Control device, control method, and control program

Abstract

The present invention provides a control device, a control method, and a control program that can improve the usability of a motion control function. [Solution] The system includes an external environment recognition unit 55 that acquires external environment information of the vehicle 10, a storage unit 54 that stores parking information indicating the starting point 61 of the vehicle 10, the parking space 62 for the vehicle 10, and the vehicle 10's movement path 63 from the starting point 61 to the parking space 62, a position estimation unit 56 that estimates the position of the vehicle 10 based on feature points extracted from the external environment information and map information, a movement control unit 57 that performs memory parking to move the vehicle 10 from the starting point 61 to the parking space 62 based on the position estimation results and parking information, and a notification control unit 58 that provides guidance notifications to the user to guide them to operations to improve the reliability of the position estimation according to the reliability of the position estimation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a control device, a control method, and a control program.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, efforts have been actively made to provide access to a sustainable transportation system that takes into account people in vulnerable positions among transportation participants. Toward this realization, research and development focusing on further improving traffic safety and convenience through research and development of driving support technologies have been carried out.

[0003] Conventionally, in an automatic driving system that automatically drives a vehicle without requiring a user's driving operation, when the vehicle travels to a target position by the user's driving operation, the route at that time is memorized, and when traveling to the same target position or the same route, the vehicle is controlled to move based on the memorized route information. Also, it is known to estimate the position of the vehicle based on information acquired by in-vehicle sensors, generate route information from the current position to the target position, and control the movement of the vehicle.

[0004] For example, in Patent Document 1, a point where self-position estimation fails is stored in a storage device together with the time when self-position estimation fails and the image data of that point, and a point where self-position estimation fails multiple times is extracted and registered as a candidate for a change point to correct map data, and an automobile is described.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] Incidentally, when controlling a vehicle's movement based on stored route information, it is desirable that the vehicle can continue to travel without interrupting the movement control even if it becomes difficult to estimate the vehicle's position during the execution of the movement control. However, in the case of the automated vehicle described in Patent Document 1, if self-position estimation fails, the movement control is interrupted, making it impossible to continue driving the automated vehicle. Furthermore, Patent Document 1 does not describe how to continue driving the automated vehicle without interrupting the movement control.

[0007] The present invention aims to provide a control device, a control method, and a control program that can improve the usability of mobility control functions, and ultimately contribute to the development of sustainable transportation systems. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The present invention A control device for a mobile body, An external environment recognition unit that acquires external information of the moving object, A storage unit that stores parking information indicating the starting point of the moving body, the parking space for the moving body, and the movement path of the moving body from the starting point to the parking space, A position estimation unit that estimates the position of the moving object based on feature points extracted from the external information and map information, A movement control unit that performs movement control to move the moving body from the starting point to the parking space based on the position estimation results and the parking information, A notification control unit provides guidance to the user to perform an operation to improve the reliability of the position estimation, based on the reliability of the position estimation. This is a control device equipped with [a specific feature / feature].

[0009] The present invention A control method using a control device for a mobile object, The control device, The moving object acquires external information, The system stores parking information indicating the starting point of the moving body, the parking space for the moving body, and the movement path of the moving body from the starting point to the parking space. The position of the moving object is estimated based on the feature points extracted from the external information and the map information. Based on the position estimation results and the parking information, movement control is performed to move the moving body from the starting point to the parking space. Depending on the reliability of the position estimation, a notification is provided to the user instructing them on how to improve the reliability. This is a control method.

[0010] The present invention A control program for a mobile device, The processor of the control device, The moving object acquires external information, The system stores parking information indicating the starting point of the moving body, the parking space for the moving body, and the movement path of the moving body from the starting point to the parking space. The position of the moving object is estimated based on the feature points extracted from the external information and the map information. Based on the position estimation results and the parking information, movement control is performed to move the moving body from the starting point to the parking space. Depending on the reliability of the position estimation, a notification is provided to the user instructing them on how to improve the reliability. This is a control program that executes a process. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a control device, a control method, and a control program that can improve the usability of a movement control function. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] This is a side view showing an example of a vehicle 10 equipped with the control device of the present invention. [Figure 2]It is a top view of the vehicle 10 shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 3] It is a block diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of the vehicle 10 shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 4] It is a diagram showing an example of the parking information of the vehicle 10 in a parking facility. [Figure 5] It is a diagram showing an example of the relationship between the feature point acquisition rate and the possibility of position estimation. [Figure 6] It is a diagram showing a first example of the position estimation information displayed according to the feature point acquisition rate. [Figure 7] It is a diagram showing a second example of the position estimation information displayed according to the feature point acquisition rate. [Figure 8] It is a diagram showing a third example of the position estimation information displayed according to the feature point acquisition rate. [Figure 9] It is a diagram showing a fourth example of the position estimation information displayed according to the feature point acquisition rate. [Figure 10] It is a diagram showing a fifth example of the position estimation information displayed according to the feature point acquisition rate. [Figure 11] It is a flowchart showing a first example of the position estimation process. [Figure 12] It is a flowchart showing a second example of the position estimation process. [Figure 13] It is a flowchart showing a first example of the lost location process. [Figure 14] It is a flowchart showing a second example of the lost location process.

MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0013] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the control device, control method, and control program of the present invention will be described based on the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, the direction of the reference numerals is to be viewed. Also, in this specification and the like, for the sake of simplicity and clarity of explanation, the front-rear, left-right, and up-down directions are described according to the direction seen from the driver of the vehicle 10 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, and in the drawings, the front of the vehicle 10 is shown as Fr, the rear as Rr, the left as L, the right as R, the upper as U, and the lower as D.

[0014] <Vehicle 10 equipped with the control device of the present invention> Figure 1 is a side view showing an example of a vehicle 10 equipped with the control device of the present invention. Figure 2 is a top view of the vehicle 10 shown in Figure 1. Vehicle 10 is an example of the "mobile body" of the present invention.

[0015] Vehicle 10 is an automobile having a drive source (not shown) and wheels including drive wheels and steerable wheels that are driven by the power of the drive source. In this embodiment, vehicle 10 is a four-wheeled automobile having a pair of left and right front wheels and rear wheels. The drive source of vehicle 10 is, for example, an electric motor. The drive source of vehicle 10 may be an internal combustion engine such as a gasoline engine or a diesel engine, or a combination of an electric motor and an internal combustion engine. Furthermore, the drive source of vehicle 10 may drive a pair of left and right front wheels, a pair of left and right rear wheels, or all four wheels including a pair of left and right front wheels and rear wheels. Both the front wheels and rear wheels may be steerable wheels, or either one of them may be a steerable wheel.

[0016] Vehicle 10 is further equipped with side mirrors 11L and 11R. Side mirrors 11L and 11R are mirrors (rearview mirrors) provided on the outside of the front passenger doors of vehicle 10 for the driver to check the area behind and to the rear side. Side mirrors 11L and 11R are each fixed to the body of vehicle 10 by a vertically extending pivot axis, and can be opened and closed by rotating around this pivot axis.

[0017] Vehicle 10 is further equipped with a front camera 12Fr, a rear camera 12Rr, a left-side camera 12L, and a right-side camera 12R. The front camera 12Fr is an imaging device (for example, a digital camera) located in front of vehicle 10 that images the area in front of vehicle 10. The rear camera 12Rr is a digital camera located behind vehicle 10 that images the area behind vehicle 10. The left-side camera 12L is a digital camera located on the left side mirror 11L of vehicle 10 that images the area to the left of vehicle 10. The right-side camera 12R is a digital camera located on the right side mirror 11R of vehicle 10 that images the area to the right of vehicle 10.

[0018] <Internal configuration of vehicle 10> Figure 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of the vehicle 10 shown in Figure 1. As shown in Figure 3, the vehicle 10 includes a sensor group 16, a navigation device 18, a control ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 20, an EPS (Electric Power Steering) system 22, and a communication unit 24. The vehicle 10 further includes a drive force control system 26 and a braking force control system 28.

[0019] The sensor group 16 acquires various detection values ​​used for control by the control ECU 20. The sensor group 16 includes a front camera 12Fr, a rear camera 12Rr, a left-side camera 12L, and a right-side camera 12R. The sensor group 16 also includes a front sonar group 32a, a rear sonar group 32b, a left-side sonar group 32c, and a right-side sonar group 32d. Furthermore, the sensor group 16 includes wheel sensors 34a and 34b, a vehicle speed sensor 36, and an operation detection unit 38.

[0020] The front camera 12Fr, rear camera 12Rr, left-side camera 12L, and right-side camera 12R acquire external information (e.g., surrounding images) for recognizing the outside world of the vehicle 10 by imaging the area around the vehicle 10. The surrounding images of the vehicle 10 captured by the front camera 12Fr, rear camera 12Rr, left-side camera 12L, and right-side camera 12R are referred to as the front image, rear image, left-side image, and right-side image, respectively. The image composed of the left-side image and the right-side image may also be referred to as a side image. The image of the vehicle 10 and its surroundings generated by combining the images captured by each camera is referred to as an overhead view image of the vehicle 10. Furthermore, the image obtained by applying image processing to three-dimensionally reconstruct the combined image of the images captured by each camera is referred to as a three-dimensional image.

[0021] The forward sonar group 32a, the rear sonar group 32b, the left-side sonar group 32c, and the right-side sonar group 32d emit sound waves around the vehicle 10 and receive reflected sound from other objects. The forward sonar group 32a includes, for example, four sonars. The sonars constituting the forward sonar group 32a are located on the left front, front left, front right, and right front of the vehicle 10, respectively. The rear sonar group 32b includes, for example, four sonars. The sonars constituting the rear sonar group 32b are located on the left rear, rear left, rear right, and right rear of the vehicle 10, respectively. The left-side sonar group 32c includes, for example, two sonars. The sonars constituting the left-side sonar group 32c are located on the left front and left rear of the vehicle 10, respectively. The right-side sonar group 32d includes, for example, two sonars. The sonars constituting the right-side sonar group 32d are located on the front right side and the rear right side of the vehicle 10, respectively.

[0022] Wheel sensors 34a and 34b detect the rotation angle of the wheels of the vehicle 10. Wheel sensors 34a and 34b may be composed of angle sensors or displacement sensors. Wheel sensors 34a and 34b output a detection pulse each time the wheel rotates by a predetermined angle. The detection pulses output from wheel sensors 34a and 34b are used to calculate the rotation angle and rotation speed of the wheels. Based on the rotation angle of the wheels, the distance traveled by the vehicle 10 is calculated. Wheel sensor 34a detects, for example, the rotation angle θa of the left rear wheel. Wheel sensor 34b detects, for example, the rotation angle θb of the right rear wheel.

[0023] The vehicle speed sensor 36 detects the speed of the vehicle body 10, i.e., the vehicle speed V, and outputs the detected vehicle speed V to the control ECU 20. The vehicle speed sensor 36 detects the vehicle speed V based, for example, on the rotation of the transmission countershaft.

[0024] The operation detection unit 38 detects the user's operations performed using the operation input unit 14 and outputs the detected operations to the control ECU 20. The operation input unit 14 includes various user interfaces, such as a side mirror switch for switching the open / closed state of the side mirrors 11L and 11R, a shift lever (select lever or selector), and a light switch for turning the headlights on / off and switching between high and low beams.

[0025] The navigation device 18 detects the current position (location coordinates) of the vehicle 10, for example, using GPS (Global Positioning System), and guides the user on the route to the destination. The navigation device 18 has a storage device (not shown) equipped with a map information database. The navigation device 18 also has a touch panel 42 and a speaker 44. The touch panel 42 functions as an input device and display device for the control ECU 20. The speaker 44 outputs various guidance information to the user of the vehicle 10 in voice.

[0026] The touch panel 42 is configured to allow input of various commands to the control ECU 20. For example, the user can input commands related to vehicle movement assistance for the vehicle 10 via the touch panel 42. Movement assistance includes parking assistance and exit assistance for the vehicle 10. The touch panel 42 is also configured to display various screens related to the control content of the control ECU 20. For example, the touch panel 42 displays screens related to vehicle movement assistance for the vehicle 10. Specifically, the touch panel 42 displays a parking assistance button to request parking assistance for the vehicle 10 and an exit assistance button to request exit assistance. The parking assistance buttons include a memory parking button to request parking by automatic steering of the control ECU 20 and an auxiliary parking button to request assistance when parking by the user. The exit assistance buttons include a memory exit button to request exiting by automatic steering of the control ECU 20 and an auxiliary exit button to request assistance when exiting by the user. Note that components other than the touch panel 42, such as information terminals like smartphones or tablets, may be used as input or display devices.

[0027] Note that "parking" is synonymous with "parking," for example. For example, "parking" refers to a stop involving the user getting in and out of the vehicle, excluding temporary stops at traffic lights, etc. Also, "parking space" refers to a space indicating the position where vehicle 10 is to be stopped, that is, a space for parking.

[0028] The control ECU 20 includes an input / output unit 50, an arithmetic unit 52, and a storage unit 54. The arithmetic unit 52 is configured, for example, by a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The arithmetic unit 52 performs various controls by controlling each unit based on a program stored in the storage unit 54. The arithmetic unit 52 also inputs and outputs signals to and from each unit connected to the control ECU 20 via the input / output unit 50. The control ECU 20 is an example of the "control device" of the present invention.

[0029] The memory unit 54 stores information related to the memory movement (memory parking / exit) of the vehicle 10. The memory movement information is information for automatically or assisted in moving the vehicle 10 based on previously stored movement information. For example, the memory unit 54 stores parking information indicating the starting point for starting the memory movement, the parking space where the vehicle 10 will be stopped by the memory movement, and the movement path of the vehicle 10 from the starting point to the parking space. The memory unit 54 also stores feature points extracted from external information.

[0030] The calculation unit 52 includes an external environment recognition unit 55 that acquires external information of the vehicle 10, a position estimation unit 56 that estimates the position of the vehicle 10, a movement control unit 57 that controls the movement of the vehicle 10, and a notification control unit 58 that provides operation guidance to the user of the vehicle 10.

[0031] The external environment recognition unit 55 acquires images of the vehicle 10's surroundings from the front camera 12Fr, rear camera 12Rr, left side camera 12L, and right side camera 12R. Based on the surrounding images acquired from each camera, the external environment recognition unit 55 acquires external environment information for the vehicle 10.

[0032] The position estimation unit 56 performs position estimation to estimate the position of the vehicle 10 based on feature points extracted from external information and map information. "Feature points extracted from external information" are characteristic features, such as objects, included in the external information along the travel path of the vehicle 10. "Map information" is map information that includes feature points saved in past memory movements and is stored in the storage unit 54.

[0033] The movement control unit 57 provides automatic steering assistance for the vehicle 10, including memory parking and memory exit assistance, by automatically operating the steering wheel 110 under the control of the movement control unit 57. During memory parking and memory exit assistance, the accelerator pedal (not shown), brake pedal (not shown), and operation input unit 14 are operated automatically. The movement control unit 57 also provides auxiliary parking and auxiliary exit assistance when the user (driver) operates the accelerator pedal, brake pedal, and operation input unit 14 to manually park and exit the vehicle 10. During memory parking and memory exit assistance, the driver may be inside the vehicle 10 or may be outside the vehicle (unoccupied).

[0034] For example, the movement control unit 57 performs movement control to move the vehicle 10 based on the position estimation result by the position estimation unit 56 and parking information stored in the memory unit 54 that indicates the starting point of movement, the parking space, and the movement route. Movement control includes parking control to move the vehicle 10 from the starting point to a predetermined parking space (target parking position) and exit control to move the vehicle 10 from the parking space to a predetermined exit space (target exit position). The movement control unit 57 can execute parking control and exit control based on instruction signals input via the input / output unit 50. The input instruction signals include instruction signals transmitted wirelessly from a user's information terminal or the like. The movement control unit 57 also outputs information related to parking control and exit control to an information terminal or the like via the input / output unit 50.

[0035] Furthermore, the movement control unit 57 controls the movement of the vehicle 10 when the reliability of the position estimation by the position estimation unit 56 is equal to or greater than a first predetermined value. The "reliability of position estimation" refers to the degree of agreement between feature points extracted from external information and stored feature points, and is the "feature point acquisition rate" at which it is possible to acquire feature points from external information. The first predetermined value is, for example, a feature point acquisition rate of 30%.

[0036] Furthermore, if the reliability of the position estimation is less than a first predetermined value, the movement control unit 57 stores in the storage unit 54 the location where the vehicle 10 was located when the reliability fell below the first predetermined value, and the user operation performed by the user at that location when the reliability of the position estimation changed from being less than the first predetermined value to being greater than or equal to the first predetermined value. The "location where the vehicle was located" may be an approximate position coordinate. In the following explanation, the location where the vehicle 10 was located when the reliability fell below the first predetermined value is also called the "lost location." A lost location is a location where the reliability of the position estimation is low and the vehicle's own position cannot be estimated. "User operation" includes, for example, speed change to change the speed of the vehicle 10, trajectory change to change the trajectory the vehicle 10 travels, and high beam switching to switch the vehicle 10's headlights to high beam. Note that user operation is not limited to operations previously announced to the user in guidance notifications. In other words, if a user performs an operation as instructed in a notification, but that operation does not improve the reliability of the location estimation, and the reliability improves when the user performs another operation, the operation performed by the user will be saved as a user operation. A user operation performed when the reliability of the location estimation changes from a state below a first predetermined value to a state above the first predetermined value will also be referred to as a "recovery operation" below.

[0037] Furthermore, when the vehicle 10 reaches a location (lost location) stored in the memory unit 54 where the confidence level of the position estimation is less than a first predetermined value, the movement control unit 57 executes control corresponding to the user operation associated with that location. "Control corresponding to user operation" refers to control that produces the same result as an operation performed by the user (for example, changing speed, changing the driving trajectory, switching the headlights to high beam, etc.), but is performed by the movement control unit 57 instead of being performed by the user. The movement control unit 57 may also propose (suggest) the control to the user before performing it, and execute it after receiving an execution instruction from the user.

[0038] The notification control unit 58 provides guidance notifications to the user, instructing them on operations to improve the reliability of the position estimation, depending on the reliability of the estimation. "Operations to improve reliability" include, for example, operations to reduce the speed of the vehicle 10, operations to turn on the headlights or switch between high and low beams at night, and operations to drive the vehicle 10 to approach the feature point. For example, the operation to reduce the speed of the vehicle 10 when it is in memory parking is the user pressing the brake. However, in this case, the steering is controlled by the movement control unit 57.

[0039] "Guidance notifications" are notifications displayed on the screen or made by voice. For example, if it is possible to park vehicle 10 in memory, but the reliability of the position estimation is low, the guidance notification will be something like, "The reliability of your vehicle's position is low. Please do ○○." Also, if it is impossible to park vehicle 10 in memory, and the reliability of the position estimation is so low that self-position estimation is impossible, the guidance notification will be something like, "Your vehicle's position cannot be determined / automatic parking is not possible. Please do ○○."

[0040] The notification control unit 58 issues a guidance notification to improve the confidence level when the confidence level of the position estimation is higher than a first predetermined value but less than a second predetermined value. The second predetermined value is, for example, a feature point acquisition rate of 70%. The notification control unit 58 issues different guidance notifications depending on whether the confidence level of the position estimation is less than the first predetermined value or whether the confidence level is greater than or equal to the first predetermined value but less than the second predetermined value.

[0041] The notification control unit 58 displays an image of the vehicle 10's surroundings based on external information and highlights a portion of the surrounding image according to the reliability of the position estimation. A "portion of area" refers to an area in the surrounding image from which feature points should be extracted if the current estimated position is correct. The area from which feature points should be extracted is determined based on the location of feature points stored in the memory unit 54 along with the starting point of movement, the parking space, and the movement path. A "portion of area" may also refer to an area from which feature points cannot be extracted. "Highlighting" is a display that emphasizes a portion of the area to draw the user's attention to it, such as a display that surrounds the portion of the area with a frame or a display that points to the portion of the area with an arrow icon. The notification control unit 58 highlights a portion of the area when the reliability of the position estimation is less than a predetermined value (e.g., a second predetermined value).

[0042] The notification control unit 58 varies the manner of the attention display depending on the confidence level of the position estimation. For example, if the confidence level is greater than or equal to a first predetermined value and less than a second predetermined value, the notification control unit 58 displays a yellow frame in a part of the area, and if the confidence level is less than the first predetermined value, it displays a red frame in a part of the area. The notification control unit 58 may also finely control the intensity of the attention display according to the confidence level of the position estimation. Furthermore, the notification control unit 58 may display the extracted feature points, for example, with a mark (+), and change the color of the mark. In addition, the notification control unit 58 may not display the attention display in areas from which feature points have been extracted (for example, areas from which a mark (+) is displayed), so that the user's attention is drawn only to areas from which feature points cannot be extracted.

[0043] When the vehicle 10 reaches a location (lost location) where the confidence level of the location estimation is less than a first predetermined value and which is stored in the memory unit 54, the notification control unit 58 issues a notification to the user instructing them to perform user operations stored in association with that location. The user operations stored in association with that location include, for example, operations to reduce the vehicle 10's speed, operations to turn on the headlights or switch between high and low beams at night, operations to drive the vehicle 10 towards a feature point, and operations other than those previously instructed to the user in a notification.

[0044] The EPS system 22 includes a steering angle sensor 100, a torque sensor 102, an EPS motor 104, a resolver 106, and an EPS ECU 108. The steering angle sensor 100 detects the steering angle θst of the steering 110. The torque sensor 102 detects the torque TQ applied to the steering 110.

[0045] The EPS motor 104 provides driving force or reaction force to the steering column 112 connected to the steering 110, thereby enabling user assistance in operating the steering 110 and automatic steering during parking assistance. The resolver 106 detects the rotation angle θm of the EPS motor 104. The EPS ECU 108 controls the entire EPS system 22. The EPS ECU 108 includes an input / output unit (not shown), a calculation unit (not shown), and a storage unit (not shown).

[0046] The communication unit 24 enables wireless communication with other communication devices 120. Other communication devices 120 include base stations, communication devices in other vehicles, and information terminals such as smartphones or tablets owned by the user of vehicle 10. For example, the communication unit 24 is equipped with a UWB interface that enables UWB (Ultra Wide Band: registered trademark) communication with information terminals. The communication unit 24 can send and receive information regarding the memory parking / exit and auxiliary parking / exit of vehicle 10 with information terminals, etc.

[0047] The drive force control system 26 includes a drive ECU 130. The drive force control system 26 controls the drive force of the vehicle 10. The drive ECU 130 controls the drive force of the vehicle 10 by controlling an engine (not shown) and other components (not shown) based on user operation of an accelerator pedal (not shown).

[0048] The braking force control system 28 includes a braking ECU 132. The braking force control system 28 controls the braking force of the vehicle 10. The braking ECU 132 controls the braking force of the vehicle 10 by controlling a braking mechanism (not shown) and the like based on user operation of a brake pedal (not shown).

[0049] <Parking information at parking facilities> Figure 4 shows an example of parking information for a vehicle 10 in a parking facility. The parking facility 60 shown in Figure 4 is a parking facility in a shopping mall, for example, that is frequently used by the user of the vehicle 10. The user of the vehicle 10 frequently uses parking space 62 as the place to park the vehicle 10 from among the multiple parking spaces in the parking facility 60, and has registered parking space 62 in the storage unit 54 as a parking space for which memory parking is possible. As shown in Figure 4, the parking space 62 has both a starting point 61 where the vehicle 10 starts moving when performing memory parking, and a movement path 63 (dashed arrow) that the vehicle 10 travels from the starting point 61 to the parking space 62, both of which are registered in the storage unit 54 as parking information for performing memory parking.

[0050] To register parking information, the user first drives the vehicle 10 manually and stops it at a designated starting point (e.g., starting point 61). Next, the user starts the registration process by pressing a button, such as the "Start Parking Information Registration" button (not shown). The user then drives the vehicle 10 manually along a designated route (e.g., travel route 63) and parks it in a designated parking space (e.g., parking space 62). Finally, the user completes the registration by pressing a button, such as the "Finish Parking Information Registration" button (not shown). Note that the travel route 63 shown in this example is a simplified representation; however, a turning route may be included, for example, when backing the vehicle 10 into parking space 62. Also, although not shown in Figure 4, the parking information includes feature points acquired from external information while driving along the travel route 63.

[0051] <Relationship between feature point acquisition rate and the feasibility of location estimation> Figure 5 shows an example of the relationship between the feature point acquisition rate and the feasibility of position estimation. As shown in Figure 5, when the feature point acquisition rate (confidence level of position estimation) is between 0[%] and TH1[%], the vehicle 10 is determined to be in a state of "position estimation impossible," where it is not possible to estimate the position of the vehicle 10 based on the feature points extracted from external information. TH1 is an example of the "first predetermined value" of the present invention. TH1[%] is, for example, 30%. In the state of position estimation impossible, the vehicle 10 does not perform memory parking from the starting point 61 to the parking space 62 (memory parking: not performed). Also, in the state of position estimation impossible, the vehicle 10 issues a guidance notification to the user instructing them on how to improve the feature point acquisition rate (guidance notification: performed).

[0052] Furthermore, when the feature point acquisition rate is between TH1[%] and TH2[%], the vehicle 10 is determined to be in a first state of "position estimable," where its position can be estimated based on the feature points extracted from external information. TH2 is an example of the "second predetermined value" of the present invention. TH2[%] is, for example, 70%. In the first state of position estimable, the vehicle 10 performs memory parking from the starting point 61 to the parking space 62 (memory parking: executed). Also, in the first state of position estimable, the vehicle 10 provides guidance notifications to the user to perform operations to improve the feature point acquisition rate (guidance notifications: executed).

[0053] Furthermore, if the feature point acquisition rate is between TH2[%] and 100[%], the system determines that vehicle 10 is in a second state of "position estimation possible," where it is possible to estimate the position of vehicle 10 based on the feature points extracted from external information. In the second state of position estimation possible, vehicle 10 performs memory parking from the starting point 61 to the parking space 62 (memory parking: executed). Also, in the second state of position estimation possible, vehicle 10 does not send guidance notifications to the user to guide them on how to improve the feature point acquisition rate (guidance notifications: not executed).

[0054] <Position estimation information> Figure 6 shows a first example of location estimation information displayed according to the feature point acquisition rate. As shown in Figure 6, the location estimation information in the first example is the location estimation information when the "feature point acquisition rate," which indicates the reliability of the location estimation, is 83%. The location estimation information is displayed, for example, on the touch panel 42 of the navigation device 18.

[0055] The position estimation information in the first example includes a three-dimensional image 71A showing the surrounding image of vehicle 10, an overhead image 72A, and a confidence indicator 73 showing the feature point acquisition rate. The three-dimensional image 71A displays a vehicle image 74 showing the vehicle 10 in motion, and feature points 75a to 75h that can be extracted from the surrounding image captured by the vehicle 10 at the moment. Similarly, the overhead image 72A displays the vehicle image 74 and feature points 75a to 75j.

[0056] Feature points 75a to 75j indicate the positions of the ends of the white lines that demarcate parking spaces in the parking facility, and are represented, for example, by a mark (+). Feature points 75a to 75j are feature points that can be extracted from the feature points of the parking information pre-stored in the memory unit 54 based on the current status of the vehicle 10. The feature point acquisition rate of 83% is a value that indicates the ratio of feature points 75a to 75j to the total number of feature points of the parking information stored.

[0057] Figure 7 shows a second example of location estimation information displayed according to the feature point acquisition rate. As shown in Figure 7, the location estimation information in the second example is the location estimation information when the "feature point acquisition rate," which indicates the reliability of the location estimation, is 0%.

[0058] The position estimation information in the second example includes a three-dimensional image 71B, an overhead image 72B, a confidence indicator 73, and a guidance notification image 76A that notifies the user of operation instructions. The three-dimensional image 71B displays the vehicle image 74 and focus indicator images 77a to 77j that show a portion of the surrounding image captured by the current vehicle 10. Similarly, the overhead image 72B displays the vehicle image 74 and focus indicator images 77a to 77l.

[0059] The featured display images 77a to 77l are images that show the region from which feature points should be extracted if the estimated position of the current vehicle 10 is correct, and are displayed, for example, as a "square frame". The display positions of the featured display images 77a to 77l are determined to correspond to the positions of feature points indicated by the parking information stored in the memory unit 54. The positions of feature points indicated by the parking information stored in the memory unit 54 are the positions of the ends of the white lines that demarcate the parking space. The feature point acquisition rate: 0% is a value that indicates the ratio of the number of feature points that were detected to the number of feature points indicated by the stored parking information. In other words, a feature point acquisition rate: 0% indicates that feature points could not be detected under the current conditions of the vehicle 10.

[0060] The guidance notification image 76A is an image that guides the user to take actions to improve the reliability (feature point acquisition rate) of position estimation. In this example, the guidance notification image 76A displays "Please turn on your headlights" to brighten the area around the vehicle 10. However, the content of the guidance notification image 76A is not limited to this, and for example, it may display "Vehicle position cannot be determined / Memory parking is not possible. Please turn on your headlights." Note that since the vehicle image 74 is a created fixed image, the brightness displayed will not change (it will not be displayed in a dark state) even if the surrounding image is dark.

[0061] Figure 8 shows a third example of location estimation information displayed according to the feature point acquisition rate. As shown in Figure 8, the location estimation information in the third example is the location estimation information when the "feature point acquisition rate," which indicates the reliability of the location estimation, is 17%.

[0062] The position estimation information in the third example includes a three-dimensional image 71C, an overhead image 72C, a confidence level indicator 73, and a guidance notification image 76B. The three-dimensional image 71C displays the vehicle image 74, feature points 75a and 75b, and highlighted images 77a to 77j. The overhead image 72C displays the vehicle image 74, feature points 75a and 75b, and highlighted images 77a to 77l.

[0063] The feature point acquisition rate of 17% represents the ratio of the number of feature points detected to the total number of feature points indicated by the stored parking information, indicating that 17% of feature points can be detected under the current conditions of vehicle 10.

[0064] The guidance notification image 76B is an image that guides the user to take actions to improve the reliability of position estimation (feature point acquisition rate). If the feature point acquisition rate is low even though the headlights are on, the user will be guided to switch to high beams, etc. In this example, the guidance notification image 76B displays "Please switch your headlights to high beams" to further brighten the area around vehicle 10. However, the content of the guidance notification image 76B is not limited to this, and for example, it may display "The reliability of your vehicle's position has decreased. Please switch your headlights to high beams."

[0065] Figure 9 shows a fourth example of location estimation information displayed according to the feature point acquisition rate. As shown in Figure 9, the location estimation information in the fourth example is the location estimation information when the "feature point acquisition rate," which indicates the reliability of the location estimation, is 83%.

[0066] The position estimation information in the fourth example includes a three-dimensional image 71D, an overhead image 72D, and a confidence indicator 73. The three-dimensional image 71D and the overhead image 72D display the vehicle image 74 and feature points 75a to 75m.

[0067] Feature points 75a to 75h indicate the positions of the ends of the white lines of pedestrian crossings in parking facilities, and are indicated by a mark (+), for example. Feature points 75i and 75j indicate the positions of the ends of stop lines, and are similarly indicated by a mark (+). Feature points 75k to 75m indicate the positions of stop signs, and are similarly indicated by a mark (+).

[0068] Figure 10 shows a fifth example of location estimation information displayed according to the feature point acquisition rate. As shown in Figure 10, the location estimation information in the fifth example is the location estimation information when the "feature point acquisition rate," which indicates the reliability of the location estimation, is 0%.

[0069] The position estimation information in the fifth example includes a three-dimensional image 71E, an overhead image 72E, a confidence indicator 73, and a guidance notification image 76C. The three-dimensional image 71E and the overhead image 72E display the vehicle image 74 and the attention indicator images 77a and 77b.

[0070] The highlighted images 77a and 77b are images that show the region from which feature points should be extracted if the current estimated position is correct, and are displayed, for example, as a "square frame". The display positions of the highlighted images 77a and 77b are determined to correspond to the positions of feature points indicated by the parking information stored in the memory unit 54. The positions of feature points indicated by the parking information stored in the memory unit 54 are the positions of the ends of the white lines of the pedestrian crossing, the positions of the ends of the stop lines, and the positions of the stop signs. The feature point acquisition rate: 0% is a value that indicates the ratio of the number of feature points that were detected to the number of feature points indicated by the stored parking information, and indicates that feature points could not be detected under the current conditions of the vehicle 10.

[0071] The guidance notification image 76C is an image that guides the user to take actions to improve the reliability (feature point acquisition rate) of position estimation. In this example, the guidance notification image 76C displays "Please switch the headlights to high beam" to further brighten the area around vehicle 10. However, the content of the guidance notification image 76C is not limited to this, and for example, it may display "Vehicle position cannot be determined / Memory parking not possible. Please switch the headlights to high beam." In this example, since vehicle 10 has its headlights on, the user is instructed to switch to high beam. However, if, for example, vehicle 10 has its headlights off, the user may be instructed to turn on the headlights, or to turn on the headlights and switch to high beam.

[0072] <Position estimation process> Figure 11 is a flowchart showing a first example of the position estimation process. This position estimation process starts when the memory parking button, which activates the memory parking function, is pressed.

[0073] First, vehicle 10 derives feature points based on its current estimated position (step S11). The "current estimated position of vehicle 10" is the estimated position if this position estimation process is on its second cycle and the position of vehicle 10 has been estimated. If the position of vehicle 10 has not been estimated, the current estimated position of vehicle 10 is obtained by other means (e.g., GPS). Based on map information including feature points recorded in past memory parking, vehicle 10 calculates a focus area where, if the current position of vehicle 10 is this position, then feature points should be located in this area (for example, focus display images 77a to 77l shown in Figure 7) within the image of the area surrounding vehicle 10 captured by a camera or the like (captured image).

[0074] Vehicle 10 extracts feature points from the current image captured by the camera or the like, based on the feature point region derived in step S12 (step S12). Vehicle 10 calculates the feature point acquisition rate based on the feature points that were extracted in step S13 and the feature points of the parking information stored in the memory unit 54 (step S13).

[0075] Next, vehicle 10 determines whether the feature point acquisition rate calculated in step S13 is TH2 (for example, 70%) or higher (step S14).

[0076] If step S14 determines that the feature point acquisition rate is TH2 or higher (step S14: Yes), vehicle 10 estimates its own position based on the feature points extracted in step S12 and the map information (step S15). Then, vehicle 10 turns on the memory parking available flag (step S16) to indicate that the current situation is one in which memory parking can be performed, and returns to step S11.

[0077] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S14 that the feature point acquisition rate is less than TH2 (step S14: No), then vehicle 10 determines whether the feature point acquisition rate calculated in step S13 is TH1 (for example, 30%) or higher (step S17).

[0078] If it is determined in step S17 that the feature point acquisition rate is TH1 or higher (step S17: Yes), the vehicle 10 estimates its own position based on the feature points extracted in step S12 and the map information (step S18). Then, the vehicle 10 turns on the memory parking available flag, which indicates that the current situation is such that memory parking can be performed (step S19).

[0079] Next, the vehicle 10 issues a first-mode guidance notification instructing the user to perform an operation to improve the reliability of the estimated position (step S20), and then returns to step S11. The first-mode guidance notification is, for example, a notification such as "The reliability of your vehicle's position has decreased. Please do ○○."

[0080] On the other hand, if step S17 determines that the feature point acquisition rate is less than TH1 (step S17: No), vehicle 10 turns OFF the memory parking available flag, which indicates that the current situation is such that memory parking cannot be performed (step S21).

[0081] Next, the vehicle 10 issues a second type of guidance notification instructing the user to perform an action to improve the reliability of the estimated position (step S22), and then returns to step S11. The second type of guidance notification is, for example, a notification such as "Vehicle position cannot be determined / Automatic parking is not possible. Please do ○○."

[0082] Note that vehicle 10 will make a separate decision on whether to perform memory parking even if the memory parking available flag is ON during this process. On the other hand, if the memory parking available flag is OFF, vehicle 10 will not perform memory parking (or will interrupt it if it is already in progress).

[0083] As described above, the control device of this embodiment performs position estimation to estimate the position of the vehicle 10 based on feature points extracted from external information and map information, and provides guidance notifications to the user to perform operations to improve the reliability of the position estimation according to the reliability of the position estimation. With this configuration, guidance notifications appropriate to the reliability of the position estimation can be provided according to the reliability of the position estimation, and it is possible to guide the user to perform predetermined operations corresponding to the guidance notifications. As a result, the reliability of the position estimation can be improved, and the vehicle 10 can be smoothly parked in memory. This improves the usability of the memory parking function of the vehicle 10.

[0084] Furthermore, the control device performs memory parking of the vehicle 10 when the confidence level of the position estimation is equal to or greater than a first predetermined value, and provides guidance notification when the confidence level is higher than the first predetermined value but less than a second predetermined value. With this configuration, guidance notification is provided not only when the vehicle 10 is not parked in memory because the confidence level of the position estimation is less than the first predetermined value, but also when the vehicle 10 is parked in memory because the confidence level is equal to or greater than the first predetermined value but less than the second predetermined value, so guidance notification appropriate to each confidence level can be provided. This improves the usability of the memory parking function of the vehicle 10.

[0085] Furthermore, the control device displays a focus indicator on a portion of the surrounding image of the vehicle 10 displayed on the touch panel 42, depending on the reliability of the position estimation, from which feature points should be extracted. With this configuration, by viewing the focus indicator displayed along with the guidance notification, it is possible to increase the user's response rate to the guidance notification. This improves the usability of the vehicle 10's memory parking function.

[0086] Figure 12 is a flowchart of a second example of the position estimation process. As shown in Figure 12, the processes from step S11 to step S16A are the same as the processes from step S11 to step S16 in the position estimation process of the first example described in Figure 11.

[0087] In step S16A, after turning on the memory parking available flag to indicate that the current situation is one in which memory parking can be performed, the vehicle 10 determines whether the previous feature point acquisition rate was less than TH1 (for example, 30%) (step S16B). The previous feature point acquisition rate is the feature point acquisition rate calculated in step S13 of the previous process in the loop processing shown in Figure 12. Note that in the first week's processing, there is no previous feature point acquisition rate, so it is determined that the previous feature point acquisition rate was not less than TH1.

[0088] If step S16B determines that the previous feature point acquisition rate was less than TH1 (step S16B: Yes), the vehicle 10 associates the location saved as a lost location in the previous process with the operation performed immediately before to improve reliability and saves it to the memory unit 54 as a recovery operation (step S16C), and then returns to step S11. If step S16B determines that the previous feature point acquisition rate was not less than TH1 (step S16B: No), the vehicle 10 returns to step S11 as is.

[0089] Furthermore, the processes from step S17 to step S20 are the same as the processes from step S17 to step S20 in the position estimation process of the first example described in Figure 11.

[0090] After issuing the guidance notification in step S20, the vehicle 10 determines whether the previous feature point acquisition rate was less than TH1 (step S16B). The processing after the determination process in step S16B is the same as described above.

[0091] Furthermore, the process in step S21 is the same as the process in step S21 in the position estimation process of the first example described in Figure 11.

[0092] After turning off the memory parking available flag in step S21, vehicle 10 performs lost location processing (step S23). Lost location processing will be described later in Figure 13.

[0093] <Handling lost locations> Figure 13 is a flowchart showing a first example of lost location processing. This lost location processing is performed as the lost location processing in step S23 of Figure 12. Lost location processing is performed when vehicle 10 is at a location where its current position cannot be estimated.

[0094] First, the vehicle 10 determines whether a lost location near its current estimated position is stored in the memory unit 54, and whether a recovery operation to improve the reliability of the estimated position is stored in association with that lost location (step S31).

[0095] In step S31, if no corresponding recovery operation is saved (step S31: No), the vehicle 10 provides a second type of guidance notification to the user instructing them to perform a predetermined operation to improve the reliability of the estimated position (step S32).

[0096] Next, the vehicle 10 determines whether the area near its current estimated location is already saved as a lost location (step S33). If, in step S33, the location is not saved as a lost location (step S33: No), the vehicle 10 saves its current location as a lost location in the storage unit 54 (step S34) and terminates the process. If, in step S33, the location is saved as a lost location (step S33: Yes), the vehicle 10 terminates the process as is.

[0097] On the other hand, if a corresponding recovery operation is saved in step S31 (step S31: Yes), the vehicle 10 issues a third type of guidance notification to the user instructing them on the recovery operation (step S35) and terminates the process.

[0098] Furthermore, recovery operations are saved for each lost location. Recovery operations may also be saved along with information about the surrounding environment at the lost location. This information may include, for example, the brightness and weather conditions at the lost location.

[0099] In this way, the control device stores in the storage unit 54 a correspondence between the point where the reliability of the estimated position falls below a first predetermined value and memory parking of the vehicle 10 is no longer performed, and the user operation that was able to increase the reliability to the first predetermined value or higher at that point. With this configuration, even when the reliability decreases and memory parking is not performed, the device can notify the user of effective user operation guidance that will improve the reliability and enable memory parking. This improves the usability of the memory parking function of the vehicle 10.

[0100] Figure 14 is a flowchart of a second example of lost location processing. As shown in Figure 14, the processes from step S31 to step S34 are the same as the processes from step S31 to step S34 in the lost location processing of the first example described in Figure 13.

[0101] In this second example, if a recovery operation corresponding to the lost location is saved in step S31 (step S31: Yes), the vehicle 10 suggests to the user that it perform recovery control corresponding to the recovery operation (step S36). The execution of recovery control refers to the execution by the vehicle 10's movement control unit 57.

[0102] Vehicle 10 determines whether it has received an execution instruction from the user in response to the suggestion in step S36 (step S37). If an execution instruction has been received in step S37 (step S37: Yes), vehicle 10 performs a return control corresponding to the return operation (step S38) and terminates the process. If an execution instruction has not been received in step S37 (step S37: No), vehicle 10 terminates the process as is.

[0103] In this way, when the vehicle 10 reaches a point where the reliability of the position estimation has fallen below a first predetermined value and memory parking has ceased, the control device performs a user operation corresponding to that point that can raise the reliability to the first predetermined value or higher. With this configuration, even if the reliability decreases and memory parking becomes impossible, the device can increase the reliability and resume memory parking through its own control without waiting for a user operation. This improves the usability of the memory parking function of the vehicle 10.

[0104] The control method described in the above-mentioned embodiment can be implemented by executing a pre-prepared control program on a computer. This control program is recorded on a computer-readable storage medium and executed when read from the storage medium. This control program may also be provided in the form of a non-transient storage medium such as flash memory, or it may be provided via a network such as the Internet. The computer that executes this control program may be included in the control device, included in an electronic device such as a smartphone, tablet terminal, or personal computer that can communicate with the control device, or included in a server device that can communicate with these control devices and electronic devices.

[0105] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and modifications, improvements, etc., can be made as appropriate.

[0106] In the above embodiment, the case of memorizing the parking of the vehicle 10 in a parking facility 60 was used as an example, but the invention is not limited to this. For example, it can also be applied when memorizing the parking of the vehicle 10 in a parking space at home or in a coin-operated parking lot. Furthermore, it can be applied not only when memorizing the parking of the vehicle 10, but also when memorizing its retrieval, when the user is manually driving in a parking facility 60, or even when the vehicle 10 is automatically driving on a public road.

[0107] In the above embodiment, an example of a four-wheeled automobile was described, but the invention is not limited to this. For example, it may be a two-wheeled vehicle, a Segway, or other vehicle. Furthermore, the concept of the present invention is not limited to vehicles, but can also be applied to robots, ships, aircraft, etc., that are equipped with a drive source and are movable by the power of the drive source.

[0108] Furthermore, this specification includes at least the following information. Note that the components etc. in parentheses indicate those corresponding to the embodiments described above, but are not limited thereto.

[0109] (1) A control device for a mobile body (vehicle 10), An external environment recognition unit (external environment recognition unit 55) that acquires external environment information of the moving object, A storage unit (storage unit 54) that stores parking information indicating the starting point of the moving body (starting point 61), the parking space for the moving body (parking space 62), and the movement path of the moving body from the starting point to the parking space (movement path 63), A position estimation unit (position estimation unit 56) that estimates the position of the moving object based on feature points extracted from the external information and map information, Based on the position estimation results and the parking information, a movement control unit (movement control unit 57) performs movement control to move the moving body from the starting point to the parking space, A notification control unit (notification control unit 58) provides guidance to the user to perform an operation to improve the reliability of the position estimation, depending on the reliability of the position estimation. A control device (control ECU20) equipped with the following.

[0110] According to (1), the reliability of the position estimation, which estimates the position of a moving object, can be improved by providing guidance notifications to the user that instruct them on how to improve the reliability of the position estimation, thereby improving the usability of the movement control function for the moving object.

[0111] (2) The control device described in (1), The movement control unit performs the movement control when the reliability is equal to or greater than a first predetermined value. The notification control unit shall issue the guidance notification when the reliability is less than a second predetermined value and higher than the first predetermined value. Control device.

[0112] According to (2), by issuing a guidance notification when the reliability is higher than the first predetermined value and less than the second predetermined value, a guidance notification can be issued when the moving object is under movement control.

[0113] (3) The control device described in (2), The notification control unit provides different guidance notifications depending on whether the reliability is less than the first predetermined value or whether the reliability is greater than or equal to the first predetermined value and less than the second predetermined value. Control device.

[0114] According to (3), the guidance notification differs depending on whether the reliability is below the first predetermined value and the moving object is not controlled, or whether the reliability is above the first predetermined value and below the second predetermined value and the moving object is controlled. Therefore, appropriate guidance notifications can be provided according to the reliability.

[0115] (4) A control device according to any one of (1) to (3), The notification control unit, The surrounding image of the moving object based on the external information is displayed. Depending on the reliability level, a portion of the surrounding image is highlighted. Control device.

[0116] According to (4), by highlighting a portion of the surrounding image according to its reliability, the rate of user response to guidance notifications can be increased, further improving the usability of the movement control function for moving objects.

[0117] (5) The control device described in (4), The notification control unit shall change the manner of the attention display according to the reliability level. Control device.

[0118] As shown in (5), by varying the manner of highlighting information according to its level of reliability, the user response rate to the guidance notification can be further increased.

[0119] (6) A control device according to any one of (1) to (5), The aforementioned movement control unit, When the reliability is equal to or greater than a first predetermined value, the movement control is performed. If the confidence level is less than the first predetermined value, the location where the moving object was located when the confidence level fell below the first predetermined value, and the user operation at that location when the confidence level changed from a state of being less than the first predetermined value to a state of being greater than or equal to the first predetermined value are stored in association with each other. Control device.

[0120] According to (6), by associating and saving the location where the reliability level falls below a first predetermined value and the movement control of the mobile object ceases, with the user operation at that location that was able to raise the reliability level to the first predetermined value or higher, effective guidance notifications can be provided, and the usability of the movement control function of the mobile object can be further improved.

[0121] (7) The control device described in (6), The notification control unit, when the moving object reaches the saved location again, provides a notification to the user instructing them on the user operation corresponding to that location. Control device.

[0122] As shown in (7), when the moving object reaches a point where its reliability is below a first predetermined value and its movement control has ceased, the usability of the movement control function of the moving object can be improved by providing guidance and notification of the user operation corresponding to that point.

[0123] (8) The control device described in (6), The movement control unit, when the moving body reaches the saved location again, controls the moving body in accordance with the user operation corresponding to the location. Control device.

[0124] As in (8), when the moving object reaches a point where its reliability is below a first predetermined value and its movement control has ceased, the usability of the movement control function of the moving object can also be improved by having the device perform control corresponding to the user operation at that point.

[0125] (9) A control device according to any one of (1) to (8), The operations to improve the aforementioned reliability are: An operation to change the moving speed of the aforementioned moving body, An operation to change the movement trajectory of the aforementioned moving object, Operation to control the lighting device of the moving body, Including at least one of the following: Control device.

[0126] (9) As operations to improve reliability, such as changing the movement speed or trajectory of the moving object and controlling the lighting device are preferred.

[0127] (10) A control method using a control device for a mobile body, The control device, The moving object acquires external information, The system stores parking information indicating the starting point of the moving body, the parking space for the moving body, and the movement path of the moving body from the starting point to the parking space. The position of the moving object is estimated based on the feature points extracted from the external information and the map information. Based on the position estimation results and the parking information, movement control is performed to move the moving body from the starting point to the parking space. Depending on the reliability of the position estimation, a notification is provided to the user instructing them on how to improve the reliability. Control method.

[0128] According to (10), the reliability of the position estimation can be improved by providing guidance notifications to the user that guide them to perform operations to improve the reliability of the position estimation, depending on the reliability of the position estimation used to estimate the position of the moving object, thereby improving the usability of the movement control function for the moving object.

[0129] (11) A control program for a mobile device, The processor of the control device, The moving object acquires external information, The system stores parking information indicating the starting point of the moving body, the parking space for the moving body, and the movement path of the moving body from the starting point to the parking space. The position of the moving object is estimated based on the feature points extracted from the external information and the map information. Based on the position estimation results and the parking information, movement control is performed to move the moving body from the starting point to the parking space. Depending on the reliability of the position estimation, a notification is provided to the user instructing them on how to improve the reliability. A control program that executes a process.

[0130] According to (11), the reliability of the position estimation can be improved by providing guidance notifications to the user that guide them to perform operations to improve the reliability of the position estimation, depending on the reliability of the position estimation used to estimate the position of the moving object, thereby improving the usability of the movement control function for the moving object. [Explanation of symbols]

[0131] 10. Vehicles (mobile devices) 20 Control ECU (Control Unit) 54 Memory section 55 External world recognition department 56 Position estimation part 57 Movement Control Unit 58 Notification Control Unit 61 Starting point 62 parking spaces 63 Travel Route

Claims

1. A control device for a mobile body, An external environment recognition unit that acquires external information of the moving object, A storage unit that stores parking information indicating the starting point of the moving body, the parking space for the moving body, and the movement path of the moving body from the starting point to the parking space, A position estimation unit that estimates the position of the moving object based on feature points extracted from the external information and map information, A movement control unit that performs movement control to move the moving body from the starting point to the parking space based on the position estimation results and the parking information, A notification control unit provides guidance to the user to perform an operation to improve the reliability of the position estimation, based on the reliability of the position estimation. A control device equipped with the following features.

2. A control device according to claim 1, The movement control unit performs the movement control when the reliability is equal to or greater than a first predetermined value. The notification control unit shall issue the guidance notification when the reliability is less than a second predetermined value and higher than the first predetermined value. Control device.

3. A control device according to claim 2, The notification control unit provides different guidance notifications depending on whether the reliability is less than the first predetermined value or whether the reliability is greater than or equal to the first predetermined value and less than the second predetermined value. Control device.

4. A control device according to claim 1, The notification control unit, The surrounding image of the moving object based on the external information is displayed. Depending on the reliability level, a portion of the surrounding image is highlighted. Control device.

5. A control device according to claim 4, The notification control unit shall change the manner of the attention display according to the reliability level. Control device.

6. A control device according to claim 1, The aforementioned movement control unit, When the reliability is equal to or greater than a first predetermined value, the movement control is performed. If the confidence level is less than the first predetermined value, the location where the moving object was located when the confidence level fell below the first predetermined value, and the user operation at that location when the confidence level changed from a state of being less than the first predetermined value to a state of being greater than or equal to the first predetermined value are stored in association with each other. Control device.

7. A control device according to claim 6, The notification control unit, when the moving object reaches the saved location again, provides a notification to the user instructing them on the user operation corresponding to that location. Control device.

8. A control device according to claim 6, The movement control unit, when the moving body reaches the saved location again, controls the moving body in accordance with the user operation corresponding to the location. Control device.

9. A control device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, The operations to improve the aforementioned reliability are: An operation to change the moving speed of the aforementioned moving body, An operation to change the movement trajectory of the aforementioned moving object, Operation to control the lighting device of the moving body, Including at least one of the following: Control device.

10. A control method using a control device for a mobile object, The control device, The moving object acquires external information, The system stores parking information indicating the starting point of the moving body, the parking space for the moving body, and the movement path of the moving body from the starting point to the parking space. The position of the moving object is estimated based on the feature points extracted from the external information and the map information. Based on the position estimation results and the parking information, movement control is performed to move the moving body from the starting point to the parking space. Depending on the reliability of the position estimation, a notification is provided to the user instructing them on how to improve the reliability. Control method.

11. A control program for a mobile device, The processor of the control device, The moving object acquires external information, The system stores parking information indicating the starting point of the moving body, the parking space for the moving body, and the movement path of the moving body from the starting point to the parking space. The position of the moving object is estimated based on the feature points extracted from the external information and the map information. Based on the position estimation results and the parking information, movement control is performed to move the moving body from the starting point to the parking space. Depending on the reliability of the position estimation, a notification is provided to the user instructing them on how to improve the reliability. A control program that executes a process.

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