Vehicle exit support device

Abstract

The present invention provides an improved vehicle exit support device that allows the registration of the exit route to be completed without stopping the vehicle. [Solution] A vehicle exit support device 100 includes surrounding information acquisition devices 11 and 12 that acquire information about the surroundings of a vehicle 102, and a control unit 10 that, when the vehicle is driven out of the parking space by the driver, when the driver operates the registration start switch, identifies the vehicle's exit route based on the surrounding information acquired by the surrounding information acquisition devices, stores the vehicle's exit route in a storage device (RAM, N / M) to register the vehicle's exit route, and when the driver operates the registration end switch, terminates the registration of the vehicle's exit route, wherein the registration end switch includes a switch that the driver can operate while the vehicle is in motion.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle departure support device for vehicles such as automobiles.

Background Art

[0002] In vehicles such as automobiles, there is known a departure support device that stores the route when the vehicle departs due to the driver's operation in a storage device and automatically moves the vehicle with the route stored in the storage device as the target route when the vehicle departs. For example, in Patent Document 1 below, there is described a departure support device that registers the parking position, the departure route from the parking position to the provisional stop position, and the provisional stop position when the vehicle is moved from the parking position to the provisional stop position by the driver's operation. The registration of the departure route and the like ends when the vehicle stops and it is confirmed that the shift position is in the P position.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

[0004] 〔Problems to be Solved by the Invention〕 In a conventional departure support device such as the departure support device described in Patent Document 1 above, the registration of the departure route and the like ends when the vehicle stops and it is confirmed that the shift position is in the P position. Therefore, in order to complete the registration of the departure route and the like, it is necessary to stop the vehicle, and the registration of the departure route and the like cannot be completed without stopping the vehicle.

[0005] The present invention provides a vehicle departure support device that registers the route when the vehicle departs due to the driver's operation as the departure route, and is improved so that the registration of the departure route can be completed without stopping the vehicle. 〔Means for Solving the Problems and Effects of the Invention〕

[0006] According to the present invention, a vehicle exit support device (100) is provided, which includes: an ambient information acquisition device (11, 12, 21) that acquires information about the surroundings of a vehicle (102); and a control unit (10) configured to, when the vehicle exits a parking space and drives out under the driver's control, when the driver operates a registration start switch (14A, 22A, or 62A), identify the vehicle's exit route based on the information about the surroundings of the vehicle acquired by the ambient information acquisition device, register the vehicle's exit route by storing it in a storage device (RAM, N / M), and when the driver operates a registration end switch (14B, 22B, or 62B), terminate the registration of the vehicle's exit route.

[0007] Furthermore, according to the present invention, the registration termination switch includes a switch (14B or 62B) that can be operated by the driver while the vehicle is in motion.

[0008] According to the above configuration, when the driver operates the registration termination switch, the registration of the vehicle's exit route is terminated, and the registration termination switch includes a switch that the driver can operate while the vehicle is in motion. Therefore, the driver can terminate the registration of the vehicle's exit route without stopping the vehicle by operating the switch that can be operated while the vehicle is in motion.

[0009] [Aspects of the Invention] In one embodiment of the present invention, the registration termination switch (14B, 22B, or 62B) includes a first registration termination switch (22B) operated by the driver with a hand removed from the steering wheel (23), and a second registration termination switch (14B or 62B) that can be operated by the driver without removing their hand from the steering wheel, as a switch that can be operated by the driver while the vehicle (102) is in motion, and the control unit (10) is configured to enable the operation of the second registration termination switch without enabling the operation of the first registration termination switch when the vehicle (102) is in motion, and to enable the operation of both the first and second registration termination switches when the vehicle is stopped.

[0010] According to the above configuration, when the vehicle is in motion, the second registration termination switch can be operated, and when the vehicle is stopped, both the first and second registration termination switches can be operated. Therefore, when the vehicle is in motion, the driver can terminate the registration of the vehicle's exit route by operating the second registration termination switch. Also, when the vehicle is stopped, the driver can terminate the registration of the vehicle's exit route by operating either the first registration termination switch or the second registration termination switch.

[0011] In another embodiment of the present invention, the control unit (10) is configured to start registering the vehicle's (102) exit route when the driver operates the registration start switch (14A, 22A, or 62A), and to notify the driver that the second registration end switch (14B or 62B) can be operated.

[0012] According to the above configuration, when the driver operates the registration start switch, the registration of the vehicle's exit route begins, and the driver is notified that the second registration end switch can be operated. Therefore, the driver can recognize that the vehicle's exit route is being registered and that the second registration end switch can be operated.

[0013] In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the first registration termination switch (22B) is a soft switch displayed on a driver-visible display device (22), and the second registration termination switch is a switch (14B) provided on the steering wheel (23).

[0014] According to the above embodiment, the first registration termination switch is a soft switch displayed on a display device visible to the driver, so the driver can operate the first registration termination switch by operating the soft switch displayed on the display device. Furthermore, since the second registration termination switch is a switch provided on the steering wheel, the driver can operate the second registration termination switch without taking their hands off the steering wheel.

[0015] In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the first registration termination switch (22B) is a soft switch displayed on a display device visible to the driver, and the second registration termination switch is a switch (62B) operated by a voice command.

[0016] According to the above embodiment, the first registration termination switch is a soft switch displayed on a display device visible to the driver, so the driver can operate the first registration termination switch by operating the soft switch displayed on the display device. Furthermore, since the second registration termination switch is a switch operated by voice command, the driver can operate the second registration termination switch by voice command without taking their hands off the steering wheel.

[0017] In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the control unit (10) is configured such that, after the registration of the vehicle's (102) departure route has begun and while the vehicle is in motion, the display device (22) does not show a state in which the soft switch can be operated.

[0018] According to the above embodiment, after the registration of the vehicle's departure route has started, the soft switch is not displayed on the display device in an operable state while the vehicle is in motion. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the driver from operating the soft switch while the vehicle is in motion.

[0019] In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the control unit (10) is configured to display a soft switch on the display device (22) when the vehicle is stopped after the registration of the vehicle's exit route has been started.

[0020] According to the above embodiment, when the vehicle is stopped after the registration of the vehicle's departure route has started, the soft switch is displayed on the display device. Therefore, when the vehicle is stopped, the driver can operate the soft switch.

[0021] In yet another aspect of the present invention, when the control unit (10) determines that the vehicle has traveled a distance equal to or greater than a reference distance without stopping after starting to register the departure route of the vehicle (102), the control unit is configured to end the registration of the departure route of the vehicle even if the driver does not operate the second registration end switch (14B or 62B).

[0022] According to the above aspect, when the vehicle travels a distance equal to or greater than a reference distance without stopping after starting to register the departure route of the vehicle, the registration of the departure route of the vehicle ends even if the driver does not operate the second registration end switch. Therefore, the driver can end the registration of the departure route of the vehicle without operating the second registration end switch, and it is possible to prevent the registration of the departure route of the vehicle from continuing unnecessarily long.

[0023] In yet another aspect of the present invention, the registration start switch (14A or 22A or 62A) includes a first registration start switch (22A) that is operated by a hand that the driver has removed from the steering wheel (23), and a second registration start switch (14A or 62A) that can be operated without the driver removing their hand from the steering wheel. The control unit (10) is configured to enable operation of at least one of the first and second registration start switches when the vehicle is stopped.

[0024] According to the above aspect, when the vehicle is stopped, operation of at least one of the first registration start switch, which is operated by a hand that has been removed from the steering wheel, and the second registration start switch, which can be operated without removing the hand from the steering wheel, is enabled. Therefore, the driver can start registering the departure route of the vehicle by operating at least one of the first and second registration start switches.

[0025] In yet another aspect of the present invention, the first registration start switch (22A) is a soft switch displayed on a display device (22) visible to the driver, and the second registration start switch is a switch (14A) provided on the steering wheel (23).

[0026] According to the above aspect, since the first registration start switch is a soft switch displayed on a display device visible to the driver, the driver can operate the first registration start switch by operating the soft switch displayed on the display device. Also, since the second registration start switch is a switch provided on the steering wheel, the driver can operate the second registration start switch without taking their hand off the steering wheel.

[0027] In still another aspect of the present invention, the first registration start switch (22A) is a soft switch displayed on a display device (22) visible to the driver, and the second registration start switch is a switch (62A) operated by a voice command.

[0028] According to the above aspect, since the first registration start switch is a soft switch displayed on a display device visible to the driver, the driver can operate the first registration start switch by operating the soft switch displayed on the display device. Also, since the second registration start switch is a switch operated by a voice command, the driver can operate the second registration start switch by voice command without taking their hand off the steering wheel.

[0029] In the above description, for the purpose of facilitating understanding of the present invention, names and / or reference numerals used in the embodiments corresponding to the invention configurations to be described later are added in parentheses. However, each component of the present invention is not limited to the components of the embodiments corresponding to the names and / or reference numerals added in parentheses. Other objects, other features, and attendant advantages of the present invention will be readily understood from the description of the embodiments of the present invention described while referring to the following drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0030] [Figure 1] It is a schematic configuration diagram showing a shipping support device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This diagram shows the interior of a vehicle equipped with a vehicle departure support system. [Figure 3] This is a flowchart showing the outbound route memory control routine in the embodiment. [Figure 4] This is an overhead view illustrating the control of the exit route registration when a vehicle temporarily stops in front of a house. [Figure 5] This is an overhead view illustrating the control of exit route registration when the registration completion switch is operated without the vehicle stopping in front of the home. [Figure 6] This is an overhead view illustrating the control of exit route registration when a vehicle does not stop in front of a house and the registration completion switch is not operated. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0031] <Structure> As shown in Figure 1, the parking exit support device according to an embodiment of the present invention is configured as a parking exit support device 100 applied to a vehicle 102. The parking exit support device 100 includes a vehicle control ECU 10, a PVM (Panoramic View Monitor)-ECU 20, a drive ECU 30, a braking ECU 40, an EPS-ECU 50, a meter ECU 60, and a GNSS device 70. An ECU is an electronic control unit (Electronic Control Unit) that mainly consists of a microcomputer, and the vehicle control ECU 10 is also referred to as a "VC (Vehicle Control) ECU".

[0032] Each ECU's microcomputer includes a CPU, ROM, RAM, read / write non-volatile memory (N / M), and an interface (I / F). The CPU implements various functions by executing instructions (programs, routines) stored in ROM. Furthermore, these ECUs are interconnected via CAN (Controller Area Network) to enable data exchange (communication). Therefore, detection values ​​from sensors (including switches) connected to a particular ECU are transmitted to other ECUs.

[0033] The VCECU10 is connected to multiple radar sensors 11a to 11e, multiple ultrasonic sensors 12a to 12d, a parking assist switch 13, an exit assist switch 14, and a vehicle speed sensor 15. The multiple radar sensors 11a to 11e are referred to as "radar sensor 11" when there is no need to distinguish between them. The multiple ultrasonic sensors 12a to 12d are referred to as "ultrasonic sensor 12" when there is no need to distinguish between them.

[0034] The radar sensor 11 is a well-known sensor that utilizes millimeter-wave radio waves (hereinafter referred to as "millimeter waves"). The radar sensor 11 acquires target information that identifies the distance between the vehicle 102 and the object, the relative speed between the vehicle 102 and the object, and the relative position (direction) of the object with respect to the vehicle 102, and outputs the target information to the VCECU 10. Note that the radar sensor 11 is not limited to four units.

[0035] Although not shown in the diagram, radar sensors 11a to 11e are located at the front right corner, front center, front left corner, rear right corner, and rear left corner of the vehicle 102, respectively. Radar sensors 11a to 11c acquire target information of three-dimensional objects located in the right front area, front area, and left front area of ​​the vehicle 102, respectively. Radar sensors 11d and 11e acquire target information of three-dimensional objects located in the right rear area and left rear area of ​​the vehicle 102, respectively.

[0036] The ultrasonic sensor 12 is a well-known sensor that utilizes ultrasound. The ultrasonic sensor 12 transmits ultrasound to a predetermined range, receives the reflected waves reflected by a three-dimensional object, and detects the presence or absence of the three-dimensional object and the distance to the object based on the time from the transmission to the reception of the ultrasound. Note that the ultrasonic sensor 12 is not limited to four types.

[0037] The ultrasonic sensors 12a to 12d acquire the distance between the ultrasonic sensor and a three-dimensional object located in the detection area described below, and transmit information about that distance to the VCECU 10. The detection area of ​​ultrasonic sensor 12a is the area to the right front of the vehicle 102, and the detection area of ​​ultrasonic sensor 12b is the area to the left front of the vehicle 102. The detection area of ​​ultrasonic sensor 12c is the area to the right rear of the vehicle 102, and the detection area of ​​ultrasonic sensor 12d is the area to the left rear of the vehicle 102.

[0038] The parking assist switch 13 and the exit assist switch 14 are switches operated by the driver when performing parking assist control and exit assist control, respectively. Although not shown in the diagram, the parking assist switch 13 includes a parking registration switch and a parking control switch, and the exit assist switch 14 includes an exit registration switch and an exit control switch. The vehicle speed sensor 15 detects the vehicle speed of the vehicle 102 by detecting the wheel speed and outputs a signal representing the vehicle speed.

[0039] The PVM-ECU20 is connected to imaging devices, namely the front camera 21a, rear camera 21b, right side camera 21c, and left side camera 21d. Note that when there is no need to distinguish between them, the front camera 21a, rear camera 21b, right side camera 21c, and left side camera 21d are collectively referred to as "camera 21".

[0040] Although not shown in detail in the diagram, the front camera 21a is located approximately in the center of the front bumper in the vehicle width direction and captures images of the area in front of the vehicle 102. The rear camera 21b is located on the wall of the rear trunk at the rear of the vehicle 102 and captures images of the area behind the vehicle 102. The right side camera 21c is located on the right door mirror and captures images of the right side of the vehicle 102. The left side camera 21d is located on the left door mirror and captures images of the left side of the vehicle 102.

[0041] Camera 21 has a wide-angle field of view. Therefore, the imaging range of camera 21 includes the areas to the right, left, below, and above the optical axis. The four cameras 21 work together to image the entire surroundings of the vehicle 102. At predetermined intervals, camera 21 acquires image information (image data) by imaging the area around the vehicle 102 corresponding to its imaging range. Camera 21 transmits the acquired image data to the PVM-ECU 20 and VCECU 10. Camera 21, along with radar sensor 11 and ultrasonic sensor 12, works together to function as an ambient information acquisition device that acquires information about the area around the vehicle 102.

[0042] The PVM-ECU20 generates peripheral image data at predetermined intervals using forward image data, rear image data, right-side image data, and left-side image data transmitted from the front camera 21a, rear camera 21b, right-side camera 21c, and left-side camera 21d, respectively. Camera 21 functions as a peripheral information acquisition device that works in cooperation with the radar sensor 11 and ultrasonic sensor 12 to acquire information about the area around the vehicle 102.

[0043] The PVM-ECU20 generates front-view image data, rear-view image data, right-view image data, left-view image data, and 360-degree-view image data using front-view image data, rear-view image data, right-view image data, and left-view image data at predetermined intervals. The images generated based on the front-view image data, rear-view image data, right-view image data, left-view image data, and 360-degree-view image data are referred to as the front-view image, rear-view image data, right-view image data, left-view image data, and 360-degree-view image data, respectively. The front-view image, rear-view image data, right-view image data, left-view image data, and 360-degree-view image data are also referred to as "view images" as needed.

[0044] VCECU10 is configured to acquire an overhead image from PVM-ECU20 at predetermined intervals and to perform image analysis on the overhead image at predetermined timings to extract feature points. As is well known, when extracting feature points, VCECU10 divides each of the imaging ranges of the overhead image into multiple divided regions and extracts a predetermined number of feature points from each divided region. Feature points are square-shaped images that include areas with relatively large changes in brightness (especially corners and curves).

[0045] A touch panel 22 is further connected to the PVM-ECU20. The touch panel 22 is a touch-panel display provided by the GNSS device 70. In response to commands transmitted from the VCECU10, the PVM-ECU20 displays surrounding images and other information on the touch panel 22, and when the vehicle 102 is stopped, it displays a parking assist switch 13 and an exit assist switch 14 as soft switches. These switches are operated by the driver touching the touch panel 22 with the fingers of a hand that has been taken off the steering wheel 23 (see Figure 2).

[0046] When the vehicle departure registration switch of the vehicle departure support switch 14 is touched, the touch panel 22 displays a first registration start switch 22A and a first registration end switch 22B as soft switches, as shown in the spurting A in Figures 1 and 2. Also, as shown in the spurting B in Figure 2, the vehicle departure registration switch of the vehicle departure support switch 14 includes a second registration start switch 14A and a second registration end switch 14B provided on the spoke portion 23R of the steering wheel 23. These switches are steering switches that can be operated by the driver without taking their hands off the steering wheel 23. The first registration end switch 22B may be displayed on the touch panel 22 when the vehicle 102 is stopped, and may not be displayed on the touch panel 22 when the vehicle 102 is in motion and the driver is able to operate the switch.

[0047] In this embodiment, the VCECU 10 is configured to perform parking assistance control and exit assistance control. The parking assistance control includes two types of assistance modes: parking registration control and parking driving assistance control. The exit assistance control also includes two types of assistance modes: exit registration control and exit driving assistance control. Exit registration control is started when the first registration start switch 22A or the second registration start switch 14A is operated, and ends when the first registration end switch 22B or the second registration end switch 14B is operated.

[0048] The drive ECU 30 is connected to the drive unit 31, which, although not shown in the figure, includes a drive source such as an engine. The drive ECU 30 modifies the drive torque generated by the drive unit 31. The drive torque generated by the drive unit 31 is transmitted to the drive wheels, which are not shown in the figure.

[0049] Therefore, the drive ECU 30 can control the driving force of the vehicle 102 by controlling the drive unit 31. The VCECU 10 can transmit a drive command to the drive CU 30. When the drive ECU 30 receives a drive command, it controls the drive unit 31 according to that command. Therefore, the VCECU 10 can automatically control the driving force via the drive ECU 30.

[0050] The drive unit 31 may be any drive unit known in the art, such as an engine and transmission, an engine and motor combination (a so-called hybrid system), a plug-in hybrid system, a fuel cell and motor combination, or a motor.

[0051] The braking ECU 40 is connected to a braking device 41 that decelerates the vehicle 102 by applying braking force to the wheels. Normally, the braking ECU 40 controls the braking device 41 so that the braking force generated by the braking device 41 changes in accordance with the driver's braking operation. When it receives a command signal from the VCECU 10, it performs automatic braking by controlling the braking device 41 based on the command signal.

[0052] Therefore, the braking ECU 40 can control the braking force of the vehicle 102 by controlling the braking device 41. The VCECU 10 can transmit a braking command to the braking ECU 40. Upon receiving the braking command, the braking ECU 40 controls the braking device 41 in accordance with the command. Therefore, the VCECU 10 can perform automatic control of the braking force via the braking ECU 40.

[0053] The EPS / ECU 50 is connected to an EPS device 51, a steering angle sensor (not shown in Figure 1), and a steering torque sensor. Based on the steering torque and vehicle speed detected by the steering angle sensor and vehicle speed sensor 15, the EPS / ECU 50 controls the steering assist torque by controlling the EPS device 51 in a manner known in the art, thereby reducing the driver's steering burden. Furthermore, by controlling the EPS device 51, the EPS / ECU 50 can steer the steering wheels (not shown) as needed.

[0054] The VCECU 10 transmits steering commands to the EPS / ECU 50 as needed. Upon receiving a steering command, the EPS / ECU 50 drives the EPS device 51 based on the received steering command. Therefore, the VCECU 10 can automatically change the steering angle of the vehicle 102's steering wheels via the EPS / ECU 50 without requiring steering operation by the driver. In other words, the VCECU 10 can perform automatic control of the steering angle of the steering wheels via the EPS / ECU 50.

[0055] The meter ECU 60 is connected to the display unit 61. The display unit 61 is a multi-information display located in front of the driver's seat. In addition to displaying measured values ​​such as vehicle speed and engine speed, the display unit 61 also displays various other information.

[0056] The GNSS device 70 receives radio waves emitted by positioning satellites and sequentially measures the current position of the vehicle 102 (specifically, its longitude and latitude) based on the received radio waves. The GNSS device 70 then sequentially transmits the measured current position of the vehicle 102 to the VCECU 10. The GNSS device 70 may be replaced with a GPS device.

[0057] As mentioned above, the parking assistance control includes two control modes: parking route registration control and parking driving assistance control, and the vehicle exit assistance control also includes two control modes: vehicle exit route registration control and vehicle exit driving assistance control. The mode is selected by operating the parking assistance switch 13 and the vehicle exit assistance switch 14.

[0058] The present invention relates to vehicle exit route registration control, which will be described in detail below. Note that parking route registration control, parking driving support control, and vehicle exit driving support control may be performed in any manner known in the art.

[0059] As will be explained in detail later, in the outbound route registration control, information on characteristic points around the vehicle that changes as the vehicle 102 moves is linked with the vehicle's position information to identify the outbound route, which is then sequentially and provisionally stored in the RAM of the VCECU 10. Furthermore, when the first registration termination switch 22B or the second registration termination switch 14B is operated, the outbound route is stored in the non-volatile memory of the VCECU 10, and the registration of the outbound route is completed. Note that the identification and registration of the outbound route may also be performed in any manner known in the art.

[0060] <Departure Route Registration Control> Next, the outbound route registration control routine in the embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in Figure 3. The control according to the flowchart shown in Figure 3 is started by the CPU of VCECU10 when the first registration start switch 22A or the second registration start switch 14A is operated while the outbound support switch 14 is ON, and is executed repeatedly at predetermined time intervals.

[0061] First, in step S10, the CPU outputs a command signal to the PVM-ECU20, causing a message 24 such as "Registering departure route" and a message 25 such as "Registration can be terminated with the displayed registration termination switch" to be displayed on the touch panel 22. As shown in the callout A in Figure 2, the first registration start switch 22A and the first registration termination switch 22B are also displayed on the touch panel 22. As shown in the callout C in Figure 2, messages 24, 25 and switches 22A and 22B may also be displayed on the display unit 61.

[0062] In step S20, the CPU acquires an overhead image from the PVM-ECU20 and extracts feature points by performing image analysis on the overhead image. The CPU also identifies the vehicle's exit route by determining the vehicle's current position as a relative position to the surrounding information based on the feature points, and stores this information in RAM. If step S20 is executed immediately after step S10, the current position and orientation information of the vehicle 102 detected by the GNSS device 70 may be acquired and used when determining the vehicle's exit route.

[0063] In step S30, the CPU determines whether the vehicle 102 is stopped or not, based on the vehicle speed V detected by, for example, the vehicle speed sensor 15. If a negative determination is made, the control proceeds to step S60; if a positive determination is made, the control proceeds to step S40.

[0064] In step S40, the CPU outputs a command signal to the PVM-ECU20, thereby displaying the first registration termination switch 22B, which acts as a soft switch, on the touch panel 22.

[0065] In step S50, the CPU determines whether the driver has operated the first registration termination switch 22B or the second registration termination switch 14B, which is a steering wheel switch, as displayed on the touch panel 22. If a negative determination is made, the control returns to step S20; if an positive determination is made, the control proceeds to step S80.

[0066] In step S60, the CPU determines whether the second registration termination switch 14B, which is a steering wheel switch, has been operated by the driver. If the determination is positive, the control proceeds to step S80; if the determination is negative, the control proceeds to step S70.

[0067] In step S70, the CPU determines whether the vehicle 102's mileage after step S10 has been executed is equal to or greater than the reference distance. If a negative determination is made, the control returns to step S20; if a positive determination is made, the control proceeds to step S80.

[0068] In step S80, the CPU stores the departure route of vehicle 102, which was stored in RAM in step S20, in non-volatile memory as the departure route from when the vehicle started to depart until the present.

[0069] In step S90, the CPU outputs a command signal to the PVM-ECU20, thereby clearing messages 23 and 24, the first registration start switch 22A, and the first registration end switch 22B displayed on the touch panel 22. If messages 23 and 24 and switches 22A and 22B are also displayed on the display unit 61, the display on the display unit 61 is also cleared.

[0070] Figures 4 to 6 are overhead views illustrating the control of exit route registration when a driver moves a parked vehicle 102 from the parking space 80 to the road 82 in front of the house 81. In particular, Figure 4 shows the case where vehicle 102 stops briefly in front of the house 81. Figure 5 shows the case where the registration termination switch is operated without vehicle 102 stopping in front of the house 81. Figure 6 shows the case where vehicle 102 does not stop in front of the house 81 and the registration termination switch is not operated.

[0071] In the case of Figure 4, when vehicle 102 stops in front of home 81, a positive determination is made in step S30, and in step S40, the first registration termination switch 22B is displayed on the touch panel 22. When the driver operates the first registration termination switch 22B or the second registration termination switch 14B, which is a steering wheel switch, a positive determination is made in step S50. As a result, in step S80, the departure route of vehicle 102 stored in RAM is stored in non-volatile memory as the departure route from when the vehicle started to leave until the present, and the registration of the departure route is completed.

[0072] In the case of Figure 5, since vehicle 102 does not stop, a negative determination is made in step S30. In step S60, if it is determined that the second registration termination switch 14B, which is a steering switch, has been operated by the driver, in step S80 the departure route of vehicle 102 stored in RAM is stored in non-volatile memory as the departure route, and the registration of the departure route is completed.

[0073] In the case of Figure 6, since vehicle 102 does not stop, a negative determination is made in step S30. Furthermore, since the registration termination switch 14B is not operated, a negative determination is made in step S60. If the distance traveled after vehicle 102 has started to leave the depot exceeds the standard distance, a positive determination is made in step S70. Therefore, in step S80, the departure route of vehicle 102 stored in RAM is stored in non-volatile memory as the departure route, and the registration of the departure route is completed.

[0074] In the departure driving support control, the vehicle is controlled to automatically move along the departure route registered by the departure registration control or a target departure route based on the registered departure route. If there are multiple registered departure routes or target departure routes based on the registered departure routes, they may be displayed on, for example, the display device 22 and selected by touch.

[0075] As can be seen from the above description, according to the above embodiment, when the driver operates the registration termination switch 14A or 22A, the registration of the vehicle 102's exit route is terminated, and the registration termination switch includes a switch 22A that can be operated by the driver while the vehicle is in motion. Therefore, the driver can terminate the registration of the vehicle's exit route without stopping the vehicle by operating a switch that can be operated while the vehicle is in motion.

[0076] Furthermore, according to the above embodiment, when the vehicle 102 is in motion, only the second registration termination switch 14B can be operated, and when the vehicle is stopped, both the first registration termination switch 22B and the second registration termination switch 14B can be operated. Therefore, when the vehicle is in motion, the driver can terminate the registration of the vehicle's exit route by operating the second registration termination switch. Also, when the vehicle is stopped, the driver can terminate the registration of the vehicle's exit route by operating either the first registration termination switch or the second registration termination switch.

[0077] Furthermore, according to the above embodiment, when the driver operates the registration start switch 14A or 22A, the registration of the vehicle 102's exit route begins, and the driver is notified that the second registration end switch 14B can be operated. Therefore, the driver can recognize that the vehicle's exit route is being registered and that the second registration end switch can be operated.

[0078] Furthermore, according to the above-described embodiment, the first registration termination switch is a soft switch 22B displayed on a display device visible to the driver, so the driver can operate the first registration termination switch by operating the soft switch displayed on the display device 22. Also, since the second registration termination switch is a switch 14B provided on the steering wheel 23, the driver can operate the second registration termination switch without taking their hands off the steering wheel.

[0079] Furthermore, according to the above embodiment, after the registration of the vehicle 102's departure route has started, the soft switch is not displayed on the display device 22 in an operable state while the vehicle is in motion. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the driver from operating the soft switch while the vehicle is in motion.

[0080] Furthermore, according to the above embodiment, when the vehicle 102 is stopped after the registration of its departure route has started, the soft switch is displayed on the display device 22. Therefore, when the vehicle is stopped, the driver can operate the soft switch.

[0081] Furthermore, according to the above embodiment, if the vehicle travels for more than a standard distance without stopping after the registration of the vehicle's exit route has started, the registration of the vehicle's exit route is terminated even if the driver does not operate the second registration termination switch 14B. Therefore, the driver can terminate the registration of the vehicle's exit route without operating the second registration termination switch, thus preventing the registration of the vehicle's exit route from continuing unnecessarily for a long time.

[0082] Furthermore, according to the above embodiment, when the vehicle 102 is stopped, it becomes possible to operate at least one of the first registration start switch 22A, which is operated with the hand removed from the steering wheel 23, and the second registration start switch 14A, which can be operated without removing the hand from the steering wheel. Therefore, the driver can start registering the vehicle's exit route by operating at least one of the first and second registration start switches.

[0083] Furthermore, according to the above-described embodiment, the first registration start switch is a soft switch 22A displayed on a display device visible to the driver, so the driver can operate the first registration start switch by operating the soft switch displayed on the display device. Also, since the second registration start switch includes a switch 14A provided on the steering wheel 23, the driver can operate the second registration start switch without taking their hands off the steering wheel.

[0084] Although the present invention has been described in detail with respect to specific embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and that various other embodiments are possible within the scope of the present invention.

[0085] For example, in the embodiment described above, the second registration termination switch is a switch 14B provided on the steering wheel 23. However, the second registration termination switch may include a switch 62B that is operated by a voice command input to a microphone 62 connected to the meter ECU 60, as shown in Figure 1, for example. In this case, when the vehicle 102 starts registering on its exit route, the driver may be notified that it is possible to operate switch 62B, which is one of the second registration termination switches.

[0086] If the second registration termination switch includes a switch 62B that is operated by voice command, the driver can operate the second registration termination switch by voice command without taking their hands off the steering wheel 23.

[0087] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the second registration start switch is a steering switch 14A provided on the steering wheel 23. However, the second registration start switch may include a switch 62A that is operated by a voice command input to a microphone 62 connected to the meter ECU 60, as shown in Figure 1, for example.

[0088] If the second registration start switch includes a switch 62A that is operated by voice command, the driver can operate the second registration start switch by voice command without taking their hands off the steering wheel 23.

[0089] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, if it is determined in step S60 that the second registration termination switch 14B, which is a steering switch, has not been operated by the driver, then in step S70, it is determined whether the mileage of the vehicle 102 is equal to or greater than the reference distance. If a negative determination is made, the control returns to step S20, and if an affirmative determination is made, step S80 is executed, thereby completing the registration of the vehicle 102's exit route. However, step S60 may be omitted. [Explanation of symbols]

[0090] 10...Vehicle control ECU, 20...PVM-ECU, 13...Parking assist switch, 14...Exit assist switch, 14A...Second registration start switch, 14B...Second registration end switch, 21...Camera, 22...Touch panel, 22A...First registration start switch, 22B...First registration end switch, 100...Parking exit assist device, 102...Vehicle

Claims

1. A vehicle exit support device includes: an ambient information acquisition device that acquires information about the vehicle's surroundings; and a control unit configured to, when the vehicle exits a parking space under the driver's control and the driver operates a registration start switch, identify the vehicle's exit route based on the information about the vehicle's surroundings acquired by the ambient information acquisition device, register the vehicle's exit route by storing it in a storage device, and terminate the registration of the vehicle's exit route when the driver operates a registration end switch, The aforementioned registration termination switch is a vehicle exit support device that includes a switch that can be operated by the driver while the vehicle is in motion.

2. The vehicle exit support device according to claim 1, wherein the registration termination switch includes a first registration termination switch operated by the driver with a hand removed from the steering wheel, and a second registration termination switch that can be operated by the driver while the vehicle is in motion, and which can be operated by the driver without removing their hand from the steering wheel. The control unit is configured to enable operation of the second registration termination switch without enabling operation of the first registration termination switch when the vehicle is in motion, and to enable operation of the first and second registration termination switches when the vehicle is stopped, in a vehicle exit support device.

3. A vehicle exit support device according to claim 2, wherein the control unit is configured to start registering the vehicle's exit route when the driver operates the registration start switch, and to notify the driver that the second registration end switch can be operated.

4. A vehicle exit support device according to claim 2, wherein the first registration termination switch is a soft switch displayed on a display device visible to the driver, and the second registration termination switch is a switch provided on the steering wheel.

5. A vehicle exit support device according to claim 2, wherein the first registration termination switch is a soft switch displayed on a display device visible to the driver, and the second registration termination switch is a switch operated by a voice command.

6. A vehicle exit support device according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the control unit is configured such that, after the registration of the vehicle's exit route has started and while the vehicle is in motion, the display device does not show the soft switch in an operable state.

7. A vehicle exit support device according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the control unit is configured to display the soft switch on the display device when the vehicle is stopped after the registration of the vehicle's exit route has been started.

8. A vehicle exit support device according to claim 2, wherein the control unit is configured to terminate the registration of the vehicle exit route even if the driver does not operate the second registration termination switch, when it determines that the vehicle has traveled a reference distance or more without stopping since the start of registration of the vehicle exit route.

9. A vehicle parking assistance device according to claim 2, wherein the registration start switch includes a first registration start switch operated by the driver with a hand removed from the steering wheel, and a second registration start switch that can be operated by the driver without removing their hand from the steering wheel, and the control unit is configured to enable operation of at least one of the first and second registration start switches when the vehicle is stopped.

10. A vehicle parking exit support device according to claim 9, wherein the first registration start switch is a soft switch displayed on a display device visible to the driver, and the second registration start switch is a switch provided on the steering wheel.

11. A vehicle exit support device according to claim 9, wherein the first registration start switch is a soft switch displayed on a display device visible to the driver, and the second registration start switch is a switch operated by a voice command.

Images