Control system, control method, and recording medium

Abstract

To improve the convenience of the vehicle (V) user in the control of the vehicle (V) door (43). [Solution] The control system (1) includes an external image acquisition unit (44) that acquires external images, a first detection unit (204) that detects external persons (VP) based on the external images acquired by the external image acquisition unit (44), a second detection unit (205) that detects the approach pattern of the external person (VP) detected by the first detection unit (204), a comparison unit (206) that compares the approach pattern detected by the second detection unit (205) with a reference approach pattern, an authentication unit (208) that authenticates whether the external person (VP) detected by the first detection unit (204) is a registered user, and a door control unit (102) that controls the doors (43) of the vehicle (V) according to the comparison result of the comparison unit (206) when the authentication unit (208) authenticates that the person is a registered user.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a control system, a control method, and a recording medium.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, efforts have been actively made to provide access to a sustainable transportation system that takes into account vulnerable people such as the elderly and children among traffic participants. In order to achieve this, research and development have focused on further improving traffic safety and convenience through the development related to the boarding and alighting performance of vehicles. Conventionally, as a technology for improving convenience, a technology related to the control of vehicle doors is known (for example, see Patent Document 1). Patent Document 1 discloses a technology for non-contact detection of the movement of a human body within a predetermined range of a vehicle, determining the movement operation of a vehicle door based on the detected movement of the human body, and controlling door driving means according to the determination.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, when a vehicle user enters the vehicle, the manner of approaching the vehicle (hereinafter referred to as "approach manner") is not always the same every time even for the same user. Therefore, in the control of vehicle doors, the convenience of vehicle users can be improved by performing control considering the approach manner of vehicle users. However, conventionally, in the control of vehicle doors, there has been no mechanism for considering the approach manner of users, and there has been room for improvement in improving convenience. The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to improve the convenience of vehicle users in the control of vehicle doors.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] One aspect of the present invention is a vehicle control system comprising: an external image acquisition unit that acquires an external image which is an image of the outside of the vehicle; a registered gesture DB that records a combination of gesture content and door control content of the vehicle for each registered gesture; and a registration unit that recognizes the gesture content of a gesture made by the user of the vehicle based on the external image acquired by the external image acquisition unit, and records the recognized gesture content and the door control content specified by the user of the vehicle in association with the registered gesture DB. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to one aspect of the present invention, the convenience of the vehicle user can be improved in controlling the doors of a vehicle. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] This is a diagram showing the configuration of the control system. [Figure 2] This is a diagram showing the configuration of the vehicle. [Figure 3] This is a diagram showing the main components of the control system. [Figure 4] This is a flowchart showing the operation of the entry ECU and zone B-ECU. [Figure 5] This figure shows the main components of the control system according to the second embodiment. [Figure 6] This is a flowchart showing the operation of the entry ECU and zone B-ECU. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] Figure 1 shows the vehicle control system 1. The control system 1 includes a central ECU 2 that performs overall control and information processing of the vehicle. The central ECU 2 is connected to communication lines including first communication lines 3a and 3b and second communication lines 4a and 4b. The central ECU 2 functions as a gateway that manages the exchange of communication data between these communication lines. The central ECU 2 also performs OTA (Over The Air) management. OTA management includes control related to the process of downloading updates for the vehicle's onboard devices from an external server, and the process of applying the downloaded updates to the onboard devices.

[0009] The first communication lines 3a and 3b and the second communication lines 4a and 4b consist of a bus that performs communication compliant with standards such as CAN and Ethernet (registered trademark), or a communication line that performs P2P (Peer to Peer) communication. The first communication lines 3a and 3b may consist of multiple communication lines that perform communication compliant with the same standard, or multiple communication lines that perform communication compliant with different standards. The same applies to the second communication lines 4a and 4b.

[0010] The first communication line 3a is connected to an ICB (Infotainment Control Box) 6, a speaker 7, and a microphone 8 via an in-vehicle connection link 5. Furthermore, the in-vehicle connection link 5 is connected to a TCU (Telematics Control Unit) 10, a GNSS sensor (GNSS; Global Navigation Satellite System) 11, and a touch panel 12. The TCU 10 is a wireless communication device that conforms to the communication standards of the mobile communication system. The touch panel 12 includes a display 13 and a touch sensor 14.

[0011] The ICB6 is an IVI (In-Vehicle Infotainment) ECU. The ICB6 provides various information and entertainment to the vehicle's occupants using a speaker 7, microphone 8, GNSS sensor 11, and touch panel 12, etc. The in-vehicle connection link 5 is composed of multiple communication transmission paths conforming to various communication standards. The in-vehicle connection link 5 may include, for example, multiple network transmission paths. In this case, the multiple network transmission paths may be connected to each other via a device having a gateway function or the like. The in-vehicle connection link 5 may also include a transmission path for P2P communication. Various communication buses that perform network communication in accordance with various standards can be used for the network transmission paths. Examples of such standards include CAN, Ethernet, USB (Universal Serial Bus), LIN (Local Interconnect Network), and LVDS (Low Voltage Differential Signaling), but other standards may also be used.

[0012] A Driver Monitoring Camera (DMC) 15, which monitors the driver, is connected to the first communication line 3b.

[0013] Zone A-ECU20 is connected to the second communication line 4a. Zone A-ECU20 is connected to the drive unit 21 and the battery 22. The drive unit 21 is, for example, a motor or internal combustion engine that drives the vehicle.

[0014] The zone B-ECU 23 is connected to the second communication line 4b. The zone B-ECU 23 is connected to the lamp unit 24 and the window motor 25. The lamp unit 24 includes, for example, a headlamp, a tail lamp, a direction indicator lamp, etc. The window motor 25 opens and closes the vehicle window. Further, the zone B-ECU 23 is connected to the door sensor 26, the door lock mechanism 27, the ESL (Electronic Steering Lock) 28, and the air conditioner 29. The door sensor 26 detects an operation on the vehicle door. The door lock mechanism 27 locks and unlocks the vehicle door. The entry ECU 30 is connected to the zone B-ECU 23. The entry ECU 30 is connected to the LF / RF antenna 31 that performs wireless communication with the electronic key of the host vehicle. The electronic key is an electronic device having a wireless communication function and is called a smart key or a FOB key. The entry ECU 30 cooperates with other in-vehicle ECUs to process user access from outside the vehicle to the control system 1 and realizes the operation of so-called smart entry.

[0015] The front camera 32, the rear camera 33, the right side camera 34, and the left side camera 35 are further connected to the entry ECU 30. Further, five drive units 41, namely, the right PHD (Power Hinge Door) drive unit 41A, the right PSD (Power Slide Door) drive unit 41C, the left PHD drive unit 41B, the left PSD drive unit 41D, and the PTG (Power Tail Gate) drive unit 41E, are connected to the zone B-ECU 23.

[0016] Hereinafter, a vehicle having the control system 1 is denoted by the symbol "V". FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of the vehicle V. As shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle V is a passenger car with six passengers and includes a driver's seat 42A, a front passenger seat 42B, a second row right seat 42C, a second row left seat 42D, a third row right seat 42E, and a third row left seat 42F.

[0017] The vehicle V includes five doors 43, namely a right power hinged door 43A, a left power hinged door 43B, a right power sliding door 43C, a left power sliding door 43D, and a power tailgate 43E.

[0018] The right power hinged door 43A includes a right PHD drive unit 41A that drives the right power hinged door 43A to open and close by an electric actuator. The left power hinged door 43B includes a left PHD drive unit 41B that drives the left power hinged door 43B to open and close by an electric actuator. The right power sliding door 43C includes a right PSD drive unit 41C that drives the right power sliding door 43C to open and close by an electric actuator. The left power sliding door 43D includes a left PSD drive unit 41D that drives the left power sliding door 43D to open and close by an electric actuator. The power tailgate 43E includes a PTG drive unit 41E that drives the power tailgate 43E to open and close by an electric actuator.

[0019] The vehicle V includes a door lock mechanism 27. The door lock mechanism 27 includes door lock mechanisms 33A, 33B, 33C, 33D, and 33E. The door lock mechanism 33A locks and unlocks the right power hinged door 43A. The door lock mechanism 33B locks and unlocks the left power hinged door 43B. The door lock mechanism 33C locks and unlocks the right power sliding door 43C. The door lock mechanism 33D locks and unlocks the left power sliding door 43D. The door lock mechanism 33E locks and unlocks the power tailgate 43E.

[0020] The vehicle V includes four cameras 44, namely a front camera 32 that captures the front of the vehicle V, a rear camera 33 that captures the rear of the vehicle V, a right side camera 34 that captures the right side of the vehicle V, and a left side camera 35 that captures the left side of the vehicle V. The cameras 44 are external cameras of the vehicle V that capture the outside of the vehicle V. Therefore, the moving images captured by the cameras 44 include outside images that are images of the outside of the vehicle V. The front camera 32 is located at the front of the vehicle V. The rear camera 33 is located at the rear of the vehicle V. The right side camera 34 is located on the right side of the vehicle V. The left side camera 35 is located on the left side of the vehicle V. Camera 44 corresponds to the "external vehicle image acquisition unit" in this disclosure.

[0021] Figure 3 shows the main components of the control system 1. The central ECU 2 is connected to Zone B-ECU 23 via the second communication line 4b. The door lock mechanism 27, the right PHD drive unit 41A, the right PSD drive unit 41C, the left PHD drive unit 41B, the left PSD drive unit 41D, and the PTG drive unit 41E are also connected to Zone B-ECU 23. The entry ECU 30 is also connected to Zone B-ECU 23.

[0022] Zone B-ECU23 includes a first processor 100 such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and an MPU (Micro Processor Unit), a first memory 110, and interface circuits to which devices such as equipment and sensors are connected.

[0023] The first memory 110 is a storage device that non-volatilely stores programs and data executed by the first processor 100. The first memory 110 is composed of a magnetic storage device, a semiconductor storage element such as flash ROM (Read Only Memory), or other types of non-volatile storage devices. The first memory 110 may also include RAM (Random Access Memory) which constitutes the work area of ​​the first processor 100. The first memory 110 may also include non-volatile storage devices such as HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or SSD (Solid State Drive). The first memory 110 stores data processed by the first processor 100 and the first control program 111 executed by the first processor 100.

[0024] The first processor 100 functions as a first communication control unit 101, a door control unit 102, and a door control prohibition unit 103 by reading and executing the first control program 111 stored in the first memory 110.

[0025] The first communication control unit 101 receives various information from the entry ECU 30.

[0026] The door control unit 102 controls the door 43. The door control unit 102 unlocks and locks the door 43. The door control unit 102 unlocks the door 43 by outputting an unlock signal to the door lock mechanism 27. The door control unit 102 locks the door 43 by outputting a lock signal to the door lock mechanism 27. The door control unit 102 can specify the door 43 to control and lock and unlock the specified door 43. The door control unit 102 performs the opening operation of the door 43. The door control unit 102 controls the drive unit 41 by outputting a control signal to the drive unit 41, thereby performing the opening operation of the door 43. The door control unit 102 can specify the door 43 to control and perform the opening operation of the specified door 43. The door control unit 102 performs the closing operation of the door 43. The door control unit 102 controls the drive unit 41 by outputting a control signal to the drive unit 41, thereby performing the closing operation of the door 43. The door control unit 102 can specify the door 43 to be controlled and perform the closing operation of the specified door 43.

[0027] The door control prohibition unit 103 instructs the door control unit 102 to prohibit the control of door 43. In this embodiment, prohibiting the control of door 43 includes preventing the control of door 43 from being executed, interrupting the execution of door 43 control, and interrupting the execution of door 43 control and returning door 43 to its state before execution. When the first communication control unit 101 receives prohibition request information, the door control prohibition unit 103 instructs the door control unit 102 to prohibit the control of door 43. The door control prohibition unit 103 instructs the door control unit 102 to prohibit the control of door 43 by outputting prohibition information to the door control unit 102. When a predetermined trigger occurs, such as unlocking door 43 with an electronic key, the door control prohibition unit 103 releases the prohibition on the control of door 43. The door control unit 102 releases the prohibition on the control of door 43 by outputting release information to the door control unit 102.

[0028] The entry ECU 30 includes a second processor 200 such as a CPU or MPU, a second memory 220, and interface circuits to which devices such as equipment and sensors are connected. The entry ECU 30 receives video data from the camera 44. Video data is data of video images captured by the camera 44.

[0029] The second memory 220 is a storage device that non-volatilely stores programs and data executed by the second processor 200. The second memory 220 is composed of a magnetic storage device, a semiconductor storage element such as flash ROM, or other types of non-volatile storage devices. The second memory 220 may also include RAM which constitutes the work area of ​​the second processor 200. The second memory 220 may also include a non-volatile storage device such as an HDD or SSD. The second memory 220 stores data processed by the second processor 200, as well as the second control program 221 executed by the second processor 200, face DB 222, unregistered gesture DB 223, and reference approach mode data 224.

[0030] Face DB222 records information about the face of each user of vehicle V. Each record in Face DB222 contains face feature data that shows face features. Face features are a set of numerical values ​​that represent each feature point on the face. Examples of feature points include the position of the eyes relative to the face outline, the position of the nose relative to the face outline, and the position of the mouth relative to the face outline.

[0031] The Unregistered Gesture DB223 records information related to each unregistered gesture. An unregistered gesture is a gesture that has not been pre-registered by the user of vehicle V. Each record in the Unregistered Gesture DB223 contains gesture content information. Gesture content information is information that indicates the content of the gesture.

[0032] The reference approach pattern data 224 is data that indicates a reference approach pattern. In this embodiment, the approach pattern is exemplified by the approach speed, which is the speed at which the vehicle approaches vehicle V. Therefore, the reference approach pattern data 224 in this embodiment is data that indicates a reference approach speed.

[0033] The second processor 200 functions as the second communication control unit 201, registration unit 202, proximity detection unit 203, external person detection unit 204, approach pattern detection unit 205, comparison unit 206, face detection unit 207, authentication unit 208, monitoring unit 209, and gesture detection unit 210 by reading and executing the second control program 221 stored in the second memory 220. The external person detection unit 204 corresponds to the "first detection unit" in this disclosure. The approach manner detection unit 205 corresponds to the "second detection unit" in this disclosure. The face detection unit 207 corresponds to the "fourth detection unit" in this disclosure. The gesture detection unit 210 corresponds to the "third detection unit" in this disclosure.

[0034] The second communication control unit 201 receives video data from zone B-ECU 23. The second communication control unit 201 outputs the received video data to the respective functional units of the second processor 200.

[0035] The registration unit 202 records the facial feature data of the vehicle V user in the face database 222. The registration unit 202 generates facial feature data from the video captured by the camera 44 and records it in the face database 222. Because the registration unit 202 records facial feature data in the face database 222 in this way, the user of vehicle V can register their face in vehicle V by having the camera 44 capture their face.

[0036] The proximity detection unit 203 detects the approach of an object to the vehicle V. For example, the proximity detection unit 203 detects the approach of an object to the vehicle V based on the detection value of the sonar sensor installed on the vehicle V. Alternatively, for example, the proximity detection unit 203 detects the approach of an object to the vehicle V by detecting an electronic key using the LF / RF antenna 31. Note that the detection method of the proximity detection unit 203 is merely an example and is not limited to the above example. In this embodiment, the camera 44 is activated and starts taking pictures when the proximity detection unit 203 detects the approach of an object to the vehicle V.

[0037] The external person detection unit 204 detects an external person VP located outside the vehicle V based on the external image of the video data received by the second communication control unit 201. Specifically, the external person detection unit 204 detects the external person VP by detecting an image of the external person VP from the external image using methods such as pattern matching.

[0038] The approach mode detection unit 205 detects the approach mode of the external person VP detected by the external person detection unit 204 at predetermined intervals. As described above, approach speed is an example of an approach mode. Therefore, in this embodiment, the approach mode detection unit 205 detects the approach speed of the external person VP detected by the external person detection unit 204. The approach mode detection unit 205 tracks the image of the external person VP detected by the external person detection unit 204 in the video image captured by the camera 44. The approach mode detection unit 205 detects the approach speed based on the change in the area of ​​the image of the external person VP being tracked.

[0039] The comparison unit 206 compares the approach speed of the person VP outside the vehicle detected by the approach pattern detection unit 205 with the reference approach speed at predetermined intervals. Specifically, the comparison unit 206 compares the approach speed of the person VP outside the vehicle detected by the approach pattern detection unit 205 with the approach speed indicated by the reference approach pattern data 224. At predetermined intervals, the comparison unit 206 outputs comparison result information indicating the comparison result to the second communication control unit 201. The second communication control unit 201 transmits the comparison result information received from the comparison unit 206 to the zone B-ECU 23.

[0040] The face detection unit 207 detects the faces of the external person VPs detected by the external person detection unit 204 at predetermined intervals. The face detection unit 207 tracks the images of the external person VPs detected by the external person detection unit 204 in the video footage captured by the camera 44. The face detection unit 207 detects the faces of the external person VPs by detecting face images from the tracked images of the external person VPs using methods such as pattern matching.

[0041] The authentication unit 208 authenticates whether the person outside the vehicle (VP) detected by the person outside the vehicle (VP) On the other hand, if the authentication unit 208 determines that no face feature data with a matching rate of the calculated face feature amount above a threshold is included in the face DB 222, it authenticates that the person outside the vehicle detected by the person outside the vehicle detection unit 204 is not a registered user.

[0042] The monitoring unit 209 monitors the distance between the vehicle V and the external person VP, who has been authenticated as a registered user by the authentication unit 208. The monitoring unit 209 calculates the distance between the external person VP and the vehicle V at predetermined intervals and outputs distance information indicating the calculated distance to the second communication control unit 201. The monitoring unit 209 tracks the image of the external person VP, who has been authenticated as a registered user by the authentication unit 208, in the video footage captured by the camera 44, and calculates the distance between the external person VP and the vehicle V based on the size or area of ​​the tracked image. When the second communication control unit 201 receives distance information from the monitoring unit 209, it transmits the received distance information to the zone B-ECU 23.

[0043] The monitoring unit 209 monitors whether the person outside the vehicle VP, who has been authenticated as a registered user by the authentication unit 208, stopped while approaching vehicle V, and whether they moved away from vehicle V while approaching vehicle V. Stopping while approaching vehicle V means that they were approaching vehicle V but stopped before reaching vehicle V. Moving away from vehicle V while approaching vehicle V means that they were approaching vehicle V but moved away from vehicle V before reaching vehicle V. The monitoring unit 209 tracks the image of the person outside the vehicle (VP) authenticated as a registered user by the authentication unit 208 in the video footage captured by the camera 44. The monitoring unit 209 determines that the person stopped while approaching the vehicle V if the area of ​​the image of the person outside the vehicle being tracked does not change within a predetermined range for a predetermined period of time. The monitoring unit 209 determines that the person moved away from the vehicle V while approaching the vehicle V if the area of ​​the image of the person outside the vehicle being tracked becomes smaller. If the monitoring unit 209 determines that the person stopped while approaching the vehicle V, or that the person moved away from the vehicle V while approaching the vehicle V, it outputs prohibition request information to the second communication control unit 201. When the second communication control unit 201 receives the prohibition request information from the monitoring unit 209, it transmits the received prohibition request information to the zone B-ECU 23.

[0044] The gesture detection unit 210 detects unregistered gestures from the external person VP authenticated as a registered user by the authentication unit 208. The gesture detection unit 210 tracks the image of the external person VP authenticated as a registered user in the video footage captured by the camera 44. The gesture detection unit 210 performs image analysis on the image of the external person VP being tracked and extracts the characteristics of the external person VP's movements (e.g., motion vectors). Next, the gesture detection unit 210 recognizes the content of the external person VP's movements from the extracted characteristics of their movements. Then, if the recognized content of the external person VP's movements is a gesture recorded in the unregistered gesture DB 223, the gesture detection unit 210 determines that an unregistered gesture has been detected.

[0045] Next, the operation of each part of the control system 1 will be described. Figure 4 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the entry ECU 30 and zone B-ECU 23. In Figure 4, flowchart FA shows the operation of the entry ECU 30, and flowchart FB shows the operation of zone B-ECU 23.

[0046] As shown in flowchart FA, the external person detection unit 204 determines whether or not the proximity detection unit 203 has detected an object approaching (step SA1). If the external person detection unit 204 determines that the proximity detection unit 203 has not detected an object approaching (step SA1: NO), it performs the determination in step SA1 again.

[0047] If the proximity detection unit 203 determines that an object is approaching (step SA1: YES), the external person detection unit 204 starts detecting the external person VP (step SA2).

[0048] Next, the approach detection unit 205 determines whether the external person detection unit 204 has detected an external person VP (step SA3). If it determines that no external person VP has been detected (step SA3: NO), the second processor 200 terminates this process.

[0049] If the external person detection unit 204 determines that it has detected an external person VP (Step SA3: YES), the approach pattern detection unit 205 starts detecting the approach speed of the external person VP detected by the external person detection unit 204 (Step SA4).

[0050] Next, the comparison unit 206 starts comparing the approach speed detected by the approach pattern detection unit 205 with the approach speed indicated by the reference approach pattern data 224 (step SA5).

[0051] Next, the authentication unit 208 initiates authentication to determine whether or not the user is a registered user (step SA6).

[0052] Next, the second communication control unit 201 determines whether or not the authentication unit 208 has authenticated that the user is a registered user (step SA7). If the second communication control unit 201 determines that the user is not a registered user (step SA7: NO), the second processor 200 terminates this process.

[0053] On the other hand, if it is determined that the user is a registered user (step SA7: YES), the second communication control unit 201 transmits the comparison result information to zone B-ECU23 (step SA8). In step SA8, the second communication control unit 201 transmits the latest comparison result information received from the comparison unit 206 to zone B-ECU23.

[0054] As shown in the flowchart FB, the first communication control unit 101 receives comparison result information from the entry ECU 30 (step SB1).

[0055] Next, the door control unit 102 opens the door 43 at a start timing corresponding to the comparison result indicated by the comparison result information received in step SB1 (step SB2).

[0056] Step SB2 will be described in detail. If the comparison result indicates that the calculated approach speed is the same as the approach speed in the reference approach pattern data 224, the door control unit 102 starts opening the door 43 when the distance indicated by the distance information output by the monitoring unit 209 reaches the first distance. In other words, if the approach speed of the registered user is the same as the reference approach speed, the door control unit 102 starts opening the door 43 when the distance between the registered user and the vehicle V reaches the first distance. If the comparison result indicates that the calculated approach speed is slower than the approach speed of the reference approach pattern data 224, the door control unit 102 starts opening the door 43 when the distance indicated by the distance information output by the monitoring unit 209 becomes a second distance which is shorter than the first distance. In other words, if the approach speed of the registered user is slower than the reference approach speed, the door control unit 102 starts opening the door 43 when the distance between the registered user and the vehicle V becomes a second distance. The door control unit 102 initiates the opening of the door 43 when the comparison result indicates that the calculated approach speed is faster than the approach speed of the reference approach pattern data 224, and the distance indicated by the distance information output by the monitoring unit 209 becomes a third distance which is longer than the first distance. In other words, the door control unit 102 initiates the opening of the door 43 when the distance between the registered user and the vehicle V becomes a third distance, if the approach speed of the registered user is faster than the reference approach speed.

[0057] As described above, the control system 1 delays the start of the door 43 opening operation if the registered user's approach speed is slower than the standard approach speed. This prevents the door 43 from remaining open for an unnecessarily long time, thereby improving the security of the vehicle V. Furthermore, the control system 1 can open the door 43 at an appropriate timing relative to the registered user's arrival at the vehicle V, enabling smooth and seamless entry into the vehicle V. Furthermore, if the registered user's approach speed is faster than the standard approach speed, the control system 1 will start opening the door 43 earlier, thus enabling smooth and seamless entry into the vehicle V, for example, in situations where the registered user is in a hurry, such as during rainy weather.

[0058] In this embodiment, when a registered user makes an unregistered gesture when approaching the vehicle V, the control system 1 opens the door 43 so that the door 43 is opened to a predetermined degree (e.g., half).

[0059] (Actions related to unregistered gestures) The gesture detection unit 210 of the entry ECU 30 starts detecting unregistered gestures from the external person VP that the authentication unit 208 has authenticated as a registered user. If the gesture detection unit 210 does not detect an unregistered gesture within a predetermined period after starting the detection of unregistered gestures, it terminates the detection of unregistered gestures. On the other hand, if the gesture detection unit 210 detects an unregistered gesture, it outputs detection information indicating that an unregistered gesture has been detected to the second communication control unit 201. The second communication control unit 201 transmits the received detection information to the zone B-ECU 23. When the first communication control unit 101 receives detection information, the door control unit 102 of zone B-ECU23 opens the door 43 so that the door 43 is opened to a predetermined degree. If the door 43 is opened to a predetermined degree or more at the time the first communication control unit 101 receives detection information, the door control unit 102 may close the door 43 so that the door 43 is opened to a predetermined degree.

[0060] As described above, when the control system 1 detects an unregistered gesture from a registered user, it opens the door 43 so that the door 43 opens to a predetermined degree. For example, if the unregistered gesture is skip, the registered user can specify the door 43 to open to a predetermined degree by skipping when approaching the vehicle V.

[0061] Incidentally, registered users may stop while approaching vehicle V, or move away from vehicle V while approaching vehicle V. Therefore, the control system 1 performs operations related to these cases after authentication by the authentication unit 208.

[0062] (Actions taken when the vehicle stops while approaching) The monitoring unit 209 of the entry ECU 30 determines whether the person VP, who has been authenticated as a registered user by the authentication unit 208, has stopped while approaching the vehicle V. If the monitoring unit 209 determines that the person has stopped while approaching the vehicle V, it outputs prohibition request information to the second communication control unit 201. If the monitoring unit 209 determines that the person has not stopped while approaching the vehicle V, it does not output prohibition request information to the second communication control unit 201. When the second communication control unit 201 receives the prohibition request information from the monitoring unit 209, it transmits the received prohibition request information to the zone B-ECU 23. When the first communication control unit 101 receives a prohibition request information, the door control unit 103 of Zone B-ECU23 instructs the door control unit 102 to prohibit the control of door 43. If the door control unit 102 has not yet performed control of door 43, it will not perform the scheduled control of door 43. If the door control unit 102 is in the process of controlling door 43, it will either interrupt the control of door 43 or return the state of door 43 to what it was before the control started.

[0063] As described above, the control system 1 prohibits the control of the door 43 if a registered user stops while approaching vehicle V. If a registered user stops while approaching vehicle V, they may not use vehicle V after stopping. Therefore, the control system 1 can ensure the security of vehicle V by prohibiting the control of the door 43.

[0064] (Actions related to moving away while approaching) The monitoring unit 209 of the entry ECU 30 determines whether the person VP, who has been authenticated as a registered user by the authentication unit 208, has moved away from vehicle V while approaching vehicle V. If the monitoring unit 209 determines that the person has moved away from vehicle V while approaching vehicle V, it outputs lock request information to the second communication control unit 201. If the monitoring unit 209 determines that the person has not moved away from vehicle V while approaching vehicle V, it does not output lock request information to the second communication control unit 201. When the second communication control unit 201 receives lock request information from the monitoring unit 209, it transmits the received lock request information to zone B-ECU 23. When the first communication control unit 101 receives locking request information, the door control unit 102 of zone B-ECU23 operates the door 43. If the door control unit 102 was in the process of opening the door 43, it interrupts the opening operation of the door 43, performs the closing operation of the door 43, and locks the door 43.

[0065] As described above, the control system 1 can ensure the security of vehicle V by locking the doors 43 if a registered user moves away from vehicle V while approaching it.

[0066] However, the control system 1 may not be able to determine whether a registered user is present around the vehicle V due to factors such as the registered user moving out of the camera's field of view. Therefore, the control system 1 performs the necessary actions in this case after authentication by the authentication unit 208.

[0067] (Actions taken when the existence of a registered user cannot be confirmed) The face detection unit 207 of the entry ECU 30 determines whether the face of the external person VP, who has been authenticated as a registered user by the authentication unit 208, can no longer be detected for a predetermined period of time. This predetermined period is set to the time from when the external person VP is authenticated as a registered user until they enter the vehicle V, and is determined by prior tests and simulations. If the face detection unit 207 determines that the face of the external person VP, who has been authenticated as a registered user, can no longer be detected, it outputs prohibition request information to the second communication control unit 201. When the second communication control unit 201 receives the prohibition request information from the face detection unit 207, it transmits the received prohibition request information to the zone B-ECU 23. When the first communication control unit 101 receives a prohibition request information, the door control unit 103 of Zone B-ECU23 instructs the door control unit 102 to prohibit the control of door 43. If the door control unit 102 has not yet performed control of door 43, it will not perform the scheduled control of door 43. If the door control unit 102 is in the process of controlling door 43, it will either interrupt the control of door 43 or return the state of door 43 to what it was before the control started.

[0068] As described above, if the control system 1 cannot confirm the presence of a registered user in the vicinity of vehicle V, it prohibits the control of door 43. Therefore, the control system 1 can ensure the security of vehicle V.

[0069] A second embodiment will be described. Regarding the configuration of the second embodiment, components identical to those of the first embodiment described above are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed explanations are omitted.

[0070] Figure 5 shows the main components of the control system 1 of the second embodiment. As is clear from comparing Figure 5 and Figure 2, the second memory 220 further stores the registered gesture DB 225.

[0071] The Registered Gesture DB225 records information related to each registered gesture. A registered gesture is a gesture that a user of vehicle V has registered in vehicle V in advance. Each record in the Registered Gesture DB225 includes gesture content information and door control content information. The door control content information indicates the control content of door 43. For example, in the Registered Gesture DB225, gesture content information indicating the gesture "raise left hand" is associated with door control content information indicating the control content "open right power sliding door".

[0072] In the second embodiment, the registration unit 202 records the combination of the gesture content of the registered gesture and the control content of the door 43 in the registered gesture DB 225. The registration unit 202 in the second embodiment recognizes the gesture content of the gesture performed by the user of the vehicle V from the video image captured by the camera 44 using methods such as image analysis. Next, the registration unit 202 in the second embodiment associates the gesture content information indicated by the recognized gesture content with the door control content information indicating the control content of the door 43 specified by the user of the vehicle V, and records it in the registered gesture DB 225. In this way, the registration unit 202 in the second embodiment records the combination of the gesture content and the control content of the door 43 in the registered gesture DB 225, so that the user of the vehicle V can register a desired gesture to the vehicle V so that the desired control can be performed.

[0073] The gesture detection unit 210 of the second embodiment detects unregistered gestures, similar to the gesture detection unit 210 of the first embodiment. The gesture detection unit 210 of the second embodiment also detects registered gestures from external person VPs detected by the external person detection unit 204. The gesture detection unit 210 tracks the image of the external person VP detected by the external person detection unit 204 in the video footage captured by the camera 44. The gesture detection unit 210 performs image analysis on the tracked image of the external person VP and extracts the characteristics of the external person VP's movements (e.g., motion vectors). Next, the gesture detection unit 210 recognizes the content of the external person VP's movements from the extracted characteristics of their movements. The gesture detection unit 210 then determines that a registered gesture has been detected if the recognized content of the external person VP's movements is a gesture recorded in the registered gesture DB 225.

[0074] Next, the operation of each part of the control system 1 in the second embodiment will be described. Figure 6 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the entry ECU 30 and zone B-ECU 23. In Figure 6, flowchart FC shows the operation of the entry ECU 30, and flowchart FD shows the operation of zone B-ECU 23.

[0075] In the flowchart of Figure 6, steps identical to those in Figure 4 are given the same step number, and their detailed explanations are omitted.

[0076] As shown in the flowchart FD, the door control unit 102 determines whether the comparison result indicated by the comparison result information received in step SB1 indicates that the calculated approach speed is slower than the approach speed of the reference approach pattern data 224 (step SD1). That is, in step SD1, the door control unit 102 determines whether the approach speed of the registered user is slower than the reference approach speed.

[0077] If the door control unit 102 determines that the registered user's approach speed is slower than the standard approach speed (step SD1: YES), it unlocks the door 43 (step SD2).

[0078] On the other hand, if the door control unit 102 determines that the registered user's approach speed is not slower than the reference approach speed (step SD1: NO), it opens the door 43 at a start timing corresponding to the comparison result indicated by the comparison result information received in step SB1 (step SD3).

[0079] Step SD3 will be described in detail. The door control unit 102 starts opening the door 43 when the distance indicated by the distance information output by the monitoring unit 209 reaches the first distance, provided that the comparison result shows that the calculated approach speed is the same as the approach speed of the reference approach pattern data 224. In other words, the door control unit 102 starts opening the door 43 when the distance between the registered user and the vehicle V reaches the first distance, provided that the approach speed of the registered user is the same as the reference approach speed. The door control unit 102 starts opening the door 43 when the comparison result shows that the calculated approach speed is faster than the speed of the reference approach pattern data 224, and the distance indicated by the distance information output by the monitoring unit 209 becomes a third distance which is longer than the first distance. In other words, the door control unit 102 starts opening the door 43 when the approach speed of the registered user is faster than the reference approach speed, and the distance between the registered user and the vehicle V becomes a third distance.

[0080] As described above, if the registered user's approach speed is slower than the standard approach speed, the control system 1 unlocks the door 43 and does not open the door 43. This allows the door 43 to be opened at the registered user's intended timing, thus ensuring the security of the vehicle V and improving the convenience of the vehicle V's user.

[0081] In this embodiment, the control system 1 detects a registered gesture when only unlocking the door 43 is performed as control of the door 43. That is, the control system 1 in this embodiment detects a registered gesture when the approach speed of the registered user is slower than a standard. The following describes this case.

[0082] (Actions related to unlocking the door only) When the entry ECU 30 transmits comparison result information to the zone B-ECU 23 indicating that the approach speed is slower than the reference approach pattern data 224, the gesture detection unit 210 of the entry ECU 30 starts detecting registered gestures. If the gesture detection unit 210 does not detect a registered gesture within a predetermined period after starting the detection of registered gestures, it terminates the detection of registered gestures. When the gesture detection unit 210 detects a registered gesture, it obtains door control content information corresponding to the gesture content of the detected registered gesture from the registered gesture DB 225. Then, the second communication control unit 201 transmits the door control content information obtained by the gesture detection unit 210 to the zone B-ECU 23. When the first communication control unit 101 receives door control information, the door control unit 102 of zone B-ECU23 opens the door 43 according to the control information indicated by the received door control information.

[0083] For example, suppose that in the registered gesture DB225, gesture content information indicating the gesture "raise left hand" is associated with door control content information indicating the control "open right power sliding door". Also, suppose that when the gesture detection unit 210 starts detecting registered gestures, at least the right power sliding door 43C is unlocked. Furthermore, suppose that the gesture detection unit 210 detects the registered gesture of raising the left hand. In this example, the door control unit 102 performs the operation to open the right power sliding door 43C.

[0084] (Actions related to unregistered gestures) In this embodiment as well, when a registered user makes an unregistered gesture when approaching vehicle V, the control system 1 opens the door 43 so that the door 43 is opened to a predetermined degree (for example, halfway). The control system 1 in this embodiment operates in the same way as the control system 1 in the first embodiment, and when an unregistered gesture is detected, it sets the door 43 to a predetermined degree.

[0085] (Actions taken when the vehicle stops while approaching) In this embodiment as well, if a registered user stops while approaching vehicle V, the control system 1 prohibits the control of the door 43. The control system 1 in this embodiment operates in the same way as the control system 1 in the first embodiment, prohibiting the control of the door 43 if a registered user stops while approaching vehicle V.

[0086] (Actions related to moving away while approaching) In this embodiment as well, if a registered user moves away from vehicle V while approaching vehicle V, the control system 1 locks the door 43. The control system 1 in this embodiment operates in the same way as the control system 1 in the first embodiment, and locks the door 43 if a registered user moves away from vehicle V while approaching vehicle V.

[0087] (Actions taken when the existence of a registered user cannot be confirmed) In this embodiment as well, if the faces of the registered user and the authenticated external person VP can no longer be detected, the control system 1 prohibits the control of the door 43. The control system 1 in this embodiment operates in the same way as the control system 1 in the first embodiment, and prohibits the control of the door 43 if the faces of the registered user and the authenticated external person VP can no longer be detected.

[0088] Furthermore, in this embodiment, if the authentication unit 208 can no longer detect the face of the registered user and the external person VP, the control system 1 stops detecting the registered gesture. This stop may be performed together with, or instead of, prohibiting the control of the door 43. The face detection unit 207 of the entry ECU 30 determines whether it has become impossible to detect the face of the registered user and the authenticated external person VP for a predetermined period of time after authentication. If the face detection unit 207 determines that it has become impossible to detect the face of the registered user and the authenticated external person VP, it outputs stop request information to the gesture detection unit 210. When the gesture detection unit 210 receives stop request information from the face detection unit 207, it stops detecting gestures. As a result, if the control system 1 cannot determine that a registered user is present in the vicinity of the vehicle V, gesture-based control of the door 43 will not be performed, thus further enhancing the security of the vehicle V.

[0089] Incidentally, the control system 1 of this embodiment controls the door 43 even if the registered user stops while approaching, if it detects a registered gesture. This will be explained below.

[0090] (Actions taken when a registered gesture is detected after the vehicle has stopped while approaching) When the gesture detection unit 210 of the entry ECU 30 detects a registered gesture after the door control prohibition unit 103 has prohibited the control of the door 43, it obtains door control content information corresponding to the gesture content of the detected registered gesture from the registered gesture DB 225. The second communication control unit 201 then transmits the door control content information obtained by the gesture detection unit 210 to the zone B-ECU 23. When the first communication control unit 101 receives door control content information, the door control prohibition unit 103 of zone B-ECU23 outputs release information to the door control unit 102. The door control unit 102 then opens the door 43 according to the control content indicated by the received door control content information.

[0091] Each of the embodiments described above is merely one example and can be modified and applied as desired.

[0092] In the first embodiment described above, a configuration was shown in which the start timing of the door 43 opening operation is varied according to the comparison result. However, a configuration may also be used in which the operating speed of the door 43 opening operation is varied according to the comparison result. In this configuration, if the comparison result indicates that the registered user's approach speed is slower than the reference approach speed, the door control unit 102 will set the operating speed of the door 43 opening operation to be slower than when the registered user's approach speed is equal to or greater than the reference approach speed. Also in this configuration, if the comparison result indicates that the registered user's approach speed is faster than the reference approach speed, the door control unit 102 will set the operating speed of the door 43 opening operation to be faster than when the registered user's approach speed is equal to or less than the reference approach speed. In this configuration, the start timing of the opening operation is the same regardless of the comparison result.

[0093] In the first embodiment described above, the door 43 is opened according to the comparison result, but it may also be configured to unlock the door 43 according to the comparison result. In this configuration, if the comparison result indicates that the registered user's approach speed is slower than the reference approach speed, the door control unit 102 will unlock the door 43 later than when the registered user's approach speed is equal to or greater than the reference approach speed. Also in this configuration, if the comparison result indicates that the registered user's approach speed is faster than the reference approach speed, the door control unit 102 will unlock the door 43 earlier than when the registered user's approach speed is equal to or less than the reference approach speed.

[0094] In the second embodiment described above, the door 43 is opened when the registered user's approach speed is equal to or greater than the reference approach speed. However, the door 43 may also be unlocked. In this configuration, if the comparison result indicates that the registered user's approach speed is faster than the reference approach speed, the door control unit 102 unlocks the door 43 earlier than when the registered user's approach speed is equal to or less than the reference approach speed.

[0095] In the embodiments described above, approach speed was used as an example of the approach method, but the approach method is not limited to approach speed, and may also be, for example, the distance between a person VP outside the vehicle and the vehicle V.

[0096] The first processor 100 and the second processor 200 may consist of multiple processors or a single processor. These processors may also be hardware programmed to implement the functional units described above. In this case, these processors may consist of, for example, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array).

[0097] Furthermore, the configuration of each part of the control system 1 shown in Figure 1 is merely an example, and the specific implementation is not particularly limited. In other words, it is not necessarily required that hardware corresponding to each part be implemented individually; it is certainly possible to configure the system so that a single processor executes a program to realize the functions of each part. Also, some of the functions realized by software in the above embodiment may be implemented by hardware, or conversely, some of the functions realized by hardware may be implemented by software.

[0098] Furthermore, the operation steps shown in Figures 4 and 6 are divided according to the main processing content, and the present invention is not limited by the way the processing units are divided or their names. Depending on the processing content, it may be further divided into more steps. Alternatively, it may be divided so that one step unit includes even more processing. Also, the order of the steps may be changed as appropriate, as long as it does not impede the spirit of the present invention.

[0099] Furthermore, when the control method of the control system 1 described above is implemented using a processor, the program to be executed by this processor can be configured as a recording medium or a transmission medium for transmitting this program. That is, the first control program 111 can be implemented by recording the first control program 111 on a portable information recording medium. Examples of information recording media include magnetic recording media such as hard disks, optical recording media such as CDs, and semiconductor storage devices such as USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory and SSDs (Solid State Drives), but other recording media can also be used. Similarly, the second control program 221 can be implemented by recording the second control program 221 on a portable information recording medium, just like the first control program 111.

[0100] The above embodiment supports the following configuration.

[0101] (Composition 1) A vehicle control system comprising: an external image acquisition unit that acquires an external image which is an image of the outside of the vehicle; a first detection unit that detects an external person present outside the vehicle based on the external image acquired by the external image acquisition unit; a second detection unit that detects an approaching manner which is the manner in which the external person detected by the first detection unit approaches the vehicle; a comparison unit that compares the approaching manner detected by the second detection unit with a reference approaching manner; an authentication unit that authenticates whether the external person detected by the first detection unit is a registered user of the vehicle that has been registered in advance; and a door control unit that controls the doors of the vehicle according to the comparison result of the comparison unit when the authentication unit authenticates that the person is a registered user. According to the control system of Configuration 1, the vehicle doors can be controlled considering the approach pattern of the registered user, thereby improving the convenience of the vehicle user in controlling the vehicle doors.

[0102] (Configuration 2) The control system according to Configuration 1, wherein the second detection unit detects the approach speed to the vehicle as the approach mode, and the door control unit, if the comparison result indicates that the approach speed detected by the second detection unit is slower than the reference approach speed, delays the start timing of the door opening operation or the operating speed of the door opening operation compared to when the approach speed detected by the second detection unit is equal to or greater than the reference approach speed, and then performs the door opening operation. According to the control system in Configuration 2, the vehicle doors can be unlocked or opened at the appropriate time when the registered user arrives at the vehicle. Therefore, smooth and seamless entry into the vehicle can be achieved, and the convenience of the vehicle user in controlling the vehicle doors can be further improved.

[0103] (Composition 3) The control system according to configuration 1 or 2, wherein the second detection unit detects the approach speed to the vehicle as the approach mode, and the door control unit, if the comparison result indicates that the approach speed detected by the second detection unit is faster than the reference approach speed, starts the door opening operation or speeds the door opening operation earlier than when the approach speed detected by the second detection unit is less than or equal to the reference approach speed, and performs the door opening operation. According to the control system in Configuration 3, the vehicle doors can be unlocked or opened at the appropriate time when the registered user arrives at the vehicle. Therefore, smooth and seamless entry into the vehicle can be achieved, and the convenience of the vehicle user in controlling the vehicle doors can be further improved.

[0104] (Composition 4) The control system according to Configuration 1, wherein the second detection unit detects the approach speed to the vehicle as the approach mode, and the door control unit unlocks the door but does not open the door if the comparison result indicates that the approach speed detected by the second detection unit is slower than the reference approach speed. According to the control system in configuration 4, the door is unlocked but not opened, allowing the vehicle user to open the door at the timing they intend. Therefore, the convenience of the vehicle user can be further improved in controlling the vehicle's doors.

[0105] (Composition 5) The control system according to configuration 4, further comprising a third detection unit for detecting the gesture of the person outside the vehicle detected by the first detection unit, wherein the door control unit, after unlocking the door, performs a door opening operation based on the registered gesture detected by the third detection unit if the third detection unit detects a pre-registered registered gesture. According to the control system in configuration 5, the door can be opened by performing a registered gesture, thereby improving the convenience of the vehicle user in controlling the vehicle's doors.

[0106] (Composition 6) The control system according to configuration 5, further comprising a fourth detection unit for detecting the face of the person outside the vehicle detected by the first detection unit, and the third detection unit stopping gesture detection when the fourth detection unit can no longer detect the face after detecting the face. According to the control system in configuration 6, if it cannot be confirmed that a registered user is present in the vicinity of the vehicle, the doors can be prevented from opening by the registered gesture, thereby ensuring the security of the vehicle.

[0107] (Composition 7) A control system according to any one of configurations 1 to 6, comprising a third detection unit for detecting the gesture of the person outside the vehicle detected by the first detection unit, wherein the door control unit performs a door opening operation to open the door to a predetermined degree when the third detection unit detects an unregistered gesture that has not been registered in advance. According to the control system in configuration 7, the door opening degree can be specified to a predetermined degree by performing an unregistered gesture without having to perform a registration procedure, thereby further improving the convenience of the vehicle user in controlling the vehicle doors.

[0108] (Composition 8) The control system according to any one of configurations 1 to 7, further comprising a door control prohibition unit that prohibits the door control unit from controlling the door when the person outside the vehicle, who has been authenticated by the authentication unit as the registered user, stops while approaching the vehicle. If a registered user stops while approaching the vehicle, the registered user may not use the vehicle. However, according to the control system in configuration 8, the security of the vehicle can be ensured even in such cases.

[0109] (Composition 9) The control system according to configuration 5 or 6, further comprising a door control prohibition unit that prohibits the door control unit from controlling the door when the person outside the vehicle, authenticated by the authentication unit as the registered user, stops while approaching the vehicle, and after the door control prohibition unit has prohibited the control of the door, if the third detection unit detects a pre-registered registered gesture, the prohibition of the door control is lifted, and after the prohibition of the door control is lifted, the door control unit controls the door based on the registered gesture detected by the third detection unit. According to the control system in configuration 9, even if a registered user stops, if a registered gesture is detected, the doors will be controlled based on the detected registered gesture. Therefore, users other than the registered user can control the doors using registered gestures. Thus, the convenience of the vehicle user in controlling the vehicle doors can be improved.

[0110] (Composition 10) The control system according to any one of configurations 1 to 9, wherein the door control unit locks the door when the person outside the vehicle, who has been authenticated by the authentication unit as the registered user, moves away from the vehicle while approaching it. According to the control system of configuration 10, if a registered user moves away from the vehicle while approaching it, the doors will be locked, thereby ensuring the security of the vehicle.

[0111] (Composition 11) A control system according to any one of configurations 1 to 10, comprising: a fourth detection unit for detecting the face of the person outside the vehicle detected by the first detection unit; and a door control prohibition unit for prohibiting the door control unit from controlling the door if the fourth detection unit can no longer detect the face after detecting the face. According to the control system in configuration 11, if it cannot be determined that a registered user is present in the vicinity of the vehicle, the control of the doors is prohibited, thereby ensuring the security of the vehicle.

[0112] (Composition 12) A control method for a vehicle control system, comprising: acquiring an external image which is an image of the outside of the vehicle; detecting an external person present outside the vehicle based on the acquired external image; detecting an approach manner which is the manner in which the detected external person approaches the vehicle; comparing the detected approach manner with a reference approach manner; authenticating whether the detected external person is a registered user which is a user of the vehicle that has been registered in advance; and if it is authenticated that the person is a registered user, controlling the doors of the vehicle according to the comparison result. The control method of the control system in configuration 12 produces the same effects as the control system in configuration 1. [Explanation of symbols]

[0113] 1…Control system, 2…Central ECU, 3a…First communication line, 4b…Second communication line, 5…In-vehicle connection link, 27…Door lock mechanism, 23…Zone B-ECU, 33A~33E…Door lock mechanism, 30…Entry ECU, 32…Front camera, 33…Rear camera, 34…Right side camera, 35…Left side camera, 41…Drive unit, 41A…Right PHD drive unit, 41B…Left PHD drive unit, 41C…Right PSD drive unit, 41D…Left PSD drive unit, 41E…PTG drive unit, 43…Door, 43A…Right power hinge door, 43B…Left power hinge door, 43C…Right power sliding door, 43D…Left power sliding door, 43E…Power tailgate, 44…Camera (External vehicle image acquisition unit), 100...First processor, 101...First communication control unit, 102...Door control unit, 103...Door control prohibition unit, 110...First memory, 111...First control program, 200...Second processor, 201...Second communication control unit, 202...Registration unit, 203...Proximity detection unit, 204...External vehicle person detection unit (First detection unit), 205...Proximity pattern detection unit (Second detection unit), 206...Comparison unit, 207...Face detection unit (Fourth detection unit), 208...Authentication unit, 209...Monitoring unit, 210...Gesture detection unit (Third detection unit), 220...Second memory, 221...Second control program, 222...Face DB, 224...Reference approach pattern data, 223...Unregistered gesture, V...Vehicle, VP...External vehicle person.

Claims

1. A vehicle control system, An external image acquisition unit acquires an external image, which is an image of the outside of the vehicle. A registered gesture database records the combination of the gesture content and the control content of the vehicle's doors for each registered gesture. The system includes a registration unit that recognizes the gesture content of a gesture made by the vehicle user based on the exterior image acquisition unit acquired by the vehicle user, and records the recognized gesture content in association with the door control content specified by the vehicle user in the registered gesture DB. Control system.

2. Each record in the registered gesture DB includes gesture content information indicating the gesture content and door control content information indicating the control content of the vehicle's doors. The control system according to claim 1.

3. The registration unit performs image analysis on the external vehicle image to recognize the content of the gestures made by the user of the vehicle. The control system according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The control details for the door include information that identifies the door to be controlled from among a plurality of doors. The control system according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The control of the aforementioned door includes the opening operation of the door to be controlled. The control system according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. A first detection unit detects a person outside the vehicle based on the external image acquired by the external image acquisition unit, The system includes an authentication unit that authenticates whether the person outside the vehicle detected by the first detection unit is a registered user of the vehicle who has been registered in advance, The control system according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. The vehicle is further equipped with a third detection unit that detects the gestures of the person outside the vehicle detected by the first detection unit, The third detection unit tracks the image of the person outside the vehicle detected by the first detection unit in the external image acquired by the external image acquisition unit, performs image analysis on the tracked image of the person outside the vehicle to extract the characteristics of the person's movements, recognizes the content of the person's movements from the extracted characteristics of the person's movements, and determines that a registered gesture has been detected if the recognized content of the person's movements is a gesture recorded in the registered gesture DB. The control system according to claim 6.

8. A second detection unit detects the approach speed to the vehicle as an approaching manner, which is the manner in which the person outside the vehicle detected by the first detection unit approaches the vehicle. A comparison unit compares the approach speed detected by the second detection unit with a reference approach speed, It comprises a door control unit and, If the comparison result of the comparison unit indicates that the approach speed detected by the second detection unit is slower than the reference approach speed, the door control unit unlocks the door but does not open it. The control system according to claim 6 or 7.

9. The vehicle is further equipped with a third detection unit that detects the gestures of the person outside the vehicle detected by the first detection unit, The door control unit is If the authentication unit authenticates that the user is a registered user, and the third detection unit detects a registered gesture recorded in the registered gesture DB after the door has been unlocked, the third detection unit controls the door according to the door control content associated with the registered gesture in the registered gesture DB. The control system according to claim 8.

10. The vehicle is further equipped with a fourth detection unit that detects the face of the person outside the vehicle detected by the first detection unit, The third detection unit stops detecting the registered gesture if it can no longer detect the face after the fourth detection unit has detected the face. The control system according to claim 9.

11. The vehicle is further equipped with a third detection unit that detects the gestures of the person outside the vehicle detected by the first detection unit, When the door control unit detects an unregistered gesture that is not pre-registered in relation to the person outside the vehicle, who has been authenticated by the authentication unit as a registered user, the third detection unit performs an opening operation to open the door to a predetermined degree. The control system according to any one of claims 8 to 10.

12. A method for controlling a vehicle, An external image, which is an image of the outside of the aforementioned vehicle, is acquired. Based on the acquired external vehicle image, the content of the gesture made by the user of the vehicle is recognized. The recognized gesture content and the vehicle door control content specified by the vehicle's user are associated and recorded in the registered gesture database. Control method.

13. Recording in the registered gesture DB includes recording in the registered gesture DB one record that includes gesture content information indicating the recognized gesture content and door control content information indicating the door control content. The control method according to claim 12.

14. The vehicle's processor, The process of acquiring an external image, which is an image of the outside of the vehicle, Based on the aforementioned external vehicle image, a process is performed to recognize the content of the gesture made by the user of the vehicle. A program was recorded that performs the process of associating the recognized gesture content with the control content of the vehicle door specified by the user and recording it in the registered gesture DB. Recording medium.

Images