB 35 is adjusted according to the orientation of user 43's body. For example, if user 43 is standing in area 45A and facing backward, CPU 31 may decrease the intended use value V3 of the front door 12R and increase the intended use value V3 of the rear door 13R.

[0044] Similarly, if user 43 stops in area 45C and is facing backward, the likelihood of user 43 opening the back door 14 to load luggage or perform other actions is low. In this case, the CPU 31 reduces the intended use value V3 for the back door 14. Also, if the rear door 13R is a sliding door, the user's body will be facing the rear door 13R (the rear door 13R and the surface of the body will be parallel). For this reason, for example, if the rear door 13R is a sliding door, and user 43 stops in area 45B, and their body is facing forward of vehicle 2, the CPU 31 may reduce the intended use value V3 for the rear door 13R and increase the intended use value V3 for the front door 12R. In this way, the CPU 31 changes the intended use value V3 according to the user's body orientation, even if the position where user 43 stops is within or near areas 45A to 45C.

[0045] The calculation information DB35 contains, for example, usage intent values ​​V3 for each combination of the user 43's stopping position, body orientation, and door type. The CPU 31 can set the usage intent value V3 for each door by searching the calculation information DB35 for a combination that matches the detected position and body orientation information. Alternatively, the calculation information DB35 may also contain a correction coefficient that corrects the usage intent value V3 based on the amount of discrepancy between each area 45A to 45C and the actual position where the user 43 stopped. Alternatively, the calculation information DB35 may also contain a correction coefficient that corrects the usage intent value V3 based on the amount of discrepancy between the set body orientation (angle) and the actual body orientation of the user 43. The CPU 31 may then correct the usage intent value V3 based on the amount of discrepancy in position and orientation, and the correction coefficient.

[0046] (Condition 4: Eye contact and voice) In calculating the intent to use value V4 according to condition 4, the calculation is based on at least one of the following pieces of information: the user's "gaze" and the user's "voice." The intent to use value V4 is calculated based on this information. The gaze information may be obtained, for example, from the image data of each camera. The voice information may be obtained using the microphone of each camera or a separate sound collection device.

[0047] For example, if a user intends to use vehicle 2, they can pre-register which parts of vehicle 2 they should look at. In other words, when a user 43 wants to indicate their intention to use the vehicle, they can do so by looking at the pre-registered parts. Examples of parts to look at include the position of the door handles on each door and the position of the windows on each door. The CPU 31 increases the intended use value V4 the closer the user 43's line of sight is to the pre-registered part, and decreases the intended use value V4 the further away the line of sight is. The calculation information DB 35 stores a formula for calculating the intended use value V4 from the difference between the coordinates of the parts of vehicle 2 that should be looked at and the coordinates of the user 43's line of sight. Furthermore, when the CPU 31 detects that the user 43's line of sight is to a part of a door that should be looked at (such as a door handle or window), it increases the intended use value V4 of that door (the door the user 43 is looking at) relatively compared to the intended use value V4 of other doors (doors that are not being looked at).

[0048] The above-described method for calculating the intent to use value V4 using the gaze is just one example. For example, the intent to use value V4 may be increased or decreased depending on whether the user 43's gaze is directed towards vehicle 2 or not. For example, if user 43's face is turned towards vehicle 2, the likelihood of user 43 using vehicle 2 increases, and if user 43's face is turned in a different direction from vehicle 2, the likelihood of user 43 using vehicle 2 decreases. Therefore, if user 43's gaze is directed towards vehicle 2, the intent to use value V4 may be increased for doors that are closer to user 43. Also, if user 43's gaze is turned in a different direction from vehicle 2, user 43 may be passing by vehicle 2 or coming to retrieve something near vehicle 2. Therefore, the CPU 31 may, for example, decrease the intent to use value V4 for all doors as the user 43's gaze moves further away from vehicle 2.

[0049] Furthermore, regarding voice, for example, it is pre-registered what kind of voice (keywords, etc.) should be uttered when the user intends to use vehicle 2. In other words, it is predetermined what words the user 43 should utter when they want to indicate their intention to use the vehicle. For example, a keyword specifying which door to open, such as "Please open the driver's side door," is registered. The CPU 31 analyzes the voice data collected from the microphones of each camera and increases the usage intention value V4 the higher the degree of match with the pre-determined keyword, and decreases the usage intention value V4 the lower the degree of match. Also, in the example above, since the front door 12R is specified by voice, the CPU 31 increases the usage intention value V4 of the specified front door 12R the higher the degree of match with the keyword, and relatively decreases the usage intention value V4 of the other doors. The calculation information DB 35 stores the keywords used for voice matching.

[0050] The above-mentioned conditions and calculation methods are examples only. For example, in condition 1, the intended use value V1 may be changed depending on the shape of the luggage. Also, in condition 2, the degree of agreement between the straight line connecting vehicle 2 and user 43's current position and user 43's movement path may be determined, and the higher the degree of agreement, the larger the intended use value V2 may be. Also, in condition 3, the angle of user 43's shoulders when user 43 who intends to use the service stands in each area 45A to 45C may be registered in advance. Then, the higher the degree of agreement between the registered shoulder angle and the actually detected shoulder angle, the larger the intended use value V3 may be. Also, in condition 4, the intended use value V4 may be calculated using only either eye gaze or voice. Also, in condition 4, keywords that do not specify which door to open, such as "Please open the door," may be registered in advance. In this case, when CPU 31 detects a keyword from the voice data picked up by the microphone, the intended use value V4 may be increased for doors that are closer to user 43's current position.

[0051] In addition to or instead of the above-mentioned conditions 1 to 4, a combination such as "stroller" and "in-car conditions" may be added as a condition. When user 43 approaches vehicle 2 pushing a stroller with a baby in it, user 43 first places the baby in a child seat before getting into the vehicle. Therefore, when CPU 31 detects user 43 approaching vehicle 2 pushing a stroller, it may use the in-car camera to detect the position of the seat where the child seat is installed and increase the intended use value V of the door closest to that seat. This allows the door to be opened before user 43 arrives in front of the door of the seat where the child seat is installed. Furthermore, although CPU 31 calculated the intended use values ​​V1 to V4 for each door, this calculation is not required. In this case, the intended use values ​​V1 to V4 for each door may also be adjusted using the weight coefficients A1 to A4 described later.

[0052] (Regarding restrictions on movement paths due to obstacles) Furthermore, in S4, the CPU 31 detects obstacles present around the vehicle 2. If the detected obstacles hinder the movement of the user 43, the CPU 31 changes the method for calculating the intended use values ​​V1 to V4 for each of several conditions based on the movement path of the user 43 restricted by the obstacles, and calculates the intended use values ​​V1 to V4.

[0053] By calculating the intended use values ​​V1 to V4 for each of the above conditions for each door, and summing the calculated intended use values ​​V1 to V4 for each door, it is possible to determine which door user 43 wants to open, that is, to detect the target door. However, the path that user 43 travels and the width of the path they travel are changed or restricted by obstacles around the vehicle. When the travel path etc. are changed, user 43's movement, speed, position, body movements, gaze, calculation timing etc. will differ from when there are no obstacles.

[0054] Figure 5 shows the movement path of user 43 when an obstacle 48 is present around the vehicle. The obstacle 48 is, for example, a tree planted in the parking lot. The obstacle 48 can also be various things such as the wall of the parking lot, materials placed in the parking lot, other vehicles, bicycles, guardrails, and other structures. The obstacle 48 may also be a moving object such as a pedestrian. The CPU 31 may acquire information about the obstacle 48 around the vehicle based on the image data from each camera, for example, or it may acquire information about the obstacle 48 using other sensors such as millimeter-wave radar.

[0055] For example, as shown in the movement path 51 in Figure 5, if the width of the movement path taken by user 43 is so narrow that only one person can pass at a time, user 43 will have to walk in the direction indicated by the arrow on the movement path 51 when walking towards vehicle 2. The movement path 51 is a movement path that leads directly to the front door 12R. However, this movement path is the result of passing through the movement path 51 which is restricted by the obstacle 48. In other words, even if user 43 wants to walk straight to the rear door 13R, for example, obstacle 48 requires them to pass through the movement path 51. Therefore, when detecting user 43 traveling along such a movement path 51, if the calculation of the intended use value V2 for condition 2 is made by increasing the intended use value V2 for the front door 12R based on the fact that the user is heading straight to the front door 12R, there is a possibility that the intended use value V for a door other than the door that user 43 wants to open will be increased. That is, there is a risk of incorrectly calculating the intended use value V.

[0056] Therefore, the CPU 31 detects the positions of the obstacle 48 and the user 43, and if it detects, or anticipates, that the user 43 will pass through a movement path 51 restricted by the obstacle 48 as shown in Figure 5, the CPU 31 performs an adjustment, for example, by reducing the intended use value V2. That is, the intended use value V2, whose accuracy is reduced by the obstacle 48, may be intentionally reduced as a measure of the accuracy of estimating the target door. Alternatively, the CPU 31 may set the intended use value V2 for all doors to zero until the user 43 reaches position P1 after passing through the movement path 51 between the obstacles 48, and then calculate the intended use value V2 based on the movement path and speed changes after reaching position P1. In this way, the method of calculating the intended use value V2 may be changed according to the movement path 51 restricted by the obstacle 48.

[0057] Furthermore, for example, as shown in movement path 52, if the movement path toward the front door 12R, rear door 13R, and back door 14 is restricted, it is difficult to determine from the movement path which of the three doors the user 43 is heading toward. On the other hand, if the user 43 takes movement path 52, the likelihood of opening the left front door 12R or rear door 13R decreases. Therefore, the CPU 31 detects an obstacle 48, and if the user 43 takes movement path 52 restricted by the obstacle 48, for example, until the user reaches a position P2 close to the area 45A of the front door 12R, the CPU 31 sets the intended use value V2 of the front door 12R, rear door 13R, and back door 14 to the same value, and sets the intended use value V2 of the left front door 12L and rear door 13L to zero. Furthermore, if, after the user 43 has passed position P2 in the travel path 52, the CPU 31 may set the intended use value V2 for the rear door 13R and the back door 14 to the same value, and in addition to the front door 12L and the rear door 13L, it may also set the intended use value V2 for the front door 12R, which the user 43 has passed (and is less likely to open), to zero.

[0058] Furthermore, the calculation method for usage intent values ​​V other than usage intent value V2 may also be changed according to the movement path restricted by the obstacle 48. For example, in the movement path 51, the usage intent values ​​V1 to V4 of the front door 12R, rear door 13R, and back door 14 may be set to the same value until the user 43 reaches position P1. Then, when the user 43 reaches position P1, the calculation of usage intent values ​​V1 to V4 of the front door 12R, rear door 13R, and back door 14 may begin. Also, for example, if the orientation of the user 43's body is restricted by the obstacle 48, and there is a movement path where, for example, a person can only walk sideways, the usage intent values ​​V2 to V4 may be set to a constant value until the user leaves that movement path.

[0059] (Regarding weighting coefficients A1 to A4) CPU31 executes S4, then executes S5, and calculates the sum of the values ​​obtained by multiplying the usage intent values ​​V1 to V4 for each of the multiple conditions calculated in S4 by the weight coefficients for each of the multiple conditions, for each door of vehicle 2. For example, the weight coefficients multiplied by each of the usage intent values ​​V1 to V4 are called weight coefficients A1 to A4. In this case, CPU31 calculates the sum of V1*A1+V2*A2+V3*A3+V4*A4 and calculates the sum for each door. CPU31 also changes the weight coefficients A1 to A4 based on the state of user 43. Note that when referring to weight coefficients A1 to A4 collectively, they are written as weight coefficient A. The calculation information DB35 stores the weight coefficients A1 to A4 corresponding to the different states of user 43 as described below.

[0060] The CPU 31 adjusts the weight coefficients A1 to A4 to increase the weight of the intended use value V, which more easily reflects the user 43's intention in determining the target door, i.e., to increase the accuracy of estimating the target door. For example, if user 43 has luggage, the intended use value V1, which is conditional on luggage, will have higher accuracy in estimating the target door compared to other intended use values ​​V. For example, the calculation information DB 35 has different weight coefficients A1 to A4 set depending on whether user 43 has luggage or not. The calculation information DB 35 has a value set so that the weight coefficient A1 of the intended use value V1 is larger than the weight coefficients A2 to A4 of the other intended use values ​​V2 to V4, provided that user 43 has luggage. As a result, when the CPU 31 detects that user 43 has luggage based on the image data from each camera, it can increase the weight coefficient A1 of the intended use value V1 compared to the other weight coefficients A2 to A4 based on the calculation information DB 35.

[0061] Furthermore, for example, if user 43 is operating a smartphone, even if they suddenly stop in front of any door, it is possible that they stopped to look at their smartphone. In this case, the intended use value V3 of condition 3, based on the stopping position, may have lower accuracy in estimating the target door compared to the other intended use values ​​V1, V2, and V4. The calculated information DB35 has different weight coefficients A1 to A4 set depending on whether user 43 is holding or operating a smartphone. If the CPU 31 detects that user 43 is holding or operating a smartphone based on the image data from each camera, it reduces the weight coefficient A3 of the intended use value V3 compared to the other weight coefficients A1, A2, and A4 based on the calculated information DB35.

[0062] Furthermore, for example, the position and body orientation of user 43 when standing near vehicle 2 will differ depending on whether user 43 is pushing a stroller or not. For example, if user 43 is not pushing a stroller, they may face directly towards the sliding door, while if pushing a stroller, they may stand with their body orientation at a 90-degree angle to the sliding door. Also, for example, user 43 may stand at a position further away from vehicle 2 by the size of the stroller or luggage. For this reason, if the CPU 31 detects that user 43 is carrying a stroller, suitcase, shopping cart, luggage, etc., based on the image data from each camera, it may make the weight coefficient A3 of the intent to use value V3, which is conditional on user 43's position and body orientation, smaller than the other weight coefficients A1, A2, and A4. Note that the weight coefficients A1 to A4 may be different for each door. Alternatively, fixed values ​​may be used for the weight coefficients A1 to A4. In other words, it is not necessary to change the weight coefficients A1 to A4 according to the state of user 43.

[0063] (Comparison of total value and threshold TH) In S5, CPU 31 calculates a total value for each door by multiplying each of the intended use values ​​V1 to V4 by weight coefficients A1 to A4. Then, in S6, CPU 31 compares the total value for each door with the threshold TH. CPU 31 determines that doors whose total value is equal to or greater than the threshold TH are target doors, i.e., doors that user 43 is estimated to want to open. As shown in Figure 4, the total value is calculated, for example, between 0 and 100%. In the example shown in Figure 4, the threshold TH is set to 85%. Note that the threshold TH may be a different value depending on the door.

[0064] In S6, if the total value of all doors is less than the threshold TH (S6: NO), CPU31 repeats the process from S4, calculating the intended use values ​​V1 to V4, etc. Also, if the total value of at least one door is greater than or equal to the threshold TH, CPU31 makes a positive judgment in S6 (S6: YES) and executes S7. If there is only one door with a total value greater than or equal to the threshold TH, CPU31 determines that door to be the target door. Alternatively, if there are multiple doors with a total value greater than or equal to the threshold TH, CPU31 may determine the door with the largest total value to be the target door. In this case, multiple doors may be opened simultaneously.

[0065] In S7, the CPU 31 executes control to unlock the door lock and open the door of the target door estimated based on the intended use value V, which is determined in S6 to have a total value equal to or greater than the threshold TH. For example, if the target door is the front door 12R, the CPU 31 controls the door lock device 15A to unlock the front door 12R, and then controls the door opening / closing device 16A to open the front door 12R. In this way, the CPU 31 can estimate the target door based on the intended use values ​​V1 to V4 calculated for multiple conditions with different source objects, and automatically open the target door that is estimated to be desired by the user 43.

[0066] (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 calculates usage intent values ​​V1 to V4 for each of several conditions 1 to 4, which have different sources for calculation (S4), indicating the likelihood that a user 43 present in the vicinity of the vehicle 2 will use the vehicle 2. Based on the calculated usage intent values ​​V1 to V4, the CPU 31 estimates the target door of the vehicle 2 that the user 43 is expected to open (S6). The CPU 31 executes control to unlock and open the estimated target door (S7).

[0067] According to this, the system can determine which door the user 43 wants to open based on multiple different conditions and control that door. In the process of determining which door the user 43 wants to open, it is possible to suppress being limited to specific conditions and estimate the target door from multiple perspectives, thereby improving the accuracy of target door estimation and enhancing usability.

[0068] (2) The CPU 31 also calculates a total value (an example of an expected value in this specification) for each door of the vehicle 2 based on the calculated usage intent values ​​V1 to V4 for each of the multiple conditions, and estimates the doors whose total value is equal to or greater than the threshold TH as target doors.

[0069] According to this method, by comparing the sum of the expected values ​​based on usage intention values ​​V1 to V4 for each of the multiple conditions with the threshold TH, it is possible to estimate the target door by comprehensively judging multiple conditions.

[0070] (3) The total value is calculated by multiplying the intended use values ​​V1 to V4 for each of the conditions by the weight coefficients A1 to A4 for each of the conditions. According to this method, by comparing the sum of the values ​​obtained by multiplying the intended use values ​​V1 to V4 for each of the multiple conditions by the weight coefficients A1 to A4 for each of the multiple conditions, with the threshold TH, it is possible to estimate the target door by comprehensively judging multiple conditions.

[0071] (4) The CPU 31 also changes the weight coefficients A1 to A4 based on the state of the user 43. In this way, the total value is calculated for each door of the vehicle 2, and by changing the weight coefficients A1 to A4 based on the state of the user 43, the total value can be calculated with weight coefficients A1 to A4 corresponding to the state of the user 43. The accuracy of estimating the target door can be improved.

[0072] (5) The CPU 31 also changes the weight coefficients A1 to A4 depending on whether or not user 43 has luggage, or depending on the type of luggage user 43 has. This allows the weight coefficients A1 to A4 to be changed depending on whether or not user 43 has luggage, or what type of luggage user 43 has. Luggage can be various items that user 43 may carry, such as goods purchased while shopping, user 43's smartphone, or a stroller. By changing the weight coefficients A1 to A4 according to the state of such luggage, the accuracy of estimating the target door can be improved.

[0073] (6) The conditions of the first embodiment also include condition 1 based on the relationship between the facility where the vehicle 2 is parked and the luggage carried by the user 43, condition 2 based on the relationship between the user 43's movement path and the change in the user 43's movement speed, condition 3 based on the relationship between the user 43's position and the orientation of the user 43's body, and condition 4 based on the relationship between the vehicle 2 and the user 43's line of sight.

[0074] Under condition 1, it is possible to estimate whether user 43 intends to use vehicle 2, and if so, which door they would like to open, based on the parking facility (type of parking facility, etc.) and luggage (presence, size, etc.). Under condition 2, it is possible to estimate whether user 43 intends to use vehicle 2, etc., based on the path user 43 takes relative to vehicle 2 and the changes in their speed. Under condition 3, it is possible to estimate whether user 43 intends to use vehicle 2, etc., based on the position and body orientation of user 43 relative to vehicle 2. Under condition 4, it is possible to estimate whether user 43 intends to use vehicle 2, etc., based on whether user 43 is looking at vehicle 2, or which part of vehicle 2 user 43 is looking at. By comprehensively considering all of these conditions 1 to 4, it is possible to accurately estimate user 43's intention to use the vehicle and which door they would like to open.

[0075] (7) In addition, the CPU 31 detects an obstacle 48 in S4, and if the detected obstacle 48 hinders the movement of the user 43, it changes the method for calculating the intended use value V for each of the multiple conditions based on the movement paths 51 and 52 of the user 43 that are restricted by the obstacle 48, and calculates the intended use value V.

[0076] When an obstacle 48 is present around the vehicle, the obstacle 48 restricts the movement paths 51 and 52 that the user 43 can take to the vehicle 2. The user 43's behavior will differ depending on whether the movement paths 51 and 52 are restricted or not. Therefore, it is necessary to change the method for calculating the intended use value V for each condition according to the difference in the user 43's behavior. The CPU 31 can improve the accuracy of estimating the target door by changing the method for calculating the intended use value V for multiple conditions according to the restriction of the movement paths 51 and 52 by the obstacle 48. As a result, usability can be improved.

[0077] (Second Embodiment) Next, a second embodiment, which is a concrete example of the vehicle door control device according to the present invention, will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Figures 6 and 7 show a flowchart of the door control processing program according to the second embodiment. In the first embodiment described above, at S4 in Figure 3, if the CPU 31 detects that the user 43 is passing through a movement path 51 restricted by an obstacle 48 as shown in Figure 5, or if it is expected that the user will pass through such a path, the CPU 31 performs an adjustment, for example, to reduce the intended use value V2. In contrast, the CPU 31 of the second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that it restricts the execution of control to open each door until the user 43 approaches closer than the position of the obstacle 48. In the following description, the same reference numerals are used for parts that are the same as in the first embodiment, and their descriptions are omitted as appropriate.

[0078] First, when the CPU 31 starts the door control process shown in Figure 6, it executes processes S1 to S3, similar to the first embodiment. If the parking facility is not a target facility (S1: NO), the CPU 31 terminates the process shown in Figure 6. On the other hand, if the parking facility is a target facility (S1: YES) and the user 43 approaches to within a threshold distance Lth or less (S2: YES), the CPU 31 activates each camera (S3). After activating each camera and starting to acquire image data, the CPU 31 executes the sensitivity adjustment process in S9.

[0079] As shown in Figure 7, when the CPU 31 starts the sensitivity adjustment process, it acquires, for example, one frame of image data from each camera (S11). As shown in Figure 6, after executing the sensitivity adjustment process in S9, the CPU 31 executes processes S4, S5, and S6, similar to the first embodiment, and if the sum of all doors is less than the threshold TH (S6:NO), it executes process S9 again. Therefore, as long as the sum of all doors is less than the threshold TH (S6:NO), the CPU 31 repeatedly acquires one frame of image data and executes processes S9, S4 to S6 based on the acquired one frame of image data.

[0080] As shown in Figure 7, after executing S11, the CPU 31 detects the position of the user 43 and obstacles 48 around the vehicle based on the image data for one frame acquired in S11 (S12). For example, the CPU 31 detects the position of the user 43's skeleton around the vehicle based on the image data, specifically the positions of both shoulders and the head. The CPU 31 also detects the position of the user 43's feet around the vehicle based on the image data. The CPU 31 detects the position of the user 43 from these positions of the skeleton and feet. Note that the method for detecting the position of the user 43 is not limited to the method of detecting the position of the skeleton and feet from the image data as described above, but may also be a method of detection from the position information of the portable device 41, a method of detection using millimeter-wave radar mounted on the vehicle 2, etc., as in the first embodiment.

[0081] Furthermore, the CPU 31 detects obstacles using, for example, AI (Artificial Intelligence). For example, the ROM 33 stores an AI program. This AI program is, for example, a trained model AI program that has been machine-learned (deep learning) using images of various image data captured from a parked vehicle 2 as training data, and it performs the process of estimating the position of obstacles 48 in the actual captured images. The CPU 31 executes this AI program and detects obstacles 48 present around the vehicle from the image data. The range in which obstacles 48 are detected is, for example, the same range in which the user 43 is detected. Note that the method of detecting obstacles 48 is not limited to the method determined by the AI ​​described above, but may also be a method using sensors 8 such as ultrasonic sensors, millimeter-wave radar, or laser sensors. Alternatively, obstacles 48 may be detected by image processing of the image data. Obstacles 48 are, as in the first embodiment, parking lot walls, materials placed in the parking lot, etc.

[0082] After executing S12, the CPU 31 converts the positions of the user 43 and the obstacle 48 detected in S12 into overhead coordinates (S13). Figure 8 shows an example of the positional relationship between the vehicle 2, the obstacle 48, and the user 43. To distinguish the vehicle 2, obstacle 48, and user 43 in Figure 8 from the first embodiment, they will be referred to as vehicle 2A, obstacle 48A, and user 43A below. As shown in Figure 8, the CPU 31 obtains, for example, the distance L1 between the position P5 of vehicle 2A and the position P6 of obstacle 48A, and the distance L2 between the position P5 of vehicle 2A and the position P7 of user 43A, based on the positions detected in S12. Note that the definitions of distances L1 and L2 are not limited to those defined above. For example, instead of using distances L1 and L2 as the distance between position P5, the distance between the user 43A, such as in area 45A, area 45B, or area 45C, and position P6 or P7, where the user stops before opening each door, could be used.

[0083] Position P5 is, for example, the center of vehicle 2A in a plan view from above. Position P6 is, for example, the closest location of obstacle 48A to vehicle 2A's position P5. Position P7 is, for example, the center of user 43A in a plan view from above. CPU 31 sets the coordinates in the plan view, i.e., the X and Y axes of the overhead coordinates (S13). CPU 31 sets the XY coordinates, sets the detected positions P6 and P7, and calculates the distance between positions P5 and P6 as distance L1. CPU 31 also calculates the distance between positions P5 and P7 as distance L2.

[0084] As shown in Figure 7, after executing S13, the CPU 31 executes S15. The CPU 31 determines whether the user 43A detected in S12 is located further from the vehicle 2A than the obstacle 48A detected in S12 (S15). In the second embodiment, the CPU 31 performs an adjustment to change the weight coefficient A2 of "Condition 2: Combination of movement path and speed change" as a method for adjusting the sensitivity of detecting the target door. This restricts the execution of control to open the target door until the user 43A approaches a position closer to the vehicle 2A than the position P6 of the obstacle 48A.

[0085] The position P7 shown by the solid line in Figure 8 is, for example, the position where user 43A is on the opposite side of vehicle 2A, with obstacle 48A in between. When user 43A is at position P7, the distance L2 is greater than or equal to the distance L1. In this case, CPU 31 makes a positive judgment in S15 (S15:YES) and executes S16. In S16, CPU 31 executes control to reduce detection accuracy. For example, while CPU 31 makes a positive judgment in S15 (S15:YES), that is, while user 43A is at a position farther from vehicle 2A than obstacle 48A, it decides to reduce the weight coefficient A2 used in S5 in Figure 6 (S16). As a result, the value obtained by multiplying the usage intention value V2 of condition 2, which is calculated in S5 later, by the weight coefficient A2 becomes smaller, and the total value calculated in S5 can be reduced. In S6, the total value is less likely to exceed the threshold TH. In other words, by reducing the influence of condition 2, namely the sum of the intended use value V2 calculated from the combination of movement path and speed change, it is possible to make the sum smaller and make it more difficult to execute S7. The detection sensitivity of the target door can be reduced, making it more difficult for the target door to open. The CPU 31 may, for example, set the weight coefficient A2 to zero. This makes it possible to intentionally reduce the weight coefficient A2 of the intended use value V2, which is prone to reduced accuracy due to obstacles 48, in order to suppress the opening of the wrong door.

[0086] On the other hand, position P8, shown by the dashed line in Figure 8, is, for example, the position where user 43A is next to or has passed next to obstacle 48A. When user 43A is at position P8, distance L2 is less than distance L1. In this case, CPU 31 makes a negative judgment in S15 (S15: NO) and executes S17. In S17, CPU 31 executes control to either not reduce or increase the detection accuracy. For example, while CPU 31 makes a negative judgment in S15 (S15: NO), that is, while user 43A is in a position closer to vehicle 2A than to obstacle 48A, it decides to use the weight coefficient A2 read from calculation information DB 35 without changing it as the weight coefficient A2 used in S5 in Figure 6 (S17). As a result, the value obtained by multiplying the intended use value V2 of condition 2 calculated in S5 by the weight coefficient A2 is not changed, and the sensitivity for detecting the target door can be maintained as normal. Furthermore, if CPU 31 does not detect an obstacle 48A around the vehicle in S12, it may make a negative judgment in S15.

[0087] Alternatively, CPU31 may decide to increase the weight coefficient A2 in S17. This increases the value obtained by multiplying the intended use value V2 of condition 2, calculated in S5, by the weight coefficient A2, thereby increasing the total value calculated in S5. In S6, the total value is more likely to be greater than or equal to the threshold TH. In other words, the influence of condition 2, i.e., the intended use value V2 calculated from the combination of movement path and speed change, on the total value is increased, making it easier to increase the total value and execute S7. The detection sensitivity of the target door can be increased, making it easier for the target door to open.

[0088] For example, if CPU 31 detects an obstacle 48A around the vehicle in S12, and user 43A is located closer to vehicle 2A than the obstacle 48A (S15: NO), it does not change the weight coefficient A2. On the other hand, if CPU 31 does not detect an obstacle 48A around the vehicle in S12, it makes a negative judgment in S15 (S15: NO) and increases the weight coefficient A2. In this case, since there is no obstacle 48A around the vehicle, the reliability of the intended use value V2 based on condition 2 increases. For this reason, the influence of the intended use value V2 on the total value may be increased, and the target door may be made easier to open based on the intended use value V2.

[0089] When CPU 31 executes S16 or S17, it terminates the sensitivity adjustment process shown in Figure 7. When CPU 31 executes S9, as shown in Figure 6, it executes S4. CPU 31 calculates the intended use values ​​V1 to V4, similar to the first embodiment. Note that in S4, CPU 31 does not need to execute the process that was performed in the first embodiment, which "changes the method for calculating the intended use values ​​V1 to V4 for multiple conditions based on the movement path of user 43A restricted by obstacle 48A".

[0090] When CPU 31 executes S4, it calculates the total value using weight coefficients A1 to A4, similar to the first embodiment (S5). At this time, CPU 31 adjusts the weight coefficient A2 according to the control content determined in S16 or S17 of S9 described above. Then, CPU 31 executes S6, similar to the first embodiment, and if the total value of all doors is less than the threshold TH (S6: NO), it repeats the processing from S9. CPU 31 then performs the processing from S9 onwards for the next frame of image data from each camera.

[0091] Then, if the CPU 31 determines that the sum of values ​​for at least one door is equal to or greater than the threshold TH (S6:YES), it unlocks the door of the door whose sum is equal to or greater than the threshold TH, i.e., the target door estimated based on the intended use value V, and executes control to open the door. This allows the CPU 31 to adjust the sensitivity related to the movement path based on the positional relationship between the obstacle 48A and the user 43A, and open the appropriate target door.

[0092] Here, as shown in Figure 8, if an obstacle 48A is present around the vehicle, the movement path 51A of user 43A will be restricted by that obstacle 48A. If vehicle 2 is unaware of this situation, it may mistakenly assume that user 43A intends to board the wrong door and open it. Specifically, in the state of position P7 shown in Figure 8, it is difficult to determine whether user 43A is trying to approach vehicle 2A or simply moving sideways to avoid obstacle 48A. In such cases, as described above, the sensitivity for determining the target door is adjusted based on the positional relationship between obstacle 48A and user 43A.

[0093] The CPU 31 can control the system by reducing the weight coefficient A2 while the user 43A is far from the obstacle 48A, thereby preventing the doors from being opened proactively. When the user 43A approaches the obstacle 48A, the CPU 31 returns the weight coefficient A2 to its original value, reflecting the intended use value V2, which is the estimated result of the target door based on the movement path of condition 2, in the total value. This allows the system to open the target door, for example, if the obstacle 48A is between the vehicle 2A and the user 43A, after the user 43A has moved closer to the vehicle 2A while avoiding the obstacle 48A, or after the system has detected that the user 43A has stopped in area 45A or similar, and that there is a clear intention to board. This enables accurate estimation of the target door, confirmation of boarding intention, and opening and closing of the target door.

[0094] The methods described above for restricting the execution of control to open the door and for adjusting the detection sensitivity of the target door are merely examples. For example, in the above explanation, the CPU 31 implemented the restriction by changing the value of the weight coefficient A2, but this is not the only method. For example, if the CPU 31 makes a positive judgment in S15 (S15: YES), it may decide in S4 to reduce the intended use value V2 to implement the restriction.

[0095] Alternatively, if weighting coefficients are set for both the movement path and the change in speed, only the weighting coefficient for the movement path may be adjusted. Furthermore, if an obstacle 48A is present around the vehicle, it may affect not only condition 2 but also the orientation of the body in condition 3. For this reason, the CPU 31 may change the weighting coefficients of other conditions depending on the presence and location of the obstacle 48A, not just condition 2.

[0096] Furthermore, if an obstacle 48A exists between user 43A and vehicle 2A, CPU 31 may execute control to open the target door, provided that user 43A stands in front of the door of vehicle 2A. In other words, if an obstacle 48A exists, CPU 31 may execute control to open the target door at a time when the intention to board can be confirmed more reliably.

[0097] (Effects of the second embodiment) As described in detail above, the second embodiment provides the same effects as the first embodiment. Furthermore, the second embodiment provides the following effects.

[0098] (1) According to the vehicle door control device 1 and the computer program executed by the vehicle door control device 1 according to the second embodiment, the CPU 31 of the ECU 10 detects an obstacle 48A in the vicinity of the vehicle 2A in S12, and restricts the execution of control to open the target door until the user 43A approaches a position closer to the vehicle 2A than the position of the detected obstacle 48A (S15:YES) (S16).

[0099] If the obstacle 48A is closer than the user 43A, the user 43A is likely to move in a way that avoids the obstacle 48A. Therefore, the user 43A's movement path, i.e., the movement route 51A, is restricted by the obstacle 48A. It becomes unclear whether the user 43A is avoiding the obstacle 48A and heading towards the target door, or whether they are forced to pass near the vehicle 2A because of the obstacle 48A, i.e., they are passing by without the intention to board. Therefore, the CPU 31 reduces the weight coefficient A2 related to the movement path, thereby restricting the control to open the target door until the user 43A is closer to the vehicle 2A than the obstacle 48A. This prevents the user 43A from mistakenly opening the target door when they are simply passing near the vehicle 2A to avoid the obstacle 48A. This enables accurate estimation of the target door, confirmation of boarding intention, and opening and closing of the target door.

[0100] (2) The CPU 31 also performs adjustments to reduce the total value until the user 43A approaches a position closer to the vehicle 2A than the position of the obstacle 48A (S15:YES) (S16). This makes it difficult for the total value to exceed the threshold TH, thereby preventing user 43A from accidentally opening the target door when they are far from vehicle 2A and an obstacle 48A is present.

[0101] (3) The CPU 31 also multiplies the intended use values ​​V1 to V4 for each of conditions 1 to 4 calculated in S4 by the weight coefficients A1 to A4 for each of conditions 1 to 4 (S5), and calculates the sum of the multiplied values ​​as the total value for each door. The CPU 31 makes an adjustment to reduce the weight coefficient A2 of condition 2, which is a movement path condition, until the user 43A approaches a position closer to the vehicle 2A than the position of the obstacle 48A (S15: YES) (S16). This reduces the weighting coefficient A2, making it less likely for the total value to exceed the threshold TH. This helps to prevent accidentally opening the target door.

[0102] 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 processing content and processing order of the flowcharts in each of the above embodiments are just examples. For example, CPU 31 does not need to accept registration of ineligible facilities. In this case, CPU 31 may start the processing shown in Figures 3 and 6 from S2. Furthermore, CPU31 may accept registrations of eligible facilities instead of ineligible facilities and make a decision in S1, or it may accept both ineligible and eligible facilities and make a decision in S1. Furthermore, the CPU 31 may accept registrations such as the position where user 43 will board the vehicle and the orientation of their body when boarding, and perform calculation of S4 based on the registered information. This allows the method for calculating the intended use value V to be customized according to the physical characteristics and requests of user 43. Furthermore, the multiple conditions in this specification may consist of at least two of conditions 1 to 4, or they may include other conditions.

[0103] 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 estimate the target door based on conditions 1 to 4 and control the estimated target door. Therefore, the change in the user's movement speed in this specification is not limited to a change in walking speed, but may also be a change in the speed of movement in a wheelchair. Furthermore, if it is difficult to open each door, such as when another vehicle is parked adjacent to vehicle 2, the CPU 31 may stop the control to open the target door or reduce the amount it is opened. Furthermore, if the CPU 31 has estimated multiple target doors, it may execute control to open those doors simultaneously or in parallel. For example, the CPU 31 may execute control to open the sliding rear door 13R while simultaneously opening the driver's side front door 12R. 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 6), but the execution entity can be changed as appropriate. For example, the processing in Figures 3 and 6 may be executed by the control unit of the navigation device or other in-vehicle devices. The configuration of the vehicle door control device 1 is not limited to the configuration of the embodiment 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.

[0104] Next, we will describe the technical ideas derived from the above embodiment. (i) The control unit is The system determines whether the parking facility where the vehicle is parked is a facility that is used to calculate the intended use value and estimate the target door. The vehicle door control device according to claim 1, wherein if the parking facility is not the target facility, the calculation of the intended use value by the intended use value calculation unit and the estimation of the target door by the target door estimation unit are not performed.

[0105] According to this, by registering target facilities in the vehicle door control device, users can prevent the system from calculating the intended use value and automatically opening doors at non-target facilities. By excluding non-target facilities according to user requests, usability can be improved.

[0106] (b) The control unit is The system determines whether the user has approached the vehicle to a distance below a threshold, When it is determined that the user has approached the vehicle to a distance below the threshold distance, the imaging device attached to the vehicle is activated. The aforementioned unit for calculating the intended use value, A vehicle door control device according to claim 1, which calculates the intended use value based on the image data of the activated imaging device.

[0107] According to this, power consumption can be reduced by stopping the imaging device until the user approaches within a certain distance. This prevents the imaging device from being frequently activated or continuously activated and consuming unnecessary power as the user passes near the vehicle. This can prevent battery degradation and battery drain. Then, the imaging device is activated only when the user approaches below a threshold distance and the likelihood of using the vehicle increases, and the intended use value can be calculated based on the imaging data from the activated imaging device.

[0108] (h) The target door estimation unit is, The vehicle door control device according to claim 7, wherein if the obstacle detection unit fails to detect the obstacle, an adjustment is made to increase the weighting coefficient of the movement path condition.

[0109] According to this, if there are no obstacles around the vehicle, the impact of obstacles on the user's movement path will be eliminated. Therefore, by increasing the weighting coefficient of the movement path condition, the accuracy of detecting the target door can be improved based on the user's movement path. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0110] 1 Vehicle door control device, 2,2A Vehicle, 10 Vehicle control ECU (intent value calculation unit, target door estimation unit, control unit, obstacle detection unit), 12R,12L Front door (door), 13R,13L Rear door (door), 14 Back door (door), 31A Intent value calculation unit, 31B Target door estimation unit, 31C Control unit, 31D Obstacle detection unit, 43,43A User, 48,48A Obstacle, 51,52,51A Movement path, A1~A4 Weight coefficient, TH Threshold, V,V1~V4 Intent value.

Claims

1. A usage intent value calculation unit calculates usage intent values ​​for multiple conditions with different sources, indicating the likelihood that users present in the vicinity of the vehicle will use the vehicle. Based on the intended use value calculated by the intended use value calculation unit, a target door estimation unit estimates the target door among the doors of the vehicle that the user is expected to open. A control unit that executes control to open the target door estimated by the target door estimation unit, A vehicle door control device equipped with the following features.

2. The aforementioned target door estimation unit is: The vehicle door control device according to claim 1, wherein the intended use value calculation unit calculates an expected value for each of the multiple intended use values ​​for each of the conditions calculated by the intended use value calculation unit, and estimates the door whose expected value is equal to or greater than a threshold as the target door.

3. The aforementioned expected value is, The vehicle door control device according to claim 2, which is calculated from a value obtained by multiplying the intended use value for each of the multiple conditions by a weighting coefficient for each of the multiple conditions.

4. The aforementioned target door estimation unit is: The vehicle door control device according to claim 3, wherein the weight coefficient is changed based on the user's state.

5. The aforementioned target door estimation unit is: The vehicle door control device according to claim 3, wherein the weight coefficient is changed depending on whether the user has luggage or the user's luggage.

6. Among the multiple conditions mentioned above, A vehicle door control device according to claim 1 or claim 2, comprising at least two of the following conditions: a condition based on the relationship between the facility where the vehicle is parked and the luggage carried by the user; a condition based on the relationship between the user's movement path and the change in the user's movement speed; a condition based on the relationship between the user's position and the orientation of the user's body; and a condition based on the relationship between the vehicle and the user's line of sight.

7. The vehicle further includes an obstacle detection unit for detecting obstacles present in the vicinity of the vehicle, The aforementioned usage intent value calculation unit, The vehicle door control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein if the obstacle detected by the obstacle detection unit becomes an obstacle to the user's movement, the method for calculating the intended use value for each of the multiple conditions is changed based on the user's movement path restricted by the obstacle, and the intended use value is calculated.

8. The vehicle further includes an obstacle detection unit for detecting obstacles present in the vicinity of the vehicle, The control unit, The vehicle door control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the execution of control to open the target door estimated by the target door estimation unit is restricted until the user approaches a position closer to the vehicle than the position of the obstacle detected by the obstacle detection unit.

9. The vehicle further includes an obstacle detection unit for detecting obstacles present in the vicinity of the vehicle, The aforementioned target door estimation unit is: The vehicle door control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the sum of the usage intent values ​​for each of the multiple conditions calculated by the usage intent value calculation unit is calculated for each door of the vehicle, the door whose sum is equal to or greater than a threshold is estimated as the target door, and adjustments are made to reduce the sum until the user approaches a position closer to the vehicle than the position of the obstacle detected by the obstacle detection unit.

10. Among the multiple conditions mentioned above, This includes movement conditions, which are conditions based on the user's movement path. The aforementioned target door estimation unit is: The vehicle door control device according to claim 9, wherein the sum of the values ​​obtained by multiplying the intended use values ​​for each of the multiple conditions calculated by the intended use value calculation unit by a weighting coefficient for each of the multiple conditions is calculated as the total value for each door of the vehicle, and adjustments are made to reduce the weighting coefficient of the movement path condition until the user approaches a position closer to the vehicle than the position of the obstacle detected by the obstacle detection unit.

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